As the Grand Prix circus heads for the bumpy Interlagos circuit in Brazil this weekend, the teams prepare for a race that has been known to produce much drama and plenty of incidents. CARtoday.com brings you the inside track on the what’s been happening at some of the top teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Renault and Toyota – this week.
As the Grand Prix circus heads for the bumpy Interlagos circuit in Brazil this weekend, the teams prepare for a race that has been known to produce much drama and plenty of incidents. CARtoday.com brings you the inside track on the what’s been happening at some of the top teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Renault and Toyota – this week.
Ferrari: Schumacher praises new rule
Brawn hopes for the best Four-time world champion Michael Schumacher has publicly supported new F1 regulations that will allow race officials to drop drivers down the grid for dangerous driving.
The FIA last week announced a new rule that would penalise any driver deemed to have provoked an “avoidable accident” by dropping them 10 places down the grid at the next race – and Schumacher, who has been involved in more than his fair share of on-track scuffles over the years, believes the move is a good one.
"I don’t think this is anything to do with the accidents we’ve seen this year,” Schumacher was quoted as saying by . "It’s just a more sensible way of trying to penalise someone who doesn’t behave, instead of banning them for the whole race."
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s technical director, Ross Brawn, said on Wednesday that the F-2002 would face a baptism of fire at Interlagos. Brawn believes the nature of the Brazilian Grand Prix track means the new car, which Schumacher has never raced before, will not be easy to set-up this weekend.
"The bumps make it a 3D track when it comes to setting up the car," said Brawn. "Last year we did not find a good solution and we struggled in the race. The car was a bit too stiff, especially when it rained, which is always a strong possibility around race time in Brazil. We learned a lot from last year’s race, which means we should have a better idea of what to do this year."
Brawn added that he didn’t quite know what to expect from the track surface this weekend: "Every year there seems to be work on the track surface to improve the bumps, but they never seem to be eliminated, just the places changed. It’s not until we run on Friday morning that we’ll really know the kind of problems that can be facing us”.
McLaren: Coulthard hopes to find reliability
David Coulthard is aiming to jump start his F1 world championship campaign at the weekend with a repeat of his stunning 2001 victory. It may be a tall order, considering the Scot has yet to finish a race this year and has fallen 14 points behind Schumacher.
However, Coulthard is confident that his McLaren team, and its engine partner Mercedes, have rooted out reliability problems to give him the chance to repeat last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix victory.
"Although I have had a difficult start to the 2002 season, McLaren does have a package that is capable of winning races," said Coulthard.
"We have all been working hard to increase reliability. Of course, the desired outcome for me in Brazil would be a repeat of last year’s result, however, I am primarily focused on opening my points tally for 2002."
McLaren’s managing director, Martin Whitmarsh, said: "We have been working hard to marry competitive performance with reliability. We have again demonstrated in testing this week at Barcelona that we have the capability to achieve the complete package, and we now must translate this into the race environment in Brazil."
"Following the engine failures in the last grand prix, our main target was to achieve reliability again," said Mercedes-Benz motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug said this week.
Williams: BMW boss picks Ralf to win
BMW motorsport boss and former Grand Prix ace Gerhard Berger reckons Ralf Schumacher is the favourite to win in Brazil.
Berger, who usually downplays Williams BMW’s chances, is brimming with confidence for the Interlagos race this weekend and believes both drivers are on course for podium finishes. He has tipped Ralf – not team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya – for victory.
"In my opinion, Ralf is the favourite. In the previous year, he was really very quick,” Berger said. "I am convinced that our car will work well there. All together, I see both of our drivers on podium-finish course."
Schumacher qualified on the front row for the first time in his career at Interlagos last year. But it was Montoya who stole the show in the race, leading until Jos Verstappen slammed into the back of his Williams.
"After the one-two victory in Malaysia we are very much looking forward to Brazil. The Interlagos circuit layout suits our engine quite well… two straights, especially the uphill start/finish section, require engine power,” he said. “In 2001, we performed strongly in qualifying. Hopefully we have a little more luck this year."
Renault: Button hopes to humiliate Coulthard
Jenson Button may have narrowly lost out on his first podium finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix, but the Briton is confident of beating David Coulthard and Mclaren in Brazil.
He believes that his Renault R202, designed by Mike Gascoyne, can go on to challenge McLaren as the team enters the big league. The Malaysian Grand Prix marked a remarkable turnaround in fortune for the young Englishman, who had a nightmare season with Benetton last year.
"Last year really affected me, but I don’t believe I have to prove anything," he told the . "I want to get results and let them speak for themselves."
"I’m really looking forward to going head-to-head with David. I started right behind him in Malaysia and the way things are going we should be battling with them by mid-season, and could be ahead of them by the end of the season.
"Last year we got lost with development, but this season is different. Mike Gascoyne has designed a great car. It is so predictable and really gives me confidence to attack the times – and the drivers. And Renault have got such an incredible development programme that things are only going to get better.
"Last year I was starting 20th or 21st on the grid. Now we are seventh or eighth – that means we are always looking for points, or maybe even podiums.
"Everyone is going to make up ground on Ferrari and you will see Williams, McLaren and maybe even us pushing Michael Schumacher for wins later this year,” he added. "And there is a very good chance that Renault could lift the championship in 2003. The car will be a race winner by then!"
Toyota: Andersson in uncharted territory
Very few F1 observers would have expected that, two races into the 2002 season, Toyota would have scored its first point and had a top 10 starting position. But although the TF102 is showing up many of the more established teams, team boss Ove Andersson is wary of overconfidence setting in at Toyota.
"More than ever, my job is to pour water on everyone’s expectations at each race!" Andersson said this week. "We are performing better than we expected at this stage of the programme, but I don’t want people to expect too much.
"Look at Brazil next weekend: we have not tested there, so we have a steep learning curve. Having said that, I am very pleased with the progress we are making. We took a bit step forward in the way that we work in Malaysia and, if we make similar progress in Brazil, I’ll be happy."
Toyota’s pre-race preparations were not helped by hydraulics problems in testing at Barcelona last week and Mika Salo, who scored Toyota’s first point at Albert Park, expects a “bumpy ride” at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
"From a driver’s perspective, Interlagos means one thing, bumps. All around the lap, ripples in the tarmac unsettle the car, which are made even more treacherous if it’s wet. It’s a pity because the actual lay-out of the track is quite nice, with a good mix of fast and slow corners and undulations,” Salo was quoted as saying this week.
“You can find a good rhythm. It’s also a racer’s track because there is an excellent overtaking place at the end of the pit straight. The track is wide and you have just been sitting in someone’s slipstream for the previous 10 seconds… trust me, it’s easy!"