Britain: The Approaching GP
By Karl King
July 5 2005
Formula One takes a trip over the channel to England this week, for the British Grand Prix. In a Grand Prix that was unlikely to even appear on the F1 2005 calendar because of it’s poor facilities,
the fans have proved their support for a circuit which has become a permanent home for the British GP for nearly 20 years, and have made the even a 100,000 sell-out!
Still it’s usual July slot to try and make the best of the British summer, I have checked the weather forecast for the weekend’s proceedings. Today, Tuesday, AOL predict that the weather at the Northamptonshire circuit will look like this:
FRIDAY: High: 21C/70F Low: 10C/50F
SATURDAY: High: 22C/73F Low: 11C/53F
SUNDAY: High: 25C/77F Low: 12C/55F
So if AOL Weather is to be relied on, we are looking at a dry and cloudy day for the race and Friday practices, but a rainy day for qualifying – this could turn out to be a very interesting weekend!
Jarno experienced a crash with Renault at Silverstone in 2004, one which he describes as “The worst of my career.” The Italian looks on to this year’s race: "Like Magny-Cours, Silverstone is another technical circuit, demanding both for the cars and the drivers. The track contains every type of corner, so it is difficult to come up with a set-up for the whole lap. As usual you need a well balanced car and you have to find a compromise between the aerodynamic and mechanical sides. If you can make it respond in both fast and slow corners you can push to the limit.
“From a driving point of view, Becketts is the most enjoyable part of the circuit, but there are other corners where you need to be committed if you want to improve your lap time, like Bridge and Copse. Stowe is important, as is the slow section at the end of the lap. The wind is another major factor at Silverstone because the surrounding area is very flat and that can affect handling. Of course, the weather can then throw anything at you in one race, so we have to be prepared for anything.
“I've been on the front row at Silverstone before, so we'll see if we can keep up our strong run from 2005 in both qualifying and the race."
Currently, like number 1 driver Trulli, Panasonic Toyota Racing lies in 4th place in the championship – behind only Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. Jarno and Ralf will head to Silverstone in the hope to close back in on Ferrari who were helped into third by the Indy tyre fiasco.
R. Schumacher begins, "At 5.14km in length, Silverstone is quite a long, demanding circuit for drivers and engineers alike. Being flat, it is prone to changeable wind levels which can really disrupt a driver's quick lap. If the car is turning into wind, the front end can feel quite good, but if it turns away from wind, the car can rapidly become loose and unstable. The wind effect is especially strong through Copse, Becketts and down to Stowe. Technically those faster corners require a good aero efficiency and commitment from the driver, while the track's slower corners demand good traction.
“We must take into account a wide range of set-ups during Friday free practice because even if the forecast says it will remain dry, there is always the chance of a shower.
“I had a run of good fortune at Silverstone in my early F1 years from 1997 through to 2000 when I finished in the top 6 each year. With the TF105, we have a good chance of scoring points at every event this year, so I am confident my points tally will be better off by the chequered flag on Sunday."
To help us that do not have the insight of guru Gascoyne, he explains the technical aspects for the British GP.
"At Silverstone we run fairly high levels of downforce, but not as high as
“The weather is quite a significant factor with isolated rain showers quite a likelihood over the weekend - even in July! If we know that the race will be run in heavy rain, we will run with more downforce. We would also raise the ride heights to avoid any chance of aquaplaning and we will soften the car to aid traction, especially at the rear.
“It can be an advantage to test at Silverstone but only if you meet similar conditions at the race weekend. This year we haven't done that much testing there but we have a substantial database from previous races and tests. After six points in