SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Preview: 2004 Canadian Grand Prix

The Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve is like a decent version of Imola. Lots of stop starts and some high top speeds. Ability to ride the curbing and a powerful engine are the two most important factors. As at Imola Ferrari have both these factors in spades. Ferrari have managed to keep their shape since 1996 yet it seems that, although they have withstood external pressures to tear the dream team of Schumacher, di Montezemolo, Todt, Brawn, Byrne and Martinelli apart, it may well be internal pressures that splits the team. Luca di Montezemolo is already all but confirmed as Fiat's new boss while Todt is expected to be forwarded by Max Mosely as his replacement as president of the FIA. For now the dream team are still together, however, and a dominant performance is expected at Montreal.

M. Schumacher

Michael Schumacher knows that by having the best chassis and the best engine this season he is unlikely to face much of a challenge this time out. Schumacher's driving is faultless at the moment and his dominance within the team and over the whole grid is leading to much speculation that Michael is about to sign an extension to his contract to see him drive beyond 2006. Despite all the positivism Schuey is sounding a note of caution as always. “I am assuming BAR are going to be very strong here because Montreal is a similar track to Imola, where they were extremely strong. We can expect another good fight. There are greater challenges on the calendar but you still have to prepare correctly for this track. With it being a stop-go circuit, the brakes are understandably very important. Last year we had quite a few problems, but we have done our homework and we should go better this time.”

Barrichello

One of the surprising aspects about this season has been how Rubens has not really challenged this season. After a fabulous run of results at the end of last year Rubens seems to be unable to unlock the same pace from the F2004 as his team leader. Barrichello certainly had his testing limited by Michael's increased pre-season testing this year but, more than that. Rubens seems to be unable to unlock the performance in terms of set up that Michael can. Rubens himself is at a loss to explain just why he is not putting in the performance this year. Rubens has a good record at Montreal, however and he will be expecting another podium visit this time out.

BMW Williams F1 (Dark Blue and White with Compaq and Allianz graphics)

In summing up the team's preparations for the upcoming race Technical Director Sam Michel shows just how hard the team are working to address the aerodynamic deficiencies that they are currently suffering. "The team has tested at two tracks this week, Silverstone and Monza, with all of our drivers contributing to the on-going development program of the FW26. At Monza with Ralf, we worked on brakes, tires and aero testing, while at Silverstone we concentrated on traction control, tires and set-up work with Juan Pablo, Marc and Antonio all sharing testing duties. In respect of the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal is a low to medium downforce circuit, dominated by traction and braking, with low cornering speeds so selecting the correct downforce level is crucial. Increased demand is therefore placed on the cars’ braking efficiency, aerodynamics and engine power. Overtaking opportunities are better than those at other circuits on the calendar so we should see some good racing. Based on previous form, however, the safety car is regularly deployed at this race so we will need to ensure we develop a good race strategy."

R. Schumacher

Ralf's lack of points (or even finishes!) this season seems to be doing the young German no good at all. His wife Cora tried her hand at Mini racing last weekend and her performance was about as decent as her husband's has been this season! Taking Panis out of the running at the Nurbergring was not a clever thing considering his impending move to Toyota — even so Ralf seems to be optimistic for this season."Even though things haven't gone right for me recently, I am looking forward to the trip to Canada and the United States. I especially like Montreal as I like the city and the people but most of all I really like the circuit. In the past few years, we’ve managed to produce some good results there so I’m hoping the track should suit our car again this year. Following this week’s tests at Silverstone and Monza, I’m convinced that we have made a step forward, but I don't know how big this will be until we get to Montreal. I am not going to let our difficult start to the season get in the way of future races because you always have to look forward, not back. I am now thinking on a race by race basis and I will always try to make the best out of the situation."

Montoya

Unusually JPM did not take the blame for the crash which saw Ralf Schumacher and his grand prix hopes evaporate in Europe. Montoya feels that new Technical Director Sam Michel's relationship with Ralf Schumacher (which stretches back to Ralf's first season in F1 with Jordan in 1997) is too close and it was Michel who got the brunt of Montoya's tirade in France last year (which subsequently led to his jumping ship to McLaren). With Michel's promotion and Montoya's new team doing so badly some are thinking that Montoya may be about to move elsewhere (there are performance stipulations within Montoya's contract) but this seems unlikely. For now JPM is just interested in getting the car up the grid. "Once again we are facing two back-to-back races, but this time they're not in Europe, which makes it even harder for everyone involved. We have been working really hard in preparation for the next two Grand Prix testing at Silverstone and in Monza. Both the Canadian and U.S tracks require a lot of power and minimal downforce but the BMW engine is still very good, even if some other teams have improved since last year, so we should do well there. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team has always performed well at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit as it seems to suit our package, also the track offers some good overtaking opportunities so I am really looking forward to that. Montreal is quite a technical circuit, you need to be very precise as to where you put your car on the track, while you also have to be very gentle with it to get the best result. Everyone in the team has been working flat out recently so we are hoping that these two races will help us turn the corner and get us back to the top of the grid again.

West McLaren Mercedes (Grey with West graphics)

Good news at last came for McLaren in France last week when the team finally tested their MP4/19B car for the first time. Featuring the same aardvark nose as the MP4/19 and MP4/18 cars the principal differences seem to be regarding the bottom of the sidepod air intakes and the rear of the car. There is no doubt that the new car looks easier to drive and this is said to have been replicated in testing times from Paul Ricard. Ironically the car's success has led to some contention within McLaren as Kimi Raikkonen, Ron Dennis and David Coulthard all wanted to race it instead of the current car in Canada and the States. As this idea was quashed by Martin Whitmarsh expect the same dire results this time out.

Coulthard

Coulthard's worst season in years actually seems to be doing him more good than several of his decent season! Coulthard is clearly frustrated at the team's progress with the new car and voiced as much recently. "With the problems we've got," he told ESPN, "there is a little risk in introducing an updated car — because we're not finishing with the old one." McLaren have not got a hope for challenging for anything better than 4th place in the constructor's championship this year while DC will be lucky to be that high in the driver's championship. Even when the car is introduced there is no guarantee of results and both drivers will have to work hard to catch up to the Williams, Renautls and BARs.

Raikkonen

A great start saw Kimi propelled up to run as high as second place in the early laps in Germany. Although this prevented the other drivers from taking the fight to Schuey it at least reminded many of the public that Kimi was still a damned fine racing driver even though he was not winning races. Kimi's reaction to testing the new MP4/19B was positively effusive and it seems clear that Kimi thinks that the developments to the monocoque and chassis should be enough for the team to fight at the front again! This seems strange considering that the team look likely to be lumbered with the same engine for the rest of the season and it is this, not the chassis, that seems to blow up week after week!

Mild Seven Renault (Dark and Light Blue and Yellow with Mild Seven graphics)

Renault designer, when questioned about what to expect this race seems very confident of the team holding on to their surprising second place in the constructor's championship. "Circuits that require higher levels of downforce, and place greater demands on the aero package, certainly favor us more than the two forthcoming races are likely to. These two circuits are standard ones for the team — we should be competitive, without necessarily springing any great surprises. Canada in particular places a particular emphasis on managing the weekend properly, and dealing with the challenges of the heavy braking — as a team, that is something we deal with very well. We raced strongly at both places last year, and managed to collect good points-scoring finishes. We will be aiming for the podium once again, and looking to maintain our extremely profitable reliability record." When asked if podiums were what the team was therefore aiming for he said "I think they remain a very realistic aim. At the moment, we do not have a package that will allow us to worry Ferrari on a race-by-race basis, but the R24 is fundamentally a very good car, and performs well aerodynamically. We know where our weaknesses lie, but the team is a very strong one, our reliability has been exceptional and the drivers are performing consistently. I don’t think anybody can rule us out of the podium positions, and if the circumstances fall to us, then — as we have proved already this year — we are more than capable of winning."

Trulli

Jarno seems to echo this guarded optimism "Well, I think as a team we have had a very good period. The win in Monaco was fantastic for everybody in the team, and for me too, but maybe the Nürburgring was a bit more realistic in terms of where we are now, even though I was unlucky with some incidents during the race. Everybody is still pushing very hard — we might be second in the championship, but there is no complacency. Indianapolis is only halfway through the season, and anything can still happen, so we need to push ahead with our development, keep our good reliability and try and make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. You need a low downforce set-up, and that makes things more difficult: the car feels lighter, and more critical to drive. It is as if you are always on the limit, when you are braking and turning in. But that is how the circuit is — our job is to get used to it. In the past, our car has always been quite competitive at this circuit, and the engine is much better now than last year - we should have another step for Canada. It will be a difficult race, but I am looking ahead with confidence."

Alonso

Like Trulli Fernando seems cautiously optimistic. Unlike Trulli Alonso is not fighting for his drive and this seems to be noticeable in his approach to the weekend "At the moment, our competitiveness depends a lot on how well we manage the weekend, and how good a set-up we can find. Overall, I think we can be strong, because this is a team with a lot of experience and motivation. Our car has good traction out of slow corners and is good under braking, which are two important areas in Montreal. I think we should be looking for podium finishes to maintain our championship position. On the circuit Fernando says, "The car is always nervous because of the low downforce levels, which makes things more difficult — you have to push as much as possible like in every other race, but it is harder to drive the car on the limit. The chicanes at Montreal are not like other circuits — in Imola you can really attack them and be aggressive, whereas you have to be smoother in Canada. It is quite a difficult balance between attacking enough to be fast and not pushing too far, because it is quite easy to step over the limit. The barriers are very close if you do, so you cannot afford any mistakes at all."

BAR Honda (White with Red Lucky Strike roundels)

Team principal David Richards dispelled any hopes that Anthony Davidson may have had regarding his prospects for a race drive at BAR next year. Although the talented test driver has been racking up the miles impressively there are not the commercial considerations to let him drive for the team. "Four races in six weeks is a fantastic treat for the fans, but pretty grueling stuff for the race teams. A fifth podium finish in the European Grand Prix, coupled with the developments we have on the car for Canada, gives BAR a major boost as we head across the Atlantic for the next two races. We have a strong hold on third in the Constructors' Championship and are delighted to have been responsible for a great deal of the racing action this season. However, the missing piece of the jigsaw at the moment is the need to get both cars to the finish as regularly as possible, and our failure to do so in four out of seven races has enabled Renault to pull away from us in second place. We have some catching up to do now and the momentum that another back-to-back race brings should help us to stay focused on our objectives."

Button

Having been effectively shown up by his team mate in Germany Button at least admitted that Sato did the better job last time out. The team mates seem to get on very well but Button will be hoping that he can repeat his performance at Imola. "We were very strong in free practice at the Nürburgring, but it showed how important it is to qualify well. I didn't get a very good lap in qualy and this made it very difficult for me in the race. Having said that, to not have a good race and still be able to get a podium shows our strength. I'm very confident as we head to Canada. The performance of the tires should be good at this track and I think the car will work well. We also have another step with the engine which will help us as this is a power circuit. The track also demands a car which, mechanically, is very strong - and our car is. There are a lot of very slow chicanes in addition to the long straights. The step with the engine should be an improvement for us. We know it's going to be quick, but we don't know by how much yet. My aim is to get on the podium and this is a race I would love to win, given the chance."

Sato

A brilliant race from Sato was rather spoiled by his kamikaze overtaking move on Reubens Barrichello. Sato did do such a good job over the course of the weekend that he was still widely lauded after the race in al but the Ferrari camp! Having become the first Japanese driver on the front row of an F1 grid Sato clearly has his sets set higher. "I like the city of Montreal; the contrast between the newer developed and historical older side is beautiful. Also the fans over here are so enthusiastic and I really enjoying racing in front of them. The performance of the team has been very strong over the past few races and I am really looking forward to Montreal and Indianapolis — and to achieving what I hope will be my first podium. Once again, this is a track that I have raced at only once before, but the circuit characteristics — the chicane with high curbs and the hairpin in particular — are similar to Imola, where we were very competitive. They should suit the car and I am expecting us to perform well. Honda have been working very hard to introduce a good step with both power and reliability for here, so I'm feeling confident and eager to pick up where I left off at the Nürburgring two weeks ago."

Sauber Petronas (Mid Blue with a yellow airbox, white nose and front wing with Credit Suisse Red Bull and Petronas graphics)

In discussing the setting up of a car for Montreal Willy Rampf (technical director of Sauber, hits upon a potential problem of the track layout. "Montreal is a medium downforce track, as the top speed is in excess of 330 kph. It's therefore something of a power circuit. It follows too that it requires very high brake performance and stability. For the brakes it is the most demanding track of the season, because they are loaded frequently and have little chance to cool down. You need to maximize brake cooling efficiency in particular. For this reason we tested our latest cooling specification at Monza last week in preparation. We will also use the hardest brake pad and disc specification. The track surface in Montreal is quite benign, so we can get away with softer tire compounds. Overtaking is possible here, usually going into the hairpin or on the exit if another car does not make a clean job of the corner. This is another factor to take into account when deciding your strategy." The brakes at Montreal are always marginal and considering their limited size and the incredible weight loading put on them it is easy to see why many designers (such as Adrian Newey) are getting increasingly concerned by them.

Fisichella

Like the team itself, it is always surprising just how little exposure Giancarlo received for his pretty impressive results. "It was fantastic to score three points at the Nürburgring. Our target was to score points there, but I never believed I would finish sixth! The car is getting better from race to race and Montreal is another good circuit for me. I have been on the podium there four times, so I have decent memories of Canada. I have a sound feeling at the circuit, which I believe will be a good one for us. For me it's a nice track, satisfying to drive on. It has relatively poor grip so it can be difficult everywhere. The hairpin and the last corner are very tricky, and you need to be very clean in both to preserve your top speed for the following straights. "As for the city of Montreal, it's fantastic. It's a great place to do some shopping."

Massa

Despite coming second best to his team mate Felipe Massa seems thrilled to be racing at Montreal. "Montreal is similar to Imola: you accelerate, you brake, you go through a chicane. It is therefore quite a challenging circuit because it can be difficult to get a good rhythm there. You need to be very precise so that you do not waste any momentum, and that's where the challenge lies. What I also like about it is that you can overtake there. You need good top speed to help you do this on the straights, but there is also a great chance under braking for the hairpin if you get everything right. "Montreal itself has a wonderful atmosphere, and it's great to have the race there. The city really gets involved in promoting the entire event, which makes it special."

Jaguar (Green with HSBC graphics)

With rumors increasing about Ford pulling out of F1 the team were hit this week by the news that HSBC are pulling out of Formula 1 at the end of this year. McLaren are trying to cajole the sponsors on board but in the mean time the team must start to pull together some good results if they are to carry on existing beyond the immediate future. "It’s an incredibly busy time for the team at the moment as we enter another back-to-back race weekend. Since the Nurburgring race we have been focusing on testing and development. We have spent four days at Silverstone where we completed our testing program satisfactorily. Our drivers, Mark, Christian and Björn are all extremely motivated to deliver for the team and we are eager to add some more points to our score. The R5 has good pace and we are building on this to ensure that we optimize this performance during the race. Qualifying two drivers as high as possible is the aim for Canada and then capitalizing on this to get points from both drivers. It’s important that we start to see the results that we know the team is capable of. We have been working extremely hard alongside our partners Michelin and our sister companies Cosworth Racing and Pi Research. We continue to pull together and I look forward to seeing the results. Canada is a good competitive race and I am keen to see the guys on track getting the most out of the R5 and making the most of any points opportunity."

Webber

With the half way point in the season fast approaching and Jaguar looking anything but likely to get that sixth place in the constructor's championship (which is necessary to keep Webber in the team) Mark must be racing with mixed emotions this time out. "Montreal is one of the best races on the F1 calendar and for me personally one of the most enjoyable. The atmosphere at this race is fantastic and you can feel the excitement of the fans. The circuit itself provides the teams and drivers with a really unique challenge as the down force is quite low generally and you are combining what feels like a street-circuit with a race track. There are some high-speed sections and then some slow ‘street-like’ corners. This is good fun for us but it is another story for the car. The brakes in particular have to be very good around here, sometimes you hear of people’s brakes wearing out! We have been testing in Silverstone this week and we were working on brakes so I am confident that the team have pulled together a good package. We also spent time working on additional developments as these tests are really the best opportunity to see how everything works on the car for me as the driver. I also very much like doing my testing work as it allows me an opportunity to provide the team with feedback at an early stage in the development process. I now go to Montreal very motivated and with the goal of adding more points to our tally of three so far."

Klein

Klein's performances seem to have dropped off in recent races. His racing Kimi Raikkonen in Bahrain showed a tenacious streak that reminded many of a young Niki Lauda. Since then Klein has gone quite though Christian is hoping to reverse this in Canada. "Another new track for me to race on and I can’t wait. I have spoken to many people about the track and Montreal the city, and they have got me really excited about it. I was pleased to have finished my last race at the Nurburgring and I would like to finish again in Montreal. In order to prepare myself for the circuit I have been spending quite a lot of time on my play station. It definitely helps knowing the track in advance so that you know what to expect on your initial laps. I have been working a lot this last week with my engineers and I have spent three days testing at Silverstone with them. We have managed to cover a lot of laps and we have been working on all sorts of things from brakes and tires to some new developments. The R5 is feeling very good for me and I enjoy driving it. Making sure the balance and set-up is correct is very important to the feel of the car and I know that on Friday I will be spending a lot of my time on familiarization as well as set-up."

Panasonic Toyota (Red and White with Toyota and Panasonic logo graphics)

Tsutomu Tomita seems to be doing a moderately successful job as team principal at Toyota. While chief designer Gustav Brunner seems to have gone very quite, Mike Gascoyne is quietly getting on with the B spec car (which is expected to be introduced in Germany). At least Tomita is not putting false hopes in anyone's minds for this weekend. "We are in the middle of a very busy time in the F1 calendar with the next round of back-to-back races upon us already. We have barely had time to get over scoring our first points of the year in Monaco and the disappointment of the Nürburgring, but our full efforts are now focussed on state-side success in Montreal and Indianapolis. First up is the Canadian GP, and whilst I do not expect us to make a huge leap forward compared to other races this season, our target should again be to lay a solid foundation in Friday practice and try to build on that for the remainder of the weekend. We simply have to keep motivated and hope that Toyota reliability will result in a top eight finish on Sunday afternoon."

Panis

Olivier Panis endured a crunching crash here during the Canadian Grand Prix in his Prost in 1997. It not only broke both of his legs but removed any chance of Panis fighting for race wins and a possible title. Despite this Panis seems to bear no grudge. "I really love Montreal. It's one of my favorite grand prix weekends because of its atmosphere. The people are so nice and because everyone stays in the city you can enjoy yourself. It's also one of the rare occasions during the year that I have time to relax for three or four days before the grand prix, and I enjoy that because it gives me valuable time to train. I like Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and I have also had some good results there. Last year, we prepared well for Montreal and the whole team performed quite strongly, which resulted in me scoring my first point of 2003. At last week's Monza test, we worked expressly on Canada and US preparations and we looked reasonably good running Canada downforce levels so we'll be trying to get on the scoreboard this weekend."

Da Matta

In a year when Christiano seems to be stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea da Matta is determined at least to enjoy this weekend. "The Canadian Grand Prix is one of my favorites of the year. Everybody in Montreal really gets behind us and the enthusiasm of the fans is exactly what Formula 1 needs. The circuit is also fun to drive and technically demanding, offering drivers and engineers a nice challenge. Engine power and stability under braking are two important areas of performance, but the car also has to ride the curbs well in order to set a good lap time. Our TF104 should be reasonably well suited to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve; our engine has proven itself to be one of the strongest and most reliable on the grid, but we need to find the car balance to match. I doubt we can finish in the points without benefiting from misfortune ahead of us, but we will continue to do our best and see what we can achieve at the end of the weekend." Considering this is the only circuit where Champ cars race Da Matta should be still racing here next year....

Jordan (Yellow with BandH graphics)

Possibly the most valued team member in the race team James Robinson seemed satisfied with the results of the team's recent testing sessions. "We have had a good two days of testing at Silverstone and got through a fair amount of work, mostly Bridgestone's tire testing for the next few European races and looking at aerodynamic and chassis set-ups for the Canadian Grand Prix. It's gone quite well other than a few technical glitches, which is usual for a test, so overall it's been productive. Montreal is a fantastic city and it has a very exciting race track. This is our first chance to run the EJ14 with medium downforce configuration which is an interesting prospect. The circuit is hard on brakes and hard on the heat durability of the tires so we have been testing with Bridgestone and are confident that the tires we are taking will stand us in good stead for the race. Part of the enjoyment of the weekend is the location as Montreal is such a great place, they love motor racing and the fans there are well-educated and knowledgeable. They follow Formula One very closely and know what they are watching so hopefully it will be a thrilling race for all.” Considering the team's woeful performance here last year and Robinson's impressive credentials with Williams it is hoped an upturn can come at a circuit which has traditionally been very kind to Jordan.

Heidfeld

Like Coulthard Nick Heidfeld is getting a far more positive reaction from the poor races he has endured with Jordan far more than he has in his more successful years at Sauber. Jordan's charisma coupled with some spectacular driving and real dedication by Heidfeld has allowed some momentum to be rebuilt to Heidfeld's career. As a result Nick seems more fired up than he has in years. "I’m looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix, not only because of the race track but especially because I like the city of Montreal very much. I am flying out a few days early to spend some time there, getting used to the time zone and enjoying the city. The circuit is a bit of a stop-go circuit with long straights so it’s important to have good top speed and good engine reliability. Our test at Silverstone was productive and although much of it was general work including British Grand Prix tire testing, we did some specific preparations for Canada and that was positive.”

Pantano

Giorgio Pantano admits that this season has not gone according to plan. The mileage Pantano has managed to achieve has been well below what was expected and the team are struggling with their budget (which is, ironically, exactly the same budget as they challenged for the title in in 1999). Even so Giorgio is smiling for the cameras — particularly as his backers have come up with the requisite funds to guarantee him in the seat for the rest of the year. “This will be my first trip to Canada and I’m really excited about it as I hear from everybody that Montreal is a very nice place with a good race circuit. For me it will be like Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain and I will have to learn the track quickly. At this point in the season I was hoping to have done a little bit more but we have had a few problems and that is just motor racing. It’s a little bit frustrating but each race is a new chance for us. I have had two days of testing at Silverstone which has been really good, not only for the track time but also because it’s given me the opportunity to visit the factory. I like that because this team is like a family, and we are all in it together. We all want to see our efforts improving on the track and we are working so hard to improve in every respect."

Wilux Minardi Cosworth (Black, white and Wilux written in Light Blue on White
on Sides and rear wing)

The only team not to have scored points so far this season, Minardi are woefully off the pace. Funds seem fine for the team for the rest of the season and the team's innovative measures to secure celebrity in less obvious parts of the world continued this week when drivers and team staff tuned up at Kyalami in South Africa to take part in a charity race which even had the blessing of Nelson Mandela. Due to FIA restrictions the team were forced to run the F1X2 two seater Minardis but this did not faze the participants who seemed as eager at their drivers to win the event! For the race the lack of engine availability is likely to hurt the team and the long straight seems likely to catch the team out in the same way that it caught out Jordan in their identically engineered cars last year.

Bruni

Gianmaria Bruni's record of late has been surprisingly unspectacular. It was widely anticipated that, while his team mate collected funds and drove around slowly at the back of the grid, Bruni would give the team a fighting chance of points. Although Bruni got to grips with the car surprisingly quickly and put in some stinging qualifying laps, his performance seems to have stuttered slightly and he seems to be more stop start than many others at Minardi. The woeful pace of the car has not helped (Minardi simply don't have the budget to turn things around when they make a mistake) and Bruni's credibility will suffer if Baumgartner lucks into a point before he does.

Baumgartner

Although it is not Zsolt's fault (and he is doing better than many people thought he would this season), Baumgartner is the slowest on track by a long way. The team would have failed to qualify under the 107% rule several times and even team principal Paul Stoddart admits that the team are just not there in terms of performance. : “I believe that this year our performance is worse than it has ever been. We have improved the car on average by two seconds, which for us with our budgets is pretty good. But unfortunately others have just got better and it's got further and further away. "You do have to ask yourself why you are doing it. I've got some lovely sponsors but you can't attract more sponsors when you are last. When you're last, you're last. It's a Catch 22 - you need the money to not be last and how do you get the money? You need the performance. The reality of the situation is that there's only one thing that's going to help the Jordans and the Minardis and maybe some others, which is equality. Otherwise it's not going to happen."

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