British Grand Prix 2010: Teams and Drivers Preview – Part I
With less than 48 hours to go before the cars hit the track at Silverstone, we take a look at how the drivers see the upcoming event, how the teams have prepared for the challenging race and how the new upgrades are set to influence the pace and grip of the cars.
Virgin Racing
Championship Position: 12
Points: 0
The Virgin Racing Team is focusing their efforts on improving the aero performance of their car for the British Grand Prix along with getting a better feel of the circuit through the simulators. Lucas di Grassi has recently said that it’s only a matter of time before the team performance will improve and is adamant that once the team handles its reliability issues, Virgin will finish the season ahead of the newbie’s. Di Grassi already has enough experience of the track as he has raced the car on several occasions as a GP2 driver. He hopes that the positive performance from the last race will continue and will translate into something this Sunday. Jarno Trulli believes that after the team comes up with their biggest upgrade of the season in Silverstone, there will be evident differences in their performances from the past.
Hispania Racing Team
Championship Position: 11
Points: 0
Like most back-runners, Hispania Racing’s main concern is finding the right setup for the British Grand Prix where changing crosswinds interfere with the balance of the car. Another concern for the team is the unpredictability of the English weather which is likely to make things more difficult for the new teams. Karun Chandhok, who was speculated by his home media to be dropped by the team, has termed these claims as rubbish. Karun lives very close to the circuit and has already experienced a drive on the reconstructed Silverstone on his bike. Chandhok is full of praise for the first sector of the race which requires almost no braking from the drivers. The Indian driver is stressing the need for strong aerodynamics and down force for the race. Bruno Senna, the winner of the GP2 on the Silverstone merely two years ago, is hoping to pull a strong performance like Valencia where both HRT cars finished the race. Senna has recently also said that there is a lot of chopping of the front wings taking place on the circuit and that Race Director Charlie Whiting should do something about it.
Lotus
Championship Position: 10
Points: 0
Lotus Team, fresh from a good performance in Canada, where they finished ahead of other new teams and even ran for some time in the 7th place, are extremely hopeful of a similar result in Silverstone. Trulli, who got a new chassis before Valencia, has adjusted well and is looking forward to a circuit which is little known to the Lotus’ setup. It will only be after Friday’s practice session that the team will be able to come up with the tyre and setup strategies for the race. Kovalainen, who rates the first sector of this race as the best in Formula One, says that extreme commitment is required from a driver for this race. He believes that the new updates to the car will make them move away from those trailing and closer to the ones ahead of the Lotus team. The team is expecting a lot of support at home soil and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Hazel Chapman who will officially open the new Lotus Motor home. The new lightweight parts of the car will enable more efficient use of the ballast and will help drivers balance and optimize the car better.
BMW Sauber
Championship Position: 9
Points: 7
Currently, the BMW Sauber team is clueless about the requirements of the circuit for the next race, but come Friday and the team will have a better understating of the circuit and its conditions. BMW are predicting that braking and aerodynamics will be extremely important especially through the winding section of the race. Team driver Pedro de la Rosa believes that a lot has not changed at Silverstone except a few corners and a longer lap and the car would be able to perform better at the British Grand Prix than it did at Valencia. Kamui Kobayashi, fresh from an excellent result in Valencia, is already dreaming of a similar performance in Silverstone. He also said that apart from the new track segments, he is looking forward to see a good crowd and it will be an excellent atmosphere out there with the two Englishmen leading the contest.
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