Atlas F1 Magazine: The 2004 Brazilian GP Preview

The Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo hosts the final round of the Formula One season � the Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite attempts to smooth the track, its defining characteristics are a bumpy surface, a long, uphill straight and undulating, flowing corners. A strong engine is rewarded, whilst efficient aerodynamics are a must on this mid to low downforce track. There is a strong chance of thunderstorms on Sunday.

The Interlagos circuit presents a unique challenge on the Formula One calendar, with its combination of bumps, high altitude, counter-clockwise layout, and long straight mixed with flowing corners. Working out the best compromise between outright speed against speed on the main straight is a priority.

When setting up their cars, the drivers have to work against some high wear rates that can be properly expected to deliver problems by the end of each stint. Some teams will opt for three stops and more aggressive set-ups whilst others could take a potentially faster overall two-stop approach: however, the heavier fuel loads will make it tricky to qualify well and make the car slower down the main straight, and so vulnerable to being passed.

Most of the teams can be expected to adjust drag levels until their top speed is perhaps at the 320kph mark: falling more than a few kph slower makes the cars too easy to pass, whilst a higher top speed will compromise pace through the remainder of the circuit quite badly. Once the top speed is established � and they will keep a strong eye on each other through the speed traps � the teams will try to eliminate the worst impact of the bumps and neutralise balance as much as possible to gain speed through the corners.

The speed traps should reflect the best aerodynamic/engine combinations, probably putting Ferrari, Williams and BAR around the top of the timesheets, whilst Sauber and McLaren will not be too shabby. Renault's excellent overall package is expected to shine through the corners, though BAR and Ferrari should not be far behind: McLaren could optimise their package a number of ways, but should be pretty quick in all areas.

After another win by Ferrari in Japan and Michael Schumacher's return to form, even with Rubens Barrichello's unbelievably bad luck, leaves them favourite again. BAR and McLaren are both pushing hard, however, and Williams powerful engine is not to be ignored here. With thunder storms predicted on Sunday, it could be a very eventful race.

"Powering along the uphill start-finish straight at Interlagos, you reach some 184mph/296kph in seventh gear, before braking hard as the track gradient drops sharply on the entrance to the Descida do Sol. Your speed drops to 55mph/88kph in second gear as you negotiate the tight left, which provides the best opportunity for overtaking.

"A flowing right-left sequence follows immediately, you push slightly on the throttle to increase your speed slightly through the right of the Senna 'S', which is taken at 92mph/148kph in third gear, as is where the pit exit feeds back onto the track.

"The left of Curva do Sol that follows, is a long bend, which is usually quite bumpy, but is taken flat out, at 125mph/201kph. It is important to increase your speed and take a good line through the corner as it swings you onto the long Reta Oposta straight. Pushing hard on the throttle, you reach 180mph/290kph in seventh gear, braking hard for the double apex of Descida do Lago, which is negotiated at 89mph/143kph in third gear.

"The entrance to the first tight left provides another good overtaking opportunity. Exiting the second apex, which is very bumpy and should again be taken flat out to ensure you have speed on the exit, you blast along the short straight that leads to Ferra dura.

"You brake from 171mph/275kph in fifth gear to 115mph/185kph in fourth to negotiate the difficult and slippery right hander which is off camber in the exit. Another short burst of power leads to a slow, tight right hander, which is taken in first gear, and is immediately followed by the second gear 55mph/88kph left hand of Pinheirinho.

"Exiting in third gear, your speed builds up to about 99mph/160kph before braking hard for the Bico de Pato hairpin, the slowest point on the track, which is taken in first gear at 46mph/74kph. The bumpy left hander of Mergulho follows, which can be taken flat out in qualifying at 125mph/201kph in fourth, before braking hard for the important left hander of Juncao, which is taken in second gear at 50mph/80kph.

"This leads you uphill through the long left hander of Subida do Boxes, which takes you back onto the long start-finish straight..."

It has been a long time since Ferrari have not been considered favourites for an event, and despite putting their emphasis into developing next year's car, this race is no exception: Michael Schumacher's return to form in Japan is a strong indication that this is going to be another weekend of scarlet domination � particularly if Bridgestone have done their homework properly and deliver a race day advantage. The package is smooth over bumps and still effective in a low downforce setting, though rivals seem to have closed the gap somewhat; nonetheless, as a package, the Ferrari retains its status as the class of the field.

One thing that the other teams will be particularly interested in is seeing if Rubens Barrichello's legendary poor luck at this event holds true. He is notorious for having his car fail whilst in a strong position � like the fuel feed issue last year when leading � so a change in fortune seems long overdue. In principle, he could surprise Schumacher with a win here, in front of his home crowd, but it should not be a surprise if he ran out of fuel moments before completing the final lap...

However, even Schumacher is not infallible at this circuit � as he demonstrated last year by spinning out on the river that was running through the opening corner complex. If it rains enough to make racing tricky, without handing the Bridgestone runners a clear wet weather advantage, then things should still be interesting at the front.

Although they chased Ferrari to the flag in Japan, the package really isn't in the same shape, so Interlagos is expected to be an exercise in fighting the likes of BAR and McLaren, rather than winning the race. The team have a powerful engine from BMW, but their package as a whole is still off the pace: to win the race, Williams will require a Michelin advantage in order to beat Ferrari. Furthermore, they will expect to require a strong strategy in order to stay ahead of BAR.

It's not quite a home race, but Juan Pablo Montoya likes to consider the Brazilian event as the next best thing: traditionally, he is well supported there, though his luck has been nearly as poor as Barrichello's. The much rejuvenated Ralf Schumacher has looked far better since his break than at the start of the season; although Brazil has not exactly been his best circuit in recent years, the team hope Schumacher's upturn in form is maintained right to the end of the season. If so, then they can look for strong performances from both drivers, and two good points finishes, probably including a podium.

After a disappointing start to the season, the team have looked far better in the second half, though results in the last few events have not been amazing, despite Kimi Raikkonen's podium in China. However, they should not be written off too fast. The team have looked good as the aerodynamics have been reduced, as they have a very efficient package. Their current engine is not too shabby, if not the best, whilst their record at the circuit demonstrates they can go very well here.

Both drivers have good experience at this circuit, with Kimi Raikkonen looking very strong last year: if the race had been stopped a lap earlier, he'd have been awarded the win. Whilst the car is not quite as competitive as it was there, Raikkonen has occasionally pushed Ferrari, so they are hoping to be in a position to do so again this year. Rain would not be beneficial, however, as the Bridgestone-shod Ferraris are clearly faster when it gets wet.

This will be David Coulthard's 150th � and last � race with the team: he is still looking for a ride next season, so the pressure is on to perform well.

As Renault are now sure of third in the Championship, barring a miracle, they are heading to this event with less weight of expectation on their shoulders than normal. Paradoxically, removing the pressure could be precisely what the drivers need to reinvigorate them for the final race.

Jacques Villeneuve has arrived to the conclusion that his fitness level stopped him from getting the most from the car in Japan, so the counter-clockwise and bumpy Brazilian circuit is going to be particularly challenging for him again this weekend; this could be a factor by the end of the race. However, he does have two races under his belt now, so with enough time to set the car up on Friday and Saturday, his pace should be much improved.

Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, is fit, hungry and well experienced with dialling the car in. At this circuit, their class of the field aerodynamics should help to get them on a par with the front runners, though the high altitude will be something of a leveller. Revised suspension geometry should improve mechanical grip, which allows them to reduce the aerodynamic load further � an important consideration as their engine, whilst delivering excellent torque through the range, is lacking top end power.

Renault are unlikely to spring any real surprises in Brazil, but they should be able to show that their late season drop off in form has at least been halted.

Having effectively secured second place in the Championship, BAR are going to Interlagos will all guns blazing to attempt to win: accordingly, if they stay reliable, they are hoping this will be their strongest race in the tail end of the season.

The long, uphill straight should reward the powerful engine, which will be Honda's 'Japan Special' from the last event, tuned to power levels that mean the cars will only 'probably' finish the race, if the drivers stay flat out. Getting dialled in to new circuits has mostly been a strength for the team this year, leveraging their third driver effectively on Friday to make the most of every possible advantage they can find over their main rivals.

Their fortune for the weekend depends strongly on Michelin, however. If the manufacturer provides a tyre that gives up performance too quickly in the race, then the Bridgestone-shod Ferraris are going to be unassailable over the race distance; similarly, if it rains as predicted and Michelin are not on the top of their game, Bridgestone's wet advantage is going to remove any chance of BAR challenging Ferrari on performance alone.

Nonetheless, provided BAR can get the car dialled in quickly on Friday and Michelin stay on song, then this represents a very real chance to aim for a win.

The darkest horse in Interlagos will certainly be Sauber, whose Ferrari-engined car is going to be no slouch, particularly if it rains in the race, letting them leverage their Bridgestones for a wet weather advantage. If it is a wet race and Ferrari falter, then last year's winner, Giancarlo Fisichella, could surprise.

Realistically, getting both cars into the points is the main goal for the team. The circuit's high wear rate is encouraging, as it should offer a race day advantage over the Michelin runners, so they will certainly hope to make up places over their qualifying slots. Fisichella goes well in Brazil, whilst Felipe Massa will be racing in front of his home crowd: this might inspire him to excel, or to fall off the track, but he should not be slow.

The team have put together a decent challenge here in the past, whilst their new wind tunnel is letting them make real progress in aerodynamics: the manufacturer backed teams are not the only ones closing in on Ferrari's performance advantage.

Although the Brazilian circuit appeared to suit Jaguar quite well last season, it is clear that the team are nothing like as competitive as they were then, even in qualifying trim. Their continued tendency to chew through tyres over a race distance is going to make matters tough: even defending a disproportionately good qualifying session will be awkward as the long, uphill straight will give their rivals, who all claim to have better engines, a respectable passing opportunity.

Mark Webber's experience at the circuit will at least give the team some hopes. The Australian ran very well last season, though his race ended abruptly when the car failed at the start of the main straight. He had managed to remain on track through the tricky, wet first couple of corners when all around were dropping like flies, so the team are hoping that similarly tricky conditions could proffer the same effect.

Realistically, the final outing for Jaguar is likely to be a subdued affair, with the team reliant on front runners making mistakes and coming to grief to make their way in to the points. Nevertheless, recent developments have not been entirely useless, and the team were encouraged by Webber's pace in Japan before his retirement, so they are hoping to at least pressure the midfield in Brazil.

Even though Toyota's notorious bump handling has been much improved, they are not yet on a par with the leading teams, so prospects in Interlagos are not amazing. However, the engine is powerful, and in-season emphasis on developing the aerodynamics has moved the package forward considerably. Jarno Trulli should be getting to grips with the car now, potentially delivering a solid performance, though Ricardo Zonta is stepping in for Olivier Panis in order to race in front of his home crowd. Neither driver is especially experienced within the team, so this event is being written off as an exercise in experience.

Nevertheless, the powerful engine will play a part in the weekend, as Toyota's top speed will pressure their midfield rivals to reduce their aerodynamic drag in an attempt to ensure they are not drafted on the main straight � which will reduce grip in the wet. Should it rain, Toyota could benefit from their rivals defensive actions, though actually scoring points will certainly require some misfortune for frontrunners.

Returning to the scene of their last victory � even if the confusion of the finish denied it for a week � Jordan are looking even less likely to top the podium than last season. Their car is notoriously tough to get properly balanced, so running on a bumpy surface is going to highlight any instability issues they can't dial out of the car. Add an uncompetitive engine to the package, with limited development through the season and it is easy to understand why the outfit are not expected to do exceptionally well this year.

Nick Heidfeld, at least, has plenty of experience at Interlagos, so the team should be able to work out most of the quirks fairly quickly. They are hoping for rain, as this permits the Bridgestone wet weather advantage to come in to play, and could throw the field into confusion, letting them sneak into the points; however, it is most likely that the luck of the Irish was exhausted by winning here last season, so the team can do little more than make up the numbers and wait for others to make mistakes.

Heading to Brazil, Minardi are hoping the predicted thunderstorms break during the race on Sunday, as their wet weather Bridgestone tyres could offer some advantage against their Michelin-shod rivals. Of course, if the front runners push too hard and fall off the circuit, then there is even the vague chance of points.

Both drivers have a season of experience now, so they should be getting to grips with setting up the car and learning new circuits. The high altitude reduces power by the same percentage for all the teams, so leveling power differences, so with a good strategy, they should not be too far off the pace. Nonetheless, the team are looking forward to this event as one that offers few chances of points.

The Brazilian Grand Prix will go down into the history of Formula One as one of the most dramatic, confusing, and action-packed races of all time. With a drop-out rate that rivaled Monaco and a short race, the result wasn't even finalised until a week after the event.

Qualifying was not without controversy as Friday's session was run after a petition from the drivers claimed the conditions were unsafe: neither tyre company had wet tyres other than intermediates available for a full wet session. However, the locals were glad it took place, for they were able to celebrate when Rubens Barrichello's legendary misfortune at his home Grand Prix was not evident on Saturday: he put his Ferrari on pole position � 0.011s ahead of David Coulthard's McLaren, and just ahead of the surprisingly fast Jaguar of Mark Webber, who was taking advantage of a rapidly drying track and the last running position.

Kimi Raikkonen had tricky practice sessions, but still qualified a commendable fourth, despite sliding wide and turn nine. Jarno Trulli put his Renault fifth, whilst Ralf Schumacher put his lackluster showings behind him to land sixth for Williams.

Michael Schumacher's seventh place on the grid was mitigated by his car being obviously heavier than Barrichello's. Giancarlo Fisichella offered Jordan some home with eighth whilst Montoya lined up behind Schumacher � with a point to prove after his front wing had been taken off my the Ferrari driver's defensive line change the year before.

Race day dawned with heavy rain in the sky, and whilst it stopped shortly before the race, the rivers running across the first couple of corners caused the race director to suspend the start for fifteen minutes. Reacting to the weather, Firman, Frentzen, Pizzonia and Verstappen elected to start from the pitlane. This proved particularly smart as the race eventually started behind the Safety Car� though Panis and the Jordans also stopped for fuel and tyres.

It took nine laps before a sufficient dry line had developed for the Safety Car to come in; Coulthard immediately took advantage to jump past Barrichello for the lead, whilst Montoya was also fast starting, moving up from ninth to third in two laps. Raikkonen also passed Barrichello, and diced with Coulthard before taking the lead. Montoya now pushed Coulthard before passing for second place. Webber, Michael Schumacher and Alonso � Ralf Schumacher and Trulli had fallen back after spinning at Mergulho.

After his quick start, Montoya fell off the pace and was repassed by Coulthard. Schumacher moved ahead of Webber on lap fifteen, and boldly took Montoya around the outside of turn ten a lap later. Webber and Barrichello closed on the Williams driver�

However, on lap eighteen, Firman's suspension gave way on the main straight, leading to a collision with Panis and debris across the track, resulting in another excursion for the Safety Car. Almost everyone pitted, with the sole exception in the front ten of Raikkonen, who later admitted the team had not had time to react. The Renaults had their drivers queuing, then required Alonso in a second time a lap later.

When the safety car pulled off on lap 23, Montoya passed da Matta (who had not pitted) for fourth, then promptly span out at Curva do Sol, ending in the barriers. Pizzonia slid off moments, later, hitting the stricken Williams: this corner was to prove a bugbear for the remainder of the race as the whole track was dry, except for a river running across this turn. Proving the point, Schumacher span out a lap later to end in the same place.

Now there were three cars on the same stretch of barrier, the Safety Car was redeployed, giving Raikkonen a chance to pit, returning in ninth. At the restart on lap 30, Coulthard led Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Webber, Button and Alonso. Unfortunately, Button soon became the next victim of the corner, crashing heavily to bring the Safety Car out yet again. Webber pitted.

After the restart, Raikkonen made good passes on Alonso then Ralf Schumacher to regain second place. Alonso put a perfect pass together to take Schumacher on lap 40, but had his good work undone: a stop-go penalty was issued for passing Verstappen under yellow. He returned behind Webber, picking up the place after the Jaguar driver miraculously survived a high speed spin.

By lap 40, Coulthard and Barrichello had an eight second lead on Raikkonen, and the McLaren driver held the Brazilian back until lap 45, where he ran wide at the end of the straight, causing the crowd to cheer wildly when the Brazilian hero slipped past and into the lead. Barrichello promptly upped the pace by three seconds a lap, before his car came to a halt on lap 47 with a fuel feed problem�

By now, Fisichella was a man on a mission, closing fast on Raikkonen. On lap 50, Alonso had moved up to fourth, whilst Ralf dropped to ninth after a pit stop. Coulthard stopped two laps later, rejoining in fourth, behind Alonso. Raikkonen inherited the lead under pressure from Fisichella, who then took the lead when Raikkonen pitted after a scare.

However, at this point, coming out of the final corner, Webber lost control and crashed heavily into the barriers, destroying his Jaguar and scattering parts across the track. The Safety Car was again deployed, but too late for Alonso, who arrived too fast at the scene and ran heavily into the debris, then the barrier, before spinning to a stop in the track.

The race was immediately stopped, beginning the confusion over who won. Fisichella, who led at the moment of the accident started celebrating � even as his Jordan caught fire in the pits. Then the timekeepers announced that, under the rules, the winner was Raikkonen, by dint of his being the race leader at the end of the lap preceding the stoppage, lap 53. Accordingly, the podium was made up of Raikkonen, Fisichella and Alonso.

However, over the coming week, the FIA overturned the timekeepers, ruling that Fisichella had started lap 56 before the race stopped, so the results from lap 54 were to be used for the final positions, rewarding Fisichella with his first win and dropping Raikkonen to second place.

Points paying positions

1. Fisichella Jordan-Ford
2. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes
3. Alonso Renault
4. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes
5. Frentzen    Sauber-Petronas
6. Villeneuve BAR-Honda
7. R.Schumacher    Williams-BMW
8. Trulli    Renault

Classified: 10 from 20 starters

Fastest lap: Barrichello, 1:22.032

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