Atlas F1 Magazine Writer
As Michael Schumacher looks to equal the best ever start to a Formula One season at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the German's rivals are eager to stop his winning streak at a track where the Ferrari star has won for the last three years. Atlas F1's Tom Keeble previews the Barcelona race, the fifth round of the 2004 season
Analysis
With all the teams so familiar with this circuit from continuous winter testing, there should be relatively few surprises. All of the teams should have little trouble setting up their cars, and give or take second guessing which direction the wind will be on race day, they should perform close to their absolute potential in qualifying and the race.
Traditionally, the race tends to be fairly processional, as the cars qualify and then race roughly where they should be; passing is traditionally tough, despite the length of the main straight, though the high tyre wear should provide some opportunities when cars that have looked after their rubber better come up behind others who are struggling with wear issues. However, this should not come into play as much this year, as the increased pitlane speed limit combined with the long pit straight makes a two-stop strategy considerably less attractive than the three-stop approach all the leading teams will be expected to be on the same basic strategy this year.
Ferrari are the team in form at this circuit, with Michael Schumacher winning from pole for the last three years running: with the start they have had to the season, there is no doubt that they are clear favourites again. Whilst there is some hope that Bridgestone could get it wrong, it is more likely that Ferrari might finally suffer a reliability issue. Behind them, the battle for second place in the Constructors' Championship is getting interesting, with Renault, Williams and BAR all showing the potential to take points from each other, at least.
Qualifying is going to be important, with strategy providing the only real opportunities for passing: getting off the grid well is important, so a lighter fuel load can be beneficial; expect some fairly short first stints. Despite a widely perceived Bridgestone advantage, the Michelin runners are being less conservative, and their tyre choices for the event are expected to be more adventurous, in the hopes of bridging the gap.
A Lap of Barcelona with Ralf Schumacher
"Barcelona is a technically demanding circuit with fast corners and high grip. This means that we have to endure extreme G-forces of sometimes over 4 G. The first critical point comes right after the start: before the Elf right-hand corner we have to brake from over 300 km/h to 120 km/h. A real bottleneck.
"A left-hand corner is followed by the Curvone Renault, a sweeping, very fast right-hand corner that we take in 5th gear at roughly 255 km/h. On the short straight we speed up to 290 km/h, before dropping to 2nd gear to enter the Repsol corner at 120 km/h.
"The Seat hairpin bend is, at roughly 85 km/h, the slowest corner. Accelerating out of it, the course twists into a slight bend. We reach over 250 km/h here before arriving at the braking point of the Wurth left-hand corner. A short, uphill straight then leads to the Campsa corner.
"It's vital to have as much speed as possible going into this 4th- gear corner. We drive right over the kerbs and exit the corner at 200 km/h. On the Nissan straight, at 295 km/h, we come up to the very slow, and very bumpy, hairpin bend La Caixa, which is followed immediately by the next hairpin bend, Banc de Sabadell. Both corners are taken in 2nd gear.
"They are followed by the last two corners, at the same time the best and fastest on the entire circuit: the Europcar is taken at 225 km/h, the second one, New Holland, we take in 4th gear at 265 km/h and, as we exit the corner, we still have 225 km/h on the clock. Naturally, we try to get up as much speed as possible as we head for the start- finish straight."
Team by Team
Ferrari
With Michael Schumacher currently on a perfect start to the season, and so dominant at Barcelona in recent years, he is a clear favourite to take the honours again though it is worth mentioning that Rubens Barrichello is no slouch at this circuit, either.
Despite their dominant position, Ferrari have not been resting on their laurels, and since San Marino have pounded out the miles testing new Bridgestone tyres and development components for the race ahead, leading to considerable confidence that they should be maintaining their advantage for some time to come.
Unless Ferrari have misjudged their advantage and arranged too conservative a choice of Bridgestones for the race, they see their real threat over a race distance is only really likely to come from Williams or BAR with the latter currently holding more fear, as some of BAR's winter testing performances at this circuit were staggering. Nonetheless, hot favourites they remain.
Williams
Going to Spain, Williams are looking to get their season back on track, and they are taking along a new aerodynamic package that could prove they are on the comeback trail. The revisions offer improved efficiency in terms of both downforce and cooling: improving thermal efficiency continues to be key to getting the maximum out of the package for the whole race distance.
Ralf Schumacher normally demonstrates excellent speed here, but on his current run of form does not inspire confidence. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo Montoya, who doesn't like Barcelona much, goes well: with Ralf currently below par, Williams are increasingly relying on him to bring home the points.
Williams are targeting a podium finish, which is realistic, but they are coming under pressure from BAR, who are widely seen to have a better package at the moment, and increasingly Renault, who look good wherever circuits emphasis the aerodynamics. Besides looking for a podium, Williams are hoping to see evidence that their development efforts are going in the right direction, and that the gap to Ferrari is coming down, without compromising the reliability of the car.
McLaren
After one of their worst starts to a season ever, McLaren are being somewhat secretive about the actual steps they are taking to sort out their issues, and put the year back on track. It is not that they are making no progress, but that the time taken to deal with problems has put their development cycle back so far that they are in danger of losing further ground to their competition.
However, despite their woes, some things are basically headed in the right direction. The car is getting more reliable, and it is getting faster. McLaren are on top of setting it up, so they can unlock what performance it does offer fairly consistently, and, as their delayed components become available, they are being integrated into the car.
For Barcelona, the team are expected to carry a revised aero package that should improve their interaction with Michelin's tyres; how that will pan out in practice remains to be seen, but the team are looking to stop losing ground to Williams and particularly BAR, who they consider to be making good steps into Ferrari's lead.
For this race, they see Renault as a viable target, and are looking to take points from them, but getting on terms with the race leaders is just not going to happen. Again, getting both cars to the finish is important, as the team still has the worst finishing record in the paddock.
Renault
Despite holding second place in the Championship, and finishing every race so far this season with both cars in the points, Renault are basically disappointed with their performances. The pace of BAR and Williams has been a source of frustration which is ironic, considering how many experts believed their challenge was blunted with the change of engine and loss of senior staff at the end of last season.
Spain last year was something of a triumph for the team, as Fernando Alonso gave chase to Michael Schumacher, scoring a solid second place, and announcing that Renault were there for the season.
Over a race distance, the team are not too far off the pace, and circuits that accent their strong aerodynamics and an ability to look after tyres help considerably. Accordingly, Barcelona is expected to be another points haul. Again, the team expect to make the most of their pace immediately before and after pitstops to gain places, due to their better use of tyres; and like San Marino, they are looking to come on strongly at the end of the race.
Although passing at this circuit is difficult, it is not impossible, so there is some danger of action from Renault in the closing stages of the race.
BAR
Riding the crest of the wave after three solid results, BAR are heading to the Circuit de Catalunya knowing that this is one of the best chances they will have to win a race this season.
All through winter testing, the car has gone particularly well in Barcelona, as the circuit plays right to their strengths. The car is simpler than most of its rivals': whilst not as evolved, it also means that once it is dialled in, the airflow is less sensitive in the face of gusting or changing winds, compared to the competition. Furthermore, whilst the aero package is not the most efficient around, the engine does a good job of making up the deficit.
Jenson Button is driving at the top of his game, and whilst Takuma Sato has not matched him yet, the Japanese is visibly improving as the team gain confidence in their car and their continued better-than-expected performance. With a small evolution to engine and aero package available for this race, the team do not expect to have the pace to beat Ferrari yet, but they hope to pressure the outfit, and expect to be able to race Williams.
Sauber
Sauber's season has not been anything to write home about so far, and they are struggling to make the most of the tyres that on a Ferrari are a race winner. That their car is loosely based on last year's Ferrari is, ironically, proving to be part of the downfall: had it been based on the F2002, they would have been getting more out of the tyres. It seems that they are struggling to get sufficient heat into the tyres and maintain it; the car never develops the maximum grip, and the tyres are prone to graining.
However, since San Marino, the team have an aero package that improves efficiency enough to allow them to put on more downforce without overly sacrificing the car's speed on the straights. This, combined with the long, fast corners, sees the team looking to get much better performance from their tyres.
Whether this is enough to put them into the battle behind Ferrari remains to be seen, but it is unlikely: nevertheless, they are squeezing McLaren, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Felipe Massa might repeat his feat from Australia, and pass one.
Jaguar
Whilst Jaguar have put in some good qualifying stints this year, one thing that has not really happened for them is the races themselves and heading to a circuit that is notorious for eating tyres is not going to help.
The car is relatively easy to set up for a quick lap, or for looking after the tyres over a race distance, but the team are struggling to find a happy medium. Recent tests have improved their understanding of Michelin rubber, and the harder compound required for Barcelona helps considerably; furthermore, there are some aero components to test on Friday if they work, then the greater efficiency will let the team run with more downforce, and further reduce wear. Identifying and resolving the intermittent electrical issue that slowed Mark Webber in San Marino is a useful step in the right direction, too.
Webber likes the circuit and runs well there, and Christian Klien is also familiar with the place, after pounding out thousands of testing kilometres, so both are expected to get the maximum from the car. However, the bottom line is that the car is not as quick as the competition, and this circuit is not likely to suit the team as well as the likes of Renault and BAR indeed, the wear issue means that Toyota are a real threat.
The team are capable of producing a good qualifying result, but the end of each stint should see their pace fall off faster than their rivals, making the susceptible to being passed both on track and in the pits.
Toyota
Following recent tests, Toyota are heading to Barcelona with a rather more positive attitude than might be expected this is a smooth circuit that rewards a powerful engine with efficient aerodynamics, and doesn't require any kerbs to be ridden to get a good laptime.
Furthermore, both drivers are expected to get the best out of the car. This is a circuit where Cristiano da Matta has gone particularly well in the past, and Olivier Panis is not going to be going any slower. With a new aero package tested, and further components ready for Friday practice, the team are looking to surprise the midfield, and score points.
Realistically, with the front teams running so well, there is little chance of getting into the points unless there are retirements: even if Toyota's improved performance gets them cleanly ahead of Jaguar and McLaren, they are going to struggle to spend the weekend on terms with Williams, BAR and Renault, and certainly won't touch Ferrari.
On the positive side, they should be worth watching in the race, as both drivers are expected to push hard all the way: putting pressure on the cars ahead could force an error, and a retirement that leads to points, a situation that just hasn't been the case so far this season.
Jordan
With a limited development budget, Jordan are not set for a strong recovery to their season, but they have not given up the ghost. And they do know the places to bring on what evolutions they do have: so there is a step in the aerodynamics coming for Spain. It's not much, but it should improve the handling of the car in gusty conditions vital at this circuit and let the drivers sit closer to the cars limit.
Nick Heidfeld has gone well here in the past, and Giorgio Pantano is familiar with the place from testing and F3000, so if Bridgestone have an advantage this weekend, it probably represents the best chance the team has for scoring points this season.
Minardi
Since San Marino, Minardi have managed to confirm another sponsor, which has freed up some money for their development budget. Unfortunately, with the competition already stretching away, even maintaining the gap to the next best outfit is a trial. Rather than spending too much on the car for this year, putting the cash towards a better engine next season is the only realistic route forwards.
Nevertheless, Barcelona often has a high attrition rate, so Minardi are heading there in the hope that they could be seeing points whilst the odds are against them, if it rains, then stranger things could happen. That both drivers have some familiarity with the circuit should, at least, give the team a chance to see what their real pace is against the competition, without the disadvantage of two drivers who are totally unfamiliar the circuit.
Flashback 2003
Following the triumphal retirement of the F2002 in San Marino, Ferrari brought the new F2003-GA challenger to Spain for its debut. Kimi Raikkonen was still head of the Championship table, a dozen points clear of David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher, with Fernando Alonso snapping on their heels.
Qualifying
It was soon apparent that Ferrari were still the team to beat in Spain, with their performance in practice demonstrating they were right on the pace. Sure enough, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello delivered in qualifying, locking out the front row, ahead of a surprisingly performant Renault duo of Alonso and Trulli. Jenson Button and Olivier Panis broke the monotony in the third row, whilst Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard held the fourth.
In the event, it turned out the Williams were carrying a two-stop fuel load, whilst most of the grid was looking at three: this does not change the fact that their aerodynamics were still below par, and had a lot of development still to come.
Other notables include Jacques Villeneuve qualifying a second behind Button partly due to a different fuel load and Webber back in 12th. Raikkonen was due to start from the back of the grid after a mistake in turn seven sent him off the circuit.
Race Highlights
Raikkonen's weekend did not get better: at the race start, Pizzonia's launch control failed in front of the Iceman, and he ran straight in to the back of the Jaguar, ending his race. At the other end of the grid, Alonso made the most of his Renault's legendary launch control to pass Barrichello cleanly before the end of the straight, and head in to the corner under the wing of Schumacher, who moved over to defend his line. It slowed the Renault enough for Barrichello to come around the outside and reclaim second.
Behind them, Trulli and Coulthard had a coming together, putting the Italian out of the race, whilst Coulthard had to pit for a safety check, dropping him to the back of the grid though a safety car to remove the wreckage from Pizzonia and Raikkonen's accident ensured it was not the penalty it could have been. Firman, Frentzen and Heidfeld pitted at the same time, converting to two stop strategies.
Montoya took advantage of the restart to pass Button for fifth, behind Ralf Schumacher; however, on two stop loads, they soon fell back. Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, made the most of a clear track to open up a gap over Barrichello.
Pitstops started on lap 14, with Button one of the first in
leading to the end of Coulthard's race after he caught Button's wing attempting a pass at the end of the straight: this put the McLaren off the track and earned the BAR driver another stop to replace the broken wing. Alonso stopped soon after, returning behind the Williams.
When the Ferraris stopped, Schumacher stayed in the lead, whilst Barrichello discovered that Alonso's pace on new tyres had been enough to make a pass in the pits. His attempts to close back up on the Renault were frustrated by Minardi's who were too busy fighting each other to let him pass. Alonso, meanwhile, stayed within a few seconds of Schumacher at the front, to the delight of the partisan crowd.
The second round of stops saw Michael Schumacher return behind his brother, which saw a brief battle before he passed on turn 6, putting the Williams between himself and the fast charging Alonso. The Renault driver forced Ralf in to a mistake, causing the German to run off the track and damage his car. He rejoined ahead of Montoya, but struggling to control oversteer, eventually leading to the Columbian passing, and nearly da Matta before the end of the race.
Michael Schumacher's lead was whittled down to five seconds before the next round of stops, as the Bridgestone tyres demonstrated a faster drop off than the Michelins. However, fresh rubber saw the German remain unthreatened at the front, and the order remained unchanged to the line from there.
With McLaren faltering so badly, Ferrari closed to three points in the Constructors' Championship, and Michael Schumacher pulled up back to four points off Raikkonen in the Drivers'.
Points paying positions:
1. M.Schumacher Ferrari Bridgestone 3
Classified : 12 from 20 starters
Fastest lap: Barrichello, 1:20.132
Barcelona hosts the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya traditionally the main winter testing track used by most of the teams. A good lap here requires excellent aerodynamics from the high speed corners, and a solid engine is also required to maintain speed down the mile long straight. The weekend is expected to be dry and relatively cool.
2. Alonso Renault Michelin 3
3. Barrichello Ferrari Bridgestone 3
4. Montoya Williams BMW Michelin 2
5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW Michelin 2
6. de Matta Toyota Michelin 3
7. Webber Jaguar Cosworth Michelin 2
8. Firman Jordan Ford Bridgestone 3
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Volume 10, Issue 18
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Every Other Sunday
The Paint Job VI
2004 Spanish GP Preview
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