Austrian GP BAR preview

THE CIRCUIT

The track is situated near Spielberg in the Styrian Alps and possesses a number of slow and medium-speed corners bordered by large gravel run-off areas. The circuit requires effective brakes, good levels of downforce to assist braking, and good traction to get through and out of the corners quickly. As the circuit is situated within the mountain region then the engines are likely to require a "mapping" adjustment because of the thinner mountain air.

LAST YEAR

Jacques Villeneuve staged an inspired comeback charge to finish fourth in the 2000 Austrian Grand Prix. Villeneuve and team mate, Ricardo Zonta, were both involved in a chaotic first corner incident at the start of the race that saw them both drop down the order to 15th and 17th places respectively. Employing a late-race, one-pit stop strategy both drivers were able to make their way steadily up through the field. Unfortunately, Ricardo Zonta did not finish the race. He encountered a 10-second stop-and-go penalty on lap 17 for his involvement in the first corner incident, and finally had engine failure on lap 60, which was caused by debris in the radiators, effectively ending his run. Villeneuve continued his charge and after a superb 7.8-second pit stop on lap 49 moved into fourth place which he maintained until the chequered flag.

Craig Pollock, Team Principal and Managing Director "After the excellent result in Barcelona we are very much looking forward to Austria. We again had a very productive week of testing at Silverstone and Vairano and we were able to collect some valuable data with positive results. Last year we had a strong showing at this circuit so we will be looking to improve on that and continue to be in a points scoring position with both Jacques and Olivier. As a team we are just remaining focused on our plan for the rest of the season, there is still a lot of work to do."

- BAR