Brazilian GP Arrows preview

30th March - 1st April 2001

SAO PAULO (Interlagos)

Following Jos Verstappen's strong performance in Malaysia, the OrangeArrows team heads to the other side of the world for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Round Three of the FIA World Championship is held in Sao Paulo at the Interlagos circuit, a track notorious for its bumpy surface and high temperatures, making it a tough race for the drivers.

The team arrive in Brazil in high spirits after Jos' drive in Kuala Lumpur, hoping to keep the momentum going. Testing took place in Barcelona last week with Jos Verstappen, Enrique Bernoldi and Johnny Herbert all running at the Circuit de Catalunya. The test concentrated on finding a good set-up for low fuel levels to aid qualifying performance and software development for the Spanish Grand Prix. Adding more mileage to the A22 and the Asiatech engine, the team are eager to see if further developments have paid off.

The Interlagos circuit is made up of fast corners and long straights, however a combination of slow corners in the infield section often forces a compromised set up for the cars. The track also runs in an anti-clockwise direction, which will put extra strain on the drivers' muscles as every other track (bar-Imola) runs the opposite way. Another factor the engineers have to look out for is the weather which can change from blue, sunny skies, to thunderstorms in a matter of minutes!

Jos Verstappen had a good race last year, fighting his way up to third before slipping back and finishing in 7th, and is looking forward to going back to Brazil.

"I am still very motivated after Malaysia which was great and last year's race here was quite good too. I was running in third for a while so hopefully we can make the car a little bit better and have another good race. I had trouble with the strain on my neck last year but this time around I'm a lot fitter so I'm not expecting any problems."

Enrique Bernoldi heads to his home race in Brazil eager to perform well.
"It's the third race of the year and my home Grand Prix. Obviously I want to finish the race this time, especially as it will be in front of my friends and family. I like the Interlagos track very much. It has a good combination of fast and slow corners but is physically very demanding."

Team Principal, Tom Walkinshaw, hopes for a good race in Brazil following the team's test this week in Barcelona.
"We've been testing for four days in Barcelona this week, working on various set ups and have learned more about the car, so hopefully we can do well for the race. The team's very up-beat after Jos' performance in Malaysia, so we're hoping to continue the good form and get both cars to the finish, perhaps in the points if we have a bit of luck."

-OrangeArrows