Formula 1
Canadian GP: Michelin preview
ISLAND FLYING The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, home to the Canadian Grand Prix, is situated on the ÃŽle Notre Dame in the middle of Montreal's St Lawrence Seaway. Michelin comes to the race in good spirits following its impressive one-two in Monaco.
Published: Jun 9, 2003, 3:29 PM
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ISLAND FLYING
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, home to the Canadian Grand Prix, is situated on the Île Notre Dame in the middle of Montreal's St Lawrence Seaway. Michelin comes to the race in good spirits following its impressive one-two in Monaco. The company's motorsport director Pierre Dupasquier says: "In Monaco we obtained a fantastic result in both sporting and technical terms. It doesn't necessarily follow that we will dominate our rivals quite so comprehensively every weekend, but it would be churlish not to celebrate such a spectacular success.
"Montreal is quite similar to Monaco in some respects, because neither circuit requires a particularly hard tyre compound. There is one fundamental difference, however. Drivers lap at about 150 km/h (93 mph) through the streets of Monte Carlo but average closer to 200 km/h (120 mph) in Canada.
"The speed differential is a significant factor for us. The biggest cause of tyre wear in Monaco is wheelspin, whereas here it's the extremely high top speeds. As a result the tyres we use in Canada are very different from those that won a fortnight ago. We must wait until Friday morning's test session to see if we have chosen wisely."
Ralf Schumacher (BMW WilliamsF1 Team driver):
"I think Montreal is one of the nicest place we race at. I like the city and the people and the track on the Notre Dame island counts definitely among my favourites. However, it is very demanding on both the car and the driver. It is all about brakes, engine and traction.
"Therefore also our Michelin tyres play a very special role. We evaluated several different compounds last week, during our test in Silverstone and Monza and I think that we are now well prepared for Canada. Michelin has already secured my pole position and Juan Pablo's victory at the last race in Monaco and I believe that we can be very optimistic for Montreal too. "
Technically speaking, with Pascal Vasselon (F1 project manager)
FOREWARNED, FOUR-ARMED
"In Montreal, as at most recent races, we will be bringing four types of dry-weather tyre. Our partners have opted for two constructions, each of which will be available in two compounds."
SLOW, SLOW, QUICK, QUICK, SLOW
"The Montreal track has a very specific nature because its layout is determined by the shape of the island on which it is located. The surface has a fairly high contact ratio and the slow corners don't place much of a lateral load on the tyre. Those elements of the circuit suit a soft compound, but we have to bear in mind that cars attain very high top speeds on the straights - and that does place a strain on the tyres."
WHERE OH WEAR?
"Rear tyres suffer most in Montreal, because there are several instances of fierce acceleration from slow corners onto the long, fast straights."
TIP OF THE STOPS
"Last season, the most effective tactic in Montreal was to plump for a one-stop strategy with a long first stint. Typically, pit stops cost between 30 and 32 seconds -- and with the new regulations I'm sure teams will opt to make two stops, or perhaps even three."
THESE FUELLISH THINGS
"The penalty for a heavy fuel load is relatively light in Canada -- less than 0.25 seconds per lap for every extra 10 kg. The rate of consumption, however, is relatively high."
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