German GP Tyrrell preview

TYRRELL IS AIMING FOR A TWO CAR FINISH

Following an encouraging performance at the British Grand Prix where Mika Salo finished a strong 7th in the race and Ukyo Katayama qualified a promising 12th, the Tyrrell Yamaha team is going to Hockenheim with the aim of confirming the reliability improvements shown at Silverstone and scoring a two car finish in the German Grand Prix.

On Wednesday (17 July), test and reserve driver Emmanuel Collard drove a 024 at Crowthorne, the Transport Research Laboratory Test track, and said: "I had another good test with the team. We did a lot of data acquisition for the telemetry on the main straight and also practiced several starts. It was a bit tedious but an interesting day."

Harvey Postlethwaite, Managing Director - Engineering, said: "We had a good private test at Crowthorne. We are happy with the results of the tests which were extremely useful and 'Manu' did a very good job as usual. Mika and Ukyo will shake down their race cars at Brands Hatch today [July 19] prior to their departure for Germany.

"After the reliability problems we suffered in the races prior to the British Grand Prix, it was a good reward for the entire team to see Mika drive a strong race to finish in the top seven. And with a little bit of luck he might have scored an extra point... Hockenheim is a very challenging power circuit and we are looking forward to confirming our improvements on reliability. It would be nice to have a two-car finish on Sunday."

Mika Salo said: "The lay-out of Hockenheim is unique. You drive flat out on long straights in the middle of the forest, with nobody around, and at the end of the lap you enter the Stadium packed with more than 100,000 fans! It is really a fantastic view with all the flags and the fireworks."

Ukyo Katayama added: "Hockenheim is special because the driver does not have much to do! Most of the time you are flat out on a straight until a chicane and then you are flat out again on another straight! It is not difficult to drive there but it is hard to find a good set-up. It has to be a compromise."

Mike Gascoyne, Deputy Technical Director, commented: "Hockenheim is one of the most specialised tracks of the Championship. It has long straights broken by chicanes. Cars will be running minimum down force to cut down drag and put the premium on straight line speed for a good lap time. They will be difficult to drive in the Stadium section and also difficult under braking. The circuit can also be fairly bumpy , especially in some of the braking areas which make it difficult to set the car up."

The German Grand Prix will be held on the 6.823 kms/4.240 miles Hockenheim circuit near Frankfurt. The 45 lap, 307.022 kms/190.815 miles race will start at 14:00 hours local time on Sunday 28 July and is expected to last around one hour twenty five minutes.

Chassis numbers: Car 18, Ukyo Katayama: 05 Car 19, Mika Salo: 04 Spare car, Salo: 02 Spare chassis: 03

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