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Round 10: German Grand Prix
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21-07-2011 7:41pm#1This weekend’s German Grand Prix looks set to be one of the pivotal races of the season. Not only does it mark the halfway point of this marathon season but it will also paint a picture as to what to expect for the rest of 2011.
With performances in recent races, particularly last time out in Silverstone, clouded by changes to the regulations governing the use of exhaust blown diffusers there will be stability in this area for the rest of the season. As a result it will be very interesting to see whether Ferrari can maintain their Electric pace from the British Grand Prix or whether the Prancing Horse will once again be bested by the Rampaging Bulls.The Nurburgring CircuitWhile the modern Nurburgring circuit pales into insignificance when compared to the fearsome Nordschleife the current circuit is not without its charms and challenges.
The circuit set in the Eifel Mountains first hosted Formula 1 in 1984 with Alain Prost the inaugural victory of the then European Grand Prix. The Nurburgring has taken on many monikers in its 27 years but one thing has remained constant: unpredictable weather.
The mountains have a micro climate of their own and it is the constant shifting of the clouds that has led to numerous unexpected and exciting races. One of the most famous was in 1999 when rain showers in qualifying left a drying track at the end of the session for Heinz Harold Frentzen to take pole position for Jordan. The German looked set to take his third victory of the season, and take a giant leap towards winning the world championship, before a drive shaft failure ended his race after his sole pit stop.
Johnny Herbert went on to win the race but only after the likes of Giancarlo Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard all had problems while leading. The victory was the first for Stewart Ford before they became Jaguar. It seemed as if victories were assured for the “team in green” but ultimately they would have to wait until 2009 and Sebastian Vettel’s victory in China to taste the victory champagne again.
That victory came in their current guise of Red Bull Racing and the side hasn’t stopped winning since. In the 2009 race at the Nurburgring Mark Webber took his first career victory and while the Australian has been beaten by Vettel throughout the year it is clear, especially after the team orders row in England, that he will be exceptionally determined to take his first win of the season this weekend.
In the lead up to this race it has been clear that the majority of drivers know that the weather will play a key part in the outcome of the race. The views of 2008 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, were echoed by the entire grid:
"The lesson to draw from all this experience is never to make predictions when you come to the Nürburgring,” commented the McLaren driver. “The current circuit may be less epic than the original 14-mile layout, and certainly a lot safer, but it can still bite you. And the weather can turn in a matter of moments - you can have all the seasons in one afternoon."
The challenge facing the drivers is clearly not what it once was in the past but it is clear that the newer circuit still presents difficulties for the teams and drivers with stability under heavy braking key for the opening sector of the lap before the faster second half. Finding the correct compromise plays a key role in getting the right setup for a lap of the Nurburgring.Compromises needed for setup
The ‘Ring requires a lot of downforce in the opening sector of the lap where the majority of corners are taken in second or third gear. This section is crucial for a fast lap so high downforce levels are needed by all the teams. In the past this would have led to detrimental performance in the latter half of the lap where turns 8-13 are all fast and flowing bends that lead into one another.
However with the advent of the Drag Reduction System teams will now be able to trim their downforce levels on the back straight and not lose performance on their fast laps in qualifying. This will lead to a lot of teams utilizing a slightly higher downforce package than what has been used in the past.
Another advantage of his is that it increases tyre life, always key in modern Formula 1. This could allow teams to make one stop less then would normally be expected from the soft and medium compound tyres.
The final section of the lap is a flat out blast from the Warsteiner Curve to the NGK Chicane. This chicane, used for the first time in 1998, requires drivers to ride the kerbs well and have good traction under acceleration. This is the last key corner of the circuit and one of the most important corners of the entire lap. In the past drivers like Michael Schumacher were able to take incredible corner speed through the apex and whoever can get their car setup to maximize this corner is sure to be in with a chance of taking the victory.
“Nurburgring is a high downforce track,” said Williams’ technical director Sam Michael, “with lots of challenging corner sequences, some off camber turns and kerbs. Set-up will be focused on the slow and medium speed corners.”Webber looks to make his Mark
This is a crucial race for Mark Webber. The Red Bull driver was clearly miffed at his team’s decision to attempt to restrain him during the British Grand Prix and even though the Australian ignored his orders it was clear afterwards just how upset he was at the team’s decision.
This weekend is his opportunity to leave his mark and reclaim the swagger that saw him compete for the title last year. Webber started the year off form but in recent months he has upped his game as his confidence level in the new Pirelli tyres has increased. Having taken two pole positions in 2011 it is now crucial that Webber starts to convert his qualifying effort into strong race day performances.
His victory in 2009 saw him overcome a drive through penalty and showed just how superb a racer he is when his back is against the wall. It is clear that he once again has a feeling that his team is centered on Vettel. Webber has to feel that he is being boxed into a corner by his team and as a result he will come out swinging this weekend from when the green light goes on during Friday practice.
It is likely that Webber will battle for win with his teammate, Vettel, and the Ferrari of Alonso. The trio looks to have separated themselves from the field in the last two races and this weekend’s outing should continue that trend. Ferrari’s advantage in Silverstone was generally attributed to the effect of the blowing exhaust regulation on Red Bull but it was also clear that the red cars have made considerable progress.
This race will give a true indication of how much speed Ferrari has gained on their rivals. It will also show what can be expected of McLaren from the remainder of the year. The team was clearly affected more than anyone else by the change in regulations and their performance will be closely watched by Red Bull and Ferrari.
If Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button can compete at the sharp end of the field it will show that three teams will be competitive for the remainder of the season. Otherwise McLaren will have to, once again, answer questions as to how they can hold onto Hamilton without providing the former champion a car to challenge Vettel and Alonso.Renault pin hopes on major upgrade
The midfield battle has been filled with thrilling racing in 2011 and with Renault bringing numerous new parts to Germany it is clear that the Enstone based squad is eager to retake their position as “best of the rest.”
Renault started the season with a brace of podiums but since then their form has plummeted and now the squad is left with pinning their hopes on an extensive update package. They will battle with home crowd favourites Mercedes to be behind the leading trio of teams and the form of the silver arrows has improved immensely in recent races so it remains to be seen if, even with their extensive upgrade, Renault has done enough to move back to the front of the midfield.
Michael Schumacher has been in good form in recent races and if rain comes into play on Sunday the seven times champion could be well placed to spring a surprise. His pace in the wet at Silverstone was superb and he could have netted fourth place if not for his stop and go penalty.
Sauber will, in all likelihood, pin their hopes of a strong result on utilizing a strategy with less pit stops than their rivals. The Swiss team has employed the tactic well in the past and by the end of the race they could be in a hard fought scrap for the final points.Chandhok in at Team Lotus
At the back of the field Team Lotus will make a change to their driver lineup with Karun Chandhok set to replace Jarno Trulli in the team’s second car.
Chandhok raced last year for HRT until the British Grand Prix and is clearly relishing the opportunity to get back onto the starting grid:
“Ever since I first joined the team I have been looking forward to this opportunity,” said the Indian. “I am determined to do my best to repay their faith in me and help the team progress, this season and for many years to come. I am approaching the weekend in a very realistic frame of mind. I will be doing my best to push and to make sure I learn as much as possible all weekend, take each session as it comes and work as closely as I can with the engineers and the whole team to do the best job I can."
The team announced that this was a one race agreement and that Trulli would be back in the car for the next race in Hungary but with the Italian struggling this in his 15th season it is clear that the team felt it important to evaluate Chandhok.
Trulli’s struggles have largely been related to the power steering system in the Lotus but the form of his teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, has cost the Italian dearly.F1 2011 revolves on Pirelli tyres
Tyres have been key throughout the season and this weekend looks set to continue that trend. Pirelli will bring their soft and medium compounds to Germany.
"The Nurburgring is one of the most technical circuits we face all year, with a lot of lateral energy going through the tyres, and this makes strategy very important,” said Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery. “Although they sit next to each other in our range, there is still a significant difference between the P Zero Yellow soft and the P Zero White medium tyre, as we saw on the last occasion that this combination was used at the Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia.
"The biggest difference will be the weather, which could be a lot cooler than the conditions we saw in Spain. This means that we expect most of the teams to adopt a two-stop strategy, unless of course it rains, in which case anything is possible. On Friday, the teams will be evaluating a new version of the P Zero Yellow soft tyre.
"It's not a big change from the current specification, but it is designed to fit in line with our latest versions of the P Zero Silver hard tyre and P Zero White medium, both of which are a little harder than their original specification in order to reduce degradation. There's no decision yet on when we might use the new tyre yet, but it will be very interesting to hear all the feedback from the teams."Weather for this weekend
Forecasting the weather in this region of Europe is exceptionally difficult and as a result the teams will need to remember that the right tyres for the conditions can change in minutes.
Rain is forecast to fall on each morning of the weekend before clearing in time for qualifying on Saturday. Race day will start with scattered showers but rain is expected to interrupt proceedings at some point during the race.Tagged:10
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Kobayashi is threatening Button now - weird. Button should be head & shoulders ahead ...
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