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This
weekend's European Grand Prix marks the return to the
race track after the short summer break and while the
Formula 1 cars might not have turned a wheel since
Sunday in Budapest, the Ferrari factory in Maranello has
been operating normally, with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
staff all hard at work preparing, not just for the race
in Valencia, but also for the final part of the season
in general. The race schedule between now and the
Brazilian finale is such that there can be no let up
until the final chequered flag.
As a brand new venue, preparation for this weekend is
slightly different to normal, because the track itself
is an unknown quantity, even if the route from Maranello
to Valencia is a well trodden one, as the permanent
circuit outside the city is a popular testing venue.
Preparation for a new track relies heavily on the use of
track simulation programmes, using the Centro Ricerche
Fiat simulator, to provide a solid baseline from which
the team can begin work with the first free practice
session on Friday morning. The simulator is an aid to
the drivers, as it gives them an idea of what to expect
and in its simplest form means they can learn where the
corners are. It also helps the engineers produce a basic
set-up for all functions and settings on the F2008 cars.
Simulators are growing ever more sophisticated, however,
one area where there is no real substitute for track
time experience concerns the tyres: the choice of
Bridgestone tyres is already known as drivers will run
on the "soft" and "super soft" compounds which they have
already used twice this year at other grands prix.
However, how the tyres will perform on the track surface
cannot be predicted with total accuracy at this stage.
"The track looks very interesting, combining a variety
of different corner types, as well as some sections with
a high top speed, maybe slightly lower than those seen
at the Montreal circuit in Canada," says Technical
Director of the Gestione Sportiva, Aldo Costa. "We can
expect high temperatures this weekend, which should not
present us with any problems. After the high downforce
configuration we ran at the last race in Budapest, we
now return to a medium to low downforce configuration
with some updates to the package that were already
tested at Jerez in the week prior to the Hungarian Grand
Prix."
On the logistical side, apart from the paddock and its
facilities being new to everyone, the fact this is a
"street" circuit should not make for any problems, as
teams will operate out of a conventional paddock with
their trucks and motorhomes. Nevertheless, the majority
of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro personnel will be
making one concession to the novelty of the venue, in
that they will arrive on Wednesday afternoon, rather
than the more usual Thursday morning, thus giving
everyone time to familiarise themselves with their
"home" for the next few days, the layout of the
facilities and the surrounding areas and allowing
engineers to get a first hand look at the track itself.
In the past, the European Grand Prix was an honorary
title given to an existing race, but as a stand alone
fixture, it is a relatively new one, used to allow one
country to stage more than one event per year, the first
race dating back to 1983, when it was held at Brands
Hatch. After two years in England it moved to the
Nürburgring, which hosted the event on twelve occasions.
Apart from these venues, Donington Park held one
memorably wet race and Jerez de la Frontera was the
location on two occasions. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro has
won the European GP five times, once with Rubens
Barrichello and the other four with Michael Schumacher,
although with the change of location, this cannot be
considered in any way a guide to form!
While preparing for this weekend and the remaining
races, this time of year also sees work intensify on the
2009 project. "We are entering the production phase for
the main components of our 2009 car; parts such as the
chassis and gearbox," reveals Aldo Costa. "Ferrari has
the ability and resources to work on next year's car,
without having to relax for one moment on continuing the
development of the F2008 in a championship that is
proving to be very tight between ourselves and our usual
opponents. However, it is a very demanding challenge.
Although it is a challenge we have faced many times
before, it is particularly tough this time, as there are
so many new elements coming into play for next season,
such as the return to slick tyres and the introduction
of the KERS system. This makes the puzzle more
complicated than ever, which is why we have to operate
as efficiently as possible in terms of time management,
commitment and energy, as we are now in a delicate phase
with no way to recover from any mistakes. One step in
the wrong direction could prove very costly. As for this
weekend, and at the risk of repeating ourselves, our aim
is the same as ever: to ensure that every element of our
package and team works to its maximum as we strive to
bring home as many points as possible and hopefully
being the first to put our names on a Valencia trophy."
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