By SAUBER PETRONAS
August 17 2005

Team SAUBER PETRONAS has been working hard during the summer break with technical preparations for the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix.

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):

"Turkey represents another new track for Formula One, but by the time we arrive there we will already be quite familiar with it. We use the official map of the circuit in conjunction with our simulation programmes. This enables us to run a basic car model in order to evaluate different parameters such as downforce levels and mechanical grip. The optimum downforce level will depend on the track layout and the grip. I think Turkey will be high downforce. We also know it will be very hot, so we will be maximising our cooling and have taken steps to rectify the problem of high temperatures beneath the engine covers that affected the spark coils in Hungary.

"Once the aerodynamic configuration of the car is defined, we use the simulation models to further optimise the mechanical set-up, define the gear ratios and evaluate the brake energy dissipation. This allows us to make the best choice of brake materials and the required brake cooling. We know from past experience that our simulation programmes are accurate to within one per cent. The biggest unknown factor is the grip level of the track. Even though we liase closely with Michelin, who have already visited the track to assess its surface, the one thing we cannot predict completely until we run the cars there is the actual level of grip of the surface."