2005 will be the 33rd Grand Prix of Brazil. Formula One’s debut in the South
American country goes back to 1973. At the time, the Interlagos circuit was
7.96 kilometres long and set between two lakes, this has since disappeared.
In 1978, F1 started for the first time in Jacarepagua, close to Rio de
Janeiro, where in total ten Grands Prix took place. Since 1990, the GP has
been held on a much shorter circuit in Interlagos. 2005 will see the 23rd
Grand Prix in São Paulo. |
Mark Webber will again be
partnered by Antonio Pizzonia for his home Grand Prix at Interlagos in
Brazil next weekend. Pizzonia replaces the injured Nick Heidfeld, who
has suffered a succession of incidents while testing and, more latterly,
sustaining a cracked shoulder blade following a cycling accident.
The team is approaching the final three races of a difficult season with
renewed confidence based on increasing competitiveness over the past
four races.Mark Webber:
"I always enjoy the
Brazilian Grand Prix, the fans are very passionate and knowledgeable. It
was also a formative part of growing up, watching great racing there on
television, particularly in the Senna/McLaren era.
As with the last race at Spa, Interlagos can throw up a real mixture of
weather, particularly heavy rain showers in the late afternoon, which
can make the weekend very interesting. The track is, of course, famous
for its anti-clockwise direction and also has many undulations and
bumps, but I don't mind this as it provides a good challenge for the
driver. After our fourth place in Spa, I'm hoping we can continue to
push for more points at Interlagos."
Antonio Pizzonia:
"Obviously I am very happy I’ve been given the opportunity to race
again, particularly as Brazil is my home race. It will be very special
for me to race in front of a home crowd so I can’t wait. Interlagos is a
great track, one which I really enjoy driving so I’m hoping to have a
good weekend. The bumps make it quite a tricky circuit and a unique one
when it comes to set-up of the car. The weather can be unpredictable in
Sao Paulo and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had some rain this year. It
was good for me to be in the car this week at Silverstone, where we
tested for two days, so I now feel better prepared for the race."
Sam Michael Technical Director:
"Interlagos
is a great track with many overtaking opportunities, mainly created due
to the two straights and the undulating terrain. Dominated by slow to
medium corners and straight lines, it is important to have a good car
balance in the corners that precede the straights.
The long pitlane and low fuel penalty both have a first order affect on
strategy decision and indeed what tyre compound level we will use. We
have worked with Michelin to choose two tyres that should cover the
different track temperatures that are inherent to this circuit.
It’s great that Antonio has another opportunity to race, especially in
Brazil where he will be in front of his home crowd. This, coupled with
Mark’s solid qualifying position, should enable us maximise the results
in Brazil, a track that we won on last year."
.
Dr Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
"The
three flyaway races at the end of the season present a real challenge to
the team and our logistics. Winning last year’s race in São Paulo was
the highlight of our season. This year we have had a difficult season so
we would like to score good points in the remaining Grands Prix.
In Interlagos the main challenge for the BMW P84/5 engine is the
start-finish straight. It leads uphill and the cars are flat out for
1,203 metres. Also, the 60 percent full-throttle ratio per lap is more
than average. One can not really expect heat in São Paulo at this time
of the year, changeable weather conditions are more likely.
After the latest and final engine specification proved its strength in
Monza and Spa, we are well prepared for Interlagos. According to plan,
both drivers will get fresh V10 engines for almost the last time this
year."
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