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AT&T Williams: Malaysian GP Preview |
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Tuesday, 18 March 2008 |
Malaysia welcomes Formula One this weekend for round two of the 2008
World Championship, hot off the heels of a thrilling start to the year
in Melbourne last weekend. The season opener didn’t fail to disappoint
and delivered a well deserved maiden podium for Nico Rosberg and Kazuki
Nakajima’s first taste of a points-scoring finish in only his second
race in the sport. The team will be looking to replicate the promising
performance shown in Australia at the dramatic Sepang track and to
reinforce its second position in the Constructors’ standings.
Nico Rosberg
Sepang is one of my favourite tracks
on the calendar. We should be stronger there than we were in Melbourne
as well, especially if we have the whole weekend to prepare properly,
so we’re looking for another good performance. Perhaps not a podium,
but another solid points-scoring finish. We seem to have a car that
isn’t too tough on its tyres so, with the heat in Malaysia, that’s a
positive.
Physically, these races are really difficult,
particularly for concentration, but that’s why I worked so hard over
the winter to be fit in these conditions. Every single minute of pain I
felt during training played through my mind in Sunday’s race! I’m going
to Singapore with RBS this week to visit the new track there, then I’ll
have a couple of days to relax before making the trip to Malaysia.
Kazuki Nakajima
Firstly,
we had a really good result in the opening Grand Prix in Australia and
that’s motivated all of us. I’m going to have a ten place grid penalty
for Malaysia so it’s going to be difficult for me, but I’m just going
to concentrate on my race and do the best I can.
Sepang is a
really nice track, it’s tough on the car and tyres, but we have a good
chance and I have a good feeling. Like in Australia, temperatures will
be extreme again, so it’s going to be another hard weekend for
everyone. I’ll be heading to Malaysia straight away to get some
training in and to make sure I’m as ready as I can be for the weekend.
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1
It
is always hot and humid in Kuala Lumpur and the weather forecast says
this year’s race will be no different. With only a week between these
two Grands Prix, we will be focusing on tidying up any reliability
issues that we encountered in Melbourne before Friday’s practice.
Although
our qualifying performance in Australia wasn’t bad, particularly
considering the time we lost in practice and then the red and yellow
flags during qualifying itself, it wasn’t good enough and didn’t meet
our expectations. We are therefore heading to Malaysia with a view to
improving that and to build upon our second place in the Constructors’
Championship. It seems that the field is very close this year so any
additional tenths that we can find will help significantly.
The
track layout in Malaysia consists of mainly medium and high speed
corners and enough straight lines to place a certain level of
importance on engine power. With a two stop strategy typical, and a few
overtaking opportunities around the lap, it should be an exciting race.
If it’s anything like Melbourne, then it will only be good news for
Formula One.
Sepang, Malaysia
A
purpose-built facility, Sepang’s 5.543km lap provides a blend of medium
and high speed corners interspersed with several slow speed sections
and blisteringly fast straights. Such a dynamic track poses a
particular challenge for the drivers and their engineers as a quick lap
depends on a car with a well balanced set-up for the complex mix of
corners, plenty of power for the quick straights and sufficient cooling
capabilities to counterbalance the extremes of temperature and powerful
humidity.
With temperatures reaching 40°C in Kuala Lumpur,
climatic conditions can play a significant role in the outcome of the
Malaysian Grand Prix. Coupled with the high humidity levels and the
constant threat of heavy downpours, the drivers and their cars will be
pushed to thermal limits. As temperatures soar so will the heat in the
cockpit, and the driver’s physical and mental fitness levels will be
severely tested as they lose over a litre of fluid per hour in the
race. Engines will also be strained as they are fired up for a second
outing in Malaysia. Sepang is not regarded as a power circuit, with the
time spent at full throttle relatively low, but containing oil
temperatures in the extreme heat, while not compromising aerodynamic
efficiency, will be imperative for their reliability.
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