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Sam Michael gives a debrief of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend which saw the
team come away with just two points following Ruben's ninth place.
Sam Michael, Technical Director Q&A
Q: Please sum up
the team’s performance at the Spanish Grand Prix.
SM: Two points for Rubens was a good result considering where we were on
Saturday, but our overall performance wasn’t good enough in Spain and we
must keep pushing to make more significant progress.
Q: You added lots of new parts to the FW32s over the weekend. What impact
did they have on performance?
SM: We brought a series of updates to both of the cars for Barcelona.
Initially, we tested the parts on Rubens’ car during Friday’s practice
sessions, and the team back at Grove worked hard to deliver additional sets
for Nico’s car in time for Saturdays’ third and final practice. The upgrades
we raced included a new diffuser, which in turn required a new gearbox, we
also had revised sidepod intakes and a new active front wing actuator. We
also ran new wing mirrors, as per the altered regulation. Both drivers ran
identical updates during qualifying and the race. The new parts allowed us
to maintain our level of competitiveness in comparison to the other teams.
Red Bull have edged further forwards than everyone else though.
Q: Both cars were damaged during qualifying. What impact did the damage have
on the
drivers’ one-lap performances?
SM: Rubens’ car suffered heavy stone damage during qualifying. On his return
to the pits, the front wing, rear wing, roll hoop, suspension fairings and
his helmet were all damaged. We weren’t able to measure the impact on
downforce, but it would have affected it, however small. Nico ran wide over
a kerb during his second run in Q1 which caused some damage to the bib
splitter. As a result, we fitted a new one between Q1 and Q2 so it had no
bearing on his Q2 qualifying performance.
Q: You asked Rubens to slow his pace in the closing laps of the race. Why
was this?
SM: Rubens was on the radio reporting a possible issue with either his front
tyres or the front end of the car so he chose to back off to ensure we made
it to the end of the race. We are now investigating what that issue was.
Q: Were you surprised by the durability of the option tyre in the first
stint of the race?
SM: No not at all. The option tyre has been the strongest tyre all season.
Q: Nico made an unscheduled second pit stop on lap 32. Why was this?
SM: After his first stop, Nico picked up the same car damage to the bib
splitter that he had in qualifying so he was running with significantly less
downforce than normal. While protecting his position, he flat-spotted his
front tyres which forced a second stop.
Q: Monaco is next on the calendar, a race in which AT&T Williams has
traditionally been strong. What’s the secret to a quick lap there and what
are your expectations for the race?
SM: To be quick around Monaco, you need a softer car set-up to normal with
maximum downforce. We also have some specific parts that we bring to Monaco
that we only run at this race. The circuit is really narrow and those
barriers are a real test of a drivers’ mettle. The closer they can take the
cars to the barriers, the better the lap times. |
Drivers
1 J Button 70
2 F Alonso 67
3 S Vettel 60
4 M Webber 53
5 N Rosberg 50
6 L Hamilton 49
7 F Massa 49
8 R Kubica 44
12 R Barrichello 7
15 N Hulkenberg 1 |
Constructors
1 McLaren 119
2 Ferrari 116
3 Red Bull Racing 113
4 Mercedes GP 72
5 Renault 50
6 Force India 24
7 AT&T Williams 8
8 Toro Rosso 3
9 BMW Sauber 0
10 Lotus Racing 0 |
