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Mark Gillan, Chief
Operations Engineer:
On the back of a very successful Young Driver Test at Silverstone we
head
off to Hockenheim aiming to get both cars home in the points. The
weather conditions look better than those which affected Silverstone but
there is still a relatively low risk of rain each day. This is the first
year that we have raced with Pirelli at Hockenheim and they bring with
them their medium and soft tyres. The circuit is characterised by its
high average corner speeds, high fuel consumption and high braking
severity.
Bruno Senna:
We haven’t been to Hockenheim since 2010 and I’m looking forward to
driving there with a car that is capable of getting a good result. The
circuit layout has a mixture of high speed and low speed sections so car
set-up can be challenging, but our car is improving all the time and has
been more competitive than recent results show. The weather is also
looking quite variable so that should throw up some extra challenges.
The fans create a good atmosphere at the German Grand Prix as well so it
should be an exciting weekend.
Pastor Maldonado:
The German fans who visit Hockenheim create a good atmosphere,
particularly in the final few corners with the big grandstands, so it’s
a fun circuit to drive. The final sector is also challenging with lots
of corners coming quickly after each other where time can be won or
lost. I’m disappointed to not have scored points in the last race but
our car is showing that it can compete at different circuits so I’m
feeling confident heading into this weekend.
Rémi Taffin, Head of
Renault Sport F1 Track Operations:
The Hockenheimring is above average when it comes to engine demands with
a high power sensitivity. The first half of the lap is high speed, with
drivers reaching over 300kph on three occasions. Temperatures look like
they are going to be cooler this year, which further increases the
severity for the engine as the air density will be higher and the
pressure in the cylinder increases. The latter part of the lap includes
a slow first gear hairpin, flick and stadium sections, which demand good
braking stability and torque response, particularly through the stadium,
which is taken at an average of 200kph.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli
Motorsport Director:
Hockenheim is one of just three circuits that are completely new for us
this year, together with Bahrain and the United States, and we are
bringing the P Zero White medium and the P Zero Yellow soft compounds.
We have some Hockenheim data from the GP3 Series, which raced there in
2010, and also from our other racing activities and virtual simulation.
There are some fast straights and also slower and more technical
sections, so good traction will be vital. The weather can be variable:
the last time we were in Hockenheim we experienced heavy rain, so we
will as always bring the Cinturato Blue wets and Cinturato Green
intermediates.
Race Data
Friday:
Practice 1: 10:00 - 11:30
Practice 2: 14:00 - 15:30
Saturday:
Practice 3: 11:00 - 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 – 15:00
Sunday: Race: 14:00
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