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The first triple-header of the 2021 calendar
continues this weekend, with the team travelling to Austria’s Red Bull
Ring for rounds eight and nine of the FIA Formula One World
Championship. The Hermann Tilke designed circuit weaves its way through
the picturesque mountains of Styria, with the compact configuration
comprising of just 10 corners and a sequence of short, fast straights.
Despite being one of the season’s shorter laps, the 4.318km track packs
quite a punch, placing emphasis on good traction and straight-line
speed. Roy Nissany, the team’s Test Driver, will make his third FP1
appearance of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix, with George Russell
returning to the car for FP2.
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance:
The Red Bull Ring is a superb test of the Formula One car, demanding
power, aerodynamic efficiency and good braking. The location of the
circuit in the Styrian Mountains makes for a dramatic visual setting but
also places some heavy demands on the car. The big elevation changes and
high altitude have a big impact on the cars’ performance. The track
surface and the heavily handed nature of the circuit place additional
demands on the tyres.
For the Grand Prix of Styria, which is the first of two back-to-back
races here in Zeltweg, Pirelli bring the traditional compound allocation
for this circuit of C2, C3 & C4. This is the middle of the Pirelli range
and is the same as we used last weekend in France, and they should offer
a good solid set of compounds for this event. For the subsequent Grand
Prix of Austria, we switch to the softer combination of C3, C4 & C5,
which are the compounds that we had in Monaco and Baku.
We made some improvements to the FW43B in France and this weekend we
will be looking to consolidate those gains and to confirm the
performance uplift in slightly different conditions.
The weather conditions can be quite mixed here in Austria, even in late
June and so we will be prepared for blisteringly hot sunshine and heavy
rain! Both drivers are familiar with the circuit and enjoy being here.
As a team we are looking forward to two weeks of racing at this
fantastic circuit.
For the Austrian Grand Prix we will have Roy in the car again and
following another successful outing in France, we are keen to see him in
action at the Red Bull Ring. Over the course of the two weekends we will
be able to explore more of the setup options than normal and we will be
looking to Roy to assist us with this important work.
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Nicholas Latifi:
I’m looking forward to the back-to-back races in Austria. France was a
tough one for me, so the best way to reset is by getting back out on
track. Austria is a circuit which generally makes for some great racing,
so hopefully we’ll have some of that, and it can be tough on tyres so
there should be some opportunities there. With two races at the same
track we’ll be able to build from one week to the next and maximise our
results.
George Russell:
I’m glad that we’re straight into another race week off the back of a
good result in France. Austria always offers some great racing with the
three good straights and some very nice high-speed corners at the end of
the lap, so even though it’s a very short circuit, it’s a fun one to
drive. Two races at the same circuit gives opportunities to try
different set-ups between the two, and potentially understand the car
further. Overall, I’m excited to have this quick turn around and get
cracking!
Roy Nissany:
I’m really looking forward to being back in the car for the Austrian
Grand Prix FP1 session. It’s great to be back in the FW43B so quickly,
and with the car still fresh in my mind from France, I think it will be
a very useful session. |
