Japan: Good Balance is the Key


By SAUBER PETRONAS
October 5 2005

Suzuka marks the penultimate race, both for the 2005 season and the SAUBER PETRONAS team. With just two more races left for the team, they are eager to get the preparation work right so that Villeneuve and Massa can fight for points in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.



Willy Rampf (Technical Director):

"Achieving fast laps at Suzuka is all about getting a good balance on the car. Apart from the relatively long back straight where low drag would be beneficial, this is a high downforce circuit. We will be aiming primarily with our set-up to create a car that is neutral and driveable. In particular the Esses at the start of the lap are crucially important. That’s where the driver needs a car that changes direction quickly and precisely. Any handling imbalance will cost you a lot of time there. Further round the lap the wide variety of corners, especially the challenging 130R which is one of the great corners in F1, pushes the drivers and the car to their extreme limits.

"Due to its high number of corners, Suzuka is very hard on the tyres. The tyre degradation could be decisive for the race pace. That’s another reason why you need good handling balance, to preserve the tyres as much as you possibly can.

"Apart from that Suzuka is a real drivers’ circuit; it is an ‘old’ narrow track with a lot of medium and high-speed corners and very little run-off area where a small driving error means the end of the race. For the drivers it is equally demanding on the physical side as the corner density is one of the highest of the season."

SAUBER PETRONAS - Prior Results at Suzuka, Japan: