European GP: Preview - Honda

17/07/2007

The second half of the 2007 Formula One season continues this weekend with Round 10, the European Grand Prix, to be held at the historic Nurburgring circuit in Germany's Eifel Mountains.

With only one Grand Prix taking place in Germany, the Nürburging will host this year's event before the race alternates with Hockenheim from 2008 onwards. With no testing at the venue and a change from the usual May date, the European Grand Prix on the challenging Nürburging circuit presents a unique and tough challenge.

Shuhei Nakamoto - Senior Technical Director: "We used the test at the Spa Francorchamps circuit last week to evaluate some new aero upgrades which we plan to use from the European Grand Prix onwards. We also put the V8 engine through its paces for the first time at Spa and worked to find a good set-up for the Belgian Grand Prix in September. We struggled for balance at high speeds which meant that our lap times were not good. However on the positive side, we were one of few teams to experience little or no mechanical problems with the engine. Looking ahead to the race at the Nurburgring this weekend, it is a venue that poses a lot of challenges. Good levels of downforce are required as the circuit has a range of low to high speed corners. You also need good stability under braking. We will be as aggressive as possible and aim to score points."

Rubens Barrichello: "The Nurburgring is a challenging circuit for the drivers and one that I particularly enjoy. I won the Grand Prix here back in 2002 so I always feel good about returning and racing around here. I like the layout of the circuit and it has some great high-speed corners and interesting undulations. With the recent improvements to our car, we are now capable of knocking on the door of the points-scoring positions so I am hoping to have a good race at the weekend."

Jenson Button: "Although it is a venue with a great deal of motor racing history, I have to be honest and say that the Nurburgring is not one of my favourite circuits on the Formula One calendar. It is actually quite a tricky circuit, particularly going down to the first corner from the start line, as it has a bumpy approach and you need to keep your wits about you and position yourself well for the best exit. Having said that, the first corner is one of the best opportunities for overtaking as the cars around you quite often just slide straight on. You can also overtake going into the chicane at the end of the lap. The key to getting a quick lap around the Nurburgring is getting your approach to turn one absolutely right because you can ruin your whole lap if you get on the brakes at the wrong moment. From a technical viewpoint, the biggest challenge is to have a car which works well with the changes of camber because there are a lot of corners off-camber so it is vital to get the correct line when you arrive into the corner."