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US GP Preview: Jaguar

NEWS STORY
16/06/2004

The Jaguar Racing team travelled directly from Montreal to Indianapolis to prepare for the forthcoming United States Grand Prix. With the two North American races being back to back the team personnel have had no time to return home, although after the incident at the first corner during the Canadian Grand Prix, many of the car parts have been returned to the factory in Milton Keynes (UK) and are being repaired and tested prior to their departure back out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The famous 'Brickyard' circuit is essentially two circuits in one, with a very high speed banked section and a low speed twisting infield. Although Mark has race here before the circuit will be new to team-mate Christian Klien and third driver BW. Both drivers are motivated and hungry to score points at what is the tenth race on the
calendar and essentially the halfway point of the season.


Mark Webber: I have raced twice before at the Indianapolis Motor-Speedway but have yet to see the finish line. The track itself requires many different set-ups from the car and the team and I will be trying to find a balance on the car that will suit both the long high-speed straights and the slower twisty infield. I like driving at this track, it has much history attached to it and there is something special here that really brings the fans together and they all love race day. This weekend I will be looking to achieve a qualifying position that is reflective of where the R5 is today. Montreal was not where we should have been and
I know that we are more than capable of scoring points. I am excited about getting back out on Friday and I will certainly be looking for the chequered flag this weekend. The guys in the team and back at the factory in Milton Keynes have been doing a good and thorough job on the car and in providing the parts that we need to race. With these back-to-back races it is a full speed race in itself to get everything completed in time for us drivers to get out on track.

Christian Klien: This will be another new track for me this weekend but as usual I just get out there on the circuit as fast as I can and start learning the layout. I have spent much time with my engineers studying the data from previous years this gives me a head start on understanding what is required from both the R5 and myself. Although I have never been to Indianapolis before I have heard many good things about the place and I know that the track holds much history. I am looking forward to seeing the row of bricks on the circuit as this is something special. After the weekend in Montreal I am very focused on scoring points. The R5's pace is good and I enjoy driving the car. I have been watching some of the races from previous years so this is also helping me to understand where the overtaking opportunities are in advance. I will be spending some time with my trainer working on my fitness before the race, this seems to be quite a hot race but my training from the start of the season should stand me in good stead.

Björn Wirdheim: Although I have never raced at the Indianapolis Motor-Speedway I have driven a Formula One car around the track. Last year I did this with the Jordan team so this experience will definitely make my first lap on Friday a lot easier. This track is
quite technical and I like that challenge. The slow corners and high-speed straights give the engineers a lot to think about when it comes to set-up and balance. I am looking forward to going out on Friday as this track is a classic in motor-racing history and it is great to be a part of that. This Friday I will be looking to do many more laps than I did in Montreal. We had suffered from a couple of issues there but I know that the team has eradicated those now and I am keen to get back behind the wheel and test. My Friday testing makes a big difference to the other drivers as I can focus on certain areas, like tyres or aero when they can work on their own familiarisation and set-up.


Dr Mark Gillan – Head of Vehicle Performance: The Indianapolis Motor-speedway is an interesting circuit for us as it is really two different types of track combined. The banked section requires high-speed from the car, which would ideally suit low down-force, while the infield is twisting and demands slower speeds suiting higher down-force. This requires a balance to be struck between optimising time in the
banking section and infield section. There are overtaking opportunities here, most notably at the first corner. The aerodynamic set-up can be compromised here when you are trying to find a balance that suits both the low and highspeed sections. The start and finish straight is actually the longest single stint on full throttle that the car will do at any track this year. In terms of developments for the car although we have nothing specific for this race we are continuing to develop the car most notably in the areas of the Cosworth Racing CR6 –V10 engine, powertrain and control systems. We scored a point here last year and I would like to see Mark and Christian do more than that this coming weekend. The track suits the R5 and we are well prepared going into this race.

David Pitchforth - Managing Director: With the race in Indianapolis marking the halfway season of the Formula One calendar we know what we need to do to get our own season back on track. Montreal was a frustrating weekend for us, especially when we knew that the reasons for the incident were outside of our control. We are now moving forward focused on the task in hand and motivated for a
challenging and points rewarding race this weekend. Since leaving Montreal there has been some intense activity back at the factory as the team either repair or produce new parts for the car that were damaged in last weekend's first corner incident. The turn-around time between the two races is very short so it is a case of all hands on deck. The drivers are all very determined to extract the most out of the R5 this weekend and ideally of course to score points. Mark knows this track and although Christian does not he has proved himself an able competitor at tracks he has no history with. I am looking for both drivers to qualify in good positions that will provide them with the platform to score points. The R5 should suit this track and we are all looking forward to the weekend's activities ahead.

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