Eifel GP: Preview - Racing Point

06/10/2020
NEWS STORY

Formula 1 has not visited the Nurburgring since 2013, and while it is immediately more familiar than the likes of Mugello - a totally new race venue for 2020 - the likes of pre-event simulation will be crucial in getting teams up to speed as quickly as possible this weekend.

F1 returns to the C2, C3 and C4 range for the Eifel Grand Prix, a familiar tyre range that has been used at seven of the 10 Grands Prix to date. Already having strong knowledge of the tyre should help the teams acclimatise to the Nurburgring more quickly.

Everyone in F1 loves to talk about the weather, but the sport has rarely raced in Europe this late in the year. While F1 has traditionally raced at the Nurburgring on track temperatures that could be in the range of 40C, it is expected to be much lower this weekend and will make tyre warm-up of the harder compounds in particular more challenging.

The last triple-header largely took in a succession of high-speed corners across the circuits, while the Russian Grand Prix was largely medium-speed turns. The Nurburgring on the other hand has a broader range of corner speeds from the 80-90km/h Turn 1 up to well over 200kph in Turn 8.

The evolution of Formula 1 cars means the modern machines will likely change pre-conceived notions of the approach to a lap. For example, Turns 8 and 9 were once considered high-speed corners, but could potentially now be taken flat-out, meaning there's plenty for teams and drivers to get their heads around early in the weekend.

Are you excited about the Nurburgring returning to the Formula 1 calendar?
Lance Stroll: "Definitely! The Nurburgring is one of my favourite circuits and it's great to see it back on the Formula 1 calendar. F1 and the FIA deserve a lot of credit for working so hard to make sure we get a full season of racing under difficult circumstances and the addition of historic circuits to mix it up is a real positive."

What do you love about the circuit?
LS: "It's such a high-speed circuit, but it has a great flow to it that makes a lap there a real thrill. I've had some success there in the past, I won two out of three races during my title-winning 2016 European Formula 3 Championship campaign and it set up a great run to the end of the season. I have nothing but good memories of it."

Racing at the Nurburgring in October suggests potentially tricky conditions. Is that a possible boost for you?
LS: "We'll see! The Nurburgring at that time of year can throw up any kind of conditions. I come from Canada, so rain, snow and sunshine will all suit me! We've got thick skin and I'll be wearing a t-shirt on the track walk..."

Checo, you last raced at the Nurburgring in Formula 1 back in 2013, what are your memories of it?
Sergio Perez: "Yeah I did, and I also raced there in Formula BMW back in 2005 and 2006, so I know the circuit quite well. I've not raced there in October though, so it could be a very different experience this time around!"

As it's been a while since the last F1 race here, do you have to learn the circuit all over again?
SP: "I know it well enough, so I think I'm fully familiar with it. It's a bit different to racing at the Algarve next time out, because I only raced there once in GP2 and I expect learning the circuit to be much more of a factor there than in Germany."

Is it exciting to have new additions on the calendar to mix up the racing?
SP: "It's great to have the challenge of adapting to new circuits, it's definitely going to be fun here. You need to find the right balance on corner stability across a variety of turns at different speeds. Overtaking is possible, but certainly not easy. Also, I'm happy we're racing a full season, so credit to Formula 1 and the FIA for making it happen. It's great that we can have a full calendar this year."

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Published: 06/10/2020
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