June 21 - 23, 2002

Race Notes

JV suffered some tough luck at the start of the race after being forced off the track by a collision involving both Jordan drivers. However, he recovered well to win a battle for position with former team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Jacques explained: "At the first corner, I had to step out to avoid Frentzen, who was trying to avoid the two Jordans, and both of these problems allowed other cars to pass me. From 19th on the grid, this was always going to be a tough race. I think today we did the best job we could under the circumstances."

Olivier had thought a top-six finish may have been on the cards earlier in the day but an almost freakish lack of attrition amongst the frontrunners made this impossible.

"After warm-up this morning I said that points were possible but, in the end, the Nürburgring is a fast track and we didn't have the speed to do the job," said Olivier. "I don't want to say I'm disappointed because I've finished the last two races in the top 10, so this definitely has to be seen as a progression."

He added: "Before you can finish in the points, you have to be able to consistently make the top 10. I drove a hard race and I think the strategy I adopted proved to be the right one for me. I had a hard time trying to keep the two-stoppers behind me at the same time as trying to preserve my tyres, but the car stayed reliable under pressure and we got both cars to the finish. As always, we have to keep working hard and see what Silverstone will bring."

Team boss David Richards reckons that now the team has improved reliability it must work on speed. He said: "All in all, today's race saw a very competent effort from the whole team given our grid positions. Both cars remained reliable throughout so we must now take a good look at how we can improve our overall performance."

BAR

Race Results

Warm-Up Times

Qualifying Notes

Jacques Villeneuve
"Obviously I'm very disappointed to qualify 19th. I haven't been able to get the car to work all weekend and we couldn't find a qualifying set-up today. We were slow all around the track but mainly in the first sector where I just couldn't get the car to work well. I drove as hard as I could but, to be honest, the car has been pretty undriveable and I don't understand it because Olivier seems able to get a lap time out of his. I have a new chassis for this race so we're not sure if that is a factor. I guess we'll find out tomorrow when we use the T-car so we can at least take that out of the equation. Tonight, we'll have to pull some hair and see what we can work out for the race. It's going to be very hard to achieve much from that position but we have to hope for reliability and take any opportunities that are presented to us."

Olivier Panis
"After the practice session this morning, I knew that qualifying was going to be very difficult because our car wasn't that competitive. It was quite well balanced but difficult to drive. In situations like this, the only solution is to stay focused, roll up your sleeves and work hard in the debriefs to try to come up with a solution. I'm quite happy with 12th position because that final run was extremely tough but I managed to control every metre of the lap and get the time. I appreciate all the hard work put in by my engineers and the rest of the team because, together, we have been able to raise our technical performance significantly over the last two days. They rose to the challenge, which was the only way back from this morning. Now we have to continue to keep pushing for the race."

David Richards, Team Principal
"It's been a tough weekend achieving a good set-up for both cars. The improvement we were expecting from both the chassis and engine just didn't materialise and Olivier's lap was the very best we could have achieved under the circumstances. We've clearly got a lot of work to do overnight to see if we can improve on the situation for tomorrow's race."

Saturday Practice Times

Friday Practice Notes

Jacques Villeneuve
"We spent a lot of time working with the tyres today and we didn't get to spend enough time on set-up. I wasn't that happy with the way the car felt this morning. We worked on the car quite a bit in between and improved it a little. It was better towards the end of the second session but we're still not quick enough. We still have a lot of work to do before qualifying tomorrow. It's hard to say where we are at the moment but I guess we're expecting a similar qualifying performance to Montreal. Then we just have to make the most of whatever opportunities the race presents. The first corner is going to determine a lot I think. It's bumpy, it doesn't have very good rhythm and it's going to be very hectic with 22 cars going into it and braking late."

Olivier Panis
"The team did a very good day's work today so I'm quite pleased. I was able to put in a lot of laps again and we changed the car slightly after each run and managed to keep improving throughout both sessions. 10th isn't too bad for a Friday and we've ended the day in a good position to prepare for qualifying. The track was very dusty today but it will obviously improve tomorrow and I'm sure we'll be able to get more from the tyres. We have the new engine today but we should have more power when we use it for qualifying tomorrow. I think it will be an interesting race on Sunday because of the changes to the first section. I don't really understand why they've changed it like this but, anyway, we have to work with it and see how things go."

David Richards, Team Principal
"As always, you can't read a lot into the times that Friday produces but nonetheless, we are continuing the progress made in Canada whilst at the same time integrating Honda's new engine for the first time. The drivers feel there is more to come tomorrow, which will hopefully lead to top 10 qualifying positions for both of them."

Jacques' Lap of the Nürburgring

"In general, the Nürburgring is a difficult track because the barriers obscure your view and the fact that the crowds are very far away makes it hard to know where you are on the circuit. It's a very modern track though, and has a good flow.

"The first part of the track will be a new experience this year because the first corner has been changed. It looks like the racing might be better than before because there will be another heavy braking area, but apart from that it looks very tight and slow, so fairly uninteresting. The place we actually wanted altered was the Veedolfs chicane two corners from the end - we've been complaining about it for years!

"After the new first corner complex you go through Turn Five, the quick left-hander. It's difficult because you have to carry a lot of speed through the turn and set yourself up for the Ford Kurve that follows. As you approach, you quickly tap the brakes and the line you take through that corner dictates how you take the Ford Kurve. This is a very slow but important corner, as it gives you speed on the following straight. The straight has a heavy braking point at the end of it, which is one of the track's major overtaking areas.

"Then you get into the Dunlop Kurve - a hairpin. Dunlop is a very long corner though - more than 180 degrees. It?s banked and you carry the braking all the way into the corner, so you inevitably end up braking too late. To be fast around here you almost have to brake too late and somehow hold on!

"After exiting Dunlop Kurve there's a high-speed chicane, which is flat out - or close to it - in qualifying, but it doesn't really have much use. It's just there as an extra corner basically.

"Then you get into a fun section, which is the left-right RTL Kurve and BIT-Kurve. Although they follow each other very quickly, there is enough speed and flow for them to not be considered a chicane. You brake very heavily on approach, but carry a lot of speed into the first part of the turn. There is no straight immediately after so exit speed is less important here, but you try not to be too wide, as you have to get back to the other side of the track for the next corner.

"BIT-Kurve is a very round corner. basically you don't brake and turn, you actually start turning and then slow down to the apex. It's an interesting corner and very difficult to get right because as soon as you turn in, the track starts descending. It's very important though as it gives you speed for the circuit's longest straight, at the end of which you face the heaviest braking point and another overtaking opportunity. This gets you into the Veedolfs, a very ugly, tight chicane - the one I've already complained about. It's so uninteresting and boring. Really, it's as bad as they come!

"Then you have the final turn, the Coca-Cola Kurve, which is good fun. It's another of these corners where you brake, carrying speed into and through the corner. It's quite similar to the last corner of the Hungaroring actually. Then you accelerate along the pit straight to complete the lap.

"It's not a very exciting track to drive, and the fans are too far away to add any visual excitement. I think it lacks a bit of personality to be honest. Most corners at the Nürburgring are slow, whereas I prefer a circuit with lots of mid-speed and high-speed turns."

BAR Race Preview

The 2002 FIA Formula One World Championship reaches the halfway point this weekend as the teams make the first of two visits to Germany for the European Grand Prix. After 8 rounds, Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda are disappointed that points continue to prove elusive, however the team brought plenty of positives back from the last race in Canada.

The revised BAR004 proved to be a marked improvement on its predecessor in Montréal, helping B.A.R to its best overall performance of 2002. Olivier Panis was relieved to take the chequered flag for the first time this season, ending a run of seven successive DNFs. Whilst there was disappointment that an engine problem forced Jacques Villeneuve to retire in front of his home crowd after only 8 laps, he had at least had a taste of better things to come on Saturday when he qualified in a season's best 9th position. The team are confident that this progress will translate into a more competitive level of performance during the second half of the season.
After a brief stop-over at their Brackley HQ, some members of the team flew straight to Spain for a 3-day test in Jerez. Olivier Panis and Anthony Davidson each spent a day running through a programme of set-up and tyre work, whilst putting the latest aerodynamic modifications to the test in preparation for this weekend's race. Patrick Lemarie worked with the Honda development car for the full three days, for which the main focus was gathering data.

Honda's new engine makes its debut at the Nürburgring this weekend and will be used in Free Practice and Qualifying but not the race itself. B.A.R are optimistic that the new engine should contribute towards another step forward for the team.

Jacques has won twice at the Nürburgring in his six-year F1 career. In 1996, the European Grand Prix was his first ever win in only his 4th race with Williams and he finished on the top step of the podium again a year later here in the Grand Prix of Luxembourg. Olivier's best finish at the Nürburgring was a point-worthy 6th place in 1997. Last year, Jacques finished 9th but Olivier spun out of the race when an electrical fault affected his gear-change mechanism. This year, Jacques and Olivier are looking forward to sampling the latest revisions to the circuit's first corner which they both agree should make the track a little more interesting.

Jacques Villeneuve
"I have fond memories of the Nürburgring. I won my first Grand Prix at this circuit and my last race win was here also. I've only failed to finish here once in six years so it's always been quite a successful circuit for me.

"Having said that, it's not a very exciting track to drive, and the fans are too far away to add any visual excitement. Most corners at the Nürburgring are slow, whereas I prefer a circuit with lots of mid-speed and high-speed turns. The first part of the track will be a new experience this year because the first corner has been changed. It looks like the racing might be better than before because there will be another heavy braking area."

Olivier Panis
"My first finish in Montréal was long overdue but still a huge relief because it is such a tough circuit. I hope it is a turning point for me and I can look forward to better luck during the rest of the season. I'm optimistic because of the improvement we saw there. The team have done a good job with the new car and we have the potential to be much more competitive than we have been so far this year.

"The Nürburgring has never been considered a particularly exciting track but the changes they've made to the first corner should make it better. It's a difficult circuit in terms of set-up and understeer can also be a big problem. However, we've made some aero improvements for this race and I am looking forward to using the new engine for the first time."

The Circuit

Race Distance - 60 Laps. 191.778 miles (308.623 km)
Circuit Length - 3.196 miles (5.144 km)

Germany's Nürburgring - host to five European GPs and two Luxembourg GPs since 1995 - is decidedly tame by comparison to its intimidating, 14-mile-long predecessor. However, this year there have been some major changes to the track layout, resulting in a lap length extension of some 560 metres. Turn one has been completely redeveloped and now cuts into the infield and around a new stadium section. It is hoped that this evolution will yield an extra overtaking spot. The circuit remains a fairly high downforce track that is light on both brakes and tyres. Achieving a competitive lap time here requires all the normal chassis attributes: good traction (particularly out of the hairpins), good chassis balance and stability under braking, and the best possible compromise between downforce and straight-line speed. As the circuit is situated close to the Eifel Mountains, weather can often play a major role in the outcome of races at the Nürburgring