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The Lucky Strike B*A*R Honda team is back on home turf for round 11 of
the 2003 Formula One World Championship. The British Grand Prix takes
place at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, located less
than 10 miles from the team's Operations Centre in Brackley,
Northamptonshire.
Last year, B*A*R enjoyed a home race to remember here when some
excellent tactical calls enabled Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis
to take the chequered flag in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Back then, this race marked a reversal of B*A*R's fortunes as the team
secured its first points-finish of the year. 12 months on, the tally
stands at 13 points and the focus is on trying to rediscover the form
demonstrated by the team earlier in the season.
Next weekend, B*A*R introduces a significant upgrade to its
package, comprising aerodynamic, engine and mechanical developments.
Much of the tyre testing work for this race was conducted when the
team tested at Silverstone last month, but the team have spent the
past week at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, putting the
upgrade elements through an intensive three-day, three-car and
four-driver test and selecting the final Bridgestone tyre compounds
and constructions. The team are optimistic that this revised package
will help it to rediscover the level of car performance displayed in
Austria and Monaco.
The Great British weather always poses the biggest challenge of the
grand prix weekend. Last year the team played the rain clouds to
perfection and secured a strong performance to reward the tremendous
efforts of its team members and the support of its many fans. Once
again, practically the whole factory will be heading to Silverstone
next weekend hoping to celebrate another points finish for both cars.
Jacques Villeneuve:
"I have good memories of winning the British Grand Prix in 1996
and 1997, so I know what a great feeling it is to do well in your
team's home race. 2003 has been a tough season so far, so it would be
nice to get a good result for the team."
"I enjoy racing at Silverstone. Although there aren't many
overtaking opportunities, the track is fun to drive. When we tested at
Silverstone not so long ago, we didn't have a great test, but having
said that our test in Barcelona last week went a lot better than when
we were there for the race weekend, so I am optimistic and really
looking forward to it."
Jenson Button:
"Every driver wants to do well in their home Grand Prix and
racing at Silverstone for a British team is a great feeling. Finishing
fifth there in my first season was awesome; when you take the
chequered flag and see all those Union Jacks waving at you from the
grandstands, it really is spine-tingling. Silverstone is on B*A*R's
doorstep and practically the whole team will be turning out to watch
this race. It will be great to feel them willing us on and I hope we
can reward all their hard work with a good result."
"Silverstone is one of the most demanding circuits that we
race at and there are some really fun sections, such as Becketts,
where you're absolutely flat out in seventh gear; and Stowe, where
you're braking and turning in at the same time, which is quite
exciting. This is definitely one of my favourite tracks."
"We've had a positive test in Barcelona this week and it looks
like we've made a good step forward with the developments we are
introducing at Silverstone."
David Richards, Team Principal:
"The British Grand Prix is always a landmark race for B*A*R.
First and foremost, this is our home Grand Prix, so it creates a great
deal of expectation within the team and amongst the media, our
partners and fans. Silverstone also falls soon after the mid- point of
the season, which is when we take stock of our performance and begin
to implement our most substantial development upgrades. This year is
no exception and we go to our home circuit with a new aerodynamics
package and a significant new engine development. Consequently, we
expect to see a step up in performance and, after some difficult times
in the last three or four races, I hope that we can regain some of the
form we demonstrated earlier in the season.
"Last year's race was a great occasion for the team. We
achieved our best overall team performance to date and it was a
fantastic reward for the hard work that had gone into starting to
reverse the team's fortunes. Those efforts have continued unabated and
our objective for the weekend is to deliver a strong points-finish for
both cars."
Geoff Willis, technical director:
"Silverstone is a track that B*A*R has plenty of experience with,
despite having tested there only once this year. The circuit has seen
many changes over the years and, although it is not as fast as it once
was, it remains a demanding circuit. Silverstone calls for relatively
high levels of downforce, despite some very fast sections such as at
the beginning of the lap through Copse and Becketts and the Hangar
Straight and Bridge towards the end of the lap. It places a premium on
aerodynamic efficiency and the car requires good crosswind
sensitivity, as the exposed nature of the circuit means winds can
severely affect lap times. In addition to this, we need good traction
and mechanical grip through the complex at the end of the lap."
"We will introduce a substantial chassis and engine upgrade
for this race, featuring a number of new elements. The car will look
very different, with its new bodywork and roll-hoop, whilst under the
skin there have been further engine and mechanical developments. We
regard this as a good step forward and we anticipate a more positive
weekend than we have experienced of late."
"As always, the notoriously unpredictable British weather will
add a further dimension but we rose to that challenge last year and a
wet weekend will certainly be to our advantage."
Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director, Honda Racing Development:
"We always enjoy competing on home ground and it'll be great to
race in front of the local fans and many of our staff. We had an
encouraging test with the new spec engine at Barcelona this week, so
I'm looking forward to seeing our guys out on track at
Silverstone."
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