British Grand Prix: Pre Race Quotes
Jun 30, 2008
superagurif1
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 4th, 2007 Race - 4th
“Silverstone has a great history and is a very nice track. It is very important to have good downforce here, especially in the high-speed first sector. Later on in the lap the track has some low-speed corners. From a driver’s perspective, the circuit is a good mix that makes a lot of different demands. Wind conditions are always a big factor, and they can have quite an effect on the car in the first sector. Furthermore, British weather is always unpredictable, but I have been to races in Silverstone three or four times and never had rain. So let’s wait and see.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 1st, 2007 Race - 3rd
“There’s something about racing in your home country that definitely affects you. You can’t really say what it is, but there’s something about the familiarity of your surroundings and the constant support of the crowd that gives you a boost throughout the whole weekend. It’s not something you experience anywhere else but it does make you that bit more determined to succeed.
“It’s one of the best circuits on the calendar - a real driver’s circuit. It’s super-fast - the first half of the circuit doesn’t require any braking at all, just little lifts and shifts down through the gears. In fact, you need to watch the brake temperatures don’t drop too low because you’re not using them for much of the lap. Where else can you experience that? Formula One just wouldn’t be the same without Silverstone - it’s become a British phenomenon.”
“People talk of winning the ‘big four’: Silverstone, Monaco, Monza and Spa, but it’s more straightforward for me. I want to win the first race of the season, I want to win Monte Carlo - which I did for the first time this year - and I want to win my home grand prix. Those are my goals and I’m ready for the challenge at Silverstone this weekend.”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2007 Qualifying - 3rd, 2007 Race - 2nd
“It really is a classic circuit on the F1 calendar. The track is very demanding for the cars, just as it is for the drivers, especially through the quick corners where the chassis needs to be well balanced. It’s also quite a physical circuit with lots of G-forces for the driver to cope with. A good lap at Silverstone is always exhilarating because the car and the driver must both be at their optimum. After Magny-Cours, this is another home race for us and there will be lots of members of the team there to support us on Sunday. A good result will be very important for the whole team.”
Jenson Button, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 17th, 2007 Race - 10th
“The British Grand Prix is always a very special weekend for me and I’m excited about racing there again in front of the British crowd. Whatever position you are in and regardless of the performance of your car, the fans are always so supportive and the atmosphere from the grandstands over the weekend is fantastic. Silverstone is one of my all-time favourite circuits and I particularly love the section of the track around Becketts. The change of direction is amazing as is the speed that the cars carry through there. It’s one of the best complexes in F1 and a great place to watch the race.”
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2007 Qualifying - 9th, 2007 Race - DNF
“Silverstone is one of the most historic circuits we visit and it’s a track which all drivers enjoy. The main characteristic is the very high average speed, as well as the flowing corners in the first part of the lap which are very challenging and enjoyable. Becketts is a particularly challenging sequence of corners because you really need to find the right line. The only slower section at Silverstone is the final complex where there are a couple of second gear corners; the rest is just high speed and I like that. After such a fantastic result in France I think we have a very good chance to be competitive again. So far this season it has been very tight in the midfield but we are in there fighting and we will push as hard as possible to score more points. We showed what was possible in Magny-Cours so now I am looking forward to another exciting race.”
