Williams F1
Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 17th, 2008 Race - DNF
“The British Grand Prix is always an amazing weekend and I can’t wait to race at Silverstone in front of our home fans on Sunday. To be leading the championship going into my home Grand Prix is something that I’ve never experienced before and it puts a smile on my face every time I think about it. I’ve raced at Silverstone from some fairly tough positions in the past but the fans have always been so supportive and I’d love to give them a performance that they can really enjoy this weekend. We took a good step forward with the balance of our car in Turkey but know that our closest competitors are going to be good in the high-speed corners so it will be an interesting weekend. If we come away with a good result, I’ll be so happy on Sunday!
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“The layout of Silverstone makes it one of the classic racing circuits and along with Suzuka and Spa, it has to be one of the best tracks out there. Every driver who races here loves the place as it’s so fast and you can really push the car to its limits. It’s a great circuit for the fans as you can see just how amazing the cars are from the speed, the change of the direction and the braking. I particularly love the section of the track around Becketts which is one of the best complexes in Formula One and a great place to watch the race. I have so many memories of Silverstone going right back to Mansell’s win in 1987 and my first Formula One race there in 2000 when David Coulthard won and I finished fifth. It’s strange to think that this might be our last race at Silverstone and I can’t imagine not having a British Grand Prix so we’ll be going all out to put on a fantastic show.”
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 13th
“On paper, this weekend’s British Grand Prix takes place at a track with some similarities to the last race in Istanbul, where we were not so competitive. This weekend’s track also features fast corners, flowing sections and a final slow sector and we will have the same two types of tyre from Bridgestone, but that doesn’t mean I think we will struggle as much as we did a fortnight ago. For a start, the new components we have on the car this weekend, including a front wing and a lighter chassis, should make us more competitive. But, more importantly, in Turkey we went backwards over the course of the weekend, after being very competitive on Friday and on Saturday morning. We now know why that happened, which is the most important thing: we believe that with the very high track temperatures, we ran too low on the downforce and should have run with more rear wing, because as the temperature rises, the grip from the tyres went down and we needed to compensate for that. As the temperature gradually got higher, our cars were running slower and slower in the first sector of the track; the one where you need the most downforce. In other words, the problem we had was related to the way we worked, rather than any specific fault on the car.
“So I think we can be more competitive this weekend, with these changes to the car. Apparently this is the last time we will race at Silverstone and I have to say that I have always enjoyed racing here, even if my track record is nothing special, especially in the wet and if you think back to last year, I had a terrible afternoon in the rain. All the same, it is a nice track and I hope that where we go next for the British Grand Prix will be as good as Silverstone in terms of its layout and the pleasure it provides in terms of driving.”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I remain optimistic and determined to get a better result at Silverstone. The R29 has always worked well in high-speed corners and so we should be more competitive this weekend. We will also have some new developments, which should give us some extra performance. In terms of the track, it’s a great place to drive a Formula One car and as this is probably the last time we will race at Silverstone, I will make sure I enjoy the experience.”
Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 12th, 2008 Race - 12th
“I am looking forward to the British Grand Prix and I think we have a great chance at Silverstone. It’s an enjoyable place to race because the fans are so enthusiastic about Formula 1 and it’s a really exciting lay-out. So it is a pity the Grand Prix is leaving Silverstone but then again new venues can be exciting too. The main feature of Silverstone is speed because there are some fantastic fast corners which are really good fun for a driver. This year I am particularly looking forward to this race because our car should be strong at this type of track. We were really competitive in Turkey with some new parts on the car and we expect to build on that this weekend. It was unfortunate my qualifying didn’t go as planned in Istanbul because I could have been up with Jarno in the top six but I am really motivated to make sure everything goes to plan this weekend. The front of the grid is pretty close at the moment so if we get the maximum from our package then we can be battling with the fastest cars.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DNF
“I always like to go racing at Silverstone. The British fans are amazing. It is a historic motor sport place and you can always feel the special racing atmosphere there. Usually the weather is quite unpredictable at Silverstone. Wind plays an important role. Especially in the high- speed corners it can have a big effect on the car’s behaviour. From a driver’s perspective the circuit is quite challenging. The first sector is very fast and has a couple of real high-speed corners. I think Silverstone might be a track that suits our car.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 1st
“The two greatest things about racing at Silverstone are the fans and the track itself. It’s great to see and meet people from all across the country and the world who have made the journey to Silverstone for the Santander British Grand Prix. When I’m in the car, I can actually see the fans around the circuit waving banners and cheering. It’s as if they were racing every lap with me - incredible! Driving the track is incredible too. I love Silverstone - it’s an amazing place to drive. Copse, Becketts and Bridge are all absolutely fantastic, flat-out corners that really show you the power and grip of a Formula One car. It’s a perfect place for the race, so let’s hope it’s not the last time we race at this track.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“Silverstone: what a fantastic circuit! I got my first Formula One pole position here last year and I remember how great the car was to drive on the limit. I love fast corners - it’s when a Formula One car really feels at its best and your whole body is just on the limit. While we know our car won’t be at its best through the fast corners, the challenge as a racing driver is to push to the limit so I’m just going to try my hardest. After a couple of disappointing races, it would be fantastic to get back into the points in one of the team’s home races.”
