New Parts For Canadian GP?

From the BMW Motorsport Newsletter...

07.06.2004
New parts and new hope for Canadian Grand Prix
In the build up to the Canadian Grand Prix, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is hoping for a better showing than at the recent events on European soil.

In the past, Montreal's ‘Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’ has often proved to suit the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. In the past two years, the Anglo-German partnership has managed to achieve two pole positions and two fastest laps, with the most significant highlight being Ralf Schumacher’s victory in 2001.

Last year, Ralf started the race from pole position but it was his brother Michael in the Ferrari to clinch victory. WilliamsF1, nevertheless, has won a total of seven races at Montreal. Alan Jones was the first WilliamsF1 driver to secure a Canadian Grand Prix win in 1979. Local hero Jacques Villeneuve, however, a WilliamsF1 driver from 1996 to 1998, failed to win the Canadian Grand Prix at the circuit that brandishes the name of his legendary father. 1997 proved to be a particularly bad race for the Williams driver when he crashed into the notorious “Wall of Champions”.

This concrete wall at the entrance of the pit straight has been so-called since 1997 when it precipitated the accidents of three World Champions, Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, who were all forced to retire from the race. Located after a long, high speed straight that requires heavy deceleration from 340km/h, the “Wall of Champions” is one of the most treacherous turns in Formula One. In addition to the steely concentration that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve commands, engine power and brake performance are also critical factors for success at this stop-and-go circuit.

The BMW WilliamsF1 Team is heading to Montreal in a slightly buoyant mood. After last week's extensive testing at Silverstone and Monza, several new and modified components will be available to Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya in Canada. One of the issues the drivers focused on during the tests was the further development of the brake ducts to achieve the ideal brake performance for the Canadian Grand Prix.