European Grand Prix - Preview(From Toyota)

Panasonic Toyota Racing is on home ground this weekend for the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, which is located only around an hour’s drive away from the team’s factory in Cologne, . The team is determined to reward its home fans with more points after another promising, but ultimately frustrating, race weekend at Silverstone. Ralf Schumacher showed the potential of the TF107 by qualifying a season-best sixth but neither he nor team-mate Jarno Trulli finished the race. After the high-speed corners of Magny-Cours and Silverstone, the Nürburgring represents a return to medium downforce specification. As with most races this season, the team brings an upgraded car to the Nürburgring, with small aerodynamic improvements since the British Grand Prix. Jarno celebrated his 33rd birthday on 13 July with a visit to the factory to give his technical input prior to this weekend’s race, when the team aims to return to the points.

Ralf Schumacher (Car 11)

“The Nürburgring is not only the home track for the team but also for me because I was born and grew up quite close by. I have always really enjoyed racing there because I get a lot of support from my home fans and I also have good memories of winning my first Formula Junior race there, and of course winning the European Grand Prix in 2003 which was a very special moment. I hope to have another good result to celebrate this weekend and I am confident we are making progress, even though the result at Silverstone was disappointing. On the positive side, you could see from my sixth place in qualifying and my lap times during the race that our car has improved and we are able to compete higher up the grid. The team is pushing hard to continue this improvement and it would be great to see the results of that work with a points finish at one of our home tracks this weekend.”

Jarno Trulli (Car 12)

“Silverstone was a weekend to forget to be honest. We had a good opportunity to score points because the car was quick, as you can see from Ralf’s great performance in qualifying. It was a shame that on my car I had no grip and was sliding a lot in the race. Formula 1 is about many little things so we have analysed the data from Silverstone and we will work on improving the set-up when practice starts on Friday. I am still optimistic for this weekend because I think the car definitely has potential and everyone is working very hard to get the best out of it. I know the Nürburgring circuit very well, not just from my 10 years in Formula 1 but also from my time in German Formula 3. The most important thing at this track is to find a good rhythm because the corners come at you very quickly. This is a home race for the team because our factory is based in Cologne so I will be pushing to get a positive result for everyone in the team.”

Pascal Vasselon – Senior General Manager Chassis

“At Silverstone our level of performance was good, the best so far this season. Obviously we struggled to deliver a race result which corresponded to our level of our performance and that was disappointing. We definitely hope to show the same level of performance at the Nürburgring. The track character is different because Silverstone is an extreme track in terms of tyre severity and average cornering speed. Nürburgring is more average in all aspects - in terms of downforce, as we will run medium downforce, in terms of braking stability and tyre usage. You have a bit of everything - you can be traction limited and front end limited. It is an average track but it doesn’t mean that average is not interesting - it’s a challenging track but without the special character of Silverstone for example. It’s always nice to have our home race, we can feel the pressure and encouragement from our supporters in the grandstands and this is an additional motivation for the race team. Our goal for this weekend has to be to score points and see our drivers fight for the top six again.”

BMW-Sauber prepare for Euro GP

BMW and Nick Heidfeld are looking forward to their home race on the Nürburgring, and Robert Kubica is also confident of a good result for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in the Eifel next weekend.

“I am very much looking forward to the race on the Nürburgring. That’s where the greatest number of my fans have always turned up, and thanks to this year’s good results there will probably be a few more,” revealed Heidfeld.

“When I drove the Formula One car round the Nordschleife at the end of April, the atmosphere there was fantastic. It’s a good feeling having that kind of support, and one or other family members will also be coming along to the Ring.

“As a young kid I already had a lot of outings to the Nürburgring with my father and my two brothers as it isn’t far away from Mönchengladbach. Later on there were race wins in various classes to add to those pleasant childhood memories.

“I think we’re pretty well prepared for the Ring. Our performance potential is a great motivator. Naturally it’s a lot more fun when you know you’re essentially in contention for points and good placings. If qualifying turns out better for me than at the last race in Silverstone, I should also be back in the running for the race.”

Robert Kubica doesn’t share his team-mates enthusiasm for the Nürburgring saying:: “Obviously when we go to the Nürburgring this will be the only grand prix in Germany this year.

“I am sure there will be a big crowd and a lot of people who will be fans of our team. I have to be honest and say I don’t find the track spectacular. This will be my first grand prix on this track, but I have driven on the old track, when the first corner was a chicane, and practically every year since 2001 I have been racing on this track.

“Because of this I know the track pretty well and I also know the shorter version that the touring cars are using with the short cut after turns 6 and 7. I think it will be a good weekend and maybe after that my feelings for the track will change.”

New designer for struggling Honda

The Honda team have signed BMW Sauber's chief designer Jorg Zander as they attempt to improve their poor form.

Honda, who won their first race of the modern era last year, have slumped this season and scored only one point in the first nine Grands Prix.

Their fortunes contrast with BMW Sauber, who have progressively improved and have this year's third fastest car.

Named deputy technical director, Zander is part of a recruitment drive aimed at improving Honda's performances.

Honda's senior technical director, Shuhei Nakamoto, said: "This is the latest in a series of key appointments that we have made in order to bolster our team.

"With the steady performance improvements we have made over the past few races and a strengthened technical team, I am sure the difficulties we have seen in the first half of 2007 are now behind us."

Zander is the second of those major appointments. The first was Frenchman Loic Bigois, who joined as head of aerodynamics last month. Bigois and Zander previously worked together at the Williams team.

Jenson Button won last year's Hungarian Grand Prix for Honda - but the victory came in an unpredictable wet-dry race and only after Fernando Alonso's leading Renault retired.

The win came towards the end of what had been a troubled season, and only after a major development programme aimed at improving a struggling car.

This year, Honda's form was even worse than at the beginning of last year, and so far they are showing scant evidence of being able to repeat the improvements they made in 2006.

F1 drops US GP

Formula One has turned its back on the United States after Bernie Ecclestone revealed that Indianapolis would not be hosting the grand prix next year.

The F1 supremo and race organiser Tony George have been locked into negotiations for several weeks but failed to reach an agreement.

"We didn't reach an agreement. Let's see if we miss America," said Ecclestone, who had already issued his intent after describing America as "not vital" for F1 saying, "there are bigger markets for us to be in other parts of the world."
Indianapolis chief executive Tony George expressed his dismay at the decision, but remained confident that F1 could return to the circuit in the future.

"After several discussions, Bernie Ecclestone and I were unable to agree how to keep F1 in Indianapolis for the near term," he said. "However, we have agreed to leave the door open for a potential future date."

Eccelstone’s decision to abandon Indianapolis is a dramatic U-Turn after years of talking up the prospect of staging a second grand prix in America possibly in Las Vegas.

However, diminishing crowd numbers and an apathetic regard for Formula One by the fans that have a feast of other motor racing series at their disposal, has prompted Ecclestone to look east and concentrate on breaking new markets in Asia.

The British Grand Prix Preview

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton firmly believes that he can win this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone - the first time he will ever race a Formula One car in front of his fellow countrymen.

That is despite Ferrari’s speed here in recent testing and sudden return to form in Magny-Cours - and in spite of all the scandal that has blown up following allegations that a senior McLaren engineer received stolen intellectual property from Ferrari and the ensuing suspension of that engineer.

Both of these factors will add to any pressure Hamilton feels racing at home, but he is convinced that he can join a long list of Britons who have won the British Grand Prix: Sir Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, David Coulthard, Sir Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, John Watson, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert.

“You can’t win every race, and the most important thing is to be consistent, which I think we are,” he said after finishing third at Magny-Cours. “Both the Ferrari drivers said they made a good step forward, but when you are behind people, as we were in Magny-Cours, it’s a lot harder to show your true pace. I don’t think they were as quick, as much faster than us, as it looked today. Traffic and strategy had a lot to do with that, so I still think we can bounce back at Silverstone, without a doubt.

“I don’t think Ferrari’s sudden speed is worrying. It just shows they’ve made a great step forward and had a slightly better strategy than us. We were always on a three-stop strategy but what happened at the start affected that. After I had made my third pit stop I was a long way behind Felipe so there was no point in me wrenching the neck out of the engine trying to catch him. Throughout the race we were quite consistent on speed, but we need a little more. I am sure that we will make another improvement before Silverstone.

“To be honest, in France I was not disappointed. I don’t like to be overtaken, but that’s the same for everyone. But I was on the podium again and we are the most consistent team and I think we are doing a better job. I have extended my lead in the World Championship, so I couldn’t be happier.

“It is a great feeling to go to Silverstone as the World Championship leader. To do so certainly seemed unimaginable at the start of the season. I’m very, very happy with the job I’ve done and the team have done and I go into my first British GP with the team I always wanted to drive for, and that’s one of the greatest feelings a driver can have.”

After scoring his (and Honda’s) first point of the season, Jenson Button is also feeling a little more upbeat ahead of his home race. “Silverstone will be fun because I have a lot of friends and family coming and the fans treat you the same way even when things are tough. The fans at Silverstone have always been fantastic and there are four Brits to cheer on, so the lead-up will be hectic.”

David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson (in his first British Grand Prix) are both seeking points finishes for Red Bull and Super Aguri respectively, while BMW Sauber and Renault will re-engage their battle for third place overall as Williams look to do well on home ground, Toyota hope to reproduce the speed Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher displaced in the test here in June, and Toro Rosso hope their seamless shift gearbox will translate into Red Bull-matching lap times. With their factory just over the road from the circuit, Spyker would also like to take something good home from this one.

On paper, however, Ferrari are looking very strong. “We are back where we expect to be. You could feel the improvement in the car everywhere, really. In every corner,” Raikkonen said after his second win of the season, which brought the score to two apiece for the four leading contenders.

One thing that may well bring in a degree of uncertainty to the overall equation is the weather, with rain forecast for each day.

McLaren suspends high-ranking employee

McLaren-Mercedes said on Tuesday they have suspended a high-ranking technical employee accused by Ferrari of spying on the Italian constructor.

"McLaren became aware on the 3rd July 2007 that a senior member of its technical organisation was the subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of technical information," said a statement on the team's website.

"The team has learnt that this individual had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April.

"Whilst McLaren has no involvement in the matter and condemns such actions it will fully co-operate with any investigation. The individual has in the meanwhile been suspended by the company pending a full and proper investigation of the matter."

Ferrari confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that it has sacked a member of its technical staff, Nigel Stepney, who it accused of attempting to sabotage its cars.

Ferrari also said they have presented a case against Stepney and a McLaren engineer to the court in Modena, concerning the theft of technical information.

At the end of April a judge in Modena found two ex-Ferrari employees guilty of industrial espionage.

Mauro Iacconi and Angelo Santini had passed on information to Japanese outfit Toyota, although they fired the pair before the matter became public.

Sunday quotes: Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen(P1):
"Finally! Everything went the right way in my race. It was vital that I managed to get past Hamilton at the start and then I always tried to stay with Felipe. I knew I had a few laps in hand but, at my first pit stop, I had a bit of traffic and I was unable to get in the lead. Then at the second stop, the situation was turned around and I came out in front. Right from the start of the weekend we have been strong and this win is the reward for all the hard work carried out over the past few weeks. Now we must continue to improve the car because there is still room to do so, starting with the next race which we should tackle with the same approach that we used here in Magny-Cours."

Felipe Massa(P2):
"First of all I want to say I am happy for the team, as it needed this sort of result after a difficult spell. Of course, I would have wanted to win but I was delayed by traffic in the decisive phase of the race, when I knew I had to build up a bit of a lead over Kimi to stay ahead of him during the pit stops. The way the cars are today, you start to get some turbulence from the cars that are a certain distance ahead of you and so it is difficult to overtake even the slower cars if they don't really move over for you. My car was almost perfect and when I had a clear track ahead of me I was quickest on track. In any case, we have made up ground in both championships and we must continue down this path, starting already in Silverstone."

Jean Todt (Team Principal):
"What a great one-two! I could not have a nicer present to celebrate the fourteenth anniversary of my arrival at the helm of the Scuderia. Today, everything went perfectly, which is what is needed to get a result like this. Both drivers got great starts, then they drove exceptionally well and fought it out between themselves for the win. Only traffic and strategy finally decided which one got the upper hand. In any case, what matters is that two red Ferrari cars finished ahead of the rest. The team did an impeccable job and the F2007s were up to the job in hand. We fought a very strong opponent and this one-two is crucial for the rest of both championships. There are still nine races to go and everything is still possible. We should try and repeat this result already next week in Silverstone, at the home of our main rivals."

Luca Baldisserri (Head of Track Operations):
"A really great victory! After a strong showing in qualifying, today we had further confirmation that we are competitive in race trim, with the F2007 running completely trouble free. Both drivers fought it out on equal terms, only the traffic making the difference. We have worked so hard these past few weeks, both in the factory and on track. This one-two shows how much Formula 1 is a sport where every detail is important if one is to be the best. We did not die in Indianapolis, so it is not a miracle that we are back today. We worked on all areas and we managed to put together all the pieces of the jigsaw to produce a perfect weekend."

Raikkonen hailed in Italy

The notorious Italian press heralded the apparent return to form of Kimi Raikkonen and his Ferrari team after the French grand prix on Sunday.

Corriere dello Sport said the famous outfit from Maranello "awoke from its slumber" at Magny Cours following three recent defeats.

And Finland's Raikkonen "drove like Schumi. After Ferrari's one-two victory the world championship is open again".

"Kimi's slump has come to an end. Now the Finn has a real chance for the title."

Tuttosport agreed: "Raikkonen is back, and with the double (one two) victory a crisis is over."

La Gazzetta dello Sport added: "Raikkonen did not have a simple task to take Schumacher's place. But in Magny Cours he proved again that he also has the talent of the German."

La Repubblica also focused on 27-year-old Raikkonen, after he struggled in recent races to match the pace of his previously less-rated teammate Felipe Massa.

"The difficult phase for him is over," the newspaper observed. "He struck a large blow at his critics and can now go on to prove that he is a worthy successor for Schumi".

Spain's Diario As turned to Fernando Alonso's continuing problems, remarking that the reigning world champion "tried everything" to rise above his seventh place.

But at least "Ferrari's success reduced the damage with regards to (Lewis) Hamilton," the newspaper wrote.

"Alonso continues to lose ground in the championship while Ferrari dominated the race from A to Z", 'Sport' added, while Marca agreed: "Thanks, Ferrari! Your double victory prevented Hamilton from extending his lead too much more".

Ferrari dismiss Stepney

Ferrari has dismissed Nigel Stepney, the engineer at the centre of an as yet undisclosed legal investigation currently underway.

Following an internal investigation and disciplinary procedure, the team confirmed that the Englishman – currently on holiday in the Philippines – is ‘no longer an employee’ of Ferrari

Details of the charge against Stepney are unknown, but rumours range from attempted sabotage of the Ferrari cars around the time of the Monaco Grand Prix, to concerns that he was about to leave to join Honda, taking a number of Ferrari employees with him.

Stepney – through his lawyer – has denied any wrong-doing, and expressed confidence that he will be cleared while claiming the affair is part of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign on behalf of Ferrari

He is due to return to Italy later this week, and is expected to hold a press conference soon after.

We made Ferrari look good says McLaren boss

McLaren boss Ron Dennis believes that a poor weekend from his team at Magny-Cours made Ferrari appear faster than they actually were.

Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finished first and second respectively in Sunday's French Grand Prix and the Italian team have welcomed the result as a sign that recent technical upgrades have significantly improved their pace.

However, Dennis does not believe that Ferrari have gained a speed advantage over his team who will now look to reassert themselves in next weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

"We flattered them [Ferrari] this weekend," said Dennis. "They did a good job, and probably improved the car a little bit. But we made them look a lot better than they were. Hopefully, we will demonstrate that at Silverstone."

McLaren never found the ideal set-up for the idiosyncrasies of the Magny-Cours circuit and were also hindered by Spaniard Fernando Alonso starting tenth on the grid after suffering a gearbox problem in qualifying.

Alonso could only recover to finish seventh and his British rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton finished third, half a minute behind the Ferraris.

But as Hamilton remains top of the driver's championship and McLaren are 25 points clear in the constructor's standings, Dennis is not too disheartened by Ferrari's French dominance.

"Overall, it was damage limitation from beginning to end," he said, reflecting on the weekend's events.

"Obviously we're delighted that Kimi won over Massa. It means he is only a couple of points closer to Lewis, and didn't close the gap that much, even on Fernando.

"If this is going to be our worst race then we'll be comfortable with that. And if we hadn't had such good races before, we wouldn't be where we are in the world championship. So we've got to put it down to the fact you can't win every race, and this is one we didn't win.

"But we've won here previously, and there is no reason that we can't win at Silverstone. You know, as history has shown, when you have got a good lead in the world championship, you have got to be pragmatic about your races.

"Lewis did a really solid job at finishing third. It's his eighth podium position, and there is no luck that gives you that sort of result. For me, I loved Fernando's fight; I think he was fighting from beginning to end, and he got the most out of a difficult situation. And that's motor racing."

Hamilton remains confident

Lewis Hamilton remains confident for next weekend’s British Grand Prix despite losing out to the two Ferraris in France on Sunday.

The McLaren driver who finished over 30 seconds behind race winner Kimi Räikkönen insisted his result at Magny-Cours was not a cause for any concern.

“I think you can’t win every race and the most important thing is that you are consistent which I think we are,” he told reporters after the race.

“I think here they (Ferrari) made a good improvement, a good step forward at Silverstone, and even we made a step forward, but this weekend when you are behind people it is a lot harder to show true pace.

However, Hamilton who still leads the Drivers’ Championship, stressed traffic had also played a significant role in Sunday’s race.

“I don’t think they were as quick as they looked, not that much faster; I don’t know what times they were doing, but there was obviously a big gap and traffic and strategy had a lot to do with that. I am sure we can bounce back at the next race, without a doubt.”

The 22-year-old rookie reiterated that his eight consecutive podium finishes was still way beyond his wildest expectations.

“I think and I keep saying that I didn’t even expect to finish on the podium in my first race let alone eight races in the season so I am very happy with the job that I have done and the job that the team have done.

He added: “I think that going into my first Silverstone Grand Prix in the team that I have always wanted to drive for and leading the world championship is one of the greatest feelings that a driver can have.”

Raikkonen wins as Ferrari dominate in France

Kimi Raikkonen returned to form in style when he claimed an emphatic victory in the French Grand Prix as Ferrari delivered a dominant one-two triumph.

Finn Raikkonen, 27, came home two seconds ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa as the Italian team ended rivals McLaren's three race sequence of victories.

It was Raikkonen's first win since the season-opening Australian race in Melbourne on March 18, his second of the season and the 11th of his career and a memorable way of saying 'adieu' to the remote Magny-Cours circuit, hosting the French race for the final time.

It meant also that after eight races this year four drivers have shared the victories with two apiece and, for Raikkonen, it was a powerful response to doubters who have suggested he lacked the discipline and resolve to become a successful Ferrari driver after his move from McLaren.

Massa, who led for more than half of the race, finished second ahead of 22-year-old British rookie Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren Mercedes-Benz, a result that meant the young Englishman extended his lead in the drivers' championship.

His team-mate and chief rival defending double drivers' champion Fernando Alonso of Spain, who started from 10th position on the grid, was unable to fight his way through the field and finished seventh.

Driver quotes after Friday Practice at Magny-Cours

Ferrari topped the lap times during Friday’s Free Practice at Magny-Cours but perhaps the biggest surprise was the Toro Rossos of Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi, who posted the third and fifth quickest times.

Felipe Massa: "Today we were quick and we have found a good balance right from the first few laps in this morning's session. I think the work which culminated in the test session at Silverstone is beginning to produce results. We were competitive and I think that can continue for the rest of the weekend. The harder tyre seems more consistent in terms of performance, while the softer one seems to give more grip, which will be useful for qualifying."

Kimi Räikkönen: "I would say that this was quite a positive day. We worked well and I think we can be competitive this weekend. The car went well right from the morning, but there is still room for improvement. However, as usual on a Friday, it is hard to say what the real pecking order is in the field. The performance of the two types of tyre we have here is pretty similar, even if I never managed to get a clean run with the softer on and so it's hard for me to say which is quicker."

Scott Speed: “I am not sure exactly where we stand, as you don't know what the others are doing in terms of fuel load. Certainly we were on the low side when I did my quickest lap. The gearbox is definitely a step forward and the car was not bad today. We struggled a bit from understeer. This afternoon, I had a few problems, including one with the steering wheel, that prevented us from getting through all our programme, apart from looking at the tyre comparison and even that was not so conclusive as I had a problem on the warm-up lap for my last run. Generally, we look more competitive than we have in past races. Now we just need to work hard, keep our heads down and try not to make any mistakes for the rest of the weekend.”

Lewis Hamilton: “This morning was a little frustrating as I missed some track time when the engine protection system came in as a result of the engine running too cool and I stopped on track. Luckily the car was returned with about 45 minutes of the session still to run so I still managed to get quite a few laps in and completed our planned programme in the afternoon session.”

Vitantonio Liuzzi: “Maybe the quick times look nicer than they are in reality. We still have to work on improving the balance of the car, as the handling is not perfect yet. Even so, it is nice to see our names near the top of the order, at least on paper. Now we need to work on improving our traction and front end grip. For sure we are more competitive as the car has made a big step forward, mainly with the new seamless shift gearbox, which makes for much quicker changes. However, the other teams have probably also improved in other areas. Tomorrow, we will work on generally improving the set up, but we can look to the rest of the weekend in a positive frame of mind.”

David Coulthard: “A normal Friday session today, evaluating tyres, chasing balance and getting the car set ahead of tomorrow. The times were promising, but I don’t really get too excited about them on a Friday, as qualifying is the important thing.”

Nico Rosberg: “I didn't feel very good about my first runs out on the track but we managed to improve the set-up quite a lot today. We discovered some interesting things and tyre-wise we found some good results as well. As is usual this season, it's not immediately obvious how we'll work the two tyres, but we will go through that this evening. It's a lot of fun to drive on this track because of the new tarmac which gives it a lot more grip. My general feeling today is positive even if there are still some things we need to improve for tomorrow.”

Fernando Alonso: “We managed to complete our programme, and we have a good understanding of the Bridgestone Potenza tyres characteristics in these cooler than expected temperatures. We could have been faster today, and there is still a little bit of work to do tomorrow on the set-up. However I think we will be stronger over the weekend than we appear today and so I am not too worried about the results so far.”

Anthony Davidson: “I am happy with our day's work. We found a good balance for the new tyres close to the end of the day and I'm obviously pleased to be so high up on the timesheets. We found some quite big differences between the tyre options and I think that every team will find them a challenge for the rest of the weekend.”

Ralf Schumacher: “That was a reasonable day’s work. The car was reliable in both sessions so we did quite a lot of work on different set-ups, as well as getting information on the different tyre compounds. There seems to be quite a bit of difference between the medium and the soft tyres so we will have to look at the data and see what we do in terms of strategy. Track temperature was lower than usual here because of the cooler weather but that didn’t cause any problems and it is the same for everyone anyway. The car definitely improved during the two sessions so I am optimistic for the weekend but the battle in the midfield is very tight so it is difficult to say exactly where we are this weekend. Our target for tomorrow is clearly to get into Q3, I was very close to that in Indianapolis and I hope to achieve it this time.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “I had a pretty good day. We did lots of laps and completed the programme, which is always the first objective. The changes we made to the set-up were good, and I felt really comfortable out on track. The times and handling balance were quite consistent on the long runs, which is an important factor for the race, and I don't think the position will look too bad once we have completed our analysis. There's still more progress to come from our work overnight, but I think we have a good starting point to work from.”

Robert Kubica: “After starting the day with some steering problems, which meant missing the first hour of running, everything went smoothly this afternoon. We have nearly completed our programme with quite a lot of set-up work. I am happy to be back in the car, we have to work for tomorrow, but generally the car’s balance is not too bad.”

Alexander Wurz: “We had a very interesting Friday session and ran through the programme according to plan, the only shame is that there were some yellow flags out when I was on my quickest lap. Now we have to go through the information to improve our set-up and make the correct tyre choice. The circuit was okay today, but just a little slippery. That's like every other venue on a Friday though and it provided a good foundation for consistent work.”

Jarno Trulli: “We went through some set-up work and also looked at tyre performance so it was a productive day and now we understand more about the direction we should take with the car. We suffered from a bit of understeer in some places during the day but in general the car seems quite good. Now we will have to work hard with the information we have and try to make more improvements before qualifying. We will have to wait and see where we stand in terms of performance because it is hard to judge on a Friday. We had a great race in the US with my sixth place but every race is a different challenge and it depends a lot on many variables, things like the weather, how the car is suited to the circuit and so on. For tomorrow I aim to qualify in the top 10 again so I can fight for more points in the race.”

Jenson Button: "It was a typical Friday practice for us today as we focused on evaluating the tyres and finding the best set-up on the car. Most of the runs went fairly smoothly with Rubens and myself covering a lot of laps, giving us plenty of data to work with overnight. It was pretty windy out there today which will make the data comparisons more tricky, but the conditions are the same for everyone."

Mark Webber: “I’d just started a long run in the second session and the car suffered a transmission problem, so I had to stop. The second session on a Friday is important, so it’s a shame that we couldn’t run for all of the time, but we’ll get information on the problem tonight and look into it ready for tomorrow.”

Heikki Kovalainen: “The car balance isn't quite where I want it to be at the moment, and that was costing me time today - especially as I also had some traffic on my last timed laps on new tyres. But that is something we can tune overnight, to be honest. The important thing was to do the programme, make some good set-up changes, and give ourselves a platform for tomorrow. I think we managed that successfully, and we know the direction we need to go overnight. There is still work to be done, and some time to be found in the car, but I think we will look better tomorrow, than the timesheets suggest right now.”

Rubens Barrichello: "I thought the car was a little more competitive today, although that isn't necessarily represented by our position on the time sheets. We struggled a little with the balance of the car during the morning session, particularly with the rear end, but it improved over the course of the day. Unfortunately I didn't get my last run on the new tyres this afternoon due to the yellow flags after a car went off the track. That would have improved my lap time a little for sure. Still, we have a lot of information to look over this evening to try to improve for qualifying tomorrow."

Nick Heidfeld: “The practice sessions have been okay so far and, anyway, I like driving on this circuit. I stopped early because I wanted to save my back. Last week at the Silverstone test I had some problems. I can still feel it and as a precaution I want to have it checked today.”

Takuma Sato: “The day was quite interesting because the two tyre options behaved differently, so we need to analyze the large amount of data we were able to collect today. We also ran some new aero developments and there were a few good points from them. The car ran reliably and with no problems, so I think that it was a positive day.”

Adrian Sutil: “I am not happy with today, I cannot find a balance I am happy with on the car. With one set-up I have a lot of understeer and with another I have oversteer; it is difficult to find a middle ground. We have a lot of work to do and we have to check all the data and see what we can do for tomorrow.”

Christijan Albers: “In the first session I was actually pretty happy with the car and I think we were making some good progress, but in the second session I touched the kerb on the exit of turn 12 and went straight ahead. Unfortunately this damaged the car and I couldn't continue. I am disappointed as we still had two new sets of tyres to use and we could have improved the time. We did make some steps though and we will have to see what will happen tomorrow.”

Kubica fit to race in French GP

BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica has passed a medical following his massive crash in the Canadian Grand Prix and will return this weekend in France.

"I''m 100% fit," said the 22-year-old driver, who missed the US Grand Prix after the 180mph crash on 10 June.

"I''m looking forward to this race and happy that I missed only Indianapolis."

Kubica was replaced at Indianapolis by 19-year-old German Sebastian Vettel, who scored a point on his debut, but now reverts to test and reserve driver.

Kubica suffered mild concussion and a sprained ankle when his car ploughed head-on into a wall in Canada.

He was lucky to escape without further injury, especially as his feet could be seen through the sheared off front end of the vehicle.

Kubica added: "Although I wasn''t allowed to test (at Silverstone last week), I''ve used the time to focus intensively on preparing for the next race.

"Now I can''t wait to get back into the car."

Räikkönen admits season not gone to plan

Kimi Räikkönen admitted the first half the Formula One season has not gone according to plan.

The Ferrari driver is currently 26 points adrift from championship leader Lewis Hamilton and has not won a race since his debut for the Italian squad in Australia.

“For sure we don’t expect to be in this position but that’s racing and I think we just try to improve, try to get things how we like and try to start winning races and that’s our main goal,” he told reporters on the eve of the French Grand Prix.

“I think I expect better results but there are certain things that haven’t been right and we try to improve those and then hopefully at some point we will get it right and we can get the results that we want and I can drive how I want,” he revealed. “This seems to take a bit of a longer time.”

Despite a positive test last week’s at Silverstone, the Finnish driver was cautious for this weekend’s French Grand Prix.

“You can always see the results from testing but you don’t know what the other teams are doing,” he said.

“I think we have improved the car, for sure. The car felt very good at Silverstone but this a different circuit, a different place. We need to wait until the race, until the qualifying to see how it goes, but we have a positive feeling about it.”

Hamilton 'could save British GP'

Lewis Hamilton's success in Formula One could help Silverstone retain the British Grand Prix, according to the British Racing Drivers' Club.
Silverstone, which is owned by the BRDC, could lose the right to host the event after its contract runs out in 2009 unless the venue is modernised.

"Members like Lewis are only helping us," said BRDC chairman Robert Brooks.

"The Hamilton factor is very positive and helpful in keeping the British Grand Prix."

Silverstone has the contract to host the event until 2009 but F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has expressed his desire to see facilities improved at the ageing track.

The BRDC are working on a plan to redevelop the site and secure the future of the Grand Prix.

"We are in the advanced stages of applying for planning permission for Silverstone, then we will look to agree a new contract with Formula One," added Brooks.

"We will do all we can to retain the British Grand Prix."

Hamilton has had a superb start to his F1 career and currently leads the drivers' championship after claiming successive victories in Canada and at the US Grand Prix.

And Brooks says he is looking forward to the 22-year-old returning to Silverstone for the British GP on 8 July.

"It's the first time for many years we've had a British driver who looks favourite to win the race," added Brooks.

"Silverstone is home for Lewis Hamilton. He is a member of the BRDC and it has been the site of many of his great races.

"It is also where Lewis made one of the most spectacular overtaking manoeuvres and he knows it like the back of his hand.

"It is great for British motorsport."

Hamilton insists overtaking is possible

Lewis Hamilton insists that contrary to rumours Magny-Cours does offer some possibility for overtaking.

Traditionally the French Grand Prix - which will be moved from next season - is a dour affair where the only overtaking is reserved for the pitlane.

However the Formula One sensation, who currently leads the Drivers’ table by ten points, knows from experience that there is another way.

"The French round of the GP2 championship last year was not my best weekend, I had a coming together in the first race and therefore started race two in 19th,” he explained.

“I did make my way up through the field to fifth to score some points, so it is possible to overtake here,” he revealed.

“Although you always want to be on pole, you can pass at Magny Cours and there is a short pit lane that means there are more strategy options, as it is not as much of a penalty when you stop for tyres and fuel. The pit lane is slightly longer than it used to be but it is still very quick.”

Räikkönen Confident

Kimi Räikkönen is said to be feeling “very confident” for the upcoming French Grand Prix, following a successful test at Silverstone.

"Last week was a perfect week," said the Finnish driver. "We had a very good test in Silverstone: the car was much better than at the races in North America. So I'm really very confident of the race in Magny-Cours.

“We have new components, above all in the section of aerodynamics; and we have taken a step forward as far as the performance is concerned: if it is enough, we'll only know in France, when we go on the track under the same conditions as our competitors.

“This is the question mark you always carry with you after the tests. What we know for sure is that we think that we are competitive."

Räikkönen insisted he was growing in confidence with the Ferrari car and now has to convert that confidence into a race victory.

“I'm more and more confident with the F2007: we found a good setup, what you could already see in the race at Indianapolis. Now we have to transfer what we've seen at Silverstone to the next two Grand Prixs."