Bahrain Grand Prix preview quotes

The Bahrain International Circuit is a hot and dusty proposition but the drivers can't wait to get back in the cockpit for the Sakhir race, which is a true test for men and machinery alike…

Rubens Barrichello, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 15th, 2007 Race - 13th
“The first three flyaway races of the season are very demanding for the drivers from a physical perspective as the ambient temperatures are usually high in the 30s. I am well prepared, with an intensive fitness regime to ensure that I am in peak condition ready for the start of the season. The races in Australia and Malaysia have provided a good build-up to the intense dry heat that we can expect in Bahrain next week. I am not anticipating that the heat will cause any issues for me or the car.

"The first two races of the season have been very encouraging for the team and I have been pleased with how the car has performed, particularly that I have completed both races in the very tough conditions. Malaysia was a challenge for me after losing the practice running on Saturday, compromising my race set-up, but overall the RA108 has proven to be competitive and shown good race performance.”

Jenson Button, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 16th, 2007 Race - DNF
“I'm a big fan of Bahrain as a country and I also really enjoy the circuit as there are some great fast flowing sections where you can really push the car. Confidence under braking is the key to a quick lap. You have to believe in the car's performance and have full confidence that you can stop effectively. There are several overtaking opportunities, particularly at Turn One after the long straight, where you can make up crucial ground as people tend to brake surprisingly early. The most challenging sector is probably Turn 14 which has a very quick approach where you brake as you turn into the corner, so you have to be careful not to lock the inside front wheel. The sand blowing onto the tarmac can be a challenge as you never know how the grip levels will change.”

“With no opportunity for testing since the season began, we will be using the data gathered in Australia and Malaysia to maximise our performance at what will be another very hot race in Bahrain. I'm hopeful that we will be knocking on the door of the top ten in qualifying once again.”

Ross Brawn, Honda team principal
"The race in Malaysia last weekend showed that the Honda team continues to make steady improvements on our pre-season form. I was particularly pleased to see both cars finish the race reliably and encouraged by the performance of the car and our drivers in achieving the maximum possible from the weekend. The race gave us a very accurate reflection of the RA108's position relative to its competitors and provided valuable data with which to continue the development of the car ahead of the European season.

“The first two races have established that the RA108 is capable of competing strongly in the midfield pack and is close to breaking into the top ten runners. To score points however, we need to over-achieve on our current level of performance. Whilst we will aim for this in Bahrain, the European season when our next developments arrive, is a more realistic target. Following our encouraging start to the season, the spirit in the team is very good and we are all confident that we continue to make progress over the next few weeks.”

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 2nd, 2007 Race - 2nd
“Bahrain is a really cool circuit; it is quite different to any other because you are literally driving round the desert. There are no trees or buildings as you are driving round, just desert. I really like the track, there are a lot of opportunities to overtake for example turns one, four, seven, and ten. With all the straights you can do a lot of slipstreaming and then make sure you get good exits. So in terms of racing it is a very good track. The layout is a great design, starting off with a very long straight, then down to a very tight first gear corner and then you accelerate through a slight kink before going up another long straight. It is a curvy circuit with lots of kinks and gradient changes that are quite large in some areas. Also the wind plays a big part bringing sand onto the track that means any part that is off line is very slippery. It is very hot in Bahrain, as with Australia and Malaysia, so it is ideal that these three are together at the beginning as they are all very physically demanding and you can prepare for them all at one time.

“I love the Bahrain race, it is one of the ones I really look forward too, like Monaco and Spa. I have a lot of good memories of the track, last year I had a fantastic race. It was great fun and I took my third podium in Formula One and took the joint lead of the world championship, it was a bit unreal. The best memory is from 2004, I recovered from a disastrous qualifying in F3, and I ended up in 23rd. I worked my way back up the grid to win the race. That was one of the most emotional races I had been involved in up to that point.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 12th, 2007 Race - 9th
"The most obvious thing is that the sand makes the grip level lower and the tyres do not bite to the tarmac quite as well and it can be slippery in places. The track evolution also is quite high at Bahrain because when we start driving round the track, the sand flies away. It also puts some more stress on the engines, as there can be some dust in the air that goes into the engine. The weather is also quite changeable, and I guess this can happen very quickly because we are in the desert. It is quite tough on the tyres. There are some hard braking areas and high speed chicanes where you are changing the direction at high speed, that always loads the tyres. We need to be aware of that and look after our tyres as much as we can over the weekend. It will be a key factor during the race.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Formula One CEO
“The nature of the Bahrain International Circuit is very similar to Canada. Consequently it's tough on brakes as there are some big stops at the end of the high speed turns, which makes things exciting from an overtaking point of view, but is extremely tough on the cars. In addition the lack of key features around the track means that the drivers really have to concentrate on their braking points as traditionally they use landmarks to pick them.

“Of course we would have liked to test in Bahrain but we do have to prioritise where we spend our time. Over the winter we have improved the aerodynamic efficiency of the car and cooling generally so it's not currently one of our vulnerable points. We have good data from running at the Bahrain track in previous years so we are confident it will not prove too much of a disadvantage.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“We expect another race in high ambient temperatures and with similar challenges like Australia and Malaysia. The sand blown onto the track consistently is a typical characteristic of the Bahrain International Circuit; it often suddenly changes the grip conditions. The engines' air filters are even more thoroughly checked and more often changed than usual to avoid the intrusion of sand particles. Due to the track layout with four long straights followed by tight corners each, the engines' load profile is in the medium range. About two thirds of a lap on the 5.4km circuit will be run under full throttle.”

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 5th, 2007 Race - 4th
“I really like the track layout and the whole complex in Bahrain. Everything there is very modern and spacious. For me one of the best sections of the entire season is the stretch between Turn Five and the penultimate turn at the Bahrain International Circuit. The climate tends to be pleasant there, although being in the middle of the desert means that sand keeps blowing onto the track and into our equipment. Last year we came very well prepared after our double test there, and I had a great race. This year some of the teams tested their new cars there before the start of the season. On Friday our first priority is to close this gap through our set-up work.”

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 6th, 2007 Race - 6th
“I'm looking forward to the race in Bahrain, for one thing because last year it was where I picked up my first points of the 2007 season, and for another because we have had a strong start to the season in Australia and Malaysia. The circuit in Bahrain is quite different from Melbourne and Sepang. It has long straights with hard braking zones. Plus there are hardly any fast turns. The wind could play a major role here, but I hope it isn't too strong because our car reacts quite sensitively. Of course we'll have to just see how the F1.08 performs on this circuit, but I'm confident that we can be very competitive here as well.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
“Our bottom line after the first batch of overseas races looks pretty good: we're very happy with our two second places in Melbourne and Sepang, our first fastest race lap in Malaysia and 19 points in the championship. So, after a brief pit stop back home, we will be heading for Bahrain well motivated. We aim to keep up the same level of performance as we've shown so far.”

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
“Our two strong performances in Australia and Malaysia confirm that we are on the right track with our development of the F1.08 and have taken a leap forward. But I wouldn't like to commit myself to any hierarchical order at the moment. For that we will have to wait for another race or two. The circuit in Bahrain features several slow turns and the very long start/finish straight with a tight chicane at the end. The track design calls for a compromise in terms of aerodynamic set-up. On the one hand the many slow corners require high downforce, on the other hand top speed is very important. Good traction also has a high priority, especially along the narrow section after the start/finish line. In Bahrain we will be driving with relatively soft tyre compounds, which plays an important role in the race strategy.”

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