The 2006 San Marino Formula 1 Grand Prix

[Ed]

This is the place to discuss everything related to the fourth round of the 2006 season taking place at Imola in Itlay between the 21st and the 23rd of April.

The San Marino Grand Prix Preview is available here

The Main San Marino Grand Prix page is available here

To submit your 8 'n' Pole Picks for San Marino click here, to register in the competition click here (make sure you register and submit your picks before the first race of the season to maximise your chances)

[Ed]

The event timetable for the San Marino Grand Prix

Friday
1st Practice 11:00 local time - 09:00 GMT
2nd Practice 14:00 local time - 12:00 GMT

Saturday
Practice 11:00 local time - 09:00 GMT
Qualifying 14:00 local time - 12:00 GMT

Sunday
Race 14:00 local time - 12:00 GMT

[Ed]

The latest weather forecast for the San Marino Grand Prix (last updated 21 April)

Friday
1st Practice - 11:00 - 22 - Sunny
2nd Practice - 14:00 - 25 - Sunny

Saturday
Practice - 11:00 - 13 - Sunny
Qualifying - 14:00 - 16 - Sunny

Sunday
Race - 14:00 - 16 - Partly Cloudy

[Ed]

Selected Team and Driver Race Preview Quotes (updated as info becomes available)

Renault
Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations
Q: The RS26B arrives in Imola. What are the differences?

It is a normal evolutionary step early in the development cycle: we have looked to gain performance by increasing the peak revs, and improving areas like cylinder filling and combustion. In qualifying trim, we expect a gain of several tenths of a second and the final dyno tests before the Grand Prix will allow us to determine exactly how much additional performance is available during the race.

Q: Will both drivers use the engine at Imola?

No, it will only be available for Giancarlo to use. His retirement in Bahrain put him ?out of cycle' relative to our development schedule, and we had to take a decision on whether to accelerate the introduction of the B spec, which had been planned for race 5. We decided it was important to do so, and have pushed our processes to make it happen. However, this early debut may lead us to use to conserve some of the engine's potential performance during the race in order to not compromise reliability. Fernando will receive the B spec engine at the N?rburgring, as per our original schedule.

Fernando Alonso
Q: Tell us about Imola ? it was a famous win for you in 2005?

It became maybe the most talked-about win of my career so far I think. For me, it was a win like the others ? a special achievement. But when you are fighting with Michael, then I think the media talk about it in a special way, and make it something bigger. I enjoyed the final laps of the race last year, and it was an important race to win. But if I can do it again this year, on my own, a long way in front, then that's even better!

Q: It's a tough track though?

It is very difficult for the drivers, with the chicanes and the kerbs, and the car bumping over them. That makes it hard for us to take the same line twice in any corner, and every lap you have to feel things a little bit differently. It is tough physically, but also for the car because there is a lot of stress over the kerbs. This is a hard race to finish.

Q: You have said Renault is the team to beat. Who will be the competition?

Ferrari and McLaren will be our main opponents. Ferrari dropped down in the last two races, but I think they will be back. Their tyres work well at this circuit, and it is their home Grand Prix, so I expect them to be extremely competitive.

Giancarlo Fisichella
Q: What challenges will the circuit bring?

You need to be good in every area to be quick there, you must have a complete car. The drivers need to have confidence in the handling and the reactions, the right tyres and a strong engine. We have a mix of slow and fast corners, plus of course you need to attack the kerbs very aggressively ? and the car needs to cope with that. The R25 was quick there last year, so there's no reason to think the R26 will not be this year.

Q: What are your hopes for the race?

I am going to every race this year looking to score maximum points. I think Renault has an edge at the moment, so we have to aim for the victory at every Grand Prix. I have a fresh engine, and a bit more power from the new specification, so that gives me a fantastic chance for this race. We are not underestimating our rivals, because we know that the level of competition is very close the front. But I believe we have the package to win in Imola.

McLaren
MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA ONE, TEAM McLAREN MERCEDES

The three week gap between the Australian and San Marino Grands Prix has allowed us to complete six intensive days of testing prior to racing at Imola this week. Between Kimi, Juan Pablo, Pedro and Gary, we completed over 4,797 kilometres and the test team have pushed hard to bring further modifications to the MP4-21 online.
We now move to Imola for race four of the season, it is a medium speed track, which has a tendency to be tough on cars. A major factor of the track is the high kerbs and the requirement of the drivers to use the kerbs to be fast. As a result, the test team has also spent some time working on dampers specifically for this race, to ensure we have the performance we need.

KIMI RAIKKONEN

We had a solid session at the test in Barcelona last week, we were able to complete the MP4-21 development work planned for the session and continue the progress made by Pedro and Gary at the Paul Ricard test the week before. It will be good to see how the modifications will be on the race track. The biggest factors at Imola are hard braking and acceleration, because of all the chicanes and the short straights in between them. This also means that performance of traction, braking and braking stability is key for this race. To get quick lap times at Imola, you have to really attack the kerbs and because they are so high, probably more so than at most tracks, we have to keep the car quite soft so it rides the kerbs well. The best place to overtake at Imola would be the Tosa hairpin, both under braking and also exiting, and you also tend to see a lot of cars running wide providing more opportunities.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA

It was good to test last week, as we have been able to cover some good pre-race set-up work for San Marino and the car felt good. Imola is a very technical and demanding circuit, so the set-up of the car is particularly important at this track to be fast. It is a medium to high downforce track, because of all the slow corners and chicanes, also there isn't really one very long straight that would demand a lower downforce configuration. Imola is one of three anti-clockwise tracks we race on. It does place an extra strain on your body, particularly your neck. However it's not really a big deal, I have been working with my trainer to ensure there are no issues. There are a couple of great corners at San Marino, such as the Piratella and Acque Minerali, and you need to make sure you push and carry as much speed through them as possible, they should be quite fun with the V8 engine!

Honda
GIL DE FERRAN - Sporting Director

Imola represents the start of the European season and the challenge of four races in just one month. Traditionally this is the weekend when many teams target the introduction of development upgrades to their cars, which can reshuffle the order of performance established at the first three flyaway races. With this in mind, we have not stood still since Australia and have evaluated many potential improvements to both the performance and reliability of the RA106 at our tests in Vallelunga and Barcelona. Our team has traditionally gone very well in Imola, so it all looks good for us to get our championship challenge back on track.

SHUHEI NAKAMOTO - Engineering Director - Honda Racing Development

The countermeasure for Jenson's engine problem in Melbourne worked to
our satisfaction in Barcelona and we are introducing a more powerful
spec for the start of the European season.

JENSON BUTTON

I've always really enjoyed racing in Imola. The track has a mixture of different types of corners and a few chicanes and is quite challenging for the drivers. There's always a fun atmosphere and it's a track where I have great memories. In 2004 I qualified in pole position here which was my first pole in F1 and finished the race in second place. It's good to be back in Europe following the first three races where we were able to achieve a podium position and some points. Obviously we were extremely disappointed with our performance in Australia, however we have made good progress in testing and I am confident we will be competitive in Imola. Hopefully it should be a good weekend for us.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

The Imola circuit is a good one for the drivers. I really like the layout and the challenge of setting up the car which is not easy. Imola has had its ups and downs for me; I have had a lot of support from the fans there in the past but there are also some very sad memories. Our difficulties during the last race in Australia have made us work even harder in testing over the last couple of weeks and there is a good feeling that we have made some solid progress. The whole team feels positive about this weekend and I share those feelings so we're hoping for a competitive race.

BMW Sauber
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:

Both Nick and Jacques will be using the same BMW P86 engines they finished with in Australia. With the short development time we had for the new engines, that continues to present a challenge for the team. Both engines are still at the stage of development we had reached prior to the race in Melbourne. And, with its high downforce requirement and uphill sections, Imola is a track which generally puts a lot of strain on the engines.

Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis:

Our goal is to carry over the momentum generated by the positive result in Melbourne into the European season ? and the team?s been working very hard to make sure that happens. Indeed, the BMW Sauber F1.06 will line up for the San Marino Grand Prix with both a modified rear section and a new front wing, which promises increased downforce. Added to which, we?re working intensively with our partner Michelin to get a better handle on the problems we?ve experienced in bringing the tyres back up to temperature.

Nick Heidfeld:

The San Marino Grand Prix is the first race of the season in Europe and, from experience, this is when the teams come out with their first major round of modifications. We?re no different and have tweaked one or two elements of the car?s aerodynamics since the last race. I?m not expecting these changes to shake up the field completely, but they might just result in a readjustment in the balance of power.
As far as the track itself is concerned, two things in particular stand out. Firstly, that we drive very hard over the kerbs at Imola and need a car that can deal with that kind of treatment. Second, Imola is very tough on the brakes, almost as tough as Canada. That makes efficient brake cooling very important, although the lower top speeds with the V8 engines will make this slightly less of an issue.

Jacques Villeneuve:

Imola has always been a good track for us as it was there where we got our best result last year. It is a fun track but it is the second race on the engine so we will have to be a little bit careful. It is a very different track to the first three of this year, with a lot of chicanes and kerbing, but it is fun to drive and very difficult to overtake.

Toyota
Dieter Gass - Chief Engineer Race and Test

Now we are back in Europe we will probably face cooler temperatures at Imola than we have so far this year. That would have been a concern for us after the difficulties we had in Bahrain. But given the work we have done with the car set-up combined with the development work from Bridgestone on their new generation of compounds designed to work at lower temperatures, we can now be confident that those problems are under control. We showed a much stronger performance in Melbourne and we have to look to continue that development. We have had two tests since Australia which have given us a chance to look at some of the main issues, including the damper set-up we will need to ride the Imola kerbs. Our car has shown it is capable of qualifying in the top ten so we have to look to do that and score points.

Ralf Schumacher

The Imola circuit is technically very demanding - with lots of long straights and slow corners which are especially tough on brakes. The venue has been kind to me in the past and I've always enjoyed good results - particularly when I took my first ever grand prix win there in 2001. By contrast the circuit has not been that good for Toyota down the years although both Jarno and I scored points last year. We could face cold conditions in Imola but you never know what the weather will bring there. We struggled at the start of the year in cool conditions but we made the podium in Australia so that shows how far we've come. Of course the season has started off harder than we expected but Australia was much better and the team is strong enough to keep bouncing back.

Jarno Trulli

It always makes for a slightly different weekend when you are racing at home. I will have more support than usual and my fan club usually pays me a visit but I will also be busier out of the cockpit. Despite being in Italy, I don't particularly like the circuit at Imola. It's often cold there in April but the most important factors for performance are braking stability and traction, as well as a car that can ride the kerbs. Last year I was able to celebrate the birth of my son with a points finish and we have to hope for another top eight finish this time. I didn't have a good weekend in Australia but our pace was much better so we can only be confident. We have had two hard weeks of testing and we hope to find suitable tyres for the conditions and to reap the benefits this weekend.

Williams
Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1

Since the last race, the team has been testing at Vallelunga and Barcelona to improve the car?s reliability and performance. We have identified the problem we had on Mark?s gearbox in Melbourne and put corrections in place to avoid that type of failure again.
Imola mainly consists of medium and high speed corners and chicanes. The curb riding requirements at San Marino tend to dominate the mechanical set-up of the car, but high speed stability is also important. We will have some aerodynamic and mechanical improvements on the
FW28, all of which form part of our normal season-long development programme. Bridgestone have been working hard to improve tyre grip on low temperature surfaces and, as a result of this work, we will have two new tyre designs in Imola. Tyre wear is not an issue, however, particularly with such a short pitlane and the effect that has on fuel strategy for the race. The FW28 has proved its competitiveness in the first three races of 2006 and with greater reliability we should be able to run near the front of the grid.

Mark Webber

Being the first European race of the season, Imola is always keenly awaited by everyone as it feels as though we?re finally back home after the first three flyaways and that the new season is really underway. There?s always a pretty good atmosphere in the paddock as we return to working out of our motorhomes and the whole set-up has a much more traditional and familiar feel. The track itself provides us with a unique challenge as it?s somewhere we really have to use the curbs quite a
lot. I?ve always enjoyed racing at Imola and, falling after a successful test at Barcelona last week when both Bridgestone and Williams made good progress with the tyres and car respectively, I?m looking forward to getting the car on the track.

Nico Rosberg

I?m looking forward to my first Formula One race in Imola. Bridgestone have made some good progress on their compounds for cooler temperatures, as we saw in Melbourne. The team?s test went well in Barcelona last week and I believe we made good progress, especially with the aero package. I know the Imola track from GP2 so that will be a help to me, definitely, so we will see how it goes.

[JayVee]

I like the idea that Fisichella is getting a new engine that has more power than the one with Alonso. Fisichella will be even more embarassed at the end of the race

I think Massa and Roseberg will do well too

[Snowy]

I like the idea that Fisichella is getting a new engine that has more power than the one with Alonso. Fisichella will be even more embarassed at the end of the race

ziz iz nicht very nice

[JayVee]

I like the idea that Fisichella is getting a new engine that has more power than the one with Alonso. Fisichella will be even more embarassed at the end of the race

ziz iz nicht very nice

Huh

Did you read what Fisichella is saying ? "I have a fresh engine, and a bit more power from the new specification, so that gives me a fantastic chance for this race"

So does he know that his chances are poor if he has the same engine as Alonso. Is the only way he thinks he can beat Alonso is by having a more powerful engine ??

At the end of the race when Alonso beats him, he will be even more embarassed after saying this won't he

I want to see Alonso pushed hard and I am sorry but Fisichella ain't doing that

[Ed]

Drivers starting the 4th F1 event of 2006 (San Marino GP) with a new engine:

Michael Schumacher - DNF in previous round
Felipe Massa - DNF in previous round
Juan Pablo Montoya - DNF in previous round
Jarno Trulli - DNF in previous round
Mark Webber - DNF in previous round
Nico Rosberg - DNF in previous round
Jenson Button - DNF in previous round
Christian Klien - DNF in previous round
Tiago Monteiro - DNF in previous round
Vitantonio Liuzzi - DNF in previous round

Ralf Schumacher - Completed previous 2 events on same engine
Giancarlo Fisichella - Completed previous 2 events on same engine
Rubens Barrichello - Completed previous 2 events on same engine
David Coulthard - Completed previous 2 events on same engine

So only 8 drivers out of 22 will start this event with the same engine used in Australia and those are:
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Raikkonen
Nick Heidfeld
Jacques Villeneuve
Christijan Albers
Scott Speed
Takuma Sato
Yuki Ide

[<T-K>]

So only 8 drivers out of 22 will start this event with the same engine used in Australia and those are:
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Raikkonen
Nick Heidfeld

Puff goes the mercedes......

[Ed]

1st Practice Session underway. The weather is warmer than expected and the sun is out!

Davidson is the first out.

[Ed]

Davidson sets a 1:34.163.

Ide already has an off after locking up!

[Ed]

It is actually sunny (wonder where the showers have gone!!)

Air temperature is at 22 degrees while track temperature is at 27 degrees.

[Ed]

Davidson pits after 5 laps!

Wurz comes out and Raikkonen too! That is pretty early for a race driver ?

[Ed]

Raikkonen pits. It was an installation lap. A lot of smoke coming from the front brakes!

Davidson's fastest time was a 1:30.182

Wurz about to improve on Davidson's time

[Ed]

A 1:28.962 for Wurz