Atlas F1 Magazine: The 2004 French GP Preview

The Magny-Cours circuit, French GP's venue since 1991, is best known for having each of its corners named after famous corners on other circuits. The surface is very smooth, and utilises an unusual tarmac, resulting in fairly high wear for the rear tyres from accelerating out of the slow corners. A good lap here requires great traction and fairly high, efficient downforce: good balance is a significant bonus. The weather is expected to be dry for qualifying and the race, but there could be showers on Friday.

Over the years, Magny-Cours has often demonstrated the outright pace of a Williams chassis � they have eight pole positions from the 13 events � but they have only converted half of those into wins. Rather, Michael Schumacher, with his name on the winners' trophy six times, has proven time and again that this circuit suits his style and strategy. Little surprise that with Ferrari in dominant form this year, the World Champion is hot favourite to add to his collection.

The circuit is very smooth, but going too soft leads to considerable wear � which will be uneven as the loading is different between the left and right handed corners. Frequent acceleration from slow corners will emphasise rear tyre degradation. The place demands medium-high downforce settings, which assists traction through corners and braking, though it costs top speed on the main straight. With an emphasis on aerodynamics, overtaking is actually quite difficult unless the weather throws a spanner in the works.

Last year, the length of the pitlane made it a clear that three stops was the only effective route to win, and Williams executed it perfectly with a dominant performance. Behind, Michael Schumacher battled with Kimi Raikkonen to take the last podium spot, but never looked likely to trouble the leading duo: this season, the protagonists have almost all changed. Last year's winner, Ralf Schumacher, will sit this event out after his huge impact in Indianapolis, so even with their slightly improved showing, Williams will be missing one of their in-form drivers. McLaren will debut a new car, but so far this season have not been able to make any impression, and BAR, with a new aerodynamic package due, are expected to be the closest thing Ferrari have to a challenge.

With the faster pitlane speed limit, some teams could be tempted to run softer tyres and four stops, but three is still expected to be optimal. Should the weather forecast change, things could be more inventive, but the current expectation is for a dry weekend, even with showers threatening to limit effective running on Friday, the teams should basically get their cars set up effectively, so passing will probably be limited to effective strategy and pitwork.

A burst of acceleration along the short pit straight at Magny Cours sees you reach 170mph/273kph in fifth gear on the approach to Grand Courbe, before dabbing the brakes slightly to take the flat out long left hander. The sweeping right hander of Estoril follows immediately, and you must keep as much speed as possible as the corner swings you round 180-degrees onto the longest and fastest section of the track, Golf.

Powering along the back straight, which has a gentle curve to the right, you reach speeds of 185mph/297kph in seventh gear before braking hard for the Adelaide hairpin, which is a good overtaking opportunity. A first gear right hander, you pull some 4.2g as you slow to 50mph/80kph to negotiate the tight bend. You push hard on the throttle as you exit, reaching 162mph/260kph in fifth gear along the straight, through the slight right kink, before dabbing the brakes for the fast Nurburgring chicane.

You take the right-left weave at some 130mph/210kph in fourth. Flicking up through the gears, you briefly touch 162mph/260kph in fifth gear on the approach to the second hairpin. Wider than Adelaide, and therefore slightly quicker, the 180-degree left hander is taken at 55mph/ 88kph in second gear. On the power on the exit through another right-left weave, you reach 153mph/245kph in fourth on the approach to the fast fourth gear Imola chicane. The track dips as you take the right-left chicane at 135mph/217kph.

A short burst of acceleration takes you to the Chateau d'Eau, the long right hander, which has been altered slightly, sees you slow from 140mph/225kph in fourth to 60mph/96kph in second. Accelerating out you reach 160mph/257kph along the new approach to Lycee, which has a gentle curve to the left. We will have to brake hard for the sharp right of Lycee, which is taken at 50mph/80kph in second, and leads back onto the start-finish straight, through a right-left kink, to begin another lap.

There is no doubt that Ferrari are hot favourites again in France, as Michael Schumacher has a fantastic record at the circuit and the car is the pick of the crop. BAR are bringing a new aerodynamic package, Williams have made progress and McLaren have a whole new car, but there is no denying Ferrari have put together a very solid package and they have continued to develop it well through the season.

Competing for pole position may be awkward, given Michelin's strength on the first couple of laps, but the race-time consistency of Bridgestone's tyres should ensure Schumacher remains the man to beat. His teammate, however, might be more vulnerable.

A spin on the first lap cost Rubens Barrichello a lot of points here last season, and the Brazilian will be keen to make up for it this time. However, he usually struggles to get the car set-up, and his races have often involved incidents. With Michelin at their home track, Bridgestone are expecting this to be a tough fight: scoring a one-two win this time will require Ferrari's number two driver to break his unlucky streak and have a good weekend.

After getting disqualified for illegal brake ducts in Canada, having Juan Pablo Montoya black flagged from a strong position, and losing Ralf Schumacher to a huge accident in Indianapolis, it is clear that Williams improved form has not come with a commensurate improvement in luck. The team have to be hoping this will change in France.

With Schumacher being replaced by Marc Gene, that Spaniard will get his second opportunity to show what he can do in the machinery. He is not known for his flair behind the wheel, but can be expected to put in a solid, if unremarkable performance: his orders will have to be to make sure he finishes, rather than risking racing.

That said, Juan Pablo Montoya, whilst a fraction slower than his teammate last season, is no slouch here. On the evidence of performance in North America, the car is clearly much improved compared to the one that started the season, and the team should clearly be aiming to mix it with the BARs and push Ferrari.

There has been much talk of McLaren's new car. Kimi Raikkonen's positive first impression was widely broadcast, but the logistics for taking it to the fly-away events were prohibitive. However, now it has seen some testing, McLaren fans around the world are hoping for a transformation of fortunes.

Judging by the testing times � inasmuch as they can be used as a gauge � the new car is about half a second quicker than the old one. Exactly where it gets that extra performance is critical: if it is more predictable, then as the drivers get to grips with it, they will get more and more from it all the time, particularly at a technical circuit like Magny-Cours where confidence is king. David Coulthard in particular requires confidence in his equipment to commit to high speed corners.

On the other hand, a fundamentally new car can be expected to have some quirks. Getting a car set up at Magny-Cours could be easier than elsewhere, but there is still a good chance it will prove difficult to get the car fully dialled in. That bullet has to be bitten whenever a new car is brought out, but it means that rain on Friday would make life particularly difficult for McLaren.

If the new car lives up to its hype, then they can be expected to get back ahead of Sauber in terms of performance, and depending on how long it takes to learn how to get the best from the car, then there should be inroads into Renault and Williams, and a good chance of points.

Heading to what is effectively their home Grand Prix, Renault are hoping to put together a strong weekend to make up for last season's double retirement. It is going to be tough: Ferrari are dominating, and BAR have clearly been quicker. Williams are just starting to get their act together, and if McLaren's new car actually performs, then points are going to be hard to come by.

On the positive side, Renault still have a very strong chassis, and neither their engine nor aerodynamics are too shabby. They are hoping for a good qualifying session, and with the excellent launch mechanism, could run very strongly in the race. Tellingly, they are able to look after their Michelins substantially better than rivals, and are likely to surprise in the race with their pace on what should be old rubber.

Jarno Trulli sees this as his home event, and besides, prefers technical circuits, so this is more likely to be his weekend that Alonso's. Passing will basically have to be done in the pits, as it is very difficult to do so on track without a considerable advantage: accordingly, it should not be a surprise to discover the team sacrifice some qualifying speed to carry a little more fuel than their rivals.

Despite being the only team to consistently climb on the podium with Ferrari this year, BAR are struggling to get both cars to the finish at each event: with a major aerodynamic update due in France, the team are not expected to make a power step with the engine: rather, they are expected to be implementing reliability oriented updates.

Whilst Jenson Button has produced a solid performance all season, and can be expected to do the same in France this weekend, Takuma Sato could be very exciting to watch. The Japanese driver's all or nothing style could prove expensive on the smooth Magny-Cours circuit, but equally, if he keeps it on the surface, he might wring the best speed out of the car.

Either way, BAR head to France looking forward to upgraded aerodynamics and a good chance at putting at least one car on the podium. And if Michelin have done their homework, they might finally be able to challenge for the top step.

Neither driver is particularly fond of Magny-Cours: Giancarlo Fisichella often has a bad weekend there, and Felipe Massa's only visit included a blatant jump start. However, the team know that if Bridgestone have done their homework, then they have the potential to cause some upset with the front runners, and score some more points.

Realistically, the team are still targeting the beating of McLaren, even if they are bringing their new car to the party. They hope the Woking outfit will struggle to get it set up properly, or misjudge its tyre consumption, so they should be vulnerable in the race. They would also be hoping to push Renault, except that they rather expect the French outfit to be pulling out the stops for their home event.

Making the most of a Ferrari engine, Sauber's best strategy has to be to qualify as far up the grid as possible, potentially sacrificing some race pace, but knowing that they have excellent durability from their tyres, and will be very difficult to pass on the main straight.

There is no doubt that Jaguar are having a miserable season, and their disappointment is not looking likely to be fixed in Magny-Cours. The circuit is notoriously hard wearing, and the team have a problem looking after their tyres. Their engines are not particularly performant, nor are they reliable. The chassis can be set up for a handful of quick laps before the tyre wear cripples performance, and their aerodynamics are simply not as efficient as the competition. However, if Minardi can score points from persistence, then Jaguar have no choice other than to demonstrate at least the same persistence.

Last year, Mark Webber qualified and raced well, scoring points for the team. There is some hope that this year, they can give him an engine that lasts the distance, and actually set up the car well enough to prevent the tyres from wearing, he might pick up another point. But they know it would take a lot of luck.

Whilst the smooth surface should help to mask the Toyota's bump handling performance, the team are not optimistic that points will be available from this event. The aerodynamic packages used by the front runners are significantly more efficient than Toyota's that they are effectively giving away their horsepower advantage in an attempt to get sufficient downforce on the car to corner as fast as their competitors.

On the positive side, Olivier Panis has years of experience of testing at Magny-Cours from his Ligier and Prost days, and always goes well at what amounts to his home Grand Prix. He can be expected to lead the Toyota charge, and snap at the heels of the front runners: should any falter, then the team expect to be well placed to take a point or two.

Jordan might be hopeful of putting the pressure on their peers, but few expect them to do more than provide a buffer between Minardi and the rest of the grid. If the recent work with Bridgestone pays off, then they could continue making life awkward for Jaguar, who have a similar package and Michelin tyres, but their only real hope of scoring points remains difficult weather and poor reliability from their rivals.

Both drivers profess to enjoy the circuit, and the team won in 1999; despite being off the pace, the atmosphere at Jordan is surprisingly upbeat. Shooting to put one over Jaguar would be a good result for the weekend, even if no points came of it.

Of course, outside F3000, neither driver is experienced at Magny-Cours, which is a technical circuit that offers considerable rewards for experience. Furthermore, the car has not seen any real development since the start of the season, so there is very little the team can be expected to achieve in France.

Nevertheless, they already scored a point this season by dogged persistence, and will be going to France hoping to frustrate the faster teams by doing so again. In the event of inclement weather or a big first corner pileup, they can slip in for some more.

Last time the circus went to France, it was Ralf Schumacher in flying form, following a win in Europe by leading Williams to a dominant one-two victory, confirming that the team were enjoying a Phoenix-like return to form, probably with the potential to challenge for the championships. Of course, Michelin were the tyre of choice, and McLaren were continuing to develop the MP4-17D, so even if Schumacher and Raikkonen were looking like good Championship contenders, they were going to find the resurgent Williams a challenge here.

Ralf Schumacher dominated the day, collecting a solid pole position with more than a tenth of a second to spare on Montoya. The drivers had come out early as a consequence of wet qualifying the day before, but still romped away with the top times of the day.

Michael Schumacher's impressive form in France continued, with the German notching up a third spot, but whilst his lap was fast and committed, it never looked like taking the top spot. It was enough, however, to put him ahead of Championship protagonist Kimi Raikkonen, who was not showing anything like the electric pace that had earned McLaren a pole position the week before, and David Coulthard, who enjoyed a rare session with the same pace as his teammate.

Jarno Trulli edged Fernando Alonso for sixth, despite an engine problem preventing the Renault driver from running in the practice ahead of the session, as the team again showed the surprisingly good form that had them scoring points all season; Rubens Barrichello languished in eighth � though some of his apparent lack of pace would be explained on race day with fewer stops. Further back, Mark Webber was ninth, a fraction ahead of Olivier Panis' Toyota.

The chance of rain on race day had the Bridgestone runners optimistic for a strong start, but despite the cloudy sky, the track remained dry. It ensured the Michelin runners their chance to shine, and Ralf Schumacher comfortably entered the first corner in the lead, ahead of Montoya and Raikkonen, who smoothly passed the Ferrari of Schumacher when it made a slower getaway. Coulthard fought hard to pass the German through the first three corners, but to no avail.

The first lap had no incidents � even at Adelaide, which is prone to first lap excitement � except for Barrichello taking too much kerb at the end of the lap, and spun the car. He continued racing, but now it was from the back of the grid.

Ralf Schumacher was in fine form, and ten laps in had opened a four second gap over Montoya. Michael Schumacher was a further nine seconds back. The remainder of the grid was static, except for Barrichello steadily making progress back towards the leaders.

Pitstops started on lap 14 � leading some to question whether the new, faster entry made a four stop strategy possible � followed by Raikkonen and Trulli a lap later. Montoya and Schumacher pitted on lap 17 � the German gaining three seconds from that alone � with Ralf Schumacher coming in a lap later: when it all shook out, Coulthard had passed Schumacher. He set about extending the gap, and closed in on Raikkonen.

The procession continued until the second round of stops, and the top eight all pitted within three laps of each other � except Barrichello, whose strategy had been altered to accommodate his need to get back to the front. Montoya had closed the gap to Ralf down to six seconds, but despite pushing hard over the next stint, setting fastest lap of the race, was not make much impression on the German.

Shortly after the mid-point of the race, Trulli started losing speed, then both Renault engines gave up the fight within a couple of laps: not a good weekend for Renault at home. However, the retirements put Webber up to sixth place, with Panis seventh and the recovering Barrichello back in the points in eighth.

By lap 45, when Raikkonen started the third round of pitstops, Montoya had closed the gap to Ralf Schumacher down to three seconds. Coulthard, who had been lapping within a second of Raikkonen, stopped a lap later, but a pit-crew mistake had him attempting to leave with the fuel hose still attached: the foul-up cost a lot of time.

Montoya stopped next, less than two second behind Ralf, and put in a blistering out lap. Ralf stopped a lap later, emerging just a fraction ahead of his teammate with twenty laps remaining. Further back, Schumacher had made the most of five extra laps before his final stop to make up the five second deficit to Raikkonen, and he emerged from his pitstop ahead of the Finn. Barrichello's final stop saw him pass Panis, but Webber was just too far ahead.

The race was processional to the end, with Montoya apparently backing off the pace once he had established there was no real chance of passing Ralf Schumacher; Williams scored their second one-two finish in a row, and Schumacher's third place pushed his lead over Raikkonen in the Championship up by a point. The Finn, meanwhile, completed the last three laps of the race without any rear brakes.

Points paying positions - pitstops

1. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW 3
2. Montoya     Williams-BMW 3
3. M.Schumacher Ferrari 3
4. Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes 3
5. Coulthard     McLaren-Mercedes 3
6. Webber      Jaguar-Cosworth 3
7. Barrichello Ferrari 2
8. Panis         Toyota 3

Classified: 16 from 20 starters

Fastest lap: Montoya, 1:15.512

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