theprancinghorse.co.uk - Bahraini GP 2005

Home

Latest

Features

Bahraini Grand Prix 31st March-3rd April 2005 - Friday Press Conference

Length: 5.417 km
Number of Laps: 57 (308.769 Km)
Best Lap: M. Schumacher - 1'30''252 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole: M. Schumacher - 1'30''139 (2004, Ferrari)
2004 Pole: M. Schumacher - 1'30''139 (Ferrari)
2004 Podium: M. Schumacher - R. Barrichello - J. Button

Q: A question to you all: the FIA has introduced measures to save costs this year such as two-race engines and fewer sets of tyres per driver per weekend. Have you saved money?
Mattia BINOTTO: On our side, by doubling the mileage between 2003 and 2004, we have been able to save ten percent on our budget. I think that the trend of this year is very similar to the trend of the previous year so we are again expecting to save more or less ten percent between 2004 and 2005. The V8 engine, as Mario was mentioning, I think there will always be a time when you have to completely change a project, as we did in the past from the V12 to the V10 and in some ways that is an extra cost, but there is always a time to do that, to reduce the general performance, so now is the time simply to do that.
Hiroshi YASUKAWA: Yes, Mr Dupasquier already explained. I agree. Basically nothing has changed with testing. But concerning teams, they do much mileage but at racing itself, we can reduce transportation and total number of tyres.

Q: A question for the two tyre manufacturers: the fact that the FIA is not going to adopt a one-tyre formula but in fact it throws it open to as many tyre manufacturers as want to come in - what are your feelings about that?
HY: I’m very happy and I’m pleased with the FIA and I think they made a very good decision.

Q: Do you think other manufacturers are going to come in?
HY: I hope so.

Q: A question now for the engine manufacturers: most of your engines have now done two races. What have you discovered when you’ve opened up those engines, has it been a nasty surprise or has it been pretty much as you expected?
MB: On our side, I have to say that there have not been any big surprises. It’s true that racing is not always as testing or testing on the dyno by the fact that you are doing all the total mileage in six days, something that you are not normally experiencing during the winter testing. On the other side I have to say that generally, looking at all the teams, we have not done a lot of mileage, even on our side, we had an engine change for Michael in Australia, we didn’t finish the race with Rubens, so we haven’t achieved all the mileage. I have to say that for Ferrari, there was also the experience with Sauber’s engines, which was very useful, so we analysed a total of four engines, and by the end no big surprises, everything was expected.

Q: Mattia, does your cooling have to change very much, especially with a new car?
MB: I have to say, the experience from Malaysia was very useful, even if nothing was really unpredictable. But here we have a new car so it was quite important to check that today everything is going well and I have to say that on the cooling side everything was matching as we expected, so we should be okay.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Alaric GOMES – Gulf News, UAE) Mattia, was there an element of being cautious when your two drivers went out, especially with Rubens?
MB: It is normal when you have a new car, even if you have done quite a lot of mileage in testing, that everything has to be checked really carefully because all the conditions of racing, the fact that the temperature was very high compared to what we have experienced during testing, everything has to be done carefully and we have to be cautions. Rubens had an issue with the gearbox, so it was important to check all the components, to understand the issue.

Back

This site is not an official Ferrari site. Ferrari™ is a trademark and copyright material of Ferrari S.p.A. Any type of publication, copying, broadcasting or retransmission of the information or pictures without prior permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. Copyright © 1997-2006 The Prancing Horse.