Brazilian Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes

Boasting one of the longest straights on the calendar, the famous Senna S, a bumpy track surface and an anti-clockwise layout, Interlagos is a true test of driver skill and strength. Combine that with passionate local fans, unpredictable weather and some very real overtaking opportunities, and it’s clear why the Sao Paulo circuit is a favourite amongst teams and drivers. Here they reveal the appeal of racing in Brazil…

Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 2nd
“Interlagos is a circuit that will always be very special to me because I won both my world titles with Renault there. It's one of the most enjoyable races of the year because the fans are so passionate about Formula One and there is an amazing atmosphere all weekend. The track surface is usually very bumpy so you need a car that can ride the bumps. As the circuit is anti-clockwise, it's more demanding for the drivers because there are several long left hand corners, which put high g-forces on your neck. To find the right set-up is not easy as there are quick corners, slow corners and a very long straight. The secret of a good lap-time is to have an efficient aero package and a car with good mechanical grip for the middle section of the lap.”

Romain Grosjean, Renault
2008 Qualifying - N/A, 2008 Race - N/A
“I'm really excited about racing in Brazil and I don't want the season to end. Interlagos is probably not the easiest circuit, but it's a famous track and driving there will be a great experience for me. There are two aspects to my preparation for Brazil. Firstly, because Interlagos is anti-clockwise, I have done lots of training, especially on my neck, to prepare for the physical demands of the track. Also, as I have never driven there before, I have been watching lots of videos to learn the circuit layout. I plan to arrive in Sao Paulo at the start of the week so I can walk the track and experience it for myself. My objectives are to continue learning about Formula One and to gain experience so that I can improve and be as close to Fernando as possible. Hopefully I can have a trouble-free race, the car will be competitive, and I can score some points for the team.”

Bob Bell, Renault team principal
“Interlagos is a demanding track for drivers as it's anti-clockwise which puts a lot of demands on them physically. In terms of the car, we will run with quite a lot of downforce and it's important to have a well-balanced car with good stability which gives the drivers confidence. We're also racing at altitude as the circuit is about 800 metres above sea level, which impacts on the power of the engine, so we will need to work on the mapping to optimise engine performance.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 8th
"This season has flown by so quickly; it's hard to believe we are already at the penultimate race of the year! It's always enjoyable to be racing in Brazil, and particularly at Interlagos which is a tough circuit. The track is quite unusual because it is anti-clockwise, but also because half of it is extremely fast and the other half is very technical, so you need to compromise to find the right set-up. Toyota has usually been quite strong at Interlagos and I've generally been very quick there too so I'm hopeful that will be the case again this year. It was fantastic to be on the podium in the last race, especially in front of all our Japanese supporters, and I hope to be fighting at the front again this weekend. Last year I was on the front row in Brazil and I believe this year's car will also be quite well suited to the track so I am optimistic. I am determined to end the season as we started it; on a high note."

Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - N/A, 2008 Race - N/A
"This is an incredible opportunity for me to make my Grand Prix debut but of course it is a pity for Timo as I know how much he was looking forward to getting back to racing. Fortunately for me I had some time in the car on Friday in Suzuka and, even though that was in the wet, it will be very helpful for me this weekend. I have never driven at Interlagos before but I know the layout from computer games and television so I don't think it will take too long to learn. It's going to be a tough weekend but I feel ready for the challenge and I know the team is supporting me 100 percent. A few days ago I wasn't even expecting to be racing this weekend so it's impossible to set any targets. I just want to do myself proud and complete the race without any problems; anything after that is a bonus."

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis
"After the most recent work, Interlagos is now no bumpier than any other track so what we are left with is a very interesting lay-out which presents quite a challenge, with low, medium and high-speed corners as well as a long straight. This means you have to compromise in terms of downforce and drag level to get strong performance on the infield and give yourself a chance to pass at the end of the start-finish straight. We have always been quick in Brazil so we expect to be very competitive. In terms of aerodynamic efficiency Interlagos is close to the baseline configuration we run in the wind tunnel so our car is very well optimized to this kind of track. We go into the Brazilian Grand Prix after finishing on the podium in the last two races so we have high expectations and I am confident we will be strong."

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 5th
“I’m really looking forward to this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix - it will be the first time I’ve travelled to Sao Paulo without being in contention for the world championship, and I’m actually looking forward to taking in a bit more of the city and relaxing and enjoying the experience of driving on one of the world’s greatest racetracks. My highlights are Turn One, braking into the long left-hander which bends right and takes you out onto the back straight; Ferra Dura, which is a fast right-hander where you body is squeezed hard into the side of the car, and the main straight: you accelerate hard uphill and you can even hear the crowd and the Brazilian drums playing in the grandstands. One of the greatest things about racing at Interlagos is the crowd. There’s such a great atmosphere; the fans have so much energy and life. It’s a party while you’re working, and it’s great to see everyone happy.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 7th
“The Interlagos circuit is quite a challenging one for the drivers because it’s anti-clockwise, which, after a season of racing on clockwise circuits, puts quite a strain on your neck muscles. But you quickly forget that once you get out on the circuit - it’s an incredible racetrack, really demanding - but very satisfying when you get a lap right. Interlagos hasn’t traditionally been a circuit where we have excelled, but we feel that we’ve resolved quite a few of the issues that affected us at this race last year, and using KERS Hybrid - particularly up that long hill out of the final corner - should be a considerable benefit both in qualifying and the race.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Nobody on our team will ever forget the dramatic final laps of the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix - they are memories that will live with us forever. Of course, the defining moments of the last two world championships have both taken place in Brazil and, as a result, the race has become an unusually colourful and intense occasion for us. Travelling to Sao Paulo this year with our focus solely on achieving the very best result will allow us to attack the race weekend without any additional considerations, and we are very much looking forward to that challenge.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
“Lewis has been the most successful driver of the last two Grands Prix, which took place within the space of one week in Singapore and at the Japanese Suzuka circuit. During those eight days, McLaren scored more points than any other team, a trend that fortunately has continued for the last six Grands Prix since Lewis’s first 2009 victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. We started the season and had to make do with a minimum of points, so it’s pleasing to see the upward trend we’ve had since our home grand prix at the Nurburgring in the middle of July. We try to continue this trend with Lewis’s two wins and two additional podium places in the last six races - a gain which hasn’t been achieved by any other driver in this period of time. In the last six races of the season’s second half, Lewis has beaten world champion candidate Jenson Button four times, Rubens Barrichello and our German friend Sebastian Vettel three times each, and each of the three title candidates has scored less points than Lewis, who managed 34 whereas Rubens scored 27, Sebastian 22 and, with 17 points, Jenson, who, at the top of the table, achieved only half of Lewis’s points. The world championship fight is open and electrifying - I know from my own experience what I am talking about when I say that with a 16-point deficit of Sebastian to Jenson, nothing has been decided yet. With regard to the constructors’ world championship, Brawn GP should have already done it with half a point still missing.”

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 13th, 2008 Race - 11th
"Brazil was the season finale in the past years. With Abu Dhabi new on the calendar, the situation is different this year. The Interlagos track is very nice to drive. Especially Sector One with the first three corners is quite challenging. Turn 1 is blind and therefore it is difficult to find the ideal braking point there. The final sector goes up a huge hill and consists of a couple of left turns. In Brazil we drive anti-clockwise, which is physically quite tough as we are used to driving the other way round. If it rains in Interlagos, driving will be very tricky as there is lots of standing water on the track. So I'm hoping for good weather."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 8th, 2008 Race - 10th
"Interlagos is a fantastic and very challenging track. Because you drive it in an anti-clockwise direction, it puts a real strain on your neck muscles. The circuit used to be full of horrible bumps. Having it resurfaced before the 2007 Grand Prix made a huge difference, but by 2008 the track wasn't as good. I'll be interested to see what kind of condition it is in now. In the last two years we had some exciting championship deciders there, with the weather always ready to tip the scales. There could be a repeat in 2009, even though Brazil isn't the final race this time. I'm looking forward to seeing Felipe (Massa) in the paddock again."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
“It's the final spurt for the 2009 Formula One season. Brazil marks another traditional circuit on the calendar, whereas in the final race at Abu Dhabi we'll all be broaching new territory. While in 2008 BMW Sauber was still in contention for both world championship titles up to the penultimate race of the season, in 2009 it's a case of making the best of the situation and taking away as many points as we can. The results of the recent Grands Prix show that our development work is bearing fruit: we made it into the points in five consecutive races. Nevertheless, in Singapore and in Japan we fell short of our potential. Interlagos is about 800 metres above sea level. Due to the thinner air, all engines lose around eight per cent of their output. This makes the engine wear a little less as the loading on the crank assembly is slightly reduced. That will not only suit our team. Nick will keep running his ninth race engine which was fitted in Singapore, and Robert his eighth also from Singapore. Naturally we want to avoid fitting another new unit, which would mean being relegated ten places on the grid."

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"Interlagos is one of very few circuits that are driven anti-clockwise. The key stretch is the middle sector, where it's just one turn after another. Plenty of downforce, good traction and good balance are crucial here. With the car's set-up you also have to allow for the fact that the air is thin because of the altitude and so the engines lose output. In the final sector particularly, with its steep uphill start/finish straight, high engine output is critical. Since the track was resurfaced, it has been a lot less bumpy than before. That makes the mechanical set-up of the cars somewhat easier. The weather can play a decisive role in Interlagos with the likelihood of rain at this time of year being pretty high. Heavy rainfall causes rivulets of water on the track, which leads to aquaplaning. After experiencing compromised race weekends in Singapore and Japan, in Brazil we will do everything we can to fully exploit the potential of our heavily modified car and achieve a correspondingly good result."