28/06/2006
NEWS STORY
MF1 Racing returns to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Round 10 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the U.S. Grand Prix.
The oldest permanent track still in use today, the Speedway is a true motor sport institution. Built in 1909, the track was originally constructed of crushed stone and tar. However, following a spate of accidents that first year, the decision was taken to replace the surface with bricks: 3.2 million of them, to be precise. Thus the legend of 'The Brickyard' was born. Today, only a yard-wide band of bricks at the start/finish line remains visible, with modern asphalt applied to the rest of the track.
The United States has hosted a Formula One Grand Prix at various locations throughout the country since 1959, but the race has been held exclusively at the Speedway since 2000.
In 2005, problems with Michelin tyres led to seven teams withdrawing from the race after the warm-up lap. As a result, Tiago Monteiro finished in third place for the team and earned his first F1 podium. Christijan Albers, then driving for Minardi, came home in 5th position.
Tiago Monteiro: "This is a very special place for me. I took my first F1 podium here after what was admittedly a very strange race, but that doesn't diminish the pride I feel in my team for having achieved it. I've always loved Indy because it's also where my Champ Car team was based when I raced in that series in 2003, so I have a few friends there, as well. There is so much history at this track and it's also a nice place to drive, with a very technical infield and then this long, incredibly fast straight. I really enjoyed driving there in the past and I'm looking forward to doing it again."
Christijan Albers: "I hope we can do much better at Indianapolis than we did in Canada, which was really a disappointing weekend because we weren't able to get the maximum out of the car. The incident with Tiago was really unfortunate, too. It can only mean that things will get better at the Brickyard. Hopefully, we can find the right set-up for the car and do well in qualifying. The guys in the wind tunnel are working hard on a number of improvements for the car and hopefully they will be ready in time for the US Grand Prix."
Giorgio Mondini: "This will be my first time driving at Indy, so I'm very excited to be here. I'm really looking forward to the speeds we will be reaching on the banks and straight sections, although it's in the more technical infield section that the car will really be in its element. The team scored a wonderful result here under very strange circumstances last year, but I think we can still have a good showing with a full field."
Colin Kolles, Managing Director: "I am looking forward to a race without incidents so that we can demonstrate our true potential. This will be another challenging circuit for us, as Indianapolis is a circuit that emphasises the importance of top speed and that is one of our biggest issues at the moment. But, as always, we will give our best effort to be as competitive as possible and capitalise on any available opportunities."
Dominic Harlow, Chief Race and Test Engineer: "The circuit here in Indy has two very contrasting features in the oval course sector and the road course infield. One demands a very long period of full throttle acceleration with two flat out banked corners, and the other is quite low speed with the fastest corners taken at considerably less than 200Km/h. The net result for the cars is a wing level quite similar to last weekend's race in Canada and a set-up compromise that can cope with the high inertial loads generated in the banked corners. In a relatively short lap, this circuit tests the chassis, engine and tyres in a unique way and, together with our partners at Toyota and Bridgestone, we are looking forward to working through these challenges this weekend."