11/09/2007
NEWS STORY
The final European race of the season takes place this weekend as Formula One makes a very welcome return to the popular Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the heart of the Ardennes forest for the Belgian Grand Prix, Round 14 of the 2007 championship.
After an improved showing at the Italian Grand Prix, where Jenson Button finished in the points and both drivers were in the top ten, the team hope to carry this performance through to the remaining four races of the season. With the next race taking place just one week after the Monza race, the team will use data collected during the three-day test at the revised Spa circuit in July to prepare.
Shuhei Nakamoto - Senior Technical Director: "It was a boost for the whole team to see an improved performance from the RA107 over the Italian Grand Prix weekend and to finish in the points yesterday. Looking forward to the race in Belgium this weekend, it will be a tougher challenge for us as the Spa circuit requires a higher level of downforce than Monza. High-speed aerodynamic stability is the absolutely key to precise handling on this circuit and we will have a lot of work to do as the car has changed a lot since our test here back in July. We will be aiming to score more points by using the right strategy to make full use of our relatively good race pace compared to our competition in the midfield."
Jenson Button: "Spa is one of my absolute favourite circuits and I am really excited that it is back on the calendar for this year. As everyone acknowledges, Spa is a real drivers' track where your skill and commitment are tested to the absolute limit on every lap. The only other track that really compares to the challenge of Spa is probably Suzuka in Japan. It's a flowing circuit which you can really get into a rhythm around. You can overtake at the top of the hill into Les Combes, hopefully into the new chicane and you can also squeeze by at the first corner, La Source. The biggest challenge is the double left-hander Pouhon and it is really satisfying to get that right. We had a good weekend in Monza, coming away from a strong race performance with a point. We have to be realistic about our prospects for Spa as the circuit demands are very different and our test in July was difficult, but I am hopeful the improvements will carry through."
Rubens Barrichello: "The Spa circuit is a well-known favourite for every driver and it is a fantastic feeling to drive around there in a Formula One car. After a year away, it will be good to return and it is certainly safer since they have made the modifications to the circuit layout. It is one of the best circuits of the year, and with the unpredictable weather and the opportunities for overtaking, you always expect a good fun race. The test in July at Spa was not one of our best; however we have made a lot of progress on the car since then, as the weekend in Italy has shown, so I go to Spa in a positive frame of mind and hoping for a good race."