The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship gets underway this Sunday, 14th March with the Bahrain Grand Prix hosted by the Middle East's Sakhir circuit. With two new drivers in the form of Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg and with a new engine partner in Cosworth, the AT&T Williams team is looking forward to what promises to be another thrilling Formula One season.
Sam Michael, Technical Director
The FW32 completed almost 7,000kms during winter testing with the new Cosworth engine installation. We have made great progress on reliability and we're still working on improving that, albeit at high mileages that we shouldn't encounter during race weekends.
Performance has been solid throughout the test sessions, but Bahrain will tell us where we are. We tested the majority of our Bahrain race package while in Barcelona, while a couple of additional parts will go straight to the race. Rubens and Nico will also go through their first race weekend as teammates. Signs from winter testing are that they'll push each other all the way!
Rubens Barrichello
I'm delighted to be entering my eighteenth season. I'm so motivated and I'm in a much better physical condition than I have been at any other time. I'm also really happy to be driving for AT&T Williams. I've settled in well, and I already feel like I've been here five years!
We covered a lot of miles with the car during winter testing, working on reliability during the first few tests and then some upgrades for Bahrain at the final two. In terms of set-up, reliability and drivability of the engine, we've done a good job. The car has improved a lot and the team have done well preparing me so I'm completely familiar with everything heading into the first race.
I think we’re strong, I'm optimistic, but it is very hard to draw a conclusion as to where we are so I'm going to wait and see. It's going to be a fantastic season with the new teams, the new drivers and the new regulations.
Nico Hülkenberg
Being a Formula One driver is a great feeling and I'm very excited about going to Bahrain. I learnt a lot as the team's test driver, which has prepared me well for the season ahead. Working in the factory has also helped give me more of a technical understanding of the car, it won't make me quicker, but it will help me with set-up.
Winter testing was good for us. Having completed a good amount of mileage, we are well placed going into the season. The Cosworth engine is also looking strong; it's powerful and reliable. We have potential, but we have to wait to see where the competition is. It's going to be an exciting season and I can't wait to start it!
A cutting edge facility located where once there was only desert, Sakhir hosted the Middle East's inaugural world championship grand prix in 2004. The predominantly medium-speed corners aren't particularly taxing, but local conditions conjure other challenges. Drivers have to contend with fierce ambient heat and the circuit - extended this year, with a new series of corners between what were Turns Four and Five - can be quite slippery. Its surface is frequently sandblasted by strong winds that whip across the adjacent terrain.
Bahrain from a Technical Perspective
Kilos per lap: 2.37kg / 5km
Time loss per 5km of fuel: 0.07s/lap of fuel
Vmax: 303kph
Average speed: 210kph
Turn angle: 124°
Temperatures: Ambient 34°C / Track 42°C
Greatest power reduction: 1010 mbar pressure
Pitlane loss: 18.6 seconds
Pitlane length: 420m
Safety cars: 0.3 average per race
Circuit Statistics Legend
Kilos per lap: This indicates the amount of fuel required to complete a lap of each circuit normalised for a 5km lap, thereby indicating the relative fuel demands of each circuit.
Time loss per 5km of fuel: This metric indicates the relative penalty at each circuit of carrying 5km of fuel.
Vmax: The highest top speed at each circuit, one variable in the aero map for each track profile.
Average speed: Velocity averaged over the circuit distance, another variable in determining the aero map.
Average corner speed: In contrast to Vmax which indicates highest speeds achieved normally on the longest straight of the circuit, average corner speed indicates the aggregated speeds through all corners on any given circuit, providing an insight to the nature of the circuit profile.
Turn angle: Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit's corners expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute the corners in the circuit's configuration and the greater propensity for understeer to compromise lap time.
Temperatures: Average ambient and track temperatures have a bearing on many variables, from tyre warm-up to significant car cooling requirements. And if you need to open the bodywork for cooling, you have to consider the potential drag penalties.
Greatest power reductions: Air density has a bearing on engine power and the most influential factor in air density is air pressure, determined by the elevation above sea level.
Pitlane loss: The time lost (excluding stationery time) entering and exiting the pitlane, providing an indication of not just the pitlane length, but also its profile.
Pitlane length: The entry to exit distance of each pitlane.
Safety cars: A variety of past statistics indicates the likelihood of the safety car's possible intervention.
Bahrain From a Cosworth Engine Perspective
The Bahrain International Circuit is just 10m above sea level and has an average pressure (approx. 1,000mbar), so baseline engine power should be good. The circuit has been extended from 5.412km to 6.299km for this year’s event which will place different demands on engine performance.
The track still has four significant straights, including the main start-finish straight which is just over 1km in length, but the proportion of the lap spent at full throttle will be reduced. Engine power will play a pivotal role down the straights, particularly in the first and final sectors of the lap.
The new ‘Endurance’ section consists of eight corners over a distance of almost 0.9km, which will give the gearbox more of a workout and will also result in higher engine temperatures.
Combining that with the usually dry warm air in Bahrain will make it harder to cool the engine through this new section of the track. Drivers will therefore need to be mindful of maximising the flow of air to their car’s radiators and not spend too much time in the wake of cars ahead.
With refuelling no longer allowed, fuel efficiency will be a key factor in the outcome of the race, particularly with the longer track configuration. The potential tactic of running the engine lean to obtain greater fuel efficiency may exaggerate cooling problems and so finding clean air is likely to be a significant advantage.
-Williams F1 Team
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