Soon after the checkered flag fell on Michael Schumacher’s winning Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix, Formula One teams were racing to pack up their cars and equipment to be shipped from Montreal to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the United States Grand Prix on June 20.
With just a few days between the two events, there was no time to lose. Some of the freight, including the team’s pit equipment, will be flown straight from Montreal to Indianapolis, with the first delivery due today June 15, while the chassis will follow on Wednesday, June 16, leaving the mechanics just one-and-a half days to rebuild the cars.
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team brought 23 tons of equipment to North America, and that did not include the three race cars. In addition, BMW shipped seven tons of material, including 12 engines.
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Williams and Toyota vow to fight back at Indianapolis:
After having their cars disqualified from the Canadian Grand Prix because they failed technical inspection after the race, BMW WilliamsF1 Team and Panasonic Toyota Racing have vowed to put the issue behind them and fight back at the upcoming United States Grand Prix.
Williams drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya originally finished second and fifth, respectively, while Cristiano da Matta and Olivier Panis had crossed the line in eighth and 10th places, respectively, in their Toyotas. All four drivers were disqualified.
“It’s happened, and there’s nothing to do about it,” Montoya told Reuters. “We’ll keep working, and we hope to make up for it next weekend in Indy.”
All four cars failed to meet article 11.4 of the rulebook that says air ducts for the front and rear brakes must not protrude beyond a plane parallel to the ground situated 160 mm (6.3 inches) above or below the horizontal centerline of the wheels.
“The front brake ducts of Ralf and Juan Pablo’s cars are not in accordance with the regulations,” Williams Technical Director Sam Michael said. “It was a mistake, and it was unintentional. There was no performance gain and no gain for brake cooling because the inlet area was not bigger. However, the ducts are not in compliance with the technical regulations. Therefore we accept the FIA’s decision.”
Ralf Schumacher had started the race from the pole, and his second place was his first podium finish of the season.
“What have I done to deserve this?” he lamented in a statement released after he was disqualified. “Breaking the rules is breaking the rules and this is what matters. I have to accept it even if it is obviously very difficult to accept. In my hotel, they were very nice and left a big bottle of champagne in my room, but I think that I’m going to drink more with some friends just to forget.”
The Toyota team believed that the dimensions of its brake ducts were within acceptable tolerances.
“We intended to appeal against the disqualification imposed by the Stewards of the Meeting; however, we were unable to meet the FIA appeal deadline,” said John Howett, president of Toyota Motorsports. “I must stress that the alleged technical infringement resulted in absolutely no increase in our performance level during today’s race. The brake ducts on our race cars were still within a generally accepted tolerance level.
“We reluctantly accept this unpleasant penalty and must now look to next week’s Grand Prix in Indianapolis.”
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First points:
Rookie Timo Glock made his F1 debut in Canada driving for the Jordan-Ford team. He replaced Giorgio Pantano, who didn’t race because of personal reasons. Pantano is expected to be back in the car for the United States Grand Prix.
After the four drivers were disqualified, Glock was promoted from 11th to seventh place and thus scored two points in his Grand Prix debut.
“What an unbelievable development,” Glock said. “I can’t explain how it feels to find out I scored two points in my first-ever F1 race. It was a long race. At the end, it was pretty hard for me because I had some problems with my back on account of the seat.”
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Fabulous Indy fans:
Two-time U.S. Grand Prix winner Michael Schumacher said he enjoys the atmosphere at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I look forward to it,” he said. “It was quite an excitement last year at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. There was a lot of emotion going on among the fans and a lot of competition amongst different camps. It was great to see.”
Having back-to-back races in North America has saved the teams and drivers from having to make two trips across the Atlantic.
“The good thing about that is you don’t have to go back and forth with the jet lag,” Schumacher said. “In that respect, we can stay out and enjoy the country.”
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Montoya’s fans:
One of the most passionate and vocal contingent of fans at the United States Grand Prix are those cheering for 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner and current Williams-BMW driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
“It really is nice to see that,” Montoya said. “It is exciting. It would be good if you could win a race in front of all those people.”
Montoya’s best finish in the United States Grand Prix is fourth in 2002.
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Tradition resumes:
With the United States Grand Prix moving from September to June this year, this marks this first time that the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and the F1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have taken place back-to-back. But it’s not the first time that F1 races in the U.S. and Canada have been paired together.
Canada’s Mosport Park track near Toronto and the U.S. Watkins Glen track in upstate New York played host to consecutive Grand Prix races in late September/early October from 1968-78, with 1975 as an exception.
In 1979, Montreal replaced Mosport as the home of the Canadian Grand Prix and played host to a race the week before the Watkins Glen event in 1979 and in 1980.
In 1981, the September Montreal race preceded the U.S. Grand Prix staged at the new Las Vegas venue.
In 1982, the U.S. Grand Prix moved to the Detroit street circuit with a June date. From 1982-89 (with the exception of 1987 when there was no Canadian Grand Prix), the U.S. and Canada conducted back-to-back Grands Prix in June.
During these times, the U.S. also played host to Grand Prix races in Long Beach, Calif., and Dallas, but those events were not paired with the Canadian Grand Prix.
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Fittipaldi visits:
Emerson Fittipaldi, winner of the 1989 and 1993 Indianapolis 500s and the 1972 and 1974 World Championships, visited the F1 paddock in Montreal.
He won 14 Grands Prix during his career, and his first F1 victory came in the 1970 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
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Formula BMW USA winners:
Jonathan Summerton won round three of the Formula BMW USA race that took place June 12 as part of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. Red Bull F1 Driver Search winner Matt Jaskol took the victory in round four June 13.
Graham Rahal, son of Bobby Rahal, who won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 as a driver and the 2004 Indy 500 as the team co-owner of Buddy Rice’s car, and Federico Montoya, brother of Williams-BMW driver Juan Pablo Montoya, are competing in the series.
Montoya finished ninth and 13th, while Rahal finished 12th and 14th, respectively, in rounds three and four.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to rounds five and six of the Formula BMW USA series on June 19-20 as part of the United States Grand Prix weekend.
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Villeneuve to test Williams:
1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve may test for Williams-BMW later this season as the team considers it choices of drivers for 2005.
“He’s as aggressive as ever,” team owner Sir Frank Williams said of Villeneuve in an interview with The Journal de Montreal. “He was very fired up, very determined to get back on the track. We have a list of potential drivers; Jacques is on the list.”
Villeneuve drove for Williams from 1996-98 and then raced for BAR from 1999-2003.
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McLaren’s new car:
While the first test of the new West McLaren Mercedes MP4-19B was encouraging, the team decided that the car needed more testing and did not bring it to North America for the Grands Prix of Canada and the United States. The 19B is a heavily revised version of the current 19 car that has been unreliable and uncompetitive for drivers Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard.
“We addressed the issues we hoped to address with that car (the 19), so we are pleased that it is a step forward,” said McLaren’s F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh. “Whether it is enough remains to be seen. We have got to bring it to the racetrack as soon as we can. It is very tempting, and I suppose encouraging, that I have received all sorts of pressure from the drivers and from my chairman (Ron Dennis) to have it here or in Indianapolis.
“The reality is, in Formula One you have to work in a very careful and consistent manner. We have an important test in Jerez after Indianapolis, where we will have two 19Bs. We have got to make sure that rather than knee-jerk into bringing a car to the circuit before it is properly developed that we do the right amount of work on the test track.”
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No time off for Trulli:
Mild Seven Renault driver Jarno Trulli will be busy during the time between the races in Montreal and Indianapolis as he will promote the range of wines now sold under his label.
“I enjoy the lifestyle in Canada and America,” he said. “It is more relaxed, very friendly, and it is good to get out of Europe for a little while. The two tracks we race at are quite different to what we have in this part of the season, so that will be another challenge. And then I will actually be working between the races, trying to develop my wine in America. So it will be a busy few weeks!”
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A long way to go:
With the upcoming United States Grand Prix being the midpoint of the season, Ferrari is not going to ease off despite winning seven of the first eight races of 2004.
“There is still a long way to go given that only after Indianapolis will we have passed the mid-point of the season, and that we are up against strong and well-organized opponents,” said Ferrari’s sporting director Jean Todt. “We can be relied on, along with our technical partners, especially Bridgestone and Shell, to continue to give it our all, and our motivation is very high. If possible, we will try to do even better.”
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Tickets: Tickets for the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis on June 20 are on sale. Fans can order tickets online at indianapolismotorspeedway.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or at the ticket office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
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