Preview - European Grand Prix 2006.

The San Marino Grand Prix showed that Renault can be beaten and the Formula One field will be looking to repeat the feat this weekend when the European F1 season continues at the Nurburgring.

Michael Schumacher claimed his first true win in over a season at Imola and arrives on home soil on a high as he attempts to once again take the challenge to the young guns who so emphatically put the Ferrari man in his place last season as his title drifted away.

With Schumacher back to winning ways, it promises to be an interesting race weekend once again in Germany, with Fernando Alonso eager to try and extend his 15 point lead in the standings, Schumacher keen to make it two wins from two since F1 returned from the early 'fly-away' races and Kimi Raikkonen eager to avoid a repeat of the dramatic conclusion to the race twelve months ago - when suspension failure send him off into the gravel on the very last lap...

FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:

Easily the biggest news in the weeks since the San Marino Grand Prix is confirmation that Prodrive will be the twelfth team on the grid from 2008 - David Richards' company having been given the nod by the FIA to join the eleven current teams at the expense of entries from the likes of Paul Stoddart, Carlin and Direxiv. Work now starts for the Banbury based team to prepare for its F1 debut, with the plan being to develop a Prodrive chassis rather than purchase one 'off the shelf' as would be possible under new regulations.

Testing at Paul Ricard saw Toyota give a debut to the B-spec version of its TF106 - although the car won't compete at the Nurburgring - while Silverstone played host to a large scale test with eight teams on track for three days preparing for the British Grand Prix later in the summer. McLaren and Renault topped the times - the regie for two of the days - while Red Bull were left to wish that Vitantonio Liuzzi had remained with Scuderia Toro Rosso for the test after he destroys an RB2 in a high speed accident on day two.

In the driver market, Super Aguri announced the signing of former Renault test driver Franck Montagny to act as third driver for this weekends race amid mounting speculation over the future of Yuji Ide. The Japanese driver continued to struggle to adapt to Formula One in San Marino and was at fault for the incident that saw Christijan Albers Midland roll into the gravel trap on the first lap. On the back of his Imola victory, Michael Schumacher is rumoured to be considering continuing his career in F1 for another two seasons, while speculation continues that Kimi Raikkonen will be with the Scuderia next season.

Schumacher is also in the headlines as Honda launch a complaint to the FIA about the rear wing on the Ferrari 248 F1 although Ross Brawn insists that there is nothing untoward about the aerodynamics on the Imola race winning machine.

Away from the paddock, the BRDC are back in the news as 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill is unanimously elected as the new president of the organisation at the annual general meeting - the former Williams, Arrows and Jordan driver taking over from Jackie Stewart in the role.

NEWS FROM THE TEAMS:
Renault - Fernando Alonso (#1), Giancarlo Fisichella (#2):

While it was Ferrari who prevented Alonso claiming a third win of the season at Imola, the champion views McLaren as the team most likely to challenge this weekend in what will be a home race for engine supplier Mercedes.

Alonso claimed the victory at the 'Ring last season but it was more down to the misfortune of Kimi Raikkonen than his own performance after the Finn dominated the race only to retire at the start of the final when his suspension gave way and put him out of the race.

With Schumacher on a high after his win last time out - and the fact he is in his home race this weekend - Alonso is also not discounting the Ferrari man from fighting at the front in what he expects to be another hard fought race.

"We don't know at the moment how consistent Ferrari will be," he said. "So far, they have been strong at the same tracks as in 2005, and not so good at others. But it is too early to say if it will be the same this year, so we can't write them off - and Michael is racing in front of his people too.

"I am expecting a big fight again. I think the level of competition is much closer than the championship standings suggest, and there will be some big challengers. The Michelin tyres have performed very consistently at every circuit this year. They have done a great job, and it will be the same in Germany, I am sure, so we will see a big push from McLaren and Mercedes at their home race, as they are running on the same Michelin tyres as us."

Renault team-mate Fisichella endured a tough weekend in San Marino as he was caught out in qualifying and had to fight his way up from a lowly eleventh spot on the grid - eventually taking eighth place and a single point. The Nurburgring race was a tough one for Fisico last season as started from the pitlane but he remains confident for the race ahead, even though poor weather conditions are threatening to affect the weekend.

"The car was very quick at the track last year - I went from the pit-lane to P6 in the race - so we had strong pace and the Michelin tyres worked well," he said. "The car will be quick, like it has been at all the circuits, although I am sure the competition from the usual teams will be strong too. But we will fighting for the podium, and aiming to score the maximum points possible.

"It could be cold and raining at some point in the weekend, and maybe in the race, but I don't think it's a problem because I feel very comfortable in those conditions, and my smooth style works well in the wet. Michelin made a big step on their intermediate and wet tyres last year, so rain won't be a worry for me or the team. It is an interesting circuit, and it should suit the R26."

McLaren - Kimi Raikkonen (#3), Juan Pablo Montoya (#4):

McLaren has yet to taste victory in 2006 but Raikkonen and Montoya arrive at Mercedes' home race holding third and fourth in the championship standings. Last weeks test at Silverstone saw the team running near the top of the timesheets throughout and Raikkonen will be keen to try and show the pace he displayed during the 2005 running of the race once he takes the track. However, there is one thing that the Finn most certainly won't want to repeat...

"Following my exit on the final lap at the Nurburgring last year as a result of a flat spotted tyre, I am hoping to have a less dramatic race this year; however this track seems to always see exciting and close racing," he said.

"At Imola it was impossible to pass even if you had the pace, so hopefully we will be able to make the most of our strategy for the qualifying and race and get a good result here. Although it is not like some of the wider tracks such as Bahrain and Turkey, there are a couple of genuine chances to overtake at the Nurburgring, such as the chicane, the first corner with its wide entrance and also as you go into to the Mercedes Arena."

Team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya secured his first podium finish of the season two weeks ago in Imola to head to Germany in confident mood and with both drivers expected to fight near the front, Mercedes-Benz motorsport vice president Norbert Haug said he was eager to see the team battle for a home victory.

"We have always been fast at the 'Ring and last year we held the lead until the last lap, when Kimi's suspension broke due to vibrations he encountered since the halfway point of the race because of a flat-spotted tyre," he said. "To hold the same position through to the finish line would be the greatest reward for everybody in the team who had continuously worked hard since we began testing on 23 January."

Ferrari - Michael Schumacher (#5), Felipe Massa (#6):

On a high after his result in San Marino, Schumacher will be keen to try and build on his first win of the year and show that his Imola victory wasn't a one-off in the first of his home races. The Ferrari ace admits that his confidence is high going into this weekends race and the seven-time champion feels that he can make it two wins in a row at the 'Ring.

"Coming to Nurburgring is always special but this time I am happier than usual," he said. "In reality I hope to get a good result and put on a show for our many fans. I hope to get a good result and put on a show for our many fans. After Imola and the positive outcome of the test sessions, I am confident that we can challenge for the win and this would be a marked improvement on last year.

"Our set up this year is notably better and fills me with hope. The competition is tough but so are we. I think that our initial troubles are behind us, I believe that our initial troubles are behind us. I believe that we will be competitive and we would like to leave the circuit with a victory. I cannot wait for a tight battle."

Team-mate Felipe Massa heads to Germany on the back of his best finish yet for the team and having just missed out on the podium in San Marino, the Brazilian will hope to make further steps forward and challenge for the top three positions.

Toyota - Ralf Schumacher (#7), Jarno Trulli (#8):

A podium finish in Australia has been the high point for Schumacher so far in a tough season for Toyota, but in San Marino the German driver again found himself going home pointless from the weekend. However the pace displayed at Imola was still a vast improvement over the opening races of the year and Schumacher remains hopeful of a repeat of his Melbourne performance in both his and the teams' home race.

"We struggled on race day in Imola but our pace shows that we've made big steps forward since the start of the season," he said. "We initially struggled because our car concept made it difficult to get grip out of hard compounds in low temperatures. But we have worked hard on our set-up and we reaped the benefits for our podium in Melbourne. Now we hope to regain that good form with another good result at our home race. I won my first Formula Junior race at the track and I won the grand prix there in 2003. It will be great to have some of the people from the factory there. That support will be really appreciated so let's hope we can give them a result to cheer."

While Schumacher has struggled so far this year, he has at least managed to bring his car home in the points - something team-mate Jarno Trulli has yet to manage. The Italian has endured a wretched start to the year with he best result so far being a ninth place in Malaysia while a man viewed as one of the finest qualifiers has yet to start a race inside the top eight. With all that in mind, Trulli is keen to try and change his luck in this weekends race.

"I've had nothing but bad luck in the races so far this year so it's time for a change," he said. "Now that we have resolved our set-up problems we can concentrate on pushing the team forwards. At the Nurburgring the weather will be a crucial factor and I am glad to know the circuit well from my time in German F3. That experience helps to predict what the weather could do and to plan strategy, as it did when I finished second in a rain-affected race there in 1999. It would of course be great to challenge that high again.

"Our pace has been improving in recent races so we will push hard to try and maintain that momentum. I know that the package is good and it would be especially satisfying to perform well in front of the massed ranks of Toyota employees and fans."

Williams F1 - Mark Webber (#9), Nico Rosberg (#10):

As part of the team's on-going development programme, Webber and Rosberg will be both have further aerodynamic upgrades on their FW28s as Williams aims to add to its points tally this weekend in Germany. Although the new Cosworth package has proved to be quick, the pair have only scored eight points from the opening four races of the year but Webber said he was looking to use the reliability of the car to bring home a top eight finish this weekend.

"Although our qualifying and race pace at Imola was not particularly strong, the most positive outcome from the weekend was that we managed to get some reliability back into the car," he said. "Bridgestone has made good progress since the winter, but one of the biggest challenges we still face is getting the tyre selection correct for every event.

"We will have to wait and see how we fare against our main opposition at the Nurburgring, but we will, of course, look to optimise our strategy and tyre usage over the course of the weekend to get the best possible result."

Team-mate Rosberg will also look to improve his ever growing reputation at one of his home races and technical director Sam Michael said both Rosberg and Webber would be given more track time ahead of race day to try and secure the best result possible.

"The Nurburgring is a track at which Williams has traditionally performed well at and we are looking forward to a competitive weekend," he said. "Following our continual development programme, we will have some aerodynamic upgrades on the FW28 at this race to improve the cars' competitiveness again.

"Strategy will involve either a one or two stop race due to the current qualifying format, which means another reason to look after the tyres during the race. Bridgestone have bought two known casings and compounds here and they should work well regardless of the weather. We will be increasing our Friday afternoon programme with both the race drivers to give them more track running and set-up time at this GP."

Honda Racing F1 - Rubens Barrichello (#11), Jenson Button (#12):

After the disappointment of Imola, when he finished seventh despite starting on the front row of the grid, Button will be keen to try and get his season underway at the 'Ring. Despite qualifying no lower than third, the Briton has only finished on the podium once in the opening four races but the RA106 is a quick machine if Honda can dial out the problems they have suffered so far - leaving Button confident going into the weekend despite his relative lack of success at the venue in the past.

"Apart from a podium at the Nurburgring two years ago, I haven't had that much success at this track," he said. "It's a very low grip circuit with a lot of corners off-camber so when you arrive into the corner, it's vital to get the correct line. I think we are starting to see our race pace improve relative to our strong qualifying pace and we should feel positive as we head to Germany.

"We had a good couple of days testing at Silverstone in preparation for the next few races. I would say it has probably been one of our best tests this year, especially my second day when I was able to achieve significant mileage. We also did a lot of race distance work. In Imola we made a good step forward on this front and I think we will see that again at the Nurburgring."

Like Button, team-mate Barrichello went backwards once the race started in San Marino - trailing in tenth despite starting on the second row. With only one points finish so far since his move from Ferrari, the Brazilian would love to repeat some of his past successes this weekend.

"I always enjoy going to the Nurburgring, particularly as it is one of the tracks where I achieved a win, in 2002," he said. "We also worked really hard at Silverstone this week on the set-up of the car, and seeing the results, we are hoping for a strong performance at the Nurburgring."
Red Bull Racing - David Coulthard (#14), Christian Klien (#15):

Testing at Silverstone didn't necessarily go to plan for Red Bull Racing with Coulthard and Klien both restricted in the amount of running they did during the course of the session and Toro Rosso driver Liuzzi endearing himself to senior Red Bull management by destroying an RB2 chassis at Becketts when he went off into the barriers at high speed.

So far the team has failed to match the results of last season and all involved would be delighted if Coulthard was able to match his fourth place finish from last season. However the Scot himself admits that the team has a lot of work to do to have a car that is capable of regularly fighting for points and it could well be another frustrating weekend for all involved unless a number of the front-runners hit problems and find themselves unable to challenge.

For Klien it will be a return to racing action at the 'Ring after he missed the race last season while Liuzzi stepped into the second car and the Austrian will also aim to build on his current tally of a solitary point from the opening four races of the season. However like Coulthard, it remains to be seen whether or not he has the car underneath him with which to succeed.

BMW Sauber - Nick Heidfeld (#16), Jacques Villeneuve (#17):

BMW has had a steady - if not spectacular - start to the new season, but the San Marino GP was something of a disappointment as neither driver scored points - a result made all the more difficult to bear as it came after a double points finish in Australia.

However this coming weekend is one of the most vital for the team as BMW competes on home soil for the first time since the split from Williams F1 and team boss Mario Theissen is keen to see a repeat of the Albert Park display rather than that of two weeks ago at Imola.

"Needless to say, the two Formula One events in Germany are of special significance to BMW," he said. "Over the decades, BMW has celebrated spectacular racing triumphs on the Nurburgring. It is a textbook example of how to preserve a historic race track while at the same time implementing modern circuit architecture, and it offers a very special racing atmosphere.

"Because both engines made it to the finish in Imola after two race weekends, Jacques and Nick will be lining up with fresh, modified BMW P86 engines. The basic pace of the cars is there and if we succeed in converting that, we will have a chance of earning points in the Eifel."

Last season saw Heidfeld produce one of his strongest displays as he secured a maiden F1 pole position and followed it up with a second place finish in the race - making it back-to-back podiums having also finished second in Monaco. With the home fans set to cheer him on, the German driver is looking forward to the race this weekend.

"I've also done a lot of races on the Nurburgring - in Formula Ford, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and, ultimately, Formula One," he said. "I've really enjoyed every single race in the Eifel and also won a few. Last year I gained my first ever Formula One pole position there and came second in the race. Of course that kind of success before a home crowd was fantastic. I don't feel my home race puts unwanted pressure on me in the least. On the contrary, I'm really looking forward to the support I'll get there. Nowhere else will I see so many fans."

Team-mate Villeneuve isn't the biggest fan of the 'Ring and admits he would much rather race on the famous old Nordschleife. If only...

MF1 Racing - Tiago Monteiro (#18), Christijan Albers (#19):

Although Albers ended the last round of the F1 world championship on his head following a first lap roll in the San Marino Grand Prix, he remains optimistic that Midland can take another step forward this weekend following an extensive three-day programme at Silverstone which allowed Midland to evaluate new tyre compounds and technical upgrades.

With Spa having been removed from the calendar for the coming season, the European GP will also be the closest thing the Dutchman will have to a home race and with that in mind he is looking to try and secure an impressive result.

"I am happy to be in the car again after my big shunt and, hopefully, we can make a good start this time around and be in a better position to move up the field," he said. "I know the Nurburgring quite well, having enjoyed a fair bit of success there during my F3 and DTM days and, since the Belgian GP will not be staged this year, this race is more or less my home round, being the closest one to Holland.

"I am sure that there will be plenty of Dutch fans in attendance, which always makes me proud. Seeing all the orange in the grandstands gives me a boost - some extra motivation to do my very best and give something back to the fans and the hard-working members of my team. Their support is very important to me, and they deserve nothing less than my maximum effort."

Team-mate Monteiro is also in upbeat mood heading into the weekend on the back of the Silverstone test with the Portuguese driver confident that there will be an improved turn of pace from the M16 in Germany - although he admits that moving up the order won't be easy.

"After the race in Imola, the team and I had a good three days of testing at Silverstone, with many laps run and some good data gained from all the tyre testing we did," he said. "We are pretty happy with our tyre choice for the N?rburgring, a track where you need lots of traction to put in quick times, especially coming out of the hairpin corners. We're also confident of making a little improvement, speed-wise, after this test and I hope it will be reflected on track this weekend.

"With so many strong teams in F1 this year, it won't be an easy task to move up the grid. I am also aware that we need to find some more speed, especially in qualifying. But we are a resilient team, and we will continue to fight with everything we have."

Scuderia Toro Rosso - Vitantonio Liuzzi (#20), Scott Speed (#21):

Toro Rosso have yet to achieve the results that the team may well have been hoping for with its restricted V10 powerplants but both Liuzzi and Speed have shown flashes of pace in the opening races of the year. Liuzzi completed his limited test with the senior squad at Silverstone and will look to bring any information he gleaned from that back to the junior outfit, while Speed will hope to repeat his performance in Australia when he looked set to open the STR account only to lose his single point after the race.

However, he admits that the chances for the team to steal points from the big boys are disappearing race-by-race and STR has to grab them while they are available.

"I think Nurburgring is going to be our best chance to pick up points this season," he said. "Why? Because the track characteristics might suit our package, we'll have a fresh engine, but most of all because it's still fairly early in the season. The development of the bigger teams is beginning to take off now, so we need to strike while the irons hot as they say. However, to be honest, it's cooling fast."

Super Aguri F1 - Takuma Sato (#22), Yuji Ide (#23):

Super Aguri head to Germany for its fifth race aiming to try and put mileage on the SA05 as work continues on getting the new SA06 ready for its debut race. As the only team not to have tested in the two week gap since San Marino, the team will field a third car for the first time at the 'Ring with ex-Renault tester Franck Montagny given the job of driving the car.

"As most people know, we have been busy preparing our new car, the SA06," team principal Aguri Suzuki said. "As a result it would have been very hard for us to test last week with our limited resources, so we have decided to run a third car with Franck Montagny in Germany in order to collect more the data from SA05.

"We are happy to have Franck back with the team as his experience and knowledge will be of great help in addition to the valuable information fed back to us from Takuma and Yuji. We will have a new aero package and Bridgestone tyres to test at the European Grand Prix, so we are looking forward to another challenging weekend."

Team leader Takuma Sato has only failed to finish once so far this season and will aim to again bring his car to the finish in Germany on a circuit he enjoys while Yuji Ide will look to relieve some of the pressure on him for his performances so far in his brief F1 career.

"I am new to Formula One and have had very little running in the car, so I have been trying to drive safely and to improve with every race," Ide explained. "For the European Grand Prix I have been studying the N?rburgring circuit very closely by watching videos of the past races and learning the race lines. I am looking forward to the race and hopefully will be able to show some improvements."

TYRES:

Michelin find themselves in an unfamiliar position heading to the 'Ring having failed to win the previous race in San Marino. With the German circuit traditionally affected by differing weather conditions, tyre choice could well be a critical factor in who comes out on top.

Although he admitted that the expected variable weather will make it difficult to select the correct tyre, Formula One director Nick Shorrock said the company wasn't worried by the prospect of rain after a strong showing in wet conditions in Australia earlier in the season.

"Traditionally, it is difficult selecting tyre compounds for this track because the weather tends to be variable - and that might be more of a factor than ever this time, because the race is taking place three weeks earlier than it did last season," he said. "As a result, the tyres require a fairly broad operating spectrum - that's to say they have to be fast and consistent even if the weather forecasts are 100 per cent inaccurate, as they were at Imola. On the evidence of previous seasons, conditions could border on freezing yet could just as easily nudge 30?C.

"As for the possibility of rain, that holds no worries - the lap times our partners recorded during free practice for the Australian Grand Prix indicated just how much progress Michelin has made in that domain. Aside from its meteorological difficulties, the Nurburgring is not a particularly demanding track on a technical level and the asphalt is not too abrasive. We need to take care getting our tyre preparation right, however, because the circuit has a tendency to promote graining. It provides more overtaking possibilities than Imola and we analysed its blend of corners and straights very carefully when developing suitable tyres."

After Schumacher's win in Imola, Bridgestone and its teams are keen to keep up the winning momentum in Germany. However, the European Grand Prix is taking place several weeks earlier this year due to the impending World Cup meaning new challenges await the teams and tyre manufacturers.

With that in mind, Bridgestone has been busy working in the two week gap since San Marino, with Ferrari testing at Fiorano and Paul Ricard, Toyota also joining them at the French circuit and Williams and MF1 Racing running at Silverstone.

"After the win at Imola it is important that we keep pushing forward with developments for our teams," Bridgestone motorsport technical manager Hisao Suganuma said. "Recent tests at Paul Ricard and Fiorano have been particularly helpful for the forthcoming race, especially as we had wet conditions on some days. The European Grand Prix is earlier in the season than normal and its mountainous climate could mean cool, as well as wet, weather. We have therefore taken this into account when deciding the specification of wet tyre for this race. The Paul Ricard test also allowed us to further our dry tyre comparisons of compounds and constructions.

"The success of the Bridgestone tyres at the San Marino GP recently played a large influence when making the decisions for the dry tyre specifications for the Nurburgring round. The compounds come from the softer side of our range due to the track's relatively smooth surface and expected cooler weather conditions. Grip in the first set of corners will be especially important. With the uncertainty over the weather we shall also need our tyres to perform in a relatively wide working range."

THE TRACK:
Race Distance: 60 laps - Circuit Length 3.199 miles (5.148km)

Germany's Nurburgring is decidedly tame by comparison to its intimidating 14 mile, 174 corner predecessor - the world famous Nordschleife. Further changes to the old track came in 2002 when the first turn was reprofiled to cut into the infield and around a new stadium section, slowing the track even more, but yielding another overtaking spot.

The circuit remains a fairly high downforce track that is light on both brakes and tyres. To achieve a competitive lap time here requires all the normal chassis attributes: good traction (particularly out of the hairpins), good chassis balance and stability under braking, and the best possible compromise between downforce and straight-line speed.

The Nurburgring has the full mixture of slow through to high-speed corners, from the revised first turn, hairpin and chicane, to the double medium-speed 'S' bends and the very high speed 'S' after the hairpin. It also features a lot of undulation change, which is unusual for most modern circuits. As the circuit is situated close to the Eifel Mountains, weather can often play a major role in the outcome of races.

THE WINNER?

A tough one to call as ever, but expect the usual suspects to emerge at the front with Alonso, Schumacher and Raikkonen the main protagonists for victory. Fisichella, Montoya and Button will also hope to fight for the win - although past history shows that predictions can easily go out of the window as the field funnels into the tight right hander that starts a lap of the Nurburgring.

LAST SEASON:

Fernando Alonso played second best to Kimi Raikkonen for 58 of the 59 laps last season but stole victory when the Finn's right front wheel let go in spectacular style on the final lap.

Raikkonen had led from the start and, apart from the pit-stops and an uncharacteristic off mid-race, wasn't headed until he began to suffer the effects of a flat-spotted tyre in the closing stages.

Weighing up the options - to play it safe and pit to chance the tyre or risk staying on track and going for the win as Alonso closed in - McLaren decided not to throw away its chances of victory and keep everything crossed as the laps ticked down. Raikkonen's reduced pace, and Alonso's scent of victory ensured that the grandstands were kept on edge, the gap between the leading pair falling at over a second a lap when backmarkers allowed.

However, going into the final lap with a lead of 1.5 seconds, Raikkonen's suspension finally gave way, with a front wheel flapping around at the end of its tether as the McLaren spun, narrowly missed one of the BARs and buried itself in the turn one gravel - handing Alonso win number four of the season.

Pole-sitter Nick Heidfeld ultimately inherited second place while third went the way of Rubens Barrichello - one of only four podium finishes he would pick up during his final season with Ferrari. David Coulthard took fourth for Red Bull, despite incurring a drive-thru' penalty for pit-lane speeding, while Michael Schumacher claimed fifth, despite running off the road in the latter stages. Giancarlo Fisichella, in sixth and closing on the Ferrari, had had to start from the pit-lane, and Juan Montoya had been the airborne victim of the traditional first corner shunt, before continuing to take seventh. Jarno Trulli, in eighth, was also penalised after his mechanics were late leaving the grid.

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1hr 36mins 46.648secs 59 laps
2. Nick Heidfeld Germany Williams-BMW +16.5secs
3. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +18.5secs
4. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth +31.5secs
5. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari +50.4secs
6. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault +51.8secs
7. Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes +58.1secs
8. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +71.0secs