Rainmaster Narain manages 44 laps; Hopes for rain

David Bodapati June 9, 2012

421 4 minutes read

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal
Friday, 8th of June 2012
Weather: FP1: Sunny – Air 24ºC, Track 28ºC

10.00 – 11.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 1
Pedro de la Rosa F112-02 #22 20th (26 laps) 1’18.182
Narain Karthikeyan F112-03 #23 22nd (23 laps) 1’19.354

14.00 – 15.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 2
Pedro de la Rosa F112-02 #22 21st (27 laps) 1’18.908
Narain Karthikeyan F112-03 #23 23rd (21 laps) 1’19.378

The first day of the Canadian Grand Prix got underway today at the legendary Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. In the morning the team focused on testing the two types of tyres, softs and supersofts, since the forecast was for rain in the afternoon. Both drivers put in a good performance and Pedro de la Rosa finished the session in 20th, completing 26 laps, and Narain Karthikeyan in 22nd after 23 laps, finishing ahead of their main rivals, said a HRT release.

HRT car pic Canada GP7 7Jun2012 img — HRT car in the Friday practice at the Canadian GP in Montreal. HRT pic.

In the afternoon the team continued to test the upgrades which were specifically brought for this Grand Prix, especially the rear wing which was designed for this circuit, and they responded as expected, completing the planned programme. The only down side was that Narain suffered some problems with the front left brake which forced him to come into the garage to not force the issue. De la Rosa finished the session in 21st position and Karthikeyan in 23rd.

The bitter side of the day took place towards the end of the first practice session when the number 1 mechanic on Pedro’s car, Craig Stubley, suffered an accident in pitstop practice. Fortunately it was just a scare and he only suffered some bruising and a swollen right knee.

Pedro de la Rosa: “it looks like we’ve taken a significant step forward here in Montreal. Our set-up is working well, our top speed is good and, overall, the car is working well. I’m happy that my mechanic is well, it’s a huge relief because I was very worried for him. We were quicker than the Marussia’s in the morning and the afternoon but both the car and myself can improve. The rise in temperature expected for tomorrow is good for us we’re struggling to heat up the tyres in the last sector and that will help us”.

Narain Karthikeyan: “Today wasn’t a bad day, we made some changes to the car and it responded quite well. We improved a lot from the morning to the afternoon and we got the most out of what we had but we still have to improve tomorrow. I had a problem with the front left brake which didn’t allow me to do a heavy fuel run so we’ll have to work on that for tomorrow”.
Earlier, Narain said: “The Canadian Grand Prix is a race only because it is a cross between a street circuit without loopholes, like Monaco, and a road course. I really like the track and finished the wild last year’s race in 14th position, before receiving a penalty. The weather conditions are often unstable in Montreal, so maybe that will give us a chance. In addition, we bring a new rear wing being a low downforce circuit. We must continue to progress, as we did in Monaco, reducing the distance from the top and our rivals. ”

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal, said: “Before anything I would like to say that we’re very relieved because our mechanic, Craig, is well after this morning’s incident as we were all very worried. As for the racing, we tried out the wing that we specifically brought for this circuit and it seems like the car’s balance is good and it’s working as expected. Our only weak point was the brakes but it’s something we’re going to continue working on to improve. We’re comfortably inside the 107%, so this is confirmation that the wing is working well. Tomorrow we will evaluate again how the upgrades are performing but we’re running well”.

Earlier, a HRT press release said: The Formula 1 World makes a quick stop in Montreal, in full European season, to dispute the Canadian Grand Prix. The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve brings back fond memories for HRT Formula 1 Team and it was here that the Spanish team achieved the best result in its history in 2011 when Tonio Liuzzi crossed the line in 13th, after an epic race that lasted 4 hours 4 minutes 39 seconds by heavy rains, making it the longest Grand Prix in the history of Formula 1. The team arrives in Canada after securing his best result so far this season after the 15 th position in Monaco and Narain Karthikeyan will look to continue in this line up.

The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is a track that combines long straights with slow corners, testing the reliability of the cars. Cooling and braking stability are fundamental and tire degradation is high by the constant acceleration and hard braking.

Pirelli has chosen his soft tires and super-soft for this Grand Prix.

Pedro de la Rosa: “The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve really like and have always had good races there. The races are very open, with many opportunities for overtaking under braking as the first corner and the last chicane. Asphalt has a very large developments throughout the weekend, making it a very special circuit in the way of running the tires. The hardest part is learning to play the track. With a good top speed, braking and traction can be competitive and it is important to a tune similar to Monaco to make the car go faster cornering. arrived with a new rear wing of low demand, especially designed for Canada, and intended to continue our progression of Monaco. After my retirement in Monte Carlo, I have even more desire to do well in Canada. “

Luis Perez-Sala, Team Principal: “In Montreal runs one of the most iconic Grand Prix. As a pilot I liked because it was a different circuit, with many braking and acceleration and several places to overtake. For the computer is also a site especially because this was achieved the best result in team history last year. In Monaco we did well and this circuit may also be favorable because our car performs well in braking and traction have improved, which are two important aspects Canada. Our weakest point is the fast corners and here are few. The biggest handicap may be not having KERS, but we bring a special rear wing for this circuit that we hope to become more competitive. We have been encouraged after the success achieved in Monaco, Narain wants to continue its momentum and Peter gets more motivated than ever after his good performance throughout the weekend ended in abandonment. “

ends