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Canadian GP: A day with Red Bull Racing

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Khatir Soltani
2:00 pm
The V-8s are started and the cars exit the garage. After just two laps, they are back. The carbon brakes are heavily solicited on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit and they're so hot that they can catch fire at any moment. One mechanic holds a fire extinguisher, just in case.

2:23 pm
After a second run, Coulthard complains about the downshifting under braking, especially at the hairpin corner. "You're looking into that," replies Rocky. But Guillaume's main concern is the overall lack of grip.

2:45 pm
"The car understeers on the entry, and understeers again under power," says DC to Rocky. The team adds a few kilos if fuel in the car. In Formula 1, the amount of fuel added is calculated by weight, not by volume.

3:07 pm
After another run, Coulthard complains of the general lack of grip. Rocquelin decides to change the basic set-up. "We're going to drop the car all around," he tells Coulthard. However, the work required more than scheduled...

3:25 pm
There's only 5 minutes left in the session and the work on DC's RB4 is not finished yet. "Boys, if we can't finished that in the next 10 seconds, forget it..." he says by radio.

3:29 pm
With just 20 seconds to run in the session, Coulthard's engine is fire and he exits the garage. He has the time to complete just one lap but he misses his braking under the bridge and goes straight onto the grass. Webber is 7th, DC is 12th.

That is Formula 1 at its best. The teams work extremely hard under intense pressure and the mechanics never surrender. On Sunday, Team Red Bull Racing was rewarded by the splendid 3rd place of David Coulthard.



photo:René Fagnan - Auto123.com
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada