As the Formula One circus reaches the historic racetrack, we thought we'd discover what the Silverstone meant to our very own LRGP staff…

Sarah, merchandising and licensing co-ordinator: "It makes me feel very proud, very British. It's great to have a Grand Prix in your home country and the British fans are great, some of the best, probably!"

Simon, race engineer: "It's kind of strange because it's the only Grand Prix of the season where I come home in the evening. It's also really nice; this year, for example I'll get the chance to go out for dinner with my parents on the Saturday night. Normally you go into a routine hotel-circuit-hotel. So in a funny sort of way I find it a little bit weird…"

Gemma, race team secretary: "It's nice because we have a lot of people from the factory saying 'I'm going to the Grand Prix this weekend' and of course we give as many guys as possible the opportunity to visit the paddock. There's definitely more talk about the GP around the factory than for any other track, and, in a way, because it is held around the corner people feel even more involved than usual"

Dan, mechanic: "Silverstone is the first circuit I ever went to as a member of the public. It was in 1999, I was with a friend from New Zealand. David Coulthard won that year and I also remember Michael Schumacher's crash when he broke his leg. So it was the first time I'd ever seen a F1 car going around a circuit. I was very impressed, we sat opposite the podium. I also remember that I got really sunburnt that day!"

Shaun in non-destructive testing: "I've got a number of good memories from Silverstone. I once met Arnold Schwarzenegger there, I think it was for the launch of Terminator 3 and they had an Apache helicopter there. "

Paul, engineering coordinator: "Silverstone is definitely special. It's our home Grand Prix and we race in front of our countrymen. The crowds are great, there are a lot of Union Jack flags…it is always very enjoyable. I also have a personal memory as I was working on Johnny Herbert's car the year he won the British GP. It was great, my wife was there that year and it was pretty special."

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Just the one point in Valencia, the team must have been looking for a stronger weekend?

It was obviously a disappointing weekend, which was not reflective of our level of performance and the level of work and dedication that the team has been putting in. I'm hopeful that we have understood why we didn't have the right pace and got to the bottom of our problems. We will continue to work closely together, and stick together, to make sure we get stronger and stronger.

There was more overtaking in the race than we had seen in previous years – is that proof that Formula One has become a better spectacle this year?

Yes, I know there were a lot of comments in the media about the Valencia race. Perhaps it was not as dramatic as some of the others this season, but still I think it was a good show and we definitely had an excellent level of reliability from all the team's cars this weekend. It's clear, however, that not every race can be as hectic as the one we saw in Montreal.

Looking ahead to the British Grand Prix, what would it mean to have a strong race here on home turf?

I think it's important as an English company, and as an English F1 team, to do well at your home race because there's more local attention. It's also a tough fight because most teams on the grid are English as well, so it makes it even more exciting. The Silverstone track layout is very good, and we've seen many overtaking manœuvres here in the past so we can expect a strong show and a spectacular race. Obviously we are looking forward to seeing the new complex, which should make this event an even greater success.

Regarding the new regulations – about the engine mapping - what effect will this have from Silverstone?

It's a complicated issue and difficult to state their exact impact just yet. What's certain is that we need to anticipate the changes to the regulations in the best way we can. It will definitely affect every single team, and it's up to us and our engineers to cope better than our competitors with the changes.

Silverstone is known for its fast corners – will that suit the car well?

Considering the races in Monaco and Valencia and our performance there, we can definitely expect the high speed corners to suit our car much better.

We're eight races into the season – what's your verdict of Lotus Renault GP's year so far?

My feelings are quite mixed; we had a very strong start to the season with a couple of podiums, but obviously we have now had a few races where we haven't performed as well as we need to. We know we have to react well; we think we have a clear understanding of what may have gone wrong and we've started to correct it. If our car was so good at the beginning of the season, we must be able to get that level of performance back for the remaining 11 races. Now is a good time to really, really push and comprehend why we haven't been able to keep our pace relative to the other teams on the grid.

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LRGP's Technical Director looks forward to seeing how the R31 will fare at one of Formula One's classic races – the British Grand Prix.

What can we expect at Silverstone?

After three races with only slow speed corners it will be interesting to get back on to a circuit with several challenging high and medium speed corners. As has been extensively discussed, the changes to the engine management rules will make it tricky to know exactly how the car will stack up relative to our competitors, but I am hopeful that we will adapt quickly to the challenge. Another possible area of interest is that we may face a situation, like in Barcelona, where it is better to stay in the garage than it is to use any of the Option tyres in qualifying.

What are the challenges of Silverstone?

Silverstone is one of the classic F1 circuits. Compared with the last few Grand Prix races, it offers a very wide range of challenging corners which range from fiercely quick to quite slow and technical. Having such a large difference between the fast and slow places a heavy demand on both the driver and his race engineering team to extract the most from the car. In addition, there is always the capricious British weather to contend with.

How have the changes of the circuit in the last few years made a difference?

Last year's modification did not really change the essential nature of the track very much; there was a nasty bump in the middle of a fast corner where the old circuit joined the new, but we understand this has been smoothed down somewhat now. Having a new pit complex may change the time lost in the pit lane, which may in turn have a marginal effect on the strategy choices – we will figure all that out in free practice.

How much of a change is it having the race just down the road from the factory?

Once the race weekend gets under way for the race team it makes little difference that the track is in our own back yard – they have their heads down at the circuit. For the guys in the factory it is an opportunity to see the car in action, and it is also much easier to rush a new component to the track at the last minute.

How do the new qualifying engine mapping restrictions affect the team?

The changes caused some bureaucratic headaches for the team but there is little performance effect on the configuration of the car.

The full force of the FIA note relating to engine mapping comes into force at Silverstone - can you tell us more about the new situation?

The headline changes for the Silverstone GP are as follows: when the driver lifts his foot fully off the throttle pedal, then the ECU maps must be set up so that the engine [to all intents and purposes] closes the throttle – previously it was possible to configure the engine maps to leave the throttle open and reduce the engine power by other means. Furthermore, when the driver lifts fully off the throttle, the ECU maps must be configured to cut off the fuel supply to the engine – this is intended to prevent so called "hot blowing" where the energy of the exhaust gas is increased by combustion.

How do you feel this will impact LRGP relative to the other teams?

It is not easy to judge the effect of this change on our competitiveness. The loss for each blown floor car will come from two separate effects – how much downforce will be lost and, in addition, how much will the loss of this downforce upset the balance of the car. All blown floor cars will lose downforce under braking as a result of these new restrictions. Some teams will lose more and some teams less; it is hard to know exactly what relative loss LRGP will suffer. However, it is possible that we will suffer less on the balance shift side of the equation because our forward exit exhausts produce their effect quite near the middle of the car. This means that as the exhaust blow waxes and wanes, it does not really disturb the aerobalance of the car too much. With a rearward blower, the downforce from the exhaust is all generated at the rear axle. As the new rules reduce the blowing effect on corner entry much more than corner exit, it is possible that the rearward blowers will tend to suffer more nervousness under braking and more understeer on exit as a result of the new restrictions. We will find out at Silverstone!

http://www.lotusrena...-Tech-Talk.html

Qualifying: P9, 1:38.781, 17 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05

Qualifying: P11, 1:39.068, 14 laps

It was a Qualifying session of mixed fortunes for Lotus Renault GP, with Nick finishing in P9 whilst Vitaly just missed out on a place in Q3, finishing in eleventh.

In considerably hotter conditions than were experienced during yesterday's free practice sessions, Nick managed to secure his place in Q3 despite not posting a time in the final session.

Assuring himself of a place in the top 10 after posting best times of 1.39.877 in Q1 and 1.38.781 in Q2, he did not run in the final session on hearing that Adrian Sutil would not be competing.

Vitaly, meanwhile, posted a time of 1.39.690s in Q1 and then 1.39.068s in Q2, just three hundredths short of Sutil who finished in P10.

Sebastian Vettel secured yet another pole position with a time of 1.36.975s, almost two tenths quicker than his Australian team mate Mark Webber.

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P9, 1:38.822, 17 laps

Nick Heidfeld, R31-04

P10, 1:39.113, 15 laps

Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov completed their preparations for the European Grand Prix at Valencia with a productive third session of free practice ahead of this afternoon's hour of qualifying.

Nick was the fastest car on track early in the session as he and Vitaly evaluated the relative tyre performance of Pirelli's medium and soft compound P Zeros.

On the softs in the latter part of the session, Nick set a 1m 39.113s to end the session as tenth fastest, whilst Vitaly set a late 1m 38.822s to pip Nick to ninth spot.

Sebastian Vettel topped the times with a 1m 37.258s to head Ferrari duo Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

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Free Practice 1: P5, 1.41.580, 24 laps

Free Practice 2: P9, 1.39.040, 35 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05

Free Practice 1: P2, 1.41.227, 20 laps

Free Practice 2: P10, 1.39.586, 27 laps

Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov followed up their strong FP1 timings with top ten finishes during the second practice session at the European Grand Prix in Valencia today.

Both drivers trialed the Pirelli medium and soft compounds. Whilst on the soft compound, Nick managed to secure a best time of 1.39.040 leaving him in P9 whilst Vitaly clocked in with a 1.39.586 leaving him one place behind in P10.

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, set the fastest time of the afternoon with a 1.37.968. Lewis Hamilton finished in P2 whilst Championship leader Sebastian Vettel was third fastest.

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Nick Heidfeld, R31-04 Free Practice 1: P5, 1:41.580, 23 laps

Vitaly Petrov led the way for Lotus Renault GP on a cloudy first session of free practice for the European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia.

Using chassis R31-05, Vitaly went second fastest of the day so far as he worked through the standard programme for the first running of the weekend. His time of 1m 41.227s was just over eight-tenths slower than the fastest set today, showing there is still speed to be found.

Nick, in chassis R31-04 set the fifth fastest time. Neither driver encountered any problems today and set-up work found improvements in their cars through the session.

This is the first race weekend where Pirelli's new medium compound tyre will be faced, so a lot of time today is being spent understanding this tyre on the rapidly evolving Valencia street circuit.

Fastest today was Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber with a time of 1m 40.403s.

Tyre evaluation will be the focus of this afternoon's 90 minute practice as the drivers the medium and soft compound Pirellis. As with other street course, the track surface is always 'green' – dusty, dirty and not rubbered in - for the first session because it is so rarely used but it improves markedly over the course of the weekend.

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What are the key challenges in Valencia?

Valencia is dominated by low speed corners. Although there are a couple of fast corners, they are normally taken flat out so the challenge, therefore, is to get the car working well in slow corners. Furthermore, as this will be the first opportunity to run the new medium tyre compound in a Grand Prix, it will be important to get settled on it quickly and to establish a good race setup with it.

Valencia has not seen the greatest amount of overtaking in previous races – should this year be different?

I would expect it to be different this year, yes. The straight is long enough for DRS to function and there is likely to be a reasonably different level of performance from the two tyre compounds. This will lead to plenty of overtaking.

What evolutions and modifications are planned for the car?

As always, there will be a host of aero updates. The most significant of these will be a new top rear wing with a bigger DRS switching effect. This will bring outright lap time in qualifying and offer better overtaking potential during the race.

How do you evaluate the performance of the R31 in wet and variable conditions at the Canadian GP?

We were not very happy with the performance of the car on either the full wet or the intermediate tyres. However, once we got on to the dry tyres at the end of the race we looked much more in the hunt and were able to make inroads on all but the top two cars.

Nick and Vitaly both looked very strong in Montreal – how difficult is it to make strategy calls in conditions like those experienced there?

We looked OK on the dry tyres, but while on the wet weather rubber we were kept in the race as a result of a good reading of the rain radar and good strategy calls. In changeable conditions like we saw there, it is extremely difficult to make the correct decisions all the time as there is a degree of luck involved. All that Alan Permane (Chief Engineer) and Matthieu Dubois (Strategist) can do is to hope to have a good batting average. Thankfully they are pretty reasonable at it, and at the last race they made another set of decent calls to leave us well placed to capitalise on very difficult circumstances.

We're now back in Europe for the next six races – how does this affect the development programme?

Europe or flyaway races do not really have an impact on the development programme these days. We push as hard as we can from the first race to the last, and we will try to bring new performance to each and every race in the championship. We have a more efficient rear wing for Valencia, and we are looking to ensure that we make as good a job as possible of coping with the impending changes to the blown floor engine mapping.

It was an unpredictable race in Montreal – F1 is proving quite an exciting spectacle at the moment…

It was completely unusual to have such a deluge but, as we thought it would be, the race was very exciting and a fantastic spectacle until the very last lap. There's no doubt we could have had a better result and seeing Nick collide with Kamui was not pleasant. I am obviously happy for Vitaly who had another strong weekend.

You have talked before about fans being the future of the sport – do eventful races of the kind we saw in Monaco and Montreal help boost its popularity?

Firstly, it is always so refreshing to meet the fans, and it motivates you to do your job even better when you see them at the race tracks. Monaco is a very special race for the sport and Montreal is a city that breathes F1; the entire city was completely decorated for Grand Prix week. These two venues alone are great evidence of F1's global popularity. In addition, we had two very eventful races, which help the sport even more – dramatic, exciting races are what fans want to see. While I was in Montreal, I took part in the FOTA fans forum and I was delighted that FOTA could organise a straightforward debate with fans. The forum turned out to be very interesting and constructive. I think we should continue to thank all the fans for their great support and commitment to these types of discussions, and to the sport as a whole.

Does what you saw in the last race demonstrate that LRGP's season is getting back on track?

Yes, definitely. Obviously we are still struggling a bit in qualifying – we need to be higher up on the starting grid - but we are fighting for the top six, and I'm convinced things will get even better in Valencia.

What are the key aspects the team has focused on in the lead-up to Valencia to ensure it remains competitive?

We have made a lot of technical tweaks to the car, a number of which came as a result of understanding our lack of qualifying performance. If you add to these a couple of upgrades, we should be able to take a strong step forward.

It's another street circuit – how will this track suit the R31?

It is beneficial for the sport to have these street circuits, as it provides a contrast from some of the purpose built tracks. The track will suit us well and we expect to be fighting for places on the front three rows come Sunday's starting grid.

Four more races until the mid-season break – what are you expecting the team to achieve in this time?

We need another podium or two in this time to cement our position amongst the grid's elite teams, and to remain competitive ahead of Mercedes GP whose season has clearly improved. Retaining our position in the top four in the Constructors' Championship is an absolute priority for us, and we must continue to lay down the marker over the next four races.

Well, I'm one of those that feels that it all evens out over the course of a season. If we are going through a patch of bad luck now, then chances are later in the season some good fortune will present itself.

The problems that faced the team in Monaco, including qualifying, were rectified in Montreal. Nothing is by any means perfect, but lessons from the previous couple of races were well learnt. It is now a case of keeping that going as we head to the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

A top six finish for atleast one car is a minimum expectation; two cars in the top six would build some confidence and give us momentum going heading into Silverstone, Nurburgring and Budapest.

The game will need to be 'upped' when we get to Valencia. Mercedes GP's form appears to be here to stay, and the fourth spot in the Constructors' Championship will go right down to the wire. come the end of November

It's time for us to reassert our authority, time for us to get back on that podium. In just over a week, we have the chance to prove we can get there once again. All eyes now turn to Valencia.

The racing did get underway but before you knew it he was out again on lap eight, keeping the drivers firmly in their positions. Back in he went, then out he came again, this time on lap 20. This was all before the red flag emerged five laps later, keeping spectators and drivers on tentahooks. More than two hours later the race finally restarted. The day was already long but it was to feel much, much longer by the time the cars passed the finish line.

It was draining, hard to follow, hard to strategise; the rain threw up dilemma after dilemma. As the end of the race drew closer, things were looking good for LRGP. Very good in fact. Nick in fifth, Vitaly sixth, but with the German set to overtake Kamui Kobayashi, some high-end points beckoned.

Alas, it was not to be so perfect. Nick was highly unfortunate on lap 56 when he ran into the back of Kamui which promptly ended his race. Vitaly managed to sweep up 10 points for the team after finishing fifth, but there was a real sense that even more was possible. With a bit more luck, fourth, or even third were attainable.

Not today, not this time we sighed. Our result was far from a miserable one, it was satisfying but the day could have provided more. We have learnt lessons and moved on from Monaco, and our season now looks to be moving in the right direction once again. From that, there is comfort to be taken.

If we use points as an indicator, then it was a satisfactory day at the office, not a great one. As they might wish to phrase it in Montreal, pas mal.

Nick, what can you draw from Sunday's disappointment?

NH: The main disappointment for me is that I did not finish the race. I was behind Kamui (Kobayashi) and then something happened. He slowed down suddenly and I hit the back of him, which resulted in my front wing coming off and me going off the track. I was on track for fifth and some good points, so it's frustrating that more did not come from today after a decent qualifying session yesterday.

As you say, the qualifying session went quite well…

NH: Yes, we were pleased to get both cars in the top 10 for qualifying, and we thought we could really capitalise on those positions. As it happened, Sunday's weather threw up a range of possibilities and we handled them well, but I feel I was just out of luck in terms of what happened when I went into the back of Kamui. To look at the whole weekend, there are actually a number of positives that can be taken. I feel we have moved on from the difficulties we faced in Monaco and atleast Vitaly was able to score 10 more points for us.

Looking to Valencia, you'll be hoping to put things right…

NH: Definitely. I want to put Montreal behind me and focus on having a strong weekend in Valencia. It's another street circuit, faster than Monaco but slower than Canada so it will be a different type of challenge and one that I'm looking forward to.

Eric, have you caught your breath back from Sunday's race yet?

EB: Just about! It was a long and draining race for everyone, which required the highest level of concentration to make the key decisions. There were stops and starts, a red flag and slippery conditions for everyone out there but it was all down to making the right decisions in the circumstances which we were faced with at the time.

What's your view on how the two drivers fared?

EB: Well, mixed feelings really. Once again the team scored points today, which means we've finished in the top 10 with at least one car at every race since the start of the season. It's hard to find fault with that. Having said that, we could have scored more points in Montreal; unfortunately Nick was caught out by Kamui (Kobayashi) who was unusually slow on exit. Until then, Nick's race had been perfect so that was very unfortunate. With a bit more luck, Vitaly could have finished a bit higher too.

Do you feel the weekend was an improvement from Monaco?

EB: Absolutely. There is no doubt we have understood some of our recent problems, and the solutions we brought with us to Montreal were promising because it is noticeable that our race pace has improved. I feel that our season is now getting back on track.

What was your take on today's race?

VP: It was a day of relentless action, and it was a challenging race for all of us drivers, with lots of stops and starts. It was really testing us but I'm glad we were able to deliver some good points for the team.

Tell us some more about the conditions…

VP: Today, the conditions became very difficult after a few laps and stopping the race was the right decision. There was absolutely no grip and the car was aquaplaning everywhere. When it restarted, we tried to make the most of our position : I was fourth because I decided not to change my tyres before the red flag. From then on, I was fighting for a good position.

Are you pleased to finish where you did?

VP: On one hand, finishing fifth after starting 10 th is a good result but, on the other hand, I really feel we could have finished on the podium today. That said, I welcome these extra points.

All in all, you are pleased with your weekend then?

VP: Yes, I think we're now back on track after a couple of difficult races. A big thank you to the team for the work this weekend and I can't wait for Valencia."

With the rain a-constant this morning in Montreal, the 90 minutes of action are set to be highly-charged with strategy at the forefront of engineers' minds this morning.

What if? What if? What if? Plan A, Plan B, Plan C.

Nevertheless, the information the teams will have are comprehensive and extremely accurate. Every condition is planned for, though so much can still happen. Will we see a safety car? If so, then when? Who will pit when? Race pace will not be the only factor, it will be one of many and the team powers-that-be will need to think on their feet to decipher quite which way to turn. Much of it, perhaps most of it will be on the spot thinking.

It's a thinking man's game, and today the minds of Formula 1 will be filled to capacity

VP: The track temperature was much lower than yesterday and it was very difficult to warm-up the tyres properly throughout qualifying. As a result, I was lacking grip out there and I lost a bit of time during my quickest lap. This said, Nick and I got to Q3 and this is a good thing considering the problems we had in Monaco.

How are you finding these supersoft tyres?

VP: I’m getting more and more used to them. We had them in Monaco and didn’t perform as well on them as we would have liked. But, we are getting a feel for them now and we need to make the best use of both compounds when we drive with them tomorrow.

How confident do you feel going into the race?

VP: It is really difficult to make any prediction. Montreal is almost always a crazy race and the safety car is often a part of it. Also, the weather forecast is looking unsettled so we can expect anything. Tomorrow will be a case of adapting ourselves to the conditions and taking every single opportunity.”

P9, 1.14.062, 7 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05

P10, 1.14.085, 7 laps

LRGP will have two cars in the top ten for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix after a strong qualifying session at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve today.

In weather that was markedly different from yesterday’s free practice, overcast skies meant that the track temperature was well down from the sunny conditions at 25°C. But both LRGP drivers made it through to Q3, with Nick Heidfeld lining up in 9th place and Vitaly Petrov securing 10th.

In Q1 both Vitaly and Nick were comfortably able to progress and both put in two runs on the soft tyres, saving their supersofts. Vitaly’s best time of 1m 14.699s was good enough for 7th place while Nick’s 1m 15.096s left him in 12th. Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari was fastest in that session with a lap of 1m 13.822s.

Vitaly’s early lap of 1m 14.354s on the supersoft tyres in Q2 was good enough to reach the all-important top ten. Nick was also in the top ten early on after a lap of 1m 14.719s but he went out for a second run to make sure of a place in Q3, duly recording a final lap of 14.467s. Felipe Massa went fastest with a time of 1m 13.431s in the Ferrari.

In the all-important final shoot-out, Sebastian Vettel took pole position for Red Bull with a lap of 1m 13.041s ahead of the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa. Nick took 9th place with a lap of 1m 14.062s while Vitaly took 10th with a lap of 1m 14.085s.

Eric: We followed what happened in the World Council, and the unanimous decision that was then taken. I think the teams have expressed their views and concerns on the topic in recent weeks, including the rescheduling of the Indian GP and of course the issue of safety of holding the race in Bahrain. We decided to write a letter –which was a private one but it became rather public – to the FIA and to Bahrain. You know the rest of the story because it was all exposed in public, so at the end of the day a decision has been made and we will be happy to be back in Bahrain in due course.

Are you a bit unhappy at the level of confusion - could it have been resolved in a simpler fashion?

Eric: Having read the forums and spent time with the fans, it’s easy to understand the reaction and of course it’s difficult to be happy when such a mess was created. One thing’s for sure, it’s not been good for the image of Formula One.

Talking of fans. Last night you had the fans’ forum. How did that go?

Eric: Very well. Very, very well in fact. The fans are the future of this sport, so it’s always great to interact with them. It’s really good to have this kind of opportunity, not in terms of just being in front of the fans but in terms of having dialogue with them. There was a lot of positive communication, which was really beneficial. They asked the questions and they also discussed their concerns about F1 - the current state of the sport and the future of it - so it was good to discuss issues with them and understand their thoughts better.

How was the team’s performance today?

Eric: It was not as strong as we would have liked, let’s say. It was not fast enough. However, as I said recently, I think we’re understanding where we have been going wrong and why our performance has dropped in comparison with our competitors. But we are now very much in the process of fixing it and we should be back on top form.

What is your position regarding the future of engines in Formula One?

Eric: In the case of Renault, they want to push for a new engine format and new engine architecture; they are clearly in favour of the four-cylinder version. I think there are some concerns from some other engine manufacturers too who would maybe like to see a different type of engine architecture, or directly postpone directly the arrival of the new engine. So, that’s the reason the discussions are ongoing.

Free Practice 1: P9, 1:17.445, 28 laps

Free Practice 2: P9, 1:16.422, 32 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05

Free Practice 1: P14, 1:18.506, 15 laps

Free Practice 2: P8, 1:16.324, 32 laps

Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld continued their preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix during an interrupted second session of free practice.

Two red flags disrupted the afternoon but the two LRGP drivers made the best of the time available to try out both the soft and the supersoft compounds on different fuel levels. Vitaly ended up 8th with a time of 1m 16.324s, with Nick 9th after a lap of 1m 16.422s.

Vitaly summed it up: “It’s a different car to drive with supersofts: much more grip.”

Just like this morning, there was a red flag in the middle of the session as Kamui Kobayashi crashed his Sauber at Turn 4. Shortly after the restart, Jérôme D’Ambrosio followed him into the same wall in his Virgin, causing another stoppage. Adrian Sutil had earlier damaged his Force India in the armco barriers on the run-up to the hairpin.

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, put his Ferrari on top of the timesheets. Just as happened two weeks ago, the Spaniard led the session for the majority of the afternoon with a lap of 1m 15.107s, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Elsewhere Pedro de la Rosa took the place of Sergio Perez in the other Sauber as the Mexican reported he felt unwell after his heavy crash in Monaco.

James Allison looks ahead to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where the car's brakes will be tested to the very limit

From Monaco to Montreal – another street course, but one of a very different nature…

The Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve is different from Monaco. It's very power hungry and has relatively few corners. The corners we do see are comparably slow, with only one above 200kph. Most importantly, it's the hardest circuit on the brakes we will visit all year.

What changes have been made to the car?

Montreal requires a medium-low level of downforce and this is the first circuit of the year to have this requirement. This means we will debut a new rear wing, and this will incorporate a new DRS which loses more drag when it is being utilised.

In addition, we have a new front wing to complement the downforce levels of the rear and there will be various other refinements on the car, with particular emphasis on ensuring there is good airflow to assist with brake cooling.

How much of a concern is braking in Canada and what can you do because of this?

There are several high speed straights into low speed corners so the brakes receive repeated extreme use over the course of a lap. Canada is the most challenging circuit of the year from a brake wear point of view. Brake wear is largely a function of brake temperature, and so a lot of work must be done (using tools such as CFD, the wind Tunnel and a Brake Dynamometer rig) to ensure adequate aerodynamic cooling of the disks and pads.

A further complication is that our drivers prefer different brake materials from each other, which adds to our workload in terms of validating each solution to ensure that both drivers can apply the brakes in a carefree manner throughout the GP.

Is it fair to say that Monaco didn't go to plan?

Even before Vitaly's accident, where thankfully he was unhurt, it was a weekend we'd rather forget. Our performance in very slow corners at Monaco was unexpectedly poor and we are working hard to understand why this is the case.

We also didn't get as much performance out of the super soft as we should have done in qualifying. Our use of this tyre in Free Practice was interrupted by various red flags which meant we approached qualifying rather blind, leaving the drivers with the disadvantage of having to feel their way on the Option tyre in the crucial sessions of Q1 and Q2. This meant that arguably we were around 0.4-0.5 sec shy of our ultimate performance with the super soft. However, even allowing for this we were still well off where we expected to be.

Can you turn things around in Montreal?

Hopefully, we will get a less disturbed build up to qualifying in Montreal. Even without the plethora of red flags we saw at the last race, Monaco is a tricky place to organise a clear lap. Montreal is much easier in this regard. In addition, we expect to have addressed some of the issues that had plagued us in the slower corners at Monaco.

How would you review the year to date?

Looking at the season thus far, we started rather brightly and scored a couple of very good results early on, and while we have been credible since then, I don't like the trend that we're on. We are all adamant that we will get the car back up to the much more impressive level of running that we had earlier in the year, and there are several things in train at Enstone to make that happen. There's no doubt our stronger performances need to begin here in Canada.

VP: I'm really quite excited to be getting back at the wheel. For me, it's always a case of the earlier the better. I just can't wait to race again, and I'm looking forward to the challenge here in Montreal. Since Monaco, we have analysed some things and so we are fully prepared for what will hopefully be a successful race here in Canada.

Montreal loves its Formula 1, what do you make of the atmosphere here?

VP: The atmosphere is really great. I remember last year well, the fans get really into this sport when it comes to town. There are also a lot of Russians here, so it's really enjoyable for me to have the support from them. It really is good here because everyone gets so into it.

The challenge presented this weekend is somewhat different to the one in Monaco, how will you approach this race?

VP: In some ways, it's quite similar to Monaco because it is sort of a street circuit and the wall is very, very close so there are similarities. However, the speed of this track is much, much higher so there is a different approach in terms of how we set up the car and how we drive the race. The aerodynamic set-up will be very different, that's for sure.

The track is known for its long, fast straights and the R31 has a quick straight-line speed – do you think this circuit suits the team well?

VP: This track will definitely suit us well. Our car is very, very quick on the straights and we are also bringing some new parts this weekend so I think we should perform quite strongly. I'm looking forward to it.

Engine

It's quite a harsh circuit for the engine, with long periods at full throttle accelerating out of the slow corners and along the straights. It is not a particularly severe layout for the gearbox.

Brakes

The demands on the brakes are far higher than at any other track, and a lot of Friday running will be dedicated to monitoring brake temperatures to be able to evaluate and simulate race performance.

Suspension

The track layout means a compromise of running the car as soft as you dare to be able to ride the kerbs. It is important not to make the car too soft, however, so that a quick change of direction at the many chicanes is possible.

Rear Wing

A different family of rear wings is unleashed for Montreal, as the layout requires a low to medium downforce package. This is different to the higher downforce configurations we have seen at other circuits so far this year.

Tyres

This will be the second race with the combination of the soft and super soft Pirelli compounds. The track surface is smooth, though not as smooth as Monaco. There are relatively low energies going through the tyres, though the potential ambient temperature can range from 15C to 35C which does affect performance.

Front Wing

As with the rear wings, there will be a lower downforce than has been seen previously, as part of the low to medium downforce package.

The LRGP brigade only arrived in this French-Canadian city last night, but on a quick scout of this bastion of everything French it is clear that the city adores F1 and everything that goes with it. The sport was meant for a city like this. As venues on the 2011 calendar go, this laid back city was almost cut out for F1. Montreal is a multicultural metropolis that clearly has a heart for sport – ATP tennis and PGA Tour golf join F1 on the city's annual sporting calendar.

Every direction you look there are chequered flags, team memorabilia, postcards of racing cars, adverts for tickets. There is absolutely no doubt that this city is chomping at the F1 bit. And with our French heritage, it has been noticeable to see billboard space devoted to the LRGP cause (check out the attached photo!)

This city has a similar feel to Melbourne; green, clean and with a bohemian edge, it oozes culture and has its fair share of history (by New World standards, anyway). Mix in a sprinkling of North American brashness and you find yourself with a delightful cocktail of tradition and modernity, which suits us F1 folk just fine.

LRGP love coming to this town, and it provides the perfect backdrop for us to get our season well and truly back on track and up amongst the high-end points. Let's get to it, then!

And with the Montreal race cropping up in the middle of what is known as the 'European swing', the logistics of getting everything across the pond become increasingly important. Shortly after Montreal comes Valencia, so it's a case of putting in the extra hours to ensure everything finds its rightful home in time for the next stop on the tour.

This, however, is routine business for the LRGP logistics team who have seen their fair share of complications over the years and are used to the challenges that the moving of heavy and expensive equipment across continents throws up.

"Everyone who is involved in this side of things knows exactly where the items go when they are preparing to pack for the next race. Each person is responsible for a different area, so they are all comfortable with the task at hand", says LRGP Race Team Coordinator Geoff Simmonds.

For the Canadian Grand Prix alone, around 70 team staff will travel, including eight members of the support team responsible for preparing all the equipment. And whilst it would be natural to think that the freight logistics would present constant bureaucratic difficulties, the truth is actually very different:

"Formula One Management (FOM) presents a strict schedule for shipment of freight to the event. Once delivered to the airport, FOM control the logistics of the freight leaving England and its arrival at the track for the event, so they do make our lives very easy", adds Simmonds.

And so when the freight leaves LRGP HQ in rural Oxfordshire (usually for East Midlands Airport), what happens to it then? Well, the team's control-sealed trucks take the equipment to the airport and it is left in the hands of the security staff there before it begins it voyage to the next stop on the F1 calendar. Once the freight arrives at the track, it is LRGP's security team which takes over duties.

For the support team, however, responsibility of the freight is far from their only role. They have numerous other jobs to do on top of this so the team puts in the extra hours to ensure everything runs on time, allowing them to concentrate on the other jobs at hand.

Of course, each race offers its own challenges. The team garage in Montreal is particularly small, so the viewing gallery (which is on show at so many of the other races throughout the season) gets left behind for this particular trip, saving 150 kilos in weight! That is just one of many examples throughout the year. Given its layout, Monaco undoubtedly presents a number of logistical challenges, too.

There may be various nuances here and there when preparing for the different races, but for the the ever-ready logistics team it is very much 'business as usual'.