De La Rosa: “On the track in parallel with the simulator”

“The last time I raced in Austria was in 2002 and I remember that it is a short circuit but located in a very beautiful place. Turn two, in addition to an excellent overtaking opportunity, also offers a splendid view of the surrounding mountains." These are the first words on www.ferrari.com by Scuderia Ferrari test driver Pedro de la Rosa about the Spielberg circuit.

It is not a particularly hard track for the braking system, the Remus curve certainly represents the most demanding point of the track for the brakes. Furthermore, to be able to tackle this part as best as possible, it is necessary to exit the first corner in an optimal way, so as to be able to take advantage of the long straight and tackle the Remus correctly. “The most difficult part of the track consists of the first three corners, up to Gösser: for the rest it is quite linear” – continues Pedro – “However this year everything will be more difficult because no one has recent data, we have to make the most of the great work done on the simulator and rely on the evaluations of our engineers. Furthermore, on this occasion I will be on the simulator during the first two sessions to allow the team to collect even more data and, in effect, have a third car on the track."

Even though it is a circuit that requires a fairly conventional set-up, we have to be very careful about graining on the front tyres. The Lauda and Berger curves, for the left front tyre, are as if they were one; then, before the starting straight, there are the Rindt and the Mobilkon which put a lot of stress on the front right, so there is a risk of finishing the lap with already pronounced graining on the front. Managing this aspect will therefore be crucial."