bulletin - credit suisse...ported wolfsburg, where vw builds the polo and the santana. the chinese...

bulletinSPECIAL

Sir Frank WilliamsThe Formula One legend in an exclusive interviewSauber PetronasSwiss racing team with newdrivers and a new wind tunnel2004 seasonDetailed information on circuits,teams and drivers

The Credit Suisse magazine | www.credit-suisse.com/bulletin | March 2004

Formula One2004 season

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Credit Suisse Bulletin Special 3

EDITORIAL

Race among technology giants

Fifteen years after the fall of the iron cur-tain, the global arms race is setting newrecords. However, the magic weapons of2004 aren’t long-range nuclear missiles,but highly developed and also much moreinnocuous projectiles on wheels. The old ri-valry between communists and capitalistshas been overcome: the modern version ofthe arms race (also called Formula One)now pits capitalists against capitalists. Nofewer than seven giants of the auto indus-try, among them BMW, Fiat (Ferrari), Ford(Jaguar), Honda, Mercedes, Renault, andToyota are jostling today in the elite catego-ry of motor racing. In the hope of boostingprestige, all of these heavyweights aredamned to pursuing the road to victory.This has unleashed an unprecedented floodof funds into racing, amounting to hundredsof millions of dollars per team annually. Andit is shifting competition from the track intothe factories at an accelerated rate. Just asduring the Cold War, the Formula One rivalsalso meet regularly for disarmament ses-sions during which new rules are formulat-

ed as part of an effort to counter the costexplosion. However, as soon as one cost-spurring technology is reined in, three newones break loose.

Spectators will have their kicks: yearafter year, racing enthusiasts marvel at theelectronic and aerodynamic refinementsdeveloped in the labs, and revel in debatesand fantasies months before the actualseason gets under way.

Anyone who touches on the topic of un-equal equal opportunity among drivers willsurely have a case.

But isn’t it precisely the double-edgedcontest between technology and talent thatmakes Formula One so thrilling? The clear-ly less popular racing series that place driv-ers in identical cars quickly come to mindand provide the obvious answer. However,there is at least one flaw in the spiralingtechnology race: no one will ever know ifMichael Schumacher really is the best driver of our times – or if Ferrari is simplythe best team.Andreas Thomann, Bulletin editorial team

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Publishing details

Publisher: Credit Suisse, P.O. Box 2, CH-8070 Zurich, tel. +41 1 333 11 11, fax +41 1 332 55 55. Editors: Daniel Huber (dhu)(head), Marcus Balogh (ba), Andreas Thomann (ath). E-mail: [email protected]. Internet: www.credit-suisse.com/emagazine. Marketing: Veronica Zimnic, tel. +41 1 333 35 31. Proofreading: text control, Zurich. Layout:www.arnolddesign.ch. Advertising: Yvonne Philipp, Strasshus, CH-8820 Wädenswil, tel. +41 1 683 15 90, fax +41 1 683 15 91,e-mail: [email protected]. Printing: NZZ Fretz AG/Zollikofer AG. Reprinting permitted with reference: “From the CreditSuisse Bulletin magazine”.

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Major Formula One competition

Win a VIP weekend to the GP in HockenheimWould you like to experience the German GP first hand? Or be there on aSauber Petronas test day? These dreams can come true. For more details see page 28 or go directly to: www.credit-suisse.com/f1.

CONTENTS

Bulletin Special on Formula One

06 New circuits

The Formula One wagon train heads east

12 Asphalt offspring

Like champions, like sons

14 Fresh breeze at Sauber

The Hinwil team has upgraded

18 Giancarlo Fisichella

The new Sauber driver loves his car

19 The 2004 season

Key facts and figures

27 Click the box

Website conjures race ambience on screen

28 Promotional merchandise and competition

A new outfit for the race weekend

29 Big boy’s dreams

Author Milena Moser

30 Betting with billions

The masters of ceremony re-divvy up the pie

34 Sir Frank Williams

Exclusive interview with the Formula One legend

38 Extra muscle for daily life

New over-powered and pushy dragsters on country roads

42 Paradeplatz power

Credit Suisse feels at home in racing


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14

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THE DESERT CIRCUITCAN ACCOMMODATE150,000 SPECTATORS,AND COST EUR 250MILLION TO BUILD.

The Formula One caravan moves onwardThe circuit builders sunk some 40,000 cement pilings into the Shanghai swampland. And in Bahrain they used tons of dynamite to take care of the boulders protruding from the desert sands. The Formula One wagon train is inexorably on its way eastward. Elmar Brümmer, Formula One journalist


FORMULA ONE

A caravan comprising a kaleidoscopic ar-ray of racing cars makes its way into thecoming dawn. That’s just about the way atravel agent would describe Formula One’slatest expansion plans. More sarcastic mindscould just as easily phrase it: first FormulaOne heads off into the desert, then it ends

up in a swamp. The fact remains that thenew races and circuits in Bahrain and Chinaherald a new era for the World Champion-ship. Almost half the races in the 2004 sea-son take place outside of Europe – sevenyears ago, the overseas share amounted toless than a third. Manama and Shanghai

won’t be the last waypoints of a changingtour calendar. Istanbul, Turkey and Hyder-abad, India, are already revved up to go.

Growth, growth, growth. What FormulaOne is aiming for also corresponds with the aspirations of the event organizers.Membership in the exclusive racing circuitlends far more prestige to aspiring nationsthan Europeans, long used to Formula One,realize – Malaysia, with its successful debutin 1999, has already demonstrated as much.The newcomers want to use the racingevents to attract tourists and investors. Toachieve this, they are fulfilling just aboutevery wish of the Formula One fans: theycarve “shrines to speed” out of the landscapeand then lay on hefty admission fees. A re-ciprocal arrangement: the new race locationsbring Grand Prix supremo, Bernie Eccle-stone, and FIA President, Max Mosley, morethan a touch of exotica. They enhance thestatus of a “true World Championship” – and are welcome havens from the ban ontobacco advertising and other impendingEU restrictions.

Pit stops right out of 1,001 Nights

The commotion comes before the boom. Willthese spectacular projects be completed onschedule and will they meet the high stand-ards set by Formula One? On the PersianGulf and in the urban sprawl of Shanghai, it’s a piece-work effort. The local and stategovernments are worried about their pres-tige, a situation generally conducive to mak-ing progress in the construction work. Butwho could have known that below the sandsof Bahrain there lurked a stubborn rock for-mation which took blasting crews more timeto remove than originally planned. In China,they had the opposite problem to contendP

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Protection from the desert heat The main grandstand is Bahrain’s new architectural jewel.

Fine vantage point Sakhir Tower offers sheikhs and VIPs an overview of the action.

8 Credit Suisse Bulletin Special

FORMULA ONE

with: 40,000 cement pilings, each up to 80

meters in length, were driven into theswampy subsoil. This was the only way togive the circuit the required stability. Thedimensions are enormous: the multi-func-tional desert circuit can accommodate150,000 spectators, while the grounds ofthe Shanghai circuit can even hold 200,000.Each will require an investment of EUR 250

million.For the new Formula One destinations,

Germany’s Hermann Tilke delivered custom-made racing worlds (see interview, p. 10).The master circuit architect says the plan-ning was the most enjoyable: “The culturalsettings where we are building the circuitsare exotic and exciting. In Shanghai as wellas Bahrain you should be able to recognizewhich country is hosting the race.” To thisend, there is an oasis with numerous mas-sive, green palm trees near the start/finishline area of the Bahrain International Circuit.“Figuratively speaking, the racing cars headoff into the desert, and then turn back towardthe oasis,” Tilke raves. Pit stops right out of 1,001 Nights. “This circuit sets the barhigh,” confirms Bernie Ecclestone, who hasbeen accorded the highest state honor inBahrain.

“Shang” stands for upsurge

In Shanghai the organizers are incorporatingthe delta area, with its many canals andpools. The fact that one sequence of turnsvery closely resembles the Chinese charac-ter for “Shang” was – as the master builderreadily admits – more a coincidence thananything else. Naturally, it’s a welcome for-tuity, as this character stands for upsurgeand success. This is a symbolic meaningworth playing with. The asphalt arcs will belisted in the Guinness Book of Records asthe largest Chinese symbols. The quest forthe superlative reflects the tastes of a regionthat has unconditionally set a course for thetop. An hour from the city center – barring adelay in the rush hour traffic – you’ll find theShanghai International Circuit in a motor city of sorts. What claims to be the “Detroitof the East”, appears more like a piece of im-ported Wolfsburg, where VW builds the Poloand the Santana. The Chinese leg of theFormula One tour is all about the potentialthat the major sponsors have a whiff of. For the automakers alone, the figures for

comparison have their mouths watering: of the 1.3 billion Chinese, only one in 80

drives a car. Even if the race broadcasts – as was the case last year – were limited tothe metropolitan area, it would guarantee amassive share among the 56 million peoplein the catchment area. Bernie Ecclestone isthus not alone in his view that “Shanghai willplay a key role in the development of FormulaOne’s future.”

The tiny island kingdom of Bahrain can’tquite compete in this regard. His HighnessCrown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad AlKhalifa puts more value on international tele-vision prominence. Bahrain was the first Gulfstate to produce oil (and thus wealth). How-ever, geologists predict that in just a fewdecades the oil fields will not be bubblingblack gold in such abundance. So, oil rigs are

to be replaced by hotel developments – nottoo distant Dubai serves as an example ofthis trend. But for the inaugural running,dreams and reality can’t quite match up yet.Most fans will have to be shuttled to the racefrom other emirates and Saudi Arabia sinceBahrain is overcrowded. Only 12,000 bedsare available to 60,000 visitors. Private ac-commodation and tent cities should alleviatethe logistical woes.

When non-Muslim traditions come intoplay there are problems in Formula One aswell. In the approach to work, for example.Islam does not consider Sunday as a day ofrest. But the family of caliphs is working ona decree which allows an exception when therace is being hosted. After all, the debut inthe desert land does take place on a notabledate: 04-04-04. “Whatever we Bahrainis do,

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Aerodynamics in cement Celebrating architectural design as though from the wind tunnel.

A touch of Star Trek The grandstands of Shanghai give the future a face.

1.3 BILLION CHINESE:THIS NUMBER IS MUSIC TO THE EARS OF FORMULA ONESPONSORS.

FORMULA ONE

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we do with all our hearts,” says Elie Semaan,president of the Bahrain Motor Federation.With so much hospitality being offered, For-mula One is even ready to break a long-standing tradition: champagne will not besprayed about, in observance of the religious

prohibition on alcohol. Organizers promisethat the ceremony will reflect the gloriousheritage and culture of Bahrain. Is FormulaOne, of all organizations, pointing the way toa peacefully commercial alternative to themuch blamed clash of civilizations? ❙

He drove the Grand Prix of Bahrain yester-day, and today, turning the fastest lap inShanghai is on his to-do list. And this is allbefore the new Formula One circuits areeven finished. No, Hermann Tilke isn’t acharacter out of a sci-fi movie. He’d be seenas far too much of a realist for that. But inhis offices in Aachen, in a renovated build-ing that once housed a shirt factory, he op-erates something of a Formula One time ma-chine. With the click of a mouse, the certifiedengineer can beam himself in 3D to circuitsthat are currently still in the approval process.Tilke sets the racing line(s) for the highhorsepower sector, architecturally at least.He is the Lord of the chicanes.

It all began at the Nürburgring, where, asa student he earned a couple hundred markswhen he was allowed to design an emer-gency lane. Following this first creation, hisoffice was busy with the construction ofgarbage dumps and tennis centers. But itwas Tilke’s curvy designs that piqued theinterest of the FIA and Formula One pro-moter Bernie Ecclestone. Since then, han-dling rush orders has been Tilke’s business.The creative director of the asphalt scenehas (re)designed the majority of the 30 For-mula One circuits in use today. His motto:more comfort for spectators, more passing,better vantage points, more excitement – allwith the best possible safety. The 49-year-old puts forward a philosophical approach inhis creations: “I give curves a reason.” In thepreparation stages he relies on the reactionsof his team of 100. This leads to solutionsthat surprise the uninitiated: “We make some

corners sharper for safety reasons. Thismakes them slower – thus reducing the dan-ger.” Normally, though, the run-off areas aregenerously proportioned. “Create room togive someone confidence” is also one ofTilke’s maxims.

The Grand Prix circuit in Sepang, carvedout of Malaysian primeval forest, illustratesin spectacular fashion that Tilke’s calcula-tions hold strong. The EUR 80 million circuit,shaped like an open safety pin, contrastswith the usually bland designs that preced-ed it, and which the drivers happily deridedas mickey mouse circuits. “With 15 curvesand 8 straights, the circuit doesn’t just set arecord, it also requires everything from the

Lord of the chicanesMalaysia, Shanghai, Bahrain – these Formula One circuits havesomething in common: they were all conceived by Hermann Tilke, oneof today’s leading circuit architects. Elmar Brümmer, Formula One journalist

drivers,” enthuses departing Formula Onedriver Heinz-Harald Frentzen. There’s somebackground to the acceptance: Tilke is oftena guest in the paddock area, and sits downtogether with drivers, team bosses and ex-perts. His personal focus on the nuts andbolts comes from experience as a long-dis-tance race driver: “If you’ve ever sat in thecockpit, you have more feeling for what it’sall about.”

In addition to the need for feeling, Tilke’sXXL projects demand a healthy dose of per-fectionism. “In contrast to the automobiledesigners, who can have several designsbuilt before they go into production, we haveto get it right the first time,” Tilke explains.What Tilke says becomes clear – the manneeds this pressure, and looks for competi-tion – even against himself. “We have lots ofideas. The hard part is trying to incorporateall of them into a single location.” Accordingto Tilke, the ideal case would be one in whichthe circuit offers as few compromises aspossible. “If you try to please everyone, youget lost in the job, and in the end nobody’shappy.”

One doesn’t have to appeal explicitly tothe interests of the fans. “Actually,” Tilkeopines, “that’s the main sponsors’ respon-sibility.” That can be evidenced, as it was inMalaysia, with the construction of prayerrooms. Or in Sepang, where the finishingstraight has a hairpin curve in the middle.That’s the only way, explains the circuitbuilder, that “ the spectators can see thewhites of the drivers’ eyes”. Provided youhave a telephoto lens, of course.


“YOU HAVE TOGET IT RIGHT THEFIRST TIME.”

Hermann Tilke, circuit designer

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Is there a racing driver gene? Does oneinherit a taste for the furiously fast FormulaOne tango? “This is a difficult question,”Nico Rosberg answers diplomatically. “But ifyour own father raced in 114 Formula Oneraces, then probably yes, there is some traceof this passed on.” But, inherited or not, the18-year old son of the 1982 Formula Onechampion Keke Rosberg is recognized as an

extremely talented driver and, despite hisyoung age, he can look back at a racing ca-reer with more than 400 starts. He made hisdebut as a racing driver at the age of 10 in ago-kart race. “I didn’t make it into first placeback then, but I came a good second! ” Afterthis, Rosberg Junior earned his stripes invarious go-cart categories and in FormulaBMW Junior at the Formula Three Euro-

series. Now he has set his sights on Formu-la One.

Rosberg is not the only driver to have fol-lowed in his father’s footsteps. For example,Damon Hill from England is the son of two-times world champion and gentleman racerGraham Hill. Almost 30 years after thetriumph of his father, Damon Hill won theFormula One title in 1996. The following year

Like father like son behind the steering wheelIn the next few years, a new generation will be stepping up to the Formula One plate. The names of some of the new Formula One aspirants sound unexpectedly familiar. Are the sons of former racinggiants preparing to continue their father’s battles on the track? Marcus Balogh, Bulletin editorial team

Nelsinho Piquet aims to be 2004 Formula Three British Champion.

“MY FATHER PLACES MEUNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE,BUT HE ALSO RESPECTS ME.”


FORMULA ONE

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he was dethroned by Jacques Villeneuve,who is also the son of a Formula One legend– Gilles Villeneuve. And, in addition to NicoRosberg, Nelsinho Piquet is also currentlytrying to break into the premier league ofmotor racing. Like Rosberg, Nelsinho alsocomes from a prestigious racing family.Piquet senior won the Formula One cham-pionship title three times: in 1981, 1983

and 1987. “Being the son of a champion is not just a walk in the park. If my perfor-mance in a race is not too good then thedisappointment is always big. Apparentlymost people cannot help but compare me tomy father,” admits the young Brazilian, bornin 1985.

But both Nelsinho and Nico also admit to having benefited from their fathers. Theyeven express this in a similar manner.Nelsinho Piquet: “My father expects a lot but he also respects my achievements. And he knows my limits. He knows what it’s all about, and I trust him completely.” Nico

Rosberg on the same topic: “My fatherplaces me under a lot of pressure so that Ihave the right priorities. That’s ok. Perhapseven smart. In the final analysis, it helps meto develop further.”

Only the performance counts

Where this development will lead is not yetclear. But can one live only on dreams, andwhat’s in a name anyway? Fame, honor andfortune (many millions of dollars!) are atstake in the Formula One battle, and the dif-ference between winning and losing is atenth of a second, not the family name. Thisbecame clear to both the Formula One hope-fuls in December 2003.

BMW Williams invited the two sons ofchampions to do a test run near Jerez in thesouth of Spain. As Sir Frank pointed out, thiswas too early in their careers to be a truegauge of the youngsters’ potential, but theynevertheless made an excellent impression.It is impossible to make a direct comparison

of the two ambitious youngsters due to thefluctuating weather conditions. Furthermore,they come from different racing back-grounds. Nico Rosberg is from the FormulaThree European series whereas NelsinhoPiquet is from the British Formula ThreeChampionship. In British Formula Three rac-ing, the cars are on rock-hard tires. For thisreason, Nelsinho admits himself to havingunder-exploited the grip offered by FormulaOne tires. But the almost 900-horsepowerengine of the Williams BMW also gave NicoRosberg a surprise: “A Formula One car can-not be compared to any other vehicle. Engineperformance, acceleration, braking and gearchange – Formula One and Formula Threeare worlds apart. It is almost unbelievablehow fast a Formula One car can brake. Un-til you are used to it you always end up brak-ing 50 or 60 meters too soon.” In spite ofeverything, they were both impressed withthe BMW Williams team. Moreover, FormulaOne experts have no doubt that Nico andNelsinho will both make a name for them-selves in the near future.

Blazing the trail for other young drivers

For the moment, however, the two will con-centrate on the next Formula Three season.Nelsinho Piquet wants to win the BritishChampionship and Nico Rosberg the Euro-series Championship. If they reach theirgoals and deliver consistently good perfor-mances, they could both soon be on theirway to proving their mettle as Formula Onedrivers. They may even be blazing a trail forother up-and-coming drivers in the field.Nicolas Prost, the 22-year-old son of four-times Formula One champion Alain Prost,reached tenth place in the overall ratings forthe French Formula Campus 2003 season.He will participate in the “Playstation JuniorTeam Oreca” in Formula Renault this year.And Niki Lauda’s son, Matthias (23), couldland himself a place in this year’s FormulaThree after taking part in the World SeriesLight this year.

In a few years time, with a bit of luck, theretired knights of Formula One racing couldfind themselves in the stands watching theirsons on the racetrack re-enact their old rac-ing battles which, in their day, kept the sportexciting and in the headlines. In the words ofthe French monarchy – the king is dead,long live the king! ❙Nico Rosberg will compete in the Euroseries Championship in 2004.

“MY FATHER HELPS METO SET THE RIGHTPRIORITIES.”

NO REST FOR FORMULAONE. THE TEST SEASONBEGINS WHEN THE RACESEASON ENDS.


FORMULA ONE

It’s still early and the noise from the Cir-cuit de Catalunya is already as loud as an international airport. No fewer than eightteams have turned up to test their vehiclesthis January morning on the track north ofBarcelona. Only McLaren Mercedes andMinardi are missing the party. It is 47 daysbefore the first Grand Prix, but already itseems as if the Formula One season haskicked off. This is incredible when you thinkthat the previous season has barely come toan end. The words of the football legendSepp Herberger apply just as well to themighty sport of Formula One motor racing:“After the game comes the preparation.”

No sooner had the racing cars sped pastthe checkered flag for the final time at theend of the Suzuka Grand Prix in October lastyear than an extensive test program gotunderway. Until the end of the year, theteams raced up and down the tracks ofsouthern Europe with modified cars and pro-duced valuable findings for the engineersback home in the development departments.According to the calculations produced bythe f1total.com website, the unofficial “win-ter champions” this year were BMW Williams(7,925 test kilometers), Jaguar (6,969 testkilometers) and Ferrari (6,107 test kilo-meters). But keep in mind that the principleof “quantity does not equal quality” alsoapplies to Formula One racing. At most, thefigures reflect the ambitions of the teamsand their financial resources, as well as thepenchant of motor sport journalists to recordand archive each and every statistic.

January then sees the pulse of the teams,drivers and fans begin to pick up. FormulaOne designers unveil their latest creationsand these are paraded up and down the cat-walk, generally at lavish shows that are or-

ganized around the occasion with hundredsof journalists and guests. The first team toset the tone this year was BMW Williams,and what a fanfare they delivered. Usually alayperson cannot tell the difference betweenthe new vehicle and last season’s car, exceptfor changes to a sponsor’s logos. This timeround, however, the new FW26 has beengiven a facelift, with a newly-designed and

Playing poker in the pitsEach season, the Formula One teams deal themselves new cards. The team of Sauber Petronas holds a few trumps in its hand this time round, including a new engine, new drivers and a new wind tunnel. Andreas Thomann, Bulletin editorial team

somewhat idiosyncratic front section. Thenose has been pierced, in a manner ofspeaking. Neither the Sauber Petronas C23

presented a little later nor the Toyota TF104

and Jaguar R5 (why are the names of For-mula One vehicles always so difficult to re-member?) waiting in the wings demonstratesimilar eye-catching innovations. Naturally,this doesn’t say anything about the strengthsof the vehicles – what is pleasing to the eyeis not necessarily faster on the track.

Or perhaps there is a correlation? BothBMW Williams drivers – Juan Pablo Montoyaand Ralf Schumacher – delivered the fastestlap times on the first day of the test event inBarcelona behind the wheels of their new vehicles. This must be seen in relative terms,however, because test times are manna tonews-hungry journalists in the off-season.The fuel tanks on the vehicles are not allfilled to the same level, which has a strongimpact on the results. Of course, none of theteams will say how full (or empty) their tankswere – they all want to see their drivers fet-ed as test winners. This is just another facetof the battle of nerves that is already in fullswing at this stage of the season.

Crash festival boosts anticipation

This charged atmosphere found more thanone occasion for release in Barcelona.Sparks flew at almost every curve – much tothe delight of the Formula One press en-tourage. Finally there was something tan-gible to report back to the starved fans athome. For example, that Mark Webber de-stroyed his Jaguar on the final turn beforethe finish (luckily it was last year’s machine).Or what about the eventful testing debut ofunknown Formula Three driver Timo Glock –after 54 rounds he finished with a wheel

The Sauber Petronas C23What’s new?

Chassis | The C23 is significantly morecompact than its predecessor and it isstreaks ahead in terms of aerodynamicefficiency.

Engine | For the first time, the Sauber car is running on the latest Ferrari engine.According to the new rules, the sameengine has to be used for the entire rac-ing weekend.

Front wheel suspension | The lower frontwishbone is now only secured to one cen-tral pivot point instead of two.

Engine cover | A change in the rules hasmeant that it was necessary to significant-ly increase the side profile of the enginecover.

Rear wing | The new rules prescribe twoinstead of three upper elements. This re-duces the maximum downforce substan-tially.

Transmission | Sauber previously used itsown, but this year’s car will sport a seven-gear Ferrari transmission.P

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In previous years it was always a modifiedversion of the power train from the seasonbefore. But in particular this year the Swissteam are fully fitted with a Ferrari trans-mission.

It is understandable that so much harmo-ny between Maranello and Hinwil should un-nerve the opposition. But it would be wrongto think that Sauber is leaving the design ofhis vehicle up to Ferrari. In terms of aerody-namics, the C23 is still “Made in Hinwil”. Al-


breaking off and flames spurting from theback of his Jordan.

There were also several verbal exchangesto add to the heat. The Sauber Petronasteam found themselves in the firing line,although they are not usually known forprovocative actions. It seems the new C23

triggered the ire of Jordan’s head designerJohn McQuilliam. So much so that there was no sign at all of the famous British com-posure. McQuilliam’s jibe suggested that

the new C23 was nothing more than a copyof last year’s Ferrari. His counterpart atSauber, technical director Willy Rampf, didnot pick up the gauntlet, however. The engi-neer from Bavaria hardly sees it as an insultthat his design echoes the best in class. “Itwas a logical decision to draw on the con-ceptual aspects of the top vehicles in thefield,” admits Rampf. Logical also, becausefor the first time the Sauber car is fitted withthe same engine as that used by the Italians.

AT A COST OF CHF 70 MILLION,SAUBER HAS BUILT THE MOSTMODERN WIND TUNNEL.


FORMULA ONE

ways in pursuit of excellence, the team inZurich Oberland has left no stone unturned.“With the exception of the wheel nuts, allcomponents of the racing car are new,” con-firms Willy Rampf. The C23 may not be arevolutionary step forward, but, according tothe head constructor, the improvements itmakes on its predecessor are greater than theexterior suggests. “The C23 is significantlymore compact than the C22 and it is streaksahead in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. The

Ferrari transmission in particular has allowedus to build a very sleek rear section.”

It took the Sauber team nine months todesign the new car, with work kicking off lastMay. Around 60 of the 300 Sauber em-ployees were involved in the process. And allof this effort to be able to cut one second offthe lap time. This underlines the economiclaws of Formula One racing: beyond a cer-tain point, the technical and financial outputrequired is completely out of proportion tothe return that is achieved. But as long as theother teams are chasing the seconds, theteam from Hinwil can’t afford to standaround. On the contrary: their new wind tun-nel, with a CHF 70 million price tag, has sig-nificantly boosted their efforts to be at thehead of the pack. The massive wind tunnelwith a 3 giga-watt appetite was opened atthe end of December after a two-year con-struction program. The event was a dreamcome true for Peter Sauber: now it is pos-sible to be up there with the best of them in the field of aerodynamics. The exteriordesign of a vehicle is as decisive a factor inFormula One racing today as the tires, theengine and the driver.

New wind tunnel fulfills all dreams

The new building with its elegant glassfaçade is wowing more than just the archi-tecture critics. The interior is fitted with allthe technical tricks of the trade guaranteedto please any aerodynamics engineer. Forexample, there are steel conveyor belts ca-pable of reaching speeds up to 300 kilo-meters per hour. Irrespective of how spe-cialized the requirements on the long wish listof aerogroup manager Dirk de Beer, no ex-pense was spared when it came to buildingthe most modern wind tunnel in the world ofFormula One. But before he can bring hisnew toy up to full speed, de Beer must firstget to grips with how to use it. There isn’tmuch time left, however. “By the end of April,at the time of the first race in Europe, wewant to be able to deploy the first aerody-namic components to have been tested inthe wind tunnel.”

Sauber is starting the new season not only with an investment in technology, he isalso investing in new drivers. The Sauber carswill be driven this season by Felipe Massa andGiancarlo Fisichella, two drivers who are justitching to prove their racing skills to the world.

Despite his youthful 22 years, Felipe Massais a familiar face in the Sauber pit. The Brazil-ian drove for the Swiss team next to Nick Heidfeld in the 2002 season and then had to make place for veteran Heinz-HaraldFrentzen. Many experts shook their headsover Peter Sauber’s decision at the time because Massa had delivered a promisingFormula One debut. But the shift to Ferrarimay prove to have been a wise one on thepart of Sauber. It seems the year spent by thefleet-footed Felipe in his apprenticeship as a Ferrari test driver has helped him mature into a Formula One pro.

Giancarlo Fisichella, by comparison,earned his Formula One stripes years ago.

The Italian driver is now entering his ninthFormula One season (see interview onp. 18). Peter Sauber has long had his eye on“Fisico”; the driver from Rome is one of thesix best in the field. Fisichella demonstratedhis worth last season when he won theBrazilian Grand Prix in a (not-entirely com-petitive) Jordan. That was his first FormulaOne victory.

A new wind tunnel, a new engine and topnew drivers – the prospects look good for theSwiss team. Their status as outsiders will bedifficult to shake off this year however, be-cause, as always, the brave Formula Oneteam faces a very uneven playing field whenit comes to financial resources. Along withthe other independent teams of Jordan andMinardi, Sauber Petronas faces a phalanx ofseven manufacturer teams who can count onthe (very) deep pockets of major interna-tional automakers. Just managing to finishahead of two or more of these oversizedcompetitors – as happened in the last threeseasons – is a victory in itself. The seeds plant-ed in Hinwil cannot grow into mighty oaksovernight – a fact reflected in the odds givenby the online bookmakers betandwin.com:the chances of Sauber winning the 2004

Constructors’ Championship are 300 to 1, anindication of just how impossible it would befor the team to come out on top. By way ofcomparison, the odds for Jaguar-Cosworthare 100 to 1, for Renault 18 to 1. And Ferrarihas odds of only 2.2 to 1! ❙

3 emagazine provides photos and informationon the new Sauber wind tunnel. www.credit-suisse.com/f1

Return: Sauber driver Massa

Practice makes perfect: Sauber

mechanics simulate a pit stop in

Valencia.

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FORMULA ONE

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Andreas Thomann Peter Sauber has called

you one of the best Formula One drivers.

Does this level of expectation put you under

even more pressure?

Giancarlo Fisichella I find it flattering that he thinks that. I see it as a boost to my motivation and not as pressure to suc-ceed.But your colleague, Felipe Massa, seems to

be applying the pressure. Would it not be

a disaster for you if he were to leave you be-

hind? Your fellow team member is alwaysyour primary competitor because he drivesan identical car. Yes, Felipe is an excellentdriver. At the same time, I did manage tohold my own against the likes of Ralf Schu-macher of Jordan, and Jenson Button ofBenetton.What do you like about Sauber? It’s a greatteam with an equally great team spirit.What are the differences compared to

Jordan? Both teams operate with the samedetermination to succeed, but make use of different means to get to the end.Eddie Jordan, the dazzling Irishman, is com-

pletely different to Peter Sauber, his level-

headed Swiss colleague. What impresses

you the most about your new boss? When I met Peter this past July, he offered mecertain guarantees. Up to now, he has keptall his promises, something I find impres-sive.Have you set your goals for the coming sea-

son already? Yes. My goal is to finish betterthan I did in 2003.Last season, you and the Jordan team

caused a great deal of excitement by winning

a Grand Prix. Will you let your fans nurture

a similar dream involving the Sauber team?

We must not lose sight of reality: on paper,the C23 isn’t necessarily a car that can

win, but it is powerful enough to bringhome valuable championship points.Last year, Sauber had German drivers. This

year, they are of Latin origin. Would you

say that southerners are more hot-tempered

on the track, just as they are said to be in

day-to-day life? It could be that we becomemore passionate about certain things. Forexample, I’m already in love with my newC23…!What are your strengths as a driver? Experi-ence is very important in Formula One –something I have lots of.You are now 31 and in your ninth Formula

One season. Do racecar drivers improve

with age? Yes. The same as a good bottleof red wine.Do you have a role model? Ayrton Senna

was my favorite driver when I started out.But I’ve since learned to focus on my ownstrengths.Would the ranking in Formula One change if

all drivers were given the same car? Defi-nitely; although the list would still betopped by the same two or three names.Wouldn’t the introduction of a standardized

car in Formula One be a goal worth striving

for? Not necessarily. We already have anumber of races of this kind and none ofthem are as exciting as Formula One.Each Italian driver probably chases the

dream of one day sitting in a Ferrari cockpit.

Do you feel you missed your chance, now

that Barrichello’s contract has been

extended? This hasn’t stopped me fromdreaming about racing in one of the topthree teams one day.After all, you’re now racing with the latest

Ferrari engine. Do you think it will help

the Sauber team to finish better than last

season? Not just the engine. The wholepartnership with Ferrari is important, andI’m sure it will help us to move ahead.Today, Formula One accidents, for the most

part, are much less severe than ten years

ago. Nevertheless, are you sometimes afraid

when sitting behind the wheel?

Unlike others who constantly worry aboutillnesses and disasters, I never think aboutaccidents when sitting in a racecar. That’ssimply not my style.Have you had a chance to become a bit

acquainted with Switzerland so far? Well,I’m starting to get to know my way around Hinwil…Are you planning to move here? I don’t thinkso. I just recently moved to Rome, the city I was born in and where my family and rela-tives live.

“I’m in love with the C23”He is the veteran in Sauber’s new Latin-flavored twosome. Now in his ninth Formula One season, Giancarlo Fisichella is showing the same qualities as a good bottle of red wine: he improves with age. Interview: Andreas Thomann, Bulletin editorial team

Giancarlo Fisichella, a Sauber driver

“I NEVER THINKABOUTACCIDENTS,”

ALL ABOUT FORMULA ONE2004 Calendar

March 7AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNEMarch 21MALAYSIA, KUALA LUMPURApril 4BAHRAIN, MANAMAApril 25SAN MARINO, IMOLAMay 9SPAIN, BARCELONAMay 23MONACO, MONTE CARLOMay 30EUROPE, NÜRBURGRINGJune 13CANADA, MONTREALJune 20USA, INDIANAPOLISJuly 4FRANCE, MAGNY-COURSJuly 11UNITED KINGDOM, SILVERSTONEJuly 25GERMANY, HOCKENHEIMAugust 15 HUNGARY, BUDAPESTAugust 29BELGIUM, SPA-FRANCORCHAMPSSeptember 12ITALY, MONZASeptember 26CHINA, SHANGHAIOctober 10JAPAN, SUZUKAOctober 24BRAZIL, SÃO PAULO

CIRCUITSTEAMSDRIVERSALL ABOUT FORMULA ONE2004

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Australian GPin Melbourne

4

6

6

5

3

5

553

4

4

2

6

3

6

5

4

6 2

290

115

275

282

220

290

170

300

260

290

130

115

75

128

145

280

210

210

200 1.52.4

2.7

2.4

2.4

3.0

2.3

2.8

1

2

3

23.2 s

29.0 s

34.6 s 1.26.8 min

March 7, 2004

“It’s fun to drive on the Albert Park circuit. But

the conditions are not always consistent and

the circuit is always dirty on the first day. The

sections I like best are the ones where you

really have to brake hard.”

Felipe Massa

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Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Park Melbourne

Circuit length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.303 km

Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307.574 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smooth

Grip level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Tire compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moderate

Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moderate

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moderate

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996

Summary

Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the

first GP of the year usually features summertime tem-

peratures. As the racing cars in Europe are tested

under rather wintry conditions, Melbourne occasionally

holds some surprises, with a high DNF rate. The brakes

take the most punishment on this circuit since the

cars approach many of the curves at very high speed.

The cars have relatively low wing settings, with rather

soft suspension since the circuit does have a few

bumpy spots.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . David Coulthard, McLaren Mercedes

2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Schumacher, Ferrari


Best finish for Sauber Petronas. . . . . . . . . . . 4 (2001)

Best Swiss driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —

Travel information

Tourist office: Victoria Tourism

Tel. +61 (0) 3 96 53 9777

Fax +61 (0) 3 96 53 9733

www.credit-suisse.com/f1 THE CREDIT SUISSE FORMULA ONE PORTAL

= gear | 220 = speed (in km/h) | 2.4 = centrifugal force (in g)

= checkpoint | 29.0 s = section time | 1.26.8 min = lap time1

2

Teams and driversTeam Ferrari

Founded 1929

Formula One debut 1950

Wins 168

Drivers 1 Michael Schumacher, 2 Rubens Barrichello

Main sponsor Marlboro

Team BMW Williams

Founded 1968


Wins 112

Drivers 3 Juan Pablo Montoya, 4 Ralf Schumacher

Main sponsor HP

Team McLaren Mercedes

Founded 1963


Wins 137

Drivers 5 David Coulthard, 6 Kimi Räikkönen

Main sponsor West

Team Renault

Founded 1977


Wins 16

Drivers 7 Jarno Trulli, 8 Fernando Alonso

Main sponsor Mild Seven

Team BAR Honda

Founded 1998


Wins 0

Drivers 9 Takuma Sato, 10 Jenson Button

Main sponsor Lucky Strike

Team Sauber Petronas

Founded 1970


Wins 0

Drivers 11 Giancarlo Fisichella, 12 Felipe Massa

Main sponsor Petronas

Team Jaguar Racing

Founded 1997


Wins 0

Drivers 14 Marc Webber, 15 Christian Klien

Main sponsor HSBC

Team Toyota

Founded 1999


Wins 0

Drivers 16 Olivier Panis, 17 Cristiano da Matta

Main sponsor Panasonic

Team Jordan Ford

Founded 1981


Wins 4

Drivers 18 Nick Heidfeld, 19 Giorgio Pantano

Main sponsor Benson & Hedges

Team Minardi

Founded 1980


Wins 0

Drivers 20 Gianmaria Bruni, 21 Zsolt Baumgartner

Main sponsor European Aviation


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Malaysian GPin Kuala Lumpur

4

4

2

4

5

3

6

4

4

2

4

2

2

5

2

4

200

195

210

270

105

255 174

11590

105

260

180

285

125

290

260

2.3

3.0

2.0

2.7

2.02.2

1.8

2.3

3.0

2.5

25.1 s

3

1

32.6 s 2

39.6 s 1.37.3 min

March 21, 2004

“I like the fact that the circuit is wide – not like

in Monaco. Also, the curves are exciting

because you have to brake in the middle. For

this the brakes have to be well tuned, and the

car has to have a good balance.”

Felipe Massa

Bahrain GPin Manama

62

2

4

6

2

5

52

5

2 6

4

5 3

2

6

317105

120

199

296

107

202

262107

266

99 296

242

279 171

96

302

April 4, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bahrain

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . International Racing Circuit


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.769 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Tire compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004

Summary

The new circuit features 12 curves (5 left, 7 right) and

offers three good opportunities for overtaking. The

steepest grade is 3.60% up and 5.60% down. On

average, cars drive at a speed of 210 km/h. “Bahrain

is a successful combination of slow and very quick

curves,” says Juan Pablo Montoya. “The desert Grand

Prix gives not only the drivers, but also the spectators

all they can hope for.”

Travel information

Ministry of Information – Tourism Affairs

Bab Al Bahrain

Tel. +973 211 199

Fax +973 229 757

“It’s hard for me to judge because I know the

circuit only on paper. Expanding in new coun-

tries is definitely a good thing for Formula

One. It’s a chance to see new faces, get new

sponsors, and probably also for more growth.”

Felipe Massa

San Marino GPin Imola

6

6

6

33

3

6

3

6

4

3

4

43

2

3

4

2

4

120

100

130

130

240

220

90

160140

300

240

300

200 290

290

115

240

300

210

2.2

1.9

2.3

2.2

4.1

2.4

2.3

2.31.7

2.8

2.7

2.418.1 s

2

3

1

33.2 s

33.4 s 1.24.7 min

April 25, 2004

“A technical circuit that makes huge demands

on the brakes. The topography is also

exciting: you have to accelerate out of the

Tosa curve in order to attack the Piratella

incline.”

Felipe Massa

FORMULA ONE

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . Sepang International Circuit


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310.408 km


Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Tire compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . soft


Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moderate

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999

Summary

Sepang is a Formula One circuit with a lot of variety.

In addition to slow corners, there are four third-gear

turns, four fourth-gear turns, and two very quick curves

taken in fifth gear. Since the circuit also has two long

straights, both measuring about 800 meters, the

car set-up is a challenge here: the high speeds of the

straights have to be factored in, while ensuring enough

downforce for the turns. Passing is easy, thanks to

the very wide circuit.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren Mercedes

2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . Ralf Schumacher, BMW Williams


Best finish for Sauber Petronas . . . . . . . . . . 5 (2002)


Travel information

Tourist office: Kuala Lumpur

Tel. +60 (0) 3 293 51 88

Fax +60 (0) 3 293 58 84

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autodromo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enzo e Dino Ferrari


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305.609 km


Grip level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low



Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1980

Summary

The circuit carries a heavy burden. Both Ayrton Senna

and Roland Ratzenberger died here in 1994. In those

days, San Marino was still a purely high-speed course.

After that fateful year, the organizers tamed the Auto-

dromo somewhat. There are now four slow chicanes that

slow the cars down – sometimes from over 300 km/h

to under 100 km/h. Naturally, this puts enormous

demands on the brakes. As in Sepang and Interlagos,

the combination of slow and fast makes finding the

right set-up more difficult.

Recent winners





Best Swiss driver: Marc Surer . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 (1983)

Travel information

Tourist office: Imola Tourism

Tel. +39 (0) 54 2 60 22 07

Fax +39 (0) 54 2 60 23 10

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Spanish GPin Barcelona

2

3

44

2 4

3

2

4 2

4

4 4

6

3

45

3

6

2

120

168

217255

290120

248

200

88

240

217

112

225

225264

200

255296

312

136

May 9, 2004

“I love high-speed curves, so Barcelona is my

kind of circuit. The last curve before the final

straight is fantastic, although it puts a lot of

strain on the neck. The Campsa curve is also

unique as you have to take it blind.”

Felipe Massa

European GPon the Nürburgring

2

6

2 4

5

62

2

6

633

3

6

5

100

305

112 200

280

300120

100

300

280140

200

140

250

2402.6

2.4

2.3

2.1

2.02.7

2.4

2.8

3.3

May 30, 2004

“The new part is technically demanding and

interesting. The asphalt differs between the

beginning and the end of the circuit, which

makes it a challenge – especially if the

weather changes.”

Felipe Massa


Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circuit de Catalunya


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305.256 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smooth/rough

Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high


Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58%


Circuit debut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991

Summary

The Circuit de Catalunya is very flat, but the asphalt

is rough. This pushes the tires to their limit. The

extremely long straights require as little wing as pos-

sible. This is why the drivers sometimes have problems

in the turns, as their cars tend to understeer in the

turn, and then oversteer under acceleration coming

out of the turn.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Barcelona Tourism

Tel. +34 (0) 93 304 34 21

Fax +34 (0) 93 304 31 55


= checkpoint | 23.6 s = sector time | 1.20.9 min = lap time1

2

Monaco GPin Monte Carlo

6

3

2

2

1

16

2

6

4

6

22

4

2

3

24

4

44

40

120

72

264

72

210

64

152

112

55

210

290109

255

64225

210

88

272

170

180

May 23, 2004

“At first, Monaco was a shock for me. It’s

insane to drive at such a speed through

narrow streets, hemmed in by guardrails. The

tunnel is also a challenge: first it’s dark, and

then you’re blinded by the daylight.”

Felipe Massa

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circuit de Monaco


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260.520 km

Asphalt quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . uneven

Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moderate


Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low


Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1950

Summary

The craziest of all GP layouts really puts the drivers

to the test. Bumps, signposts and blind curves are just

some of the hazards. This layout requires concentra-

tion: the slightest lapse means a trip into the barriers in

no time. In Monaco, the cars have a lot of clearance

so that they don’t bottom out on the bumpy sections.

The tunnel is the fastest part of the circuit, with the

cars hitting speeds of around 300 km/h.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW Williams




Best Swiss driver: Clay Regazzoni . . . . . . . . . 2 (1979)

Travel information

Tourist office: Tourist Office

Tel. +377 (0) 92 16 61 16

Fax +377 (0) 92 16 60 01

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . Nürburg Grand Prix Kurs


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.863 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . slippery

Grip level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low




Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . normal

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1951 (Nordschleife)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 (new circuit)

Summary

Following serious accidents, the circuit management

has made significant changes to the Nürburgring. As a

result, some of the unique character of the “Green

Hell”, as it is known, has been lost. The many upslopes

and downslopes remain, however, as does the un-

predictable weather in the Eifel.

Recent winners


2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari




Travel information

Tourist office: Nürburgring

Tel. +49 (0) 2691 302 620

or + 49 (0) 2691 302 630


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Canadian GPin Montreal

5

65

62

5

25

2

4

62

1

2

2

3

320275

305

275

105

65

265

320

145

305

150

12075

265

115

80

1.8

1.7

2.41.9

2.3

2.11.6

3.0

1.9

1.9

122.9 s

30.0 s 1.18.4 min32 25.5 s

June 13, 2003

“Not necessarily my favorite circuit.

The hairpin turn is the key. It’s the place

where you can either overtake, or gain

time for overtaking on the upcoming straight-

away.”

Felipe Massa

French GPin Magny-Cours

2

6

1

44

5

4

5

6

4

2

4

5

3

2

2

96 280

255

27280

210225

225

210

255

198

305

96255

80

80

July 4, 2004

“A nice circuit, but also one that exposes

the tires to a lot of wear and tear. Accelerating

is important because of the tight hairpin turns

and several other slow curves.”

Felipe Massa

United States GPin Indianapolis

320.6 s 1.14.2 min

23.3 s 1

30.3 s2

3

2

2 6

3

2

2

62

4

4 4

4

6

5

3

42

120

100

115300

140

120

100

320100

210

130

225

170

305

280

130

25080

2.6

1.3

1.6

2.1

2.2

2.2

2.22.4

2.7

1.6

1.6

2.3

2.6

3.72.6

June 20, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Motor Speedway


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306.016 km





Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000

Summary

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the longest full-

throttle portion of all the GP circuits. On the infield

there are both slow and quick turns which – in contrast

to the straights and banked curves – require lots of

downforce. For this reason the teams sacrifice top

speed on the straights in order to get sufficient grip on

the infield portion of the circuit.

Recent winners



2001 . . . . . . . . . . Mika Häkkinen, McLaren Mercedes



Travel information

Tourist office: Indianapolis

Tel. +1 317 232 88 60

“A legendary circuit, and I’ll be racing on it

for first time this year. It’s very technical,

with slow curves on the inner part of the

circuit, which look very interesting on paper.

We’ll see ...”

Felipe Massa

Circuit name. . . . . . . . . . . . . Gilles Villeneuve Circuit


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305.270 km





Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978

Summary

The race in Montreal is held on what, for most of the

year, are public streets. The circuit features sections

on which the drivers pass at about 300 km/h. The

brakes take a hammering with the change from fast

straights to tight chicanes.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Tourism Information

Tel. +1 (0) 514 873 2015

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circuit de Nevers


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.586 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . very smooth





Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51%


Circuit debut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991

Summary

The French circuit is among the most modern race

circuits in Formula One and offers a few “treats”.

The “Grande Courbe” curve is one of the fastest

curves in Formula One – the cars go through it at over

250 km/h. Another kind of challenge is offered by

the curves that drivers have to negotiate completely

blind, because they are so sharp. The extremely flat

surface allows for low ride heights. This, in turn,

ensures that the F1 cars handle the quick turns very

well.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Tourist Office Nevers

Tel. +33 (0) 386 68 46 00

Fax +33 (0) 386 68 45 98

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Hungarian GPin Budapest

4

2

6

3

4

2

3

3

5

44

6

2

2

3

4

4

255

136

296

128

225

96

128

128

225

185240

280

96

88

136

217

193

August 15, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hungaroring

Circuit length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.381km

Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306.663 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dusty

Grip level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low



Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986

Summary

The Hungaroring is curvy, like the circuit in Monte

Carlo. Overall, the circuit is quite slow because

of this. The cars are set up with a lot of wing, and the

suspension is rather soft so the cars can accelerate

quickly out of the turns.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fernando Alonso, Renault





Travel information

Tourist office: Budapest

Tel. +36 (0) 1317 98 00

Fax +36 (0) 1317 96 56

“The Hungarian circuit is almost like a go-cart

track: small and very hard to overtake on.

That’s why it is extremely important to do well

in the qualifying round, as during the race it’s

almost impossible to recapture a lost place.”

Felipe Massa

German GPHockenheim

2

3

3

4

3

4

6

140

195

300

100

240

180

150

2.6

3.2

2.0

2.4

2.8

3.2

July 25, 2004

“Unlike Silverstone, Hockenheim is protected

from the wind. The new circuit makes it more

difficult to pass, but at the same time, setting

up the car is easier because the circuit is

more even.”

Felipe Massa

British GPin Silverstone

4

5

2

46

5

6

365

4

2

4

6

6

5

5

2

105

160

90

275

120

80

250

255

210

240

145

250280

290

315

250

305220

1.5

1.9

1.8

2.5

1.6

1.5

2.5

3.5

2.8

3.5

2.4

1.9

2.9

36.1 s

1

2

3

27.9 s

21.7 s 1.25.7 min

July 11, 2004

“Stowe, Becketts, Bridge: Silverstone offers a

lot of technical thrills – either in the form of

fast curves, or as stretches in which you really

have to jam on the brakes. The weather often

creates additional excitement in the cockpit.”

Felipe Massa

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstone


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.355 km





Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1950

Summary

Silverstone has continually been improved over

the years. The curve section through Beckett’s is one

of the most unusual curves in Formula One and is

taken at over 200 km/h. The interesting curve combi-

nation allows for more than one racing line. This makes

for a challenge to the drivers lap after lap. The asphalt

in Silverstone is relatively smooth and offers good

grip without wearing down the tires too much.

Recent winners



2001 . . . . . . . . . . Mika Häkkinen, McLaren Mercedes



Travel information

Tourist office: Northampton Tourism

Tel. +44 (0) 1604 622 677



= checkpoint | 27.9 s = section time | 1.25.7 min = lap time1

2

Circuit name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hockenheimring

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baden-Württemberg


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306.458 km


Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high



Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . normal

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970

Summary

The atmosphere is that of a football stadium. Except

for the Motodrome, the new Hockenheimring bears no

comparison to its predecessor. Gone are the long,

high-speed straights in the woods, to be replaced by

numerous curves that cry out for overtaking maneu-

vers. This has made the circuit an instant favorite with

drivers.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Hockenheim

Tel. +49 (0) 6205 210

Fax +49 (0) 6205 21990


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Belgium GPin Spa-Francorchamps

1

32

1.52.2 min30.2 s

31.0 s

51.0 s

3

2

6

4

5

6

3

2

6

4

6

3

2

64

6

3

6

4

6

3

5

3

290

290

300

200315

150

280250

305

320

90

60

275

170

300

170

240

330

140

275

160

140

115

3.5

4.0

3.03.5

2.5

3.33.0

2.5

3.53.5

3.5

2.5

3.0

2.8

2.5

August 29, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circuit

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . de Spa-Francorchamps


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306.812 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . varied

Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . average


Tire wear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . average

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . average

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1950

Summary

At almost seven kilometers, the “Circuit de Spa-Fran-

corchamps” in the Ardennes is the longest circuit on

this year’s calendar, and one of the most challenging.

The combination of very fast curves and chicanes, as

well as the “Eau Rouge” drop, make racing on it a true

challenge for all drivers. It is difficult to find a good set-

up due to the circuit’s length. Rain is common in Spa

and adds to the excitement.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . no race





Travel information

Tourist office

Tel. +32 (0) 87/79 53 53

Fax +36 (0) 87/79 53 54

“I love the Ardennes circuit, it’s my second

favorite. It’s also treacherous. The ‘Eau

Rouge’ is probably the most spectacular curve

there is. Spa offers everything a driver could

hope for and makes your adrenaline flow.”

Felipe Massa

Italian GPin Monza

5

4

6

4 3

4

4 3

4

2

6

546

4

2

6

280

180

340

220 155

155

250

170

140

115

330

300248344

180100

340

2.8

2.6 3.3

2.2

2.5

2.5

2.3

2.91.2

28.8 s 1.23.6 min 3

26.1 s 1

28.7 s2

September 12, 2004

“With its long straightaways, Monza is great

for overtaking. Technically it’s probably the

simplest circuit, and the feeling of accelerating

up to 360 km/h unique. And the fans make

sure there’s always a good atmosphere.”

Felipe Massa

Chinese GPin Shanghai

6

42 6

2

5

3 62

46

23

305

234107 291

102

266

181 28491

249326

88181

September 26, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shanghai Circuit

Circuit length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.451km

Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305.256 km

Asphalt quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Tire compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n.a.

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004

Summary

Shanghai, the second new item on the racing calendar

– in addition to Bahrain, was also designed by

Hermann Tilke. His goal was to create a good mix of

fast and slow curves. The circuit has the form of the

Chinese character “Shang”, which means “success”.

The cars drive at an average speed of 205 km/h

around the circuit, which has 14 curves (7 left, 7 right).

Travel information

Shanghai Spring International Travel Service

Tel. (86-21) 62520000

Fax (86-21) 62523734

“I’m looking forward to my first race in China.

With all that I’ve heard, the circuit seems very

challenging. And apparently the Chinese fans

are passionate about racing.”

Felipe Massa

Circuit name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autodromo di Monza


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306.720 km




Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . very high

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1950

Summary

The high speed circuit in Monza is suited for cars

with high top speeds and those that lose little time

running over the high curbs in the chicanes. The

chicanes are designed to reduce the speed of the cars,

which causes heavy wear on the brakes and tires.

The final curve before the start/finish, the “Parabolica”

requires drivers to hold closely to the racing line so

that there’s enough momentum for the straight taken

at far in excess of 300 km/h.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Monza, private service

Tel./Fax +39 (0) 39 32 32 22

Tourist office: Mailand

Tel. +39 (0) 2 72 52 43 00

Fax +39 (0) 2 72 52 43 50

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FORMULA ONE

Japanese GPin Suzuka

42.7 s

3

32.5 s12

20.6 s 1.35.8 min

4

5

6

2

6

3

6

4

2 4

3

5

6

1

3

6

130

65180

315

255

140

255

290

145

190315210

65

280 272155

2.3

1.32.7

2.3

2.2

2.8

3.1

1.3

2.4 3.63.2

October 10, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzuka International

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Racing Course


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307.573 km


Grip level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . high



Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62%


Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987

Summary

The final race of the 2003 season takes place on

one of the most challenging circuits. Slow turns are

interspersed with fast ones, and the S-curves at

the beginning require drivers to stick close to the racing

line. If they get off-line, they can’t take the following

curves properly.

Recent winners






Travel information

Tourist office: Suzuka

Tel. +81 593 82 90 20

Fax +81 593 82 03 04

Tourist office: Osaka

Tel. +81 663 05 33 11

Fax +81 663 05 34 06

“My favorite circuit – one that has lots of

technical sections and a few uphills and

downhills. But there’s one drawback: my

favorite curve, the 130R, was modified for

safety reasons.”

Felipe Massa

Brazilian GPin São Paulo

5

5

4

4

3

24

4

36

2

6

6

1 6

75

100

195

130

265

305

195

280

230

140

100

220

300

280

290

1.5

1.5

3.4

2.1

2.12.1

2.8

2.6

2.1

2.6

37.8 s

1

2

18.8 s

17.5 s 1.14.1 min3

October 24, 2004

Circuit name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autodromo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos


Number of laps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Race distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305.909 km




Tire wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Max. throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%

Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . low

Circuit debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973

Summary

Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace is composed of a very

fast section and a very slow section. As in Malaysia,

setting up the car is difficult here. Some large bumps

require a soft suspension. The teams try to find

the balance between having as little wing as possible

in order to be fast on the straights and getting enough

downforce for the tight corners.

Recent winners

2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . Giancarlo Fisichella, Jordan Ford





Travel information

Tourist office: Official Tourismo São Paulo

Tel. +55 (0) 11 239 58 22

Fax +55 (0) 11 605 62 55

“This circuit requires you to have a strong

neck because it runs counterclockwise, and

there are a few long fast curves. It is also

punishing on the drivers due to its unevenness.

But in spite of it all, I love the GP in my country.”

Felipe Massa


= checkpoint | 26.1 s = sector time | 1.23.6 min = lap time1

2



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FORMULA ONE


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FORMULA ONE

Christmas at my house generally tends to be a rather testos-terone-charged affair – both my sons are there, as are both their fathers, one of whom flew in specially from Switzerland, and the odd“lost soul” (why are these always men? An interesting question, but irrelevant at the moment). This year it was my neighbor Jack, an ex-marine, wearing a shirt ironed with military precision. He cameto hear the Christmas carols, especially O Christmas Tree, in German, which his grandmother of German ancestry had alwayssung to him. Then the lost Frenchman, who had been the caretakerof an isolated and probably damp castle in Brittany for years, andwho one day decided to seek out Indians, and who, for some unex-plained reason, got waylaid in San Francisco, where there are no In-dians at all.

The pork wellington needs about three hours longer than planned,so we decide to open the gifts – the biggest one first, and that is...the racetrack. And with it, the end of every festive tradition. Forgetthe pork, the tree, the other gifts – the racetrack has to be put to-gether. Track sections and men’s legs everywhere, only the youngestboy – the rightful owner of the new racetrack – withdraws and playsquietly with his Lego.

Furniture is moved and the unopened gifts are stacked in the hall,even the Christmas tree has to give way, and it hasn’t even beensung to yet. The shiny black track winds in complicated twists and turns around the sofa legs and under shelves. It’s quite a largetrack – “1:24” I’m told. If I’m not mistaken, that means that it’s only 24 times smaller than a real racetrack. And just like a real race-track, it has curves and hills. “Not like yours,” sniffs somebody atJack, who hasn’t said a thing, but as an American he represents thesilly habit of driving cars around in circles. That would be Nascar –and it has nothing to do with Formula One I’m told by the Europeans.Nascar is lame – which would also explain why it is the Nascar driv-ers who make the commercials for Viagra...

The men stomp, kneel down, lie on their tummies. No one canagree on anything – neither when constructing the track, nor whenracing the incredibly realistic, 24-times smaller racing cars – ofwhich only two came with the track. The fathers tussle for the con-trollers, the taller of the two steps on the track with his outsizedsneakers, Jack shakes his walking stick, and the Frenchman undoeshis Indian braid. It then comes out that Thomas – the one who bought

the racetrack – has had it up and running in his office since the mid-dle of November. “Not fair,” shout all the others and bar him fromracing. I pick up a controller. “What, you??”I press the button. The car shoots out of the curve and disappearsbehind the bookshelf. Agonized groans from all four. “Withfeeeeeeeeling”, they shout. One of them recovers the car. Jack,who’s leaning against a cushion beside me with his broken legstretched out awkwardly in front of him, puts his car on the startingline. “Ready, set, go!” and this time I press the button with feeling,with lots of feeling, with more feeling than I knew I had in me. Mycar whizzes off, takes the curves with confidence, disappears underthe sofa, Jack falls behind, “my leg,” he moans, “start again,” hecalls, but I’m not listening, I race my car around the living room, andwhen it’s over, the controller has to be forcibly pried from my fingers.

Sometime in January the racetrack was dismantled and returnedto the office, which is four times bigger than my living room. I havea key. Sometimes I sneak in there and turn a couple of laps with thecars. Mmmm, about once, twice a day... ❙

The racetrackBy Milena Moser

Milena Moser did not start her ca-

reer as a racing car columnist,

but as the queen of trashy novels.

The 40-year-old author from Zurich

earned this title with her original,

quirky books “Die Putzfraueninsel”

(1991), “Das Schlampenbuch”

(1992) and “Blondinenträume”

(1994) (not available in English).

She also has a fun and interesting “bitch page” on her website

(www.milenamoser.com). She moved to San Francisco with

her two children in 1998 and her two latest novels – “Bana-

nenfüsse” (2001) and “Sofa, Yoga, Mord” (2003) – are set there.

Milena Moser now writes as a columnist for emagazine

(www.credit-suisse.com/emagazine), reporting on life in Zurich’s

twin town.

http://www.milenamoser.com


THE NEGOTIATIONSBORE A STRIKINGRESEMBLANCE TORACING: THEY WENTROUND IN CIRCLES


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While 900-HP cars run on Super Plus,the fuel that really powers the billion-poundFormula One business is a complex mix of money, power and emotions. However,this volatile combination ran the risk of ex-ploding – at least until a few weeks ago. Theunique set-up the kings of the racing worldenjoyed for a good fifty years threatened tofall apart despite (or perhaps because of) thesuccess it achieved. It looked as if the par-ties would go their separate ways by NewYear’s Eve 2003. However, the precedingChristmas holidays obviously had a calmingeffect on the rivals – the battle for power andthe public’s favor between marketers, finan-cial backers and the automobile industryended in a gentlemen’s agreement, whichgave the teams more money and the manu-facturers more say. The banks see a future,Bernie Ecclestone keeps his job – and noth-ing really changes for the fans. Except theynow know who owns Formula One. A lot offuss about nothing? You can’t say that, giv-en the billions of euros the Grand Prix gen-erates.

Everyone wants the best – for themselves

Since the spring of 2001, Formula One pro-moter Bernie Ecclestone, known as Zam-pano in the trade, Leo Kirch’s banks, the(former) majority shareholder of the market-ing rights company SLEC, as well as au-tomakers BMW, DaimlerChysler, Fiat, Fordand Renault have been wrangling over whowill have a say in the future – and above all,who owns what. The negotiations bore astriking resemblance to racing: they wentround in circles. No wonder – given that eachparty claimed that they only wanted whatwas best. For the sport, of course, but alsofor themselves. To the outside world they

spoke in extremely polite terms – apart fromoccasional targeted verbal attacks. How-ever, the climate of mutual threats and re-criminations became increasingly untenable.The negotiations were tough and it seemedincreasingly likely that they would result inthe opposite of the original objective – i.e. tobuild a solid sporting and economic future forFormula One. As emotional shareholders,the spectators were just as unsettled as po-tential sponsors.

Especially after the five car manufactur-ers officially joined forces to form Grand PrixWorld Championship (GPWC) Holding. Fromthen on there could be no more talk of a “hi-jacking”; the rival to Formula One became areal possibility. In their founding documents,the revolutionaries set out their approach to“sole ownership” and “running a new com-petition”. This rival event would be set up by2008 at the latest – unless Ecclestone andLehman Brothers, JP Morgan and Bay-erische Landesbank agreed to implementthe main GPWC conditions.

Only the Concorde Agreement, the sta-bility and distribution agreement concludedby Ecclestone, and the International Auto-mobile Federation (FIA) governing the sport,prevented the earlier collapse. The signa-tories have committed themselves to driveexclusively for Formula One until the end ofthe 2007 season. This was one of the tough-est parts of the negotiations. The automobilemanufacturers were forced to play a doublegame. On the one hand, they wanted the ri-val competition to be up and running by2005, while, on the other, they were tied tothe existing Formula One through tradeunions (Renault, Ferrari, Jaguar), as partners(BMW, Mercedes) or automobile suppliers(Ford).

Car giants demand a greater say

Why are the car companies fighting againstsomething in which they have invested bil-lions of francs? Precisely because they haveinvested billions. The managers of the carcompanies do not allow others to interfere intheir main business and are loath to paycommissions. Their outraged argument is:we are not paying to put on the show andhave others take all the profits. While thiswas always the case and was tolerated un-der Bernie Ecclestone – indeed, it was hisidea in the seventies to make the show real-ly popular for the benefit of all teams – theperiod of tolerance was over when the Ecclestone family sold 75 percent of its mar-keting rights agency, SLEC, to the Germanmedia group, Kirch. The firms saw their pow-er dwindling and – even worse – handed toa company not in the automobile industry. Atthe same time the global economic crisis hitFormula One so hard that the question of re-financing became increasingly urgent. To putit simply, the teams wanted a bigger slice ofthe TV and marketing revenues. A much big-ger slice than before. Previously they re-ceived only 47 percent of the TV premiumsand none of the other advertising revenue.Then the GPWC produced its financial mod-el, which promised an incredible distributionof up to 80 percent and an improvement inTV marketing revenues.

Bernie Ecclestone saves face

Despite their overwhelming power, the automobile industry was unable to beat Ecclestone, who casually pointed out thatthere have hardly been any series controlledby manufacturers in the history of the sport.Especially as legislation would only becomeslightly more neutral if the participants and

A crash narrowly avoidedAt the end of last year, Formula One was teetering on the edge of an abyss, with the five biggest carmanufacturers threatening to set up a rival series. The Formula One barons have since re-sliced the cakeand harmony has returned to Bernie Ecclestone’s empire. Elmar Brümmer, Formula One journalist


FORMULA ONE

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financiers of a championship were to set therules themselves. Certain indiscretions onboth sides (for example, concerning extraentry money for Ferrari) prepared the way forthe compromise on which all participantswere able to agree for the benefit of thesport, the spectators and money-making ingeneral.

Putting all personal vanity aside, bothsides came to realize that they would loserather than gain from a forced split – as is al-ready happening after the carve-up of thetop series in the US. The public ultimatum byGPWC at the end of the year was therefore

not necessary. But it helped the tough ne-gotiators to save face. From the conferencehall on Lake Geneva, Gerhard Gribowsky,representing the banks, Jürgen Hubbert, on behalf of GPWC, and Bernie Ecclestonefor the Bambino Trust of his wife and children, which holds 25 percent of the SLEC shares, explained: “We are de-lighted that we have achieved a break-through on the future of Formula One. Theresult is in the interests of Formula One andits millions of fans around the world.” Theparticipants signed a memorandum to thateffect, which – as with previous Formula One

agreements – remained strictly confidential.We can assume, however, that the industrysucceeded in pushing through most of its de-mands. To ensure that they take effect asquickly as possible, appropriate arrange-ments must now be made with the racetrackowners, who should now – in principle – havefew objections. Frank Williams thereforehopes “that the new deal will bring about awave of improvements and the teams will en-joy greater security and be able to look for-ward to a longer future”.

For this to happen, the Formula One con-stitution must be amended in the comingracing year. The win-win situation means that73-year-old Bernie Ecclestone will remain atthe helm of the series, the banks will main-tain their key position and the car companieswill play the “important role” they desired, asFerrari head Luca di Montezemolo put it. Theteam’s income from marketing will increase“significantly”. To cement the power shift andthe new foundation for Formula One, the carcompanies want to establish a new joint mar-keting firm with SLEC, with three repre-sentatives of the car companies sitting on theBoard of Directors. All to ensure that the fuel continues to pour into Formula One. ❙

The key figures in the Formula One poker game1 Bernie Ecclestone, chief promoter of Formula One

2 Jürgen Hubbert (Member of DaimlerChrysler Board of Directors), Chairman of Grand Prix World

Championship (GPWC)

3 Burkhard Göschel (Member of BMW Board of Directors), Member of GPWC Board of Directors

4 Luca di Montezemolo (President of Ferrari), Member of GPWC Board of Directors

5 Richard Parry-Jones (Vice-President of Ford), Member of GPWC Board of Directors

6 Patrick Faure (Member of Renault Board of Directors), Member of GPWC Board of Directors

7 Gerhard Gribowsky, bank spokesman

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“ALL RACING DRIVERSKNOW THAT EACH DAYTHEY GET INTO THECOCKPIT COULD BETHEIR LAST.”


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Andreas Thomann In 1969, you and five others

started off on your Formula One adventure.

Today the BMW Williams team is an indus-

trial-size operation with 370 employees and

a budget of more than CHF 100 million. Do

you sometimes think back wistfully to the

good old days?

Frank Williams Actually, no. I enjoy thepresent too much. We had fun back then,naturally, but it was also bone-breakingwork. We had to stretch every penny andwe had to learn many things the hard wayuntil we found our feet in the Formula Onebusiness.More and more it is the managers and not

the racing pioneers who have the final say in

today’s Formula One world. Is the era of

the passionate “racer” over? Possibly. Butdespite this, all Formula One teams todayare managed by people who enjoy theirjobs. Some even love their jobs! The firstgroup, the managers, do not necessarilydeliver a worse performance. You can bepassionate about something and at thesame time make many mistakes. Or youcan be cold and calculating about it all andbe very efficient. You can’t play the one off against the other. In which category do you see Peter Sauber?

He is definitely a racer. The man lives com-pletely for the sport of motor racing and heis prepared to sacrifice just about every-thing for it. Each season he has to fight tocover his budget, but he would never giveup. He is a true sportsman and I have thegreatest respect for him.

But there is an important difference between

the two of you. You reached a deal with

an auto manufacturer, whereas Peter Sauber

highly values his independence. I wouldn’tagree with that. Williams is just as inde-pendent as Sauber. BMW manufactures ourengines but they do not have shares in theteam and they do not control our manage-ment. Williams is the Formula One team.We pay the drivers and we raise the spon-sorship money. BMW Williams is the successful symbiosis

of a German automaker and a British racing

team. How do you bridge the cultural differ-

ences? Well, we all aim for the same goal –winning the race! Our routes to the check-ered flag are not identical but pretty similar,in view of the demands of technology: the laws of physics and mechanics are thesame all over the world! But there aredifferences. In the UK, a team is made upof individuals who are driven by their innermotivation. In Germany, discipline is a moreprevalent feature of teamwork. For thisreason too, a German company tends to bemore rigid in its structure than a Britishone.Have you learned German since the launch

of this partnership? Let me put it this way:I don’t get lost when I am traveling in Ger-many. When I was at school I had twoyears of German, but even back then Iwasn’t very talented in that department. The latest outcome of this British-German

symbiosis – the Williams-BMW FW26 – has

already caused a great deal of excitement

due to its spectacular design. Is this vehicle

as fast as it looks?

So far the FW26 has shown itself to befast in tests. But test results are not espe-cially indicative because no one knows howfull our competitors’ gas tanks are. Thedifference in weight distorts the results.Nine Constructor’s Championship titles and

seven Drivers’ Championship titles. The

track record of Williams is impressive. What

is the secret of your success? If I had asecret, would we have been waiting since1997 for another championship win? This is a long time and somewhat troubling tome. Despite all our success, we have notmanaged to remain consistently in the lead. But your competitors are in no better circum-

stances. You may be right, but that is im-material to us.What is the reason for these setbacks?

Mostly our change in partners. After thechampionship title of Jacques Villeneuve in1997, our very successful partnership withRenault came to an end. In the followingtwo seasons we were driving with a sub-standard engine, plus we also lost a fewgood people. We were caught off guardsomewhat by the huge advances made byFerrari and McLaren. It was the arrival ofBMW in 2000 that finally brought us backinto the circle of contenders. Williams has always had a reputation for

considering the team more important than

the drivers. Do you have something against

stars? No, a driver is crucial for a team.But we wanted to avoid a situation where

“I have never dreamed of giving up”Sir Frank Williams has experienced up close the highs and lows of Formula One racing. Over a period of 35 years, he and his team have won the Constructors’ Championship a total of nine times, but there have also been setbacks, such as the death of Ayrton Senna. Each time, however, this racing fanatic has fought his way back. Andreas Thomann, Bulletin editorial team

the tail was wagging the dog. And no, wehave not always been able to avoid this.Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell did indeedwag the dog around a little sometimes. Butthey were exceptions. We don’t usuallyallow the drivers to put us under any pres-sure. If a driver expects more money thanwe are prepared to pay him, then we lethim go – even if he has just won the Drivers’Championship. We have been criticized forthis, of course, but it is the only way wecan stay in business.Jones, Mansell, Rosberg, Piquet, Prost,

Senna, Hill, Villeneuve: Williams has certain-

ly never been short of big names. Is there

one that stands out among all these greats?

Let me think… They were all smart drivers,mentally strong, exceptionally able, veryprofessional in their approach to work andall of them unique in their own way.Spoiled prima donnas? Drivers are not easy

to deal with. Admittedly they are not allsuperstars – only Michael Schumacher canclaim this status at the moment – but thetelevision profile of Formula One racing vir-tually makes the drivers public property. Forexample, in his country (Colombia), JuanPablo Montoya is more popular than thepresident. He has been able to place hiscountry on the international map, and he isrightly proud of this. And sometimes driverscan be a little oversensitive to criticism.Has the outlook of drivers changed much in

the last 35 years? Yes, because there is alot more money and fame at stake, andthat gives them more power. Drivers havealways had a great deal of strength ofcharacter, but now their stage has becomemuch bigger. Conversely, however, theyhave to work a lot harder for the moneyand fame. In the early 1980s, Alan Jonesprobably spent a day or two per year doing

public relations, and he put in a total of25 test days. Drivers today spend about30 days a year on PR work and up to100 days doing tests.Although a father loves all his children equal-

ly, sometimes there is a favorite child. Do

you have a favorite driver? Actually, no. ButAlan Jones does hold a special place in mymemory. He was my first World Championand at the same time he was a good mate.Perhaps also the fact that there was only asmall age difference between us played arole. My relationship with the drivers todayis inevitably somewhat more distanced;think about it, I am older than Montoya’sfather! This year it will be ten years since the tragic

accident of your most famous driver, Ayrton

Senna. Did you think of stopping back then?

No, not at all. All racing drivers know thateach day they get into the cockpit could be

Beaten by a nose: the Williams drivers, Ralf Schumacher (left) and Juan Pablo Montoya, celebrate second and third place in Montrealafter starting ahead. The only driver faster than them was Michael Schumacher.


FORMULA ONE

their last. These are the rules of the game,and it is a dangerous game. They have tolive with it and we have to live with it. Don’tforget, many more people die in moun-taineering accidents than in Formula Oneracing. But they are generally not famousand their accidents are not broadcast liveon television. You yourself narrowly survived a car acci-

dent in 1986, and since then you have been

confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, you

have never given up. What is the source of

your strength? I’m not the only one to havesuffered a severe setback in life. I evenconsider myself lucky compared to otherpeople. I have a good friend in Basel by thename of René Küschal. He made thewheelchair that I am sitting in. A swimmingpool accident left him a tetraplegic. He wasonly 16 at the time it happened. I was 43

when I had my accident. I already had a

family, a team and was successful in busi-ness. I could afford to hire people to helpme. René Küschal had none of this. Hehad to claw his way up right from the bot-tom. He is a fantastic guy. He has such a

drive to be independent that he travelsaround the world entirely alone. When thestaff from Swiss Airlines see him coming,they throw their hands up in the air andsay: “Oh boy, not him again” (laughs). Henever informs them in advance, eventhough he cannot get through without theirhelp. He is a true hero, and being Swissyou should really be proud of him. In his day, Clay Regazzoni was also a Swiss

hero. In 1979 he won his first Formula One

Grand Prix; today he is also confined to a

wheelchair. Do you still keep in touch with

him? No, unfortunately not. I haven’t actu-ally seen him for ten years.Clay was also the last successful Swiss

Formula One racing driver. Is Switzerland a

difficult breeding ground for drivers? Ab-solutely. Circuit racing was banned in yourcountry 50 years ago. For young guys it ismuch more lucrative to go into other typesof sport. We have the same problem in theUK. Soccer and cricket present muchfaster tracks to making a career of sport.Of course, Formula One drivers earn ahuge amount of money, but there is onlyenough space at the top for 20 drivers and the road to the top is incredibly steep.Speaking to such a Formula One expert

as yourself, I have to ask you the following

question. Who is currently the best in the

field? You don’t need an expert to answerthat question! Any child can tell you whothe best is. Michael Schumacher, ofcourse. He is second to none – at least atthe moment. The man isn’t just talented,he spends every waking minute thinking ofFormula One. And he is a team leader. He spends a lot of time thinking about howhe can promote his team.But your drivers won’t be happy to hear you

say this! They know what I think on thematter, which doesn’t mean that I have torub it under their noses every day…

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Frank Williams – a life for Formula OneWhen Frank Williams embarked on his Formula One adventure in 1969, he had a second-

hand racing car, one driver and three mechanics. Back then he could never have imag-

ined that he was laying the foundation stone for one of the most successful careers in the

sport of motor racing. It took him ten years to achieve a breakthrough: in 1969 at the

British Grand Prix, the Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni won the first Formula One victory for

Williams. The following year the team won the Constructors’ Championship and Williams’

driver, Alan Jones, won the Drivers’ Championship.

Success and tragedy in turn1986 was a key year for Frank Williams. His drivers Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet

won nine out of sixteen races and gave the team, which at that stage was using a Honda

engine, its third Constructors’ Championship. In the same year, Frank Williams had a

terrible car accident, and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. In the ensuing

years, however, the team went from strength to strength. The last successful period for

the team was 1989 to 1997; its partner was Renault and it won the Drivers’ Championship

four times, with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. But 1994

was a fateful year. The Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, who had just joined the team, died in

an accident at Imola. Despite this blow, Williams still won the Constructors’ Championship.

Williams drivers are hot on the trail of victoryThe Williams team, with drivers Ralf Schumacher und Juan Pablo Montoya, is considered

a strong contender for the Championship titles in the coming season. Since securing a

new engine manufacturer in the form of BMW (their agreement started in 2000), they have

slowly been fighting their way back to the front of the pack. Last season was a close call,

with Colombian Montoya only just missing the Championship title. But serial-winner

Michael Schumacher has been warned. More at www.bmw.williamsf1.com.

Frank Williams, Head of the Williams F1 team

“WILLIAMS IS ASINDEPENDENT AS SAUBER.”

http://www.bmw.williamsf1.com/01-05160AA6A2674CC90A1489B6D4269085/ms/de/4_serien/41_f1/index.html

FORMULA ONE

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Sports cars have always been highly cov-eted objects. Perhaps it is because theirpower and exclusivity rub off somewhat ontheir owners? Hardly anyone can really ap-preciate the sheer power that these vehicleshave. On public streets – with the exceptionof the German Autobahn – a driver can reachheadline-making speeds in just a few sec-onds. And hardly anyone is going to treatthemselves to their own racetrack. There’sno discernible rational reason for buying ahigh-speed monster with 600 HP – if you ig-nore the fact that it could be worth a fortunein 20 or 30 years if the interest is there.However, speculation with automotive hard-ware is not sufficient grounds for producerssuch as Ferrari, Porsche, or Mercedes toconsider producing wickedly expensive supersports cars. Besides the collectors andspeculators there must also be a sufficient-ly high number of well-heeled driving enthu-siasts for such a car to excite, otherwise a

supercar project would lead to a financial supercar disaster.

For the moment, the producers evidentlydo not have to concern themselves aboutthis. Despite the recession, more car buffsthan ever are lining up, checkbooks at theready, to get their hands on high-pricedsportsters. This suits the producers just fine.They test out new technologies in their supercars and there are a few prestige pointsto be won in the process. But for devoteesto exclusive status symbols, 2004 promisesto be an especially memorable year. Amongthe supersports cars, the Bugatti Veyron,Ford GT, Mercedes SLR, and Porsche Car-rera GT models are on the starting grid andblow away just about any previous competi-tion there may have been. The manufactur-ers equip their automotive delicacies with bigscoops. Even the weakling of the abovequartet, the Ford GT, gets 500 HP from its5.4 liter V8. Indisputably in pole position isthe Bugatti, which boasts a fabulous 1,001

horsepower. That’s enough to get you from0 to 100 km/h in about three seconds.

Ancestries and myths included

The gap with respect to “mass products” isnot, however, exclusively linked to perfor-mance. After all, a current Porsche Turboturns out 420 HP. It is the combination ofhigh performance with an exorbitant pricetag, limited availability and impeccable lin-eage that distinguishes the supersports cars.Mercedes and Porsche certainly have noreason to be ashamed. In the case of themere 349 specimens of the Ferrari EnzoFerrari (its actual name), the question of finelineage becomes a moot one. And even theFord GT can point to an ancestry of heroicperformances – it is the spitting image of its

progenitor, the Ford GT 40, which somehowgives the new Ford GT access to its leg-endary origins in the 60s. When Henry FordII wanted to buy Ferrari, the takeover fellthrough on the whims of Enzo Ferrari. “Okay,then we’ll kick his ass,” Ford is said to havequipped. In any case, from then on the rac-ing division was given a practically unlimitedbudget to develop the GT 40. The race car,measuring exactly 40 inches in height, duti-fully occupied the top of the podium in LeMans from 1966 to 1969.

Only the Bugatti Veyron requires a littlegenerosity when looking at its ancestry. Itwas not until 1998 that Volkswagen obtainedthe registered trademark for Bugatti. Andthe Veyron is not the progeny of a fanaticalmotor manufacturer or a high speed freak,but the child of a strategic decision. The im-age of the Wolfsburg corporate group, col-ored by the Beetle and the Golf, was to be

Lots more is lots more!500, 600, 1,001 horsepower? Supersports cars bring the feeling of Formula One from the racetrack onto public streets. But they are not built just for that reason. There are nearly enough reasons as there arehorses packed under the hood. Marcus Balogh, Bulletin editorial team

Mercedes SLR The shooting star from Stuttgart offersenough luxury even to fastidious contemporaries.Motor: 5.4 liter V8 with superchargerPerformance: 626 HP. Max. torque: 780 Nm. Driving performance: Vmax. 334 km/h, 0–100 km/h 3.8 s.Production: 3,500 vehiclesPrice: EUR 420,000

Porsche Carrera GT A clear message from driving aceWalter Röhrl: exactly how a sports car should be.Motor: 5.7 liter V10Performance: 612 HP. Max. torque: 590 Nm.Driving performance: Vmax. 330 km/h, 0–100 km/h 3.9s.Production: 1,500 vehiclesPrice: CHF 659,800

38 Credit Suisse Bulletin Special38 Credit Suisse Bulletin Special


SUITABLE FOR EVERYDAYUSE: FIRST YOU PICK UPA LOAF AT THE BAKER’S –THEN YOU BAG THE BESTTIME ON THE RACETRACK.

changed, and together with Bentley, Bugattireceived the task of bringing a change of im-age to the movers of the masses.

The Volkswagen Group would naturallyprefer to direct potential buyers’ attention toother things. The traditional production sitein Molsheim, for example. In no way did thisrebirth have a negative impact on the qual-ities of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. With 1,250

Nm (922 lb-ft) of torque, four turbochargers,

and a clutch capable of engaging the nextgear without power disruption, the Veyron iswithout a doubt an extraordinary car.

A value that never wanes

However, top end also means top price. Thetwo-seater super coupe will set you backabout a million euros, and is custom-madeby hand. With regard to hand-crafting: forthe most part, supersports cars are not as-

sembled on a production line. Often enough,the bodywork alone requires this. Thesedays, the material of choice for this is poly-mer material reinforced with fiberglass. It isa lighter and more stable material than itspredecessors. Things are equally exotic be-low the bodywork. The Mercedes SLR, forexample, features ceramic brakes. The pro-duction process for the brake disks involvesputting carbon fiber, carbon powder and


as I would hope for from a high perfor-mance car that is street-legal.Almost every automotive giant is fiddling

around with a super car at the moment. Is

the Carrera GT a “me too” product? Not atall. Porsche has a tradition of producinghigh performance sports cars. Actually, theCarrera GT is the culmination of develop-ment work for the 24-hour race in LeMans. The motor and the entire vehiclewere designed with this race in mind. Dueto a rule change the car couldn’t be used.The experience stemming from the devel-opment work was then poured into theCarrera GT project. That is truly not a “metoo” approach.Are Porsche 911 and Boxter buyers financ-

ing the Carrera GT? The Carrera GT is not a luxury toy that Porsche is cross-sub-sidizing with the sale of other models. Dr Wendelin Wiedeking (ed. note: Chairmanof the Board of Porsche AG) made it clearfrom the beginning that the car would gointo production only if it could pay for itself.Why would someone buy a Carrera GT?

A few collectors will probably stash it awayin their garages. For others it’s a prestigething. If I could afford such a car, my fascination with the technology would be areason, in addition to the fun. It’s the samewith watches. If you just want to know

“We’re looking for moral maturity”Niki Lauda calls him a “genius on wheels”, he was accorded the title“Rally driver of the millennium” in France, and in Italy he’s beenselected “Best rally driver of all time”. Now, for the first time there’s a car on the streets that the wizard of the wheel is fully satisfied with. Interview: Marcus Balogh, Bulletin editorial team

“THE CARRERAGT’S MANNERSARE IMPECCABLE”

Walter Röhrl, ex-rally driver and head of test team for Porsche

what time it is, then a quartz watch is whatyou want on your wrist. However, a lot of people, myself included, are fascinatedwith mechanical watches, their complexityand the work that goes into such a smallobject. It’s similar with the Carrera GT. A practical compact will also get you whereyou want to go. It’s just much more enjoy-able in a Carrera GT.Just on the racetrack, or for city streets too?

Both. You can easily drive down to the baker’s to pick up a loaf – and then hit theracetrack after breakfast. We wanted tocombine everyday suitability with racingcharacter, and I think we’ve achieved that.It has impeccable manners.Does the term everyday suitability also in-

clude comfort? Leather, air-conditioning,navigation system – everything that be-longs in a car can be found in the CarreraGT.

Marcus Balogh Walter, were you born

to drive?

Walter Röhrl It seems the good Lord did in fact give me just one exceptional talent:the ability to drive fast.Nevertheless, you’ve been the head of the

test team for Porsche for about 10 years

now. Is there a little bit of Röhrl’s fine-tuning

in every new Porsche? (laughs) I’ve driventhem all. And maybe I’ve contributed just a little to the fun of driving the currentmodels.How deeply were you involved in developing

the Carrera GT? I was on board right fromthe start. In collaboration with the Porscheengineers, we created a car that drives just

Walter Röhrl, born 1947, got involved with

rally sport by chance. A friend persuaded

him to take part in the Bavaria Rally

in 1968. A year later he dazzled the rally

scene with a second-place finish in the

overall rankings. His big break came

in 1972 in the Olympia Rally, where only

engine damage kept him from winning

by a mile. In the years that followed, Walter

Röhrl consolidated his position as a

superb rally driver. He has been rally world

champion twice and a four-time winner in

Monte Carlo. He has also been head of the

test team for Porsche for about ten years.


FORMULA ONE

resin into a mold under high pressure, andthen baking it together with silica at temper-atures of about 1,500 degrees Celsius untilit forms a ceramic. The brake disks can with-stand temperatures of up to 1,000 degreesCelsius, and the braking system features upto 2,000 BHP. Porsche, on the other hand,is using ceramic in a newly developed clutchwhich is compact and durable enough tomeet even the demands of the racing world.

In view of these facts, it is not surprising thatthe huge development costs are not alwaysrecovered. For many of these street com-petitors, it is also not the objective. For themanufacturers, it is a matter of not eating thecompetition’s dust. They are reticent whenthe question arises as to whether the figureson their bottom lines appear in red or black.The only exception is Porsche. When unveil-ing the Carrera GT, Porsche boss, WendelinWiedeking, made it clear that the superPorsche would be given a chance only if itcould be sold at a profit. The memory of thePorsche 959 supersports car is still a painfulone for the Stuttgart-based company. In1987, the limited-edition run of 300 vehiclessold in a flash at CHF 420,000 – a price thatwas anything but cost-covering. The car wasscarcely on the market before Porsche en-thusiasts were paying triple this price.

This most certainly will not be the casewith the new Carrera GT. The recession hasput the idea right out of the heads of thespeculators riding the stock markets, andwhoever slides into the leather upholsteredcarbon seat is more interested in the car’sacceleration than in speculation.

Admission to the exclusive circle of Carrera GT owners will cost about CHF

660,000 – and a little luck. Production of theCarrera GT will be limited to just 1,500 vehi-cles. And they have almost all been sold. Anyprospective buyers will have to hurry. Or waituntil one of the original owners puts one upfor sale. Even then, you can forget aboutpicking up a bargain. There’s virtually no de-preciation on truly rare sports cars. As is thecase with fine wines, they slowly appreciatewith age. But, in contrast to an old Bordeaux,you can enjoy a Carrera GT anytime, overand over again. ❙

Except electronic stability control (ESC).

Why did Porsche decide not to include it?

At the end of the day, ESC amounts to“Eliminate Speed Control”. And that doesn’tmake sense for the Carrera GT. Anyway,you’d have to drive dry streets like a mani-ac to push the Carrera GT’s physical limits. ABS (Antilock Braking System) andASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) make sense, for example. We have both of them built in.But something could go wrong in the hands

of an inexperienced driver, couldn’t it?

That’s true for every car. More importantthan the question about electronic drivingassistance is the question of the driversthemselves. If you exceed the limits ofphysics, you’re going to run out of road –with or without stability control. That’s whythe same applies to the Carrera GT as to other high performance cars: we think acertain degree of maturity is good to have.

Bugatti Veyron16.4 The perfect car for fans of opulentstories of 1,001 nights.Motor: 8.0 liter W16 with 4 turbochargersPerformance: 1,001 HP. Max. torque: 1,250 Nm.Driving performance: Vmax. 406 km/h, 0–100 km/h 3.0 s.Production: 300 vehiclesPrice: EUR 1,000,000

Ferrari Enzo Ferrari No other manufacturer offers suchan impeccable lineage and so much F1 technology.Motor: 6.0 liter V12Performance: 660 HP. Max. torque: 657 Nm.Driving performance: Vmax. >350 km/h, 0–100 km/h 3.7 s.Production: 349 vehiclesPrice: EUR 700,000

Ford GT Behind the nostalgic charm lies a modernstreet and race car.Motor: 5.4 liter V8 with supercharger.Performance: 500 HP. Max. torque: 678 Nm.Driving performance: Vmax. 305 km/h, 0–100 km/h 3.9 s.Production: 4,500 vehiclesPrice: USD 150,000 (price in US)


FORMULA ONE

Pho

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Andreas Thomann Do you have a passion for

fast cars?

Marco Taborelli Which grown-up boy doesn’t? Jokes aside though, I was oncegiven an unforgettable present by my col-leagues at work. They surprised me byparking a car outside my front door, com-plete with keys! Not just any car. It was arented Ferrari, at my disposal for a wholeday. What a memorable experience.And what do you have parked in your

garage? I have a 4x4 station wagon. It gets me around in the mountains irre-spective of the weather and has more than enough space for the family. Will you be getting up in the middle of the

night on March 7 to watch the Australian

Grand Prix? Don’t take this the wrong way,but I will record it and watch it over break-fast the next morning. However, I am look-ing forward to the start of the season – therace in Australia will be my first Grand Prixas Head of Marketing at Credit Suisse. What will be the focus of your attention? The

dual at the head of the race or the final plac-

ing of the two Sauber drivers? I am lookingforward to many exciting races which en-thrall spectators and make them forgetwhich team they are actually supporting.Being Swiss with Italian roots myself, natu-rally I feel right at home with SauberPetronas. Swiss on the outside, Italian onthe inside (editorial comment: reference tothe Ferrari engine) – the combination isguaranteed to provide enjoyment for thefans watching on television and our guestsat the racetrack.Does the name of a major financial services

provider really fit with the exhaust fumes of

Formula One racing? Certainly. To me, For-mula One is an innovative sport with the

emphasis on perfection. It demands an unbending will to win and a commitment to perform. We have found the perfectpartner in Peter Sauber’s team. They areextremely professional and dynamic, and work very efficiently. These are values that we also associate with the Credit Suisse brand.Formula One costs Credit Suisse more than

all the other sponsorship commitments the

bank has undertaken. Is the television airtime

on 18 Sundays a year worth this much? For-mula One is much more than simply theairtime offered over the 18 Sundays. Wecan use Formula One as a vehicle all yearround to communicate our values in a tar-geted manner. In addition to receivingguests at Grand Prix races, Formula Oneoffers countless opportunities for differentevents and promotional activities that ad-dress our clients, employees and corporatepartners equally. In this way, the Credit Suisse brand is reinforced through a varietyof avenues.Credit Suisse has been supporting the

Sauber team for three years now. Has there

been an appreciable improvement in the

bank’s international profile during this time?

The trend is clearly upwards. Not least be-cause our commitment to Formula Onecommunicates an international world viewcoupled with our Swiss roots. This mes-sage is part of our campaign strategy. Upuntil now it has produced pleasing results,especially in Europe. This year, China andBahrain will join the circuit. This step sug-gests that Formula One will increasinglyshift to locations outside Europe over thenext few years, a development that will further boost our international profile, andsupport our endeavors to position theCredit Suisse brand in new markets.Will the new wind tunnel and the new Ferrari

engine finally mean that the Sauber team will

manage to win a race this season? I wouldlike to second what Peter Sauber has saidin this regard: we have to remain realistic. Ambitions? Of course I would like to seethe first Sauber victory. Remember that thenew Sauber driver, Giancarlo Fisichella,won the chaotic race for Jordan in Brazillast year…

Power to ParadeplatzPerseverance, innovation and dynamism – for more than three years, these values have forged a strong bond between Credit Suisse und Sauber Petronas. Marco Taborelli, Head of Marketing at Credit Suisse, takes stock of this very special partnership. Interview: Andreas Thomann, Bulletin editorial team

Marco Taborelli, Head of Global Marketing, Credit Suisse

“FORMULA ONEBOOSTS THECREDIT SUISSEBRAND.”

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