GP2 heads to Hockenheim for round six22/07/2010

GP2 drivers prepare for fast and demanding Hockenheimring

The German Grand Prix at Hockenheim will host the sixth round of the Bridgestone-supported GP2 Series on 23- 25 July. Bridgestone’s medium compound dry tyres will be in use at this fast and demanding circuit.

Hockenheim appears on the race calendar every other year, alternating with the Nurburgring. Providing a combination of high and low speed corners, the range of turns at the Hockenheimring includes a fast sweeping corner at turn five, a hairpin in the second sector and a final slow speed technical complex.

Tyre management is important at Hockenheimring

Due to the nature of the circuit, the compromise on car set-up is the main test for the teams. By opting for a low downforce high speed set-up the teams will be sacrificing mechanical grip, increasing the chances of degradation which will make the tyres vulnerable in the last sector and at the hairpin.

Giorgio Pantano and Formula One’s Karun Chandhok were the respective winners of the feature and sprint races in 2008, racing on Bridgestone’s medium specification dry tyre.

High and low speed corners ar Hockenheim

“Hockenheimring is a track with a combination of many high and low speed corners, which makes it technically challenging for the teams. The first turn in the opening sector is similar to Copse at Silverstone. In the second sector, the long left hander at turn five is particularly hard on the right rear tyres because of the sustained high speed load. After the hairpin, traction is very important as the drivers accelerate out of the corner and those that exit well will have an opportunity to overtake. Car balance is crucial in the final complex as mechanical grip is required to be quick through here. The last sector can make a big difference to a drivers’ overall lap time.”
Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development

Stats & Facts
Number & Spec of tyres for Hockenheim: 704 (medium and wet)
Pole position time 2008: 1m 21.650s – G Pantano, Racing Engineering
Fastest race lap 2008:   1m 24.253s – K Kobayashi, DAMS (R2)
Top three 2008 race 1: G Pantano (Racing Engineering), R Grosjean (ART), A Parente (Super Nova)
Top three 2008 race 2: K Chandhok (iSport), A Zuber (Piquet Sports), B Senna (iSport)