Aerodynamics crucial at Silverstone

This weekend, the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season takes place at Silverstone. The British Grand Prix is one of the most traditional events in the pinnacle of motorsports. Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, explains the pitfalls of the 5.141-kilometre "Silverstone Circuit".

"Silverstone is renowned for its many medium and fast corners, where drivers have to carry as much speed as possible onto the straights," says Rampf. "In the infield there are also some very slow corners. Silverstone is a very challenging circuit."

Rampf is particularly fond of one section of the circuit, the Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel combination. The German considers it to be "one of the finest combinations on the entire F1 calendar."

"To set a fast lap time here you really need a car with excellent aerodynamic balance," adds Rampf. "The track surface is pretty rough and, together with the high cornering speeds, this puts a lot of stress on the tyres. Accordingly the tyre compounds are relatively hard."