The Formula 1 circus will set foot on a new circuit this weekend. It will be held at Mugello, a track that was added just a few months ago. How is Max Verstappen's Enigineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, preparing for a new circuit?
Most of the circuits are well known to the drivers and teams. In addition, the teams receive quite a lot of knowledge: “We were sent the information from the FIA with regards to track elevation and curvature and everything else, so we could get some off-line sims kicked off.Those off-line tools, give us a fairly broad picture in terms of where that circuit sits from overall sensitivities to downforce, drag, power, grip. It also gives us a speed profile around the lap.”
Circuit resembles other tracks
The short timeframe that the teams have in preparation does not have to have a major impact: "It would only affect us if it was a completely different circuit from the one on the normal calendar". Lambiase gives an example:
"For example, if Monza popped up at short notice, with the dedicated aero packages you develop for Monza, then you would end up with something sub-optimal if you couldn’t design and build the parts in the timeframe. Somewhere like Mugello, which is within the normal range, isn’t a problem",concludes the Engineer of Verstappen in a preview of his team.