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| Magny-Cours
- France |
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| French
Grand Prix - 06 July 2003 |
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| Race
Distance : |
305.886km
/ 190.069m |
| Number
of Laps : |
72 |
| Lap
Distance : |
4.251km
/ 2.641m |
| Lap
Record : |
D.
Coulthard 1.16.088 |
| Qualifying
: |
13:00
- Jul 20/2002 |
| Race
: |
14:00
- Jul 21/2002 |
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| From
the starting grid, cars accelerate
up to 170 mph before entering Grande
Courbe, a long, left-hand bend which
is driven in 4th gear at 125 mph.
Drivers take great care to get the
right line out of the curve into
Estoril, which is a sweeping
right-hand turn that goes through
180 degrees. Here, 5th gear is
maintained at a speed of 110 mph.
Understeer can be a real problem for
drivers and time can be lost if the
entry into Golf is not right. Golf
itself is very nearly a straight but
has a gentle curve to the right
throughout its length. As such, it
is taken full-out in top gear with
speeds around 180 mph. |
| Adelaide
is a 2nd-gear hairpin that brings
the drivers back to earth. Braking
hard at -3.2g, and at 40 mph, it
turns through 180 degrees and takes
the vehicle back in the direction
from which it has just come with the
track immediately to the right. This
leads straight into a fast
right-left that is cleared in 4th
and which leads to Nurburgring, a
chicane that wriggles the cars left
and right - not as tight as Adelaide
but, nevertheless, tricky because it
closes up in the middle. Hard on the
throttle, cars approach 150 mph and
brake hard at the entrance to 180
Degrees. This is another hairpin and
again brings the cars through 180
degrees and back upon themselves -
taken in 2nd gear at 50 mph. |
| From
the 180 it's up quickly through the
gears to 6th and 170 mph before
changing down to meet the challenge
of Imola at 110 mph, a right-left
that protects the Chateau d'Eau, a
virtual 90-degree turn entered in
4th and exited in 2nd at 55 mph on
to a straight that allows the car to
accelerate to 155 mph towards the
2nd-gear Chicane. This is a very
tight right-left turn where drivers
have to be very careful to avoid the
kerbs, especially on the second part
of the corner. Immediately following
the chicane is the sharp Lycée
right-hander taken in 2nd gear as
the cars slow to 40 mph. Positioning
for exit out of Lycée is important
as it affects the driver's ability
to get on the throttle quickly to
ensure maximum speed down the
straight. The corner also provides
the entry to the pit lane. |
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