Buzzin F1 - Formula One Blog

This weeks Grand Prix is at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany after being missed off the calendar in 2007.

The Honda team will be introducing more improvements with their aerodynamics as well as improved mechanical and engine performance.

For Rubens Barrichello, the circuit holds good memories as he took his first Formula One victory at the track in 2000. However, the track was redesigned in 2002 by Hermann Tilke, who improved safety conditions and also shortened the circuit.

Barrichello still feels it is a good circuit, and that overtaking is still possible under heavy braking, and as the weekend has already been predicted to have changeable weather conditions it should be an exciting race.

For Timo Glock in the Toyota, it will be a very special weekend at his home circuit. The 26-year-old, who is in his first full season in Formula One, was born only a short distance away from the track and this will be his first German Grand Prix.

As a GP2 driver in 2006, Glock had a win and a third place at the track making it not only his home circuit but his favourite. He said,

“Every time I have been to Hockenheim I have had really good races and I’ve won a few times. It’s one of the best races of the year for me, not just because it’s my local track but also because I have been strong there.”

Out of nine races, Glock has only scored five points but that is mainly down to bad luck. He should have got points in his debut race of Australia but was denied a finish and then in Bahrain a gearbox problem ended his chances of scoring any points.

Jarno Trulli confessed to actually preferring the old track but added that the new design makes the circuit more interesting with overtaking opportunities.

Trulli is optimistic about this weekends Grand Prix and feels that the team have a good chance of scoring points after testing improvements on the car at the recent three days at Hockenheim.

With the newly designed circuit, the downforce level is now medium to medium-high and the braking energy is in the middle of the range. The teams need to keep an eye of tyre blistering here due to the above average temperatures on track.