Bahrain Preview

26 October 2007

Hi Guys,
 
As the V8 Supercar Series and my duties with TeamVodafone keep me pretty busy it’s not very often that I get the chance to travel overseas.  Being a non-international traveller, I look forward to the Bahrain round of the championship as it gives me the chance to see a bit of the world while at work.  Unfortunately, last year when we made the trip to the desert we were so busy and there were many sites that I didn’t get to see and do, including the famous camel ride, so this year I will attempt to fit a few more tourist activities into my busy schedule.

I leave Australia for Bahrain the Thursday a week before the race to help out with the pre-event promotional activities.  It is a 20 hour flight to Bahrain and man, that’s a long time on a plane for a non-flyer!  Through the team’s association with Vodafone I have obtained some advice from the Brisbane Lions on how I can limit the impact of the flight and improve my recovery time.

When you arrive in Bahrain you can fully appreciate the effort which has gone into the development of the track and it is without a doubt one of the best in the world.  So much money was invested into the development of the facility which is picture perfect both on and off the track. The circuit itself is made of a very durable and course surface in order to cope with the extreme heat there in summer which actually makes the surface slippery.  Remember what gives the car grip is the contact of rubber on the road.  What happens at Bahrain is that the tyre sits on top of the little stones in the surface and less contact area is a result, which means less grip.  But it’s the same for everyone so for a good weekend, car setup is crucial.

Both myself and the team are feeling very confident heading into this weekend.  We were good at Bahrain last year until my engine gave way in the final.  My engineer, Mark Dutton and I worked really well at Indy and know if we can continue to stay at the top of our game we can do the job.  I am not sure what the weather conditions will be like but we are assuming it’s going to be hot but at the same time last year it was relatively cool.

I regard Indy as the one that got away, I have realised my mistakes and have enforced procedures to make sure the same things aren’t repeated.  I believe that round will make me stronger and prepared for the run to the finish line.  I will be doing everything in my power to ensure the championship trophy lives in Queensland for the next 12 months.  After all Victoria already have the AFL and NRL cups so it’s only fair Queensland has the V8 Supercar silver ware.

Cheers,
Jamie Whincup