Jacques Villeneuve`s Race engineer, Giampaolo Dall`Ara, won`t deny that the Canadian has rather unusual ideas as to what constitutes a good setup, but when the engineers actually take his wishes on board, everything turns out well...
Mr Dall`Ara, is it really so difficult to work with Jacques Villeneuve?
"Working with Jacques is no more difficult than working with any other driver I`ve encountered in the past. Of course he`s a special kind of person but I like him very much. I haven`t had a single problem with him at the personal level. He`s very sincere and says exactly what he thinks. I`m like that myself."
But is it true that he has very clear and sometimes unusual ideas in terms of the setup?
"Of course he has his preferences, just like any driver. What was new for me was the fact that he doesn`t like driving a different car in each race. As you know, each track poses quite specific demands on the car. That`s why my philosophy – and that of the team – has always been to match the car to the features of the particular track. The driver is really a craftsman whose job it is to drive the car chosen as fast as possible."
And this didn`t work with Villeneuve?
"No. With him there are a few fixed settings which you mustn`t change, regardless of whether he`s driving in Monaco or Monza. That was something totally new for me, but it seems to work: we`re getting faster from race to race."
So the setup of Felipe`s car is different from that of Jacques`s.
"Yes, but that`s the case with all drivers. However, the difference is perhaps somewhat greater this year. Felipe is an aggressive driver and he needs a special setup for his driving style."
There was a big discussion about the role of electronics in the Sauber team. At the beginning of the season Jacques criticized the fact that Sauber relies too heavily on electronics. Is there something to that?
"To some extent that fits in with what I said before. Our way of doing things was to add a new part which produced good results based on the simulation and our experience. No matter whether this was a wing – in other words, an aerodynamic part – or an electronic element, such as the traction control, the engine brake or the differential control. We always tried to get the driver to use all these tools we gave him to ultimately drive even faster."
But you had to rethink this with Jacques?
"Exactly. Generally speaking, this concept works well as long as the driver feels comfortable. But if the system becomes so complex or unpredictable for the driver that he no longer has confidence in the car, then it`s time to rethink the concept. And that`s precisely what happened to some extent with Jacques."
In other words, the team learned something from Jacques, too, and not just the other way round.
"Yes, and that`s how it should be. If you have a driver like Villeneuve, who has been driving Formula One for ten years, and you try to teach him everything, you haven`t understood your job."
You`ve worked together with Felipe Massa as well as with Jacques. What are the main differences in their driving styles?
"Felipe is much more aggressive than Jacques. Jacques is a gentler driver. Felipe tends to brake on the straight when approaching both fast and slow curves and only turns when he`s finished braking. He then puts his foot right down on the accelerator to speed up out of the curve. Jacques, on the other hand, brakes more gently and begins turning while he`s braking. So he enters the curve faster, but exits it more gently."
What effect do these driving styles have on the qualifying and on the actual race?
"In the qualifying, Felipe`s style may give him a certain advantage. At least, that`s how it was at the beginning of the season: he manages to heat up the tires much faster and, with this qualifying system where you can only drive one fast round, you have to bring the tires to the right temperature right from the start. But, just as he has this little advantage at the qualifying stage, his style works against him – if only slightly – in the actual race. Because he drives the car harder, the tires and brakes are subject to greater stress."


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