Magny-Cours, 2nd July
The team went to test at Magny-Cours straight after the Canadian GP and felt confident that they had made progress with a new aerodynamic package. The drivers ran on the same sets of tyres throughout the 2 hour practice sessions, concentrating on fine-tuning the handling of chassis rather than on setting times. A small oil leak was detected between the sessions in Ricardo's car causing an engine change. However, the mechanics worked fast and Ricardo was back on the track with half of the session still to run.
"Inevitably, everybody was on new tyres first thing this morning, and today it was when the fastest times were set. Unfortunately, we went a little bit the wrong way on chassis settings on my first run, and by the time we had sorted them out, the tyres were past their best and then we had the oil leak, which meant the engine had to be changed. Once I did go out in the afternoon session, there was no chance of improving my time because the tyres were already gone. We should be able to do better tomorrow."
Friday 1st practice:
15th, 1:19.727
Friday combined practice:
21st, 1:19.697, 17 laps
Ricardo was fast out when Saturday session started and headed the list for a while with times of 1:19.579 and 1:19.541 but as the other drivers joined in Ricardo fell back and even if he improved to 1:18.332 and later to 1:17.870 he finished down in 17th position.
At first qualifying attempt Ricardo stopped at the track with engine failure. Ricardo had to take over the spare car that lacked the latest aero package and with it he did a 1:17.869 placing him temporarily in 18th position and then he managed to better the time to 1:17.668 but disappointingly dropped a position.
Saturday practice:
17th, 1:17.870, 31 laps
Qualifying:
19th, 1:17.668, 10 laps
At the start Ricardo lost a position to Verstappen (Arrows) and was 20th in the first corner. Coming into the Adelaide chicane Ricardo placed himself inside Wurz (Benetton) and passed and then Ricardo came into the Imola curve side by side with Diniz (Sauber) and passed him for 18th position. But immediately Ricardo found that there were problems with the brakes and they got worse and worse. On lap 12 Ricardo gained a position as Alesi (Prost) spun after being hit by his team mate Heidfeld. But then on lap 17 it was over for Ricardo as the brakes failed totally and the car ended against a barrier.
"There's not much to say. I was having problems throughout the opening laps with the balance of the brakes. The fronts were locking up a lot and I was having to brake earlier and earlier. On that lap, the car did not slow at all and I went straight across the gravel into the barrier. Not a good day."
Warmup: 8th, 1:20.723, 16 laps
Race: DNF 16 laps brakes
FL: 1.22.563 on lap 5 (+3.084, 21st)
Winner: David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)