Q & A with Sam Michael

Q. Please sum up the performance of the FW32 in Montreal.

Sam Michael: We saw a marked performance improvement with the car in Canada, as demonstrated by the times the drivers achieved in qualifying and during the race. We raced all of the aero upgrade parts we took to Canada, including the front wing, diffuser and brake ducts, and they worked as expected.

Q. You introduced a new front wing over the weekend. Did that bring any specific performance benefits?

SM: The new front wing gave us more downforce around Montreal, and it will stay on the car for Valencia.

Q. How much work did AT&T Williams put into the low downforce package that it ran in Canada?

SM: We ran a couple of programmes in the wind tunnel to get the most efficient iteration of the rear wing. To be honest, the rear wing is the main difference for low drag tracks now with the top bodywork being so clean due to the rules.

Q. Why do you think the tyre degradation was so bad at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this year? Could AT&T Williams control it better than other teams?

SM: Tyre degradation at Montreal was caused by graining. This sometimes occurs when grip levels are very low which makes it difficult to generate load and therefore sufficient temperature in the tyre. Every team had similar problems though.

Q. Brakes usually take a pounding in Canada. Did you have any problems, other than those experienced by Rubens as a result of accident damage?

SM: We didn't experience any problems with the brakes, although Rubens did suffer with a long pedal which reduced his braking efficiency. This was caused by overheating following the damage sustained to the front wing.