PacWest heads to Rio

For Gugelmin, this is his home event, and one where he is desperate to score well. The Brazilian has qualified on pole here, but has yet to finish higher than ninth.

"Driving at this circuit is all about late braking and good acceleration," said Gugelmin. "You are trying to get this balance for the car creating as little drag as possible."

Despite the problems with the set up that Rio presents, and the pressures of his home race, Gugelmin is looking forward to returning to the track.

"This is possibly the circuit where you get the most fun out on the track in the entire season," said the one-time CART race winner. "The down shifts, lines out of the turns and the long straights usually mean there are plenty of opportunities for passing."

However while Gugelmin is looking forward to the race, for Blundell, Rio can be said to represent something of a 'bogey' track. The Englishman suffered the biggest crash of his career at the circuit on his first appearance there in 1996, and also had to miss last year's event after a crash at Gateway.

"It hurt," said Mark of his '96 shunt, "but as far as I am concerned that was a long time ago and you can never let things like that affect you.

" The Rio track is really challenging, a combination of road course and oval. When you get a good lap here you know it," he added.

"Hopefully, I will experience that this weekend."