By Phil Giles
March 3 2003

Giancarlo Fisichella starts his sixth Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and clearly hopes that there won't be a repeat of last years race when the first corner incident involving Ralf Schumacher managed to terminally damage the EJ12 and end his race. Giancarlo knows the circuit better than most and talks us around a lap of the Albert Park Circuit.

“The start-finish straight ends in the highest top speed that I reach at the circuit, which is going to be slightly higher than last year at around 305km/h. I take the first right-hand corner in third gear at 120km/h and it is followed by a difficult left hand exit, which should be taken almost flat.”

“I reach around 295km/h before braking hard for the second corner, which is taken in second gear at just under 90km/h. This is immediately followed by a third gear left hand 130km/h corner and this complex is finished with a right hand fourth gear corner taken at about 215km/h. After this is a short 6th gear straight where I will reach around 285km/h.”

“This leads into turn five, another second gear corner, taken at around 110km/h. I will again reach sixth gear and 290km/h before braking for the second gear turn six taken at around 100km/h. A long sixth gear sweeping curve leads into turns seven and eight which are effectively a high-speed chicane where I hold fourth gear all the way through travelling at around 190km/h through both corners.”

Again I reach sixth gear and just under 300km/h before turn nine when I brake down to second gear and around 115km/h before entering a short fourth gear straight which internally leads to turn ten. Turn ten is a relatively quick corner which I take in fourth gear at around 170km/h. It is immediately followed by the final two corners, the first of which I take in second gear at 80km/h and the last corner in third gear at around 155km/h.”