| 28.02.2005 |
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| On February 28 (Monday), Ralf Schumacher climbed aboard the TF104B to perform a demonstration drive at the Fuji International Speedway, being readied for its new grand re-opening. At 9 a.m., Ralf drove a single warm-up lap around the circuit to check the car’s performance and the condition of the course. At 12:30 p.m., Ralf performed a five-lap demonstration in front of a throng of reporters. Read on to learn more about Ralf’s activities in the pit area. |
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| 1. Ralf appears; puts in ear plugs |
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Ralf appeared from the waiting room in full race gear, and walked directly over to the staff member holding Ralf’s helmet. The first piece of equipment Ralf puts on is his earplugs. |
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| 2. Face Mask |
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With earplugs in, Ralf pulls on his facemask. Even though only a minimum amount of fuel is loaded for this demo run, all the safety precautions for a full race are observed. |
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| 3. Helmet |
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As always, the helmet is complete with a HANS (Head and Neck Support) system. You can clearly see how the HANS is built into the helmet (pictured left). You can also see Ralf’s logo, a combination of an “r” and “Schumacher” next to the intel logo. |
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| 4. Racing Gloves |
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Once the gloves are on, Ralf is ready to get into the car. Team partner Sparco manufactures the gloves and racing suit. |
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| 5. Ralf boards the TF104B |
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After a quick briefing with the crew, Ralf climbs into the TF104B. At this point, tires have not yet been installed on the car. |
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| 6. Seatbelt |
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The crew fastens the 4-point seatbelt around Ralf. During the opening race of the season, Ralf’s seatbelt came loose, forcing him to make a costly, unplanned pit stop. |
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| 7. Tires |
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Here, tires are installed on the car. The crew moves and acts just as if it were a real race. |
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| 8. Pit-Out |
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Finally, Ralf moves to the track for the demo run. An amazing number of reporters have gathered, waiting at the pit wall. |
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| 9. Demonstration Run |
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Ralf barrels down the almost 1.5Km home straight (too fast for a digital camera to catch…). It seems that the many photographers waiting on the other side of the pit wall had a hard time focusing on the car as they tried adjusting to the change in distance. Many moved to a better vantage point as soon as Ralf started his second lap. |
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| 10. Stopping on the Number 1 Grid |
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| As soon as the conference and photos concluded, Ralf headed to a waiting helicopter to take him to Narita International Airport. We don’t need to tell you that his next stop was Australia and the first race of the 2005 F1 season. |
