Tonio Liuzzi brought the VJM03's second test to a close today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The Italian covered 80 laps of the Spanish track with a programme that included work on set-up and understanding the car's behaviour with the heavier fuel loads necessitated by the race refuelling ban this year. His fastest lap of 1:19.650 was the fourth quickest of the day.
The team's testing programme will now move to Barcelona next week from 25 - 28 February. Tonio will drive for the first two days, with Adrian Sutil taking over for the final two days.
Tonio Liuzzi
Today was a really productive day for us. We covered 80 laps without any issues and got through our programme of test items for this week. Everything went pretty well - we worked on understanding the car's performance with different fuel loads and ran through some set-up changes and the car is responding well. We still need to work on the tyres over the longer runs and will continue this at the next test in Barcelona. Overall I think we can be very satisfied with how this test has gone and can look forward to another good test next week.
Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
A good day to finish the eight days of testing in Jerez. Tonio completed a broad programme of set-up tests and we are satisfied with what was learned. We've made good progress this week, having tidied up some reliability issues, and developed our set-up options with the VJM03. The team has begun its race preparation in earnest and we will head to Barcelona to continue this work over the final test before the first race of 2010.
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Jerez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jerez. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Friday, 5 March 2010
Bahrain Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes
After months of preparation and weeks of testing, it is almost time for the 12 teams and 24 drivers that make up the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship to finally put their cards on the table and show just what they can do. For the teams it will be their first real chance to see if they can really challenge for the title, while for the drivers the joy of racing again will be just as potent. The Formula One fraternity look ahead to the season opener in Bahrain…
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I have good memories of Bahrain. In 2005 when I had to jump in I scored the fastest race lap. In 2007 I was there for two days of testing. However, I think the new section which is added to the infield will make it an all new track, because it means we have to adapt the downforce level. The best aspect of the circuit is that you can overtake. There are three long straights with each followed by a corner where you have to brake really hard. We will have good racing there, I think, and all I want is to fight because this is what I missed most. It is difficult to tell yet which track will be good for our car. In any case it will be very interesting to see how the strategies unfold, and how the teams will react to each other's strategy in the race. Due to the fact that refuelling isn't allowed anymore, the team can influence the outcome a lot more. After we have had four good tests on three different circuits I feel very confident for the season's start. I covered a lot of mileage with the team and we learnt a lot. Bahrain will mark my return to racing and I can't wait."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I won two GP2 Asia races in Bahrain in 2008 and 2009 and I have been testing there in Formula One in 2009. I like the fact that the season starts on a circuit I know so well. The track is quite nice, I like every corner and now we get some more of them. The track has a lot of stop-and-go corners and I really enjoy that style, while I also think it will suit our car. During the tests I learnt a lot and I'm training hard. I definitely feel ready for the start of the season and I'm also looking forward to the usual good weather in Bahrain, as I really like it warm."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"The kick off for the coming season promises extra excitement because very few of the teams showed their full potential during the tests. Due to the refuelling ban the fuel cells have become much larger and, therefore, we've got radically different cars. It is an engineer's task to find a set-up which provides a good balance for the cars, although they will now be a hundred kilos heavier at the start of the race. Race strategy also provides totally new challenges. Pit stops will be mainly dictated by the tyre performance. Both tyre specs still have to be run. The circuit lay-out in Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners. The downforce level will be a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages overtaking and this means you can't disregard the need for top-speed."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Finally the season will start! I feel like a child looking forward to Christmas. The decision to make my comeback feels like a long time ago now and I can hardly wait for the season to get underway in Bahrain. It's funny to think that I will be competing in Formula One again when just a few months ago, I would have declined the opportunity categorically. But sometimes things change and the right circumstances come together. I feel fresher than I have for many years. I am perfectly prepared physically and most importantly, my energy is back completely. When I retired from racing in 2006, my batteries were simply empty. Now they are totally recharged and I am ready for the challenge. It is the competition at the highest level that only Formula One offers which has provided the temptation for me. It is always difficult to predict the form in pre-season testing, this year more than ever, but the final test in Barcelona proved to us that we should be competitive. We know that we will have more new parts in Bahrain which should bring extra performance to the car. It's important to be in the leading group from the start of the season and I am confident that we will be there."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 9th, 2009 Race - 9th
"The build-up to a new Formula One season is always an exciting time, particularly when you have a new team to settle into and a brand new car to get used to. It has been a really nice process integrating into the team. Everyone has been very welcoming and I feel very much at home here already. Our pre-season testing programme has gone pretty well in February. We did have some concerns that we were not able to find the right direction to extract the maximum potential from the car but by working hard, we were able to find our way and ended testing on a high. We also have a good upgrade coming for Bahrain which should develop the car further and so I am quite optimistic that we will do well. Bahrain is a track which I really enjoy so it should be a good start to the season all in all."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"Everyone at Mercedes GP is proud to be representing the rich motorsport pedigree of Mercedes-Benz as we start the season as the first Mercedes works team for over half a century. In addition, knowing that we go into the new season as the reigning World Champions gives the team confidence and a fierce pride to defend our position. However this is a new season and a new challenge. We had a strong pre-season testing programme with the MGP W01 but we are not quite reached the level of preparation that we would have liked prior to Bahrain. The car shows promise and we have a strong development programme planned for the season but there is a lot of hard work ahead to ensure that we will be in the fight for the title. I am very pleased with how our new drivers Michael and Nico have settled into the team and developed a close working relationship. They have really pushed the development of the car throughout testing and they will push each other to achieve better results on the race track. This season should be a fantastic one for the fans with so many talented drivers competing and what is likely to be a very close fight for the title between the top teams and that can only be good for our sport."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The Bahrain Grand Prix as the first race of the 2010 Formula One season marks the beginning of a new era for Mercedes-Benz. 55 years after the last race of the Silver Arrows works team, Mercedes GP will start to continue this tradition. In preparation for our first season, we have covered over 6300 kilometres during 15 test days from the 1st to the 28th of February. Judging our competitiveness for the first couple of races, my impression is that we are not quite where we want to be and I would not see our team in the role of favourites. Having said that, I am fully convinced that the whole team and our drivers Nico and Michael are fully prepared to get on top of our job and fulfill our targets which are winning races and fighting for world championships."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I have good memories of Bahrain. In 2005 when I had to jump in I scored the fastest race lap. In 2007 I was there for two days of testing. However, I think the new section which is added to the infield will make it an all new track, because it means we have to adapt the downforce level. The best aspect of the circuit is that you can overtake. There are three long straights with each followed by a corner where you have to brake really hard. We will have good racing there, I think, and all I want is to fight because this is what I missed most. It is difficult to tell yet which track will be good for our car. In any case it will be very interesting to see how the strategies unfold, and how the teams will react to each other's strategy in the race. Due to the fact that refuelling isn't allowed anymore, the team can influence the outcome a lot more. After we have had four good tests on three different circuits I feel very confident for the season's start. I covered a lot of mileage with the team and we learnt a lot. Bahrain will mark my return to racing and I can't wait."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I won two GP2 Asia races in Bahrain in 2008 and 2009 and I have been testing there in Formula One in 2009. I like the fact that the season starts on a circuit I know so well. The track is quite nice, I like every corner and now we get some more of them. The track has a lot of stop-and-go corners and I really enjoy that style, while I also think it will suit our car. During the tests I learnt a lot and I'm training hard. I definitely feel ready for the start of the season and I'm also looking forward to the usual good weather in Bahrain, as I really like it warm."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"The kick off for the coming season promises extra excitement because very few of the teams showed their full potential during the tests. Due to the refuelling ban the fuel cells have become much larger and, therefore, we've got radically different cars. It is an engineer's task to find a set-up which provides a good balance for the cars, although they will now be a hundred kilos heavier at the start of the race. Race strategy also provides totally new challenges. Pit stops will be mainly dictated by the tyre performance. Both tyre specs still have to be run. The circuit lay-out in Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners. The downforce level will be a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages overtaking and this means you can't disregard the need for top-speed."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Finally the season will start! I feel like a child looking forward to Christmas. The decision to make my comeback feels like a long time ago now and I can hardly wait for the season to get underway in Bahrain. It's funny to think that I will be competing in Formula One again when just a few months ago, I would have declined the opportunity categorically. But sometimes things change and the right circumstances come together. I feel fresher than I have for many years. I am perfectly prepared physically and most importantly, my energy is back completely. When I retired from racing in 2006, my batteries were simply empty. Now they are totally recharged and I am ready for the challenge. It is the competition at the highest level that only Formula One offers which has provided the temptation for me. It is always difficult to predict the form in pre-season testing, this year more than ever, but the final test in Barcelona proved to us that we should be competitive. We know that we will have more new parts in Bahrain which should bring extra performance to the car. It's important to be in the leading group from the start of the season and I am confident that we will be there."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 9th, 2009 Race - 9th
"The build-up to a new Formula One season is always an exciting time, particularly when you have a new team to settle into and a brand new car to get used to. It has been a really nice process integrating into the team. Everyone has been very welcoming and I feel very much at home here already. Our pre-season testing programme has gone pretty well in February. We did have some concerns that we were not able to find the right direction to extract the maximum potential from the car but by working hard, we were able to find our way and ended testing on a high. We also have a good upgrade coming for Bahrain which should develop the car further and so I am quite optimistic that we will do well. Bahrain is a track which I really enjoy so it should be a good start to the season all in all."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"Everyone at Mercedes GP is proud to be representing the rich motorsport pedigree of Mercedes-Benz as we start the season as the first Mercedes works team for over half a century. In addition, knowing that we go into the new season as the reigning World Champions gives the team confidence and a fierce pride to defend our position. However this is a new season and a new challenge. We had a strong pre-season testing programme with the MGP W01 but we are not quite reached the level of preparation that we would have liked prior to Bahrain. The car shows promise and we have a strong development programme planned for the season but there is a lot of hard work ahead to ensure that we will be in the fight for the title. I am very pleased with how our new drivers Michael and Nico have settled into the team and developed a close working relationship. They have really pushed the development of the car throughout testing and they will push each other to achieve better results on the race track. This season should be a fantastic one for the fans with so many talented drivers competing and what is likely to be a very close fight for the title between the top teams and that can only be good for our sport."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The Bahrain Grand Prix as the first race of the 2010 Formula One season marks the beginning of a new era for Mercedes-Benz. 55 years after the last race of the Silver Arrows works team, Mercedes GP will start to continue this tradition. In preparation for our first season, we have covered over 6300 kilometres during 15 test days from the 1st to the 28th of February. Judging our competitiveness for the first couple of races, my impression is that we are not quite where we want to be and I would not see our team in the role of favourites. Having said that, I am fully convinced that the whole team and our drivers Nico and Michael are fully prepared to get on top of our job and fulfill our targets which are winning races and fighting for world championships."
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Jerez testing week two review
After another wet-dry week of testing at Jerez, itv.com/f1 summarises each team's position heading towards the final few days of pre-season running.
We've also compiled the full stats from the winter so far to show which teams are looking swift and which are struggling after three weeks of 2010 preparations.
McLaren
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Hamilton, Fri/Sat - Button
Best time: Button, 1m18.871s, Sat
Day by day results: (Weds to Sat) 2nd, 9th, 3rd, 1st
Total laps: 338
Jenson Button had the best of the weather this week, with Lewis Hamilton unable to get much done during his two days on a soggy track.
Last year's world champion thoroughly enjoyed Friday and Saturday, though, getting ever more comfortable in the McLaren and setting the best time of the winter at Jerez during a short run on Saturday morning.
Mercedes GP
Driver schedule: Weds/Fri - Schumacher, Thurs/Sat - Rosberg
Best time: Rosberg, 1m20.061s, Sat
Day by day results: 6th, 4th, 5th, 5th
Total laps: 391
Longer runs were the plan for Mercedes this week, at least once the rain cleared.
Both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg left Jerez satisfied, having covered plenty of mileage, set promising times throughout their stints, and encountered no problems.
Red Bull
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Vettel, Fri/Sat - Webber
Best time: Webber, 1m19.299s, Fri
Day by day results: 1st, 3rd, 1st, 8th
Total laps: 371
After its quiet start in the first Jerez test, Red Bull showed its hand this week and topped two of the four days.
Sebastian Vettel was stuck with a wet track for his two days, while Mark Webber enjoyed all the dry running.
Reliability remains a slight concern - both Webber's days were interrupted by problems, including an engine change on Saturday.
Ferrari
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Massa, Fri/Sat - Alonso
Best time: 1m20.115s, Alonso, Fri
Day by day results: 3rd, 5th, 2nd, 6th
Total laps: 433
Week three of testing was all about long runs and gaining maximum mileage for Ferrari.
The team was thrilled with its reliability, and after once again setting relentlessly quick times on some very long runs, Fernando Alonso confidently declared the F10 the greatest car he had ever driven.
Williams
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Barrichello, Fri/Sat - Hulkenberg
Best time: Hulkenberg, 1m21.432s, Fri
Day by day results: 10th, 1st, 4th, 9th
Total laps: 482
Lots and lots of laps for Williams, which focused on race simulations - including pit stop practice - for much of the week.
Times were reasonable rather than headline-grabbing, although Rubens Barrichello was quickest in the wet on Thursday, but both drivers also lost some time to gremlins.
Renault
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Petrov, Fri/Sat - Kubica
Best time: Kubica, 1m19.114s, Sat
Day by day results: 9th, 2nd, 6th, 2nd
Total laps: 328
Vitaly Petrov was stuck with the wet weather again, but he did manage to complete a good number of laps - and impressed by going second quickest on Thursday.
Robert Kubica was also satisfied when he took over for the final two days, and was encouraged by both the car's pace and the obvious progress Renault was making.
Force India
Driver schedule: Weds - di Resta and Sutil, Thurs - di Resta and Liuzzi, Fri - Sutil, Sat - Liuzzi
Best time: Liuzzi, 1m19.650s, Sat
Day by day results: 7th/8th, 7th/9th, 7th, 4th
Total laps: 285
Test driver Paul di Resta joined Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil for the second test, and although all the Scot's mileage was on wet days, he still felt that was good experience for the future.
Force India again showed promising pace when it dried, but the two race drivers were keen to get more dry mileage in the final test to try and better understand this year's tyres after some graining issues.
Toro Rosso
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Buemi, Fri/Sat - Alguersuari
Best time: Alguersuari, 1m21.053s, Sat
Day by day results: 4th, 11th, 8th, 7th
Total laps: 395
At Toro Rosso it was Sebastien Buemi who got all the wet weather, while Jaime Alguersuari enjoyed the dry days.
There were few spectacular times, but the team completed plenty of race practice and reliability work, and feels in good shape heading to the final test.
Virgin
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs/Sat - Glock, Fri - di Grassi
Best time: Glock, 1m22.433s, Sat
Day by day results: 12th, 8th, 10th, 10th
Total laps: 144
Niggling hydraulic problems, and also a few excursions from the drivers, limited Virgin's running again in its second test.
The hydraulic issue could not be resolved at the circuit, so the team just had to press on and do what it could in the few laps it could manage - and despite its difficulties, it was respectably close to the pace.
Lotus
Driver schedule: Weds - Fauzy, Thurs/Fri - Kovalainen, Sat - Trulli
Best time: Trulli, 1m23.470s, Sat
Day by day results: 11th, 12th, 11th, 11th
Total laps: 315
Although Lotus did not set the timesheets alight on its first test, it completed a large number of laps - despite Heikki Kovalainen losing time with a few technical problems and a crash on his days.
The team wasn't trying to push for times this week either, instead focusing on acclimatisation work on heavy fuel and long stints, and is confident it has a great basis for progress when it does start showing its true potential.
Sauber
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - de la Rosa, Fri/Sat - Kobayashi
Best time: Kobayashi, 1m19.881s, Sat
Day by day results: 5th, 6th, 8th, 3rd
Total laps: 229
Pedro de la Rosa was desperate for some dry running after another wet day as testing began, and when Thursday dawned wet again, Sauber decided there was little point running at all, and spent most of the day in the pits.
A fuel system problem on Friday meant Kamui Kobayashi had a quiet day too, but he was still pleased with what he achieved when he did hit the track, and he underlined Sauber's form with a strong third place on Saturday.
Combined testing times from Jerez week 2
1 BUTTON McLaren 1m18.871s
2 KUBICA Renault 1m19.114s
3 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m19.188s
4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.299s
5 LIUZZI Force India 1m19.650s
6 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m20.061s
7 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.115s
8 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m21.053s
9 HULKENBERG Williams 1m21.432s
10 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m21.437s
11 SUTIL Force India 1m21.939s
12 GLOCK Virgin 1m22.433s
13 VETTEL Red Bull 1m22.593s
14 HAMILTON McLaren 1m23.017s
15 MASSA Ferrari 1m23.204s
16 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m23.322s
17 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m23.367s
18 TRULLI Lotus 1m23.470s
19 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m23.504s
20 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m23.521s
21 DI RESTA Force India 1m25.088s
22 PETROV Renault 1m26.237s
23 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m27.145s
24 FAUZY Lotus 1m31.848s
COMBINED TIMES FROM ALL 8 DAYS AT JEREZ
1 BUTTON McLaren 1m18.871s
2 KUBICA Renault 1m19.114s
3 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m19.188s
4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.299s
5 HAMILTON McLaren 1m19.583s
6 LIUZZI Force India 1m19.650s
7 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m19.919s
8 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m20.026s
9 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m20.061s
10 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.115s
11 SUTIL Force India 1m20.180s
12 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m20.341s
13 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m20.613s
14 HULKENBERG Williams 1m20.629s
15 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m20.736s
16 VETTEL Red Bull 1m21.203s
17 MASSA Ferrari 1m21.485s
18 PETROV Renault 1m22.000s
19 GLOCK Virgin 1m22.433s
20 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m22.912s
21 TRULLI Lotus 1m23.470s
22 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m23.521s
23 DI RESTA Force India 1m25.088s
24 FAUZY Lotus 1m31.848s
TEAMS' TOTAL MILEAGE AT JEREZ WEEK 2 TEST
1 Williams 1,326 miles
2 Ferrari 1,192 miles
3 Toro Rosso 1,087 miles
4 Mercedes 1,076 miles
5 Red Bull 1,021 miles
6 McLaren 930 miles
7 Renault 903 miles
8 Lotus 867 miles
9 Force India 784 miles
10 Sauber 630 miles
11 Virgin 396 miles
DRIVERS' TOTAL MILEAGE FROM ALL 3 TESTS
1 Felipe Massa 1,659 miles
2 Rubens Barrichello 1,593 miles
3 Robert Kubica 1,588 miles
4 Nico Hulkenberg 1,583 miles
5 Jaime Alguersuari 1,436 miles
6 Fernando Alonso 1,415 miles
7 Michael Schumacher 1,400 miles
8 Nico Rosberg 1,254 miles
9 Sebastien Buemi 1,253 miles
10 Jenson Button 1,197 miles
11 Lewis Hamilton 1,125 miles
12 Kamui Kobayashi 1,075 miles
13 Pedro de la Rosa 1,067 miles
14 Mark Webber 966 miles
15 Sebastian Vettel 872 miles
16 Vitaly Petrov 756 miles
17 Tonio Liuzzi 702 miles
18 Adrian Sutil 627 miles
19 Jarno Trulli 388 miles
20 Timo Glock 347 miles
21 Paul di Resta 294 miles
22 Lucas di Grassi 289 miles
23 Heikki Kovalainen 270 miles
24 Gary Paffett 216 miles
25 Fairuz Fauzy 209 miles
TEAMS' TOTAL MILEAGE FROM ALL 3 TESTS
1 Williams 3,176 miles
2 Ferrari 3,074 miles
3 Toro Rosso 2,689 miles
4 Mercedes 2,653 miles
5 McLaren 2,539 miles
6 Sauber 2,143 miles
7 Red Bull 1,838 miles
8 Renault 1,804 miles
9 Force India 1,624 miles
10 Lotus 867 miles
11 Virgin 636 miles
We've also compiled the full stats from the winter so far to show which teams are looking swift and which are struggling after three weeks of 2010 preparations.
McLaren
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Hamilton, Fri/Sat - Button
Best time: Button, 1m18.871s, Sat
Day by day results: (Weds to Sat) 2nd, 9th, 3rd, 1st
Total laps: 338
Jenson Button had the best of the weather this week, with Lewis Hamilton unable to get much done during his two days on a soggy track.
Last year's world champion thoroughly enjoyed Friday and Saturday, though, getting ever more comfortable in the McLaren and setting the best time of the winter at Jerez during a short run on Saturday morning.
Mercedes GP
Driver schedule: Weds/Fri - Schumacher, Thurs/Sat - Rosberg
Best time: Rosberg, 1m20.061s, Sat
Day by day results: 6th, 4th, 5th, 5th
Total laps: 391
Longer runs were the plan for Mercedes this week, at least once the rain cleared.
Both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg left Jerez satisfied, having covered plenty of mileage, set promising times throughout their stints, and encountered no problems.
Red Bull
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Vettel, Fri/Sat - Webber
Best time: Webber, 1m19.299s, Fri
Day by day results: 1st, 3rd, 1st, 8th
Total laps: 371
After its quiet start in the first Jerez test, Red Bull showed its hand this week and topped two of the four days.
Sebastian Vettel was stuck with a wet track for his two days, while Mark Webber enjoyed all the dry running.
Reliability remains a slight concern - both Webber's days were interrupted by problems, including an engine change on Saturday.
Ferrari
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Massa, Fri/Sat - Alonso
Best time: 1m20.115s, Alonso, Fri
Day by day results: 3rd, 5th, 2nd, 6th
Total laps: 433
Week three of testing was all about long runs and gaining maximum mileage for Ferrari.
The team was thrilled with its reliability, and after once again setting relentlessly quick times on some very long runs, Fernando Alonso confidently declared the F10 the greatest car he had ever driven.
Williams
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Barrichello, Fri/Sat - Hulkenberg
Best time: Hulkenberg, 1m21.432s, Fri
Day by day results: 10th, 1st, 4th, 9th
Total laps: 482
Lots and lots of laps for Williams, which focused on race simulations - including pit stop practice - for much of the week.
Times were reasonable rather than headline-grabbing, although Rubens Barrichello was quickest in the wet on Thursday, but both drivers also lost some time to gremlins.
Renault
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Petrov, Fri/Sat - Kubica
Best time: Kubica, 1m19.114s, Sat
Day by day results: 9th, 2nd, 6th, 2nd
Total laps: 328
Vitaly Petrov was stuck with the wet weather again, but he did manage to complete a good number of laps - and impressed by going second quickest on Thursday.
Robert Kubica was also satisfied when he took over for the final two days, and was encouraged by both the car's pace and the obvious progress Renault was making.
Force India
Driver schedule: Weds - di Resta and Sutil, Thurs - di Resta and Liuzzi, Fri - Sutil, Sat - Liuzzi
Best time: Liuzzi, 1m19.650s, Sat
Day by day results: 7th/8th, 7th/9th, 7th, 4th
Total laps: 285
Test driver Paul di Resta joined Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil for the second test, and although all the Scot's mileage was on wet days, he still felt that was good experience for the future.
Force India again showed promising pace when it dried, but the two race drivers were keen to get more dry mileage in the final test to try and better understand this year's tyres after some graining issues.
Toro Rosso
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - Buemi, Fri/Sat - Alguersuari
Best time: Alguersuari, 1m21.053s, Sat
Day by day results: 4th, 11th, 8th, 7th
Total laps: 395
At Toro Rosso it was Sebastien Buemi who got all the wet weather, while Jaime Alguersuari enjoyed the dry days.
There were few spectacular times, but the team completed plenty of race practice and reliability work, and feels in good shape heading to the final test.
Virgin
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs/Sat - Glock, Fri - di Grassi
Best time: Glock, 1m22.433s, Sat
Day by day results: 12th, 8th, 10th, 10th
Total laps: 144
Niggling hydraulic problems, and also a few excursions from the drivers, limited Virgin's running again in its second test.
The hydraulic issue could not be resolved at the circuit, so the team just had to press on and do what it could in the few laps it could manage - and despite its difficulties, it was respectably close to the pace.
Lotus
Driver schedule: Weds - Fauzy, Thurs/Fri - Kovalainen, Sat - Trulli
Best time: Trulli, 1m23.470s, Sat
Day by day results: 11th, 12th, 11th, 11th
Total laps: 315
Although Lotus did not set the timesheets alight on its first test, it completed a large number of laps - despite Heikki Kovalainen losing time with a few technical problems and a crash on his days.
The team wasn't trying to push for times this week either, instead focusing on acclimatisation work on heavy fuel and long stints, and is confident it has a great basis for progress when it does start showing its true potential.
Sauber
Driver schedule: Weds/Thurs - de la Rosa, Fri/Sat - Kobayashi
Best time: Kobayashi, 1m19.881s, Sat
Day by day results: 5th, 6th, 8th, 3rd
Total laps: 229
Pedro de la Rosa was desperate for some dry running after another wet day as testing began, and when Thursday dawned wet again, Sauber decided there was little point running at all, and spent most of the day in the pits.
A fuel system problem on Friday meant Kamui Kobayashi had a quiet day too, but he was still pleased with what he achieved when he did hit the track, and he underlined Sauber's form with a strong third place on Saturday.
Combined testing times from Jerez week 2
1 BUTTON McLaren 1m18.871s
2 KUBICA Renault 1m19.114s
3 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m19.188s
4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.299s
5 LIUZZI Force India 1m19.650s
6 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m20.061s
7 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.115s
8 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m21.053s
9 HULKENBERG Williams 1m21.432s
10 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m21.437s
11 SUTIL Force India 1m21.939s
12 GLOCK Virgin 1m22.433s
13 VETTEL Red Bull 1m22.593s
14 HAMILTON McLaren 1m23.017s
15 MASSA Ferrari 1m23.204s
16 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m23.322s
17 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m23.367s
18 TRULLI Lotus 1m23.470s
19 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m23.504s
20 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m23.521s
21 DI RESTA Force India 1m25.088s
22 PETROV Renault 1m26.237s
23 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m27.145s
24 FAUZY Lotus 1m31.848s
COMBINED TIMES FROM ALL 8 DAYS AT JEREZ
1 BUTTON McLaren 1m18.871s
2 KUBICA Renault 1m19.114s
3 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m19.188s
4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.299s
5 HAMILTON McLaren 1m19.583s
6 LIUZZI Force India 1m19.650s
7 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m19.919s
8 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m20.026s
9 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m20.061s
10 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.115s
11 SUTIL Force India 1m20.180s
12 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m20.341s
13 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m20.613s
14 HULKENBERG Williams 1m20.629s
15 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m20.736s
16 VETTEL Red Bull 1m21.203s
17 MASSA Ferrari 1m21.485s
18 PETROV Renault 1m22.000s
19 GLOCK Virgin 1m22.433s
20 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m22.912s
21 TRULLI Lotus 1m23.470s
22 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m23.521s
23 DI RESTA Force India 1m25.088s
24 FAUZY Lotus 1m31.848s
TEAMS' TOTAL MILEAGE AT JEREZ WEEK 2 TEST
1 Williams 1,326 miles
2 Ferrari 1,192 miles
3 Toro Rosso 1,087 miles
4 Mercedes 1,076 miles
5 Red Bull 1,021 miles
6 McLaren 930 miles
7 Renault 903 miles
8 Lotus 867 miles
9 Force India 784 miles
10 Sauber 630 miles
11 Virgin 396 miles
DRIVERS' TOTAL MILEAGE FROM ALL 3 TESTS
1 Felipe Massa 1,659 miles
2 Rubens Barrichello 1,593 miles
3 Robert Kubica 1,588 miles
4 Nico Hulkenberg 1,583 miles
5 Jaime Alguersuari 1,436 miles
6 Fernando Alonso 1,415 miles
7 Michael Schumacher 1,400 miles
8 Nico Rosberg 1,254 miles
9 Sebastien Buemi 1,253 miles
10 Jenson Button 1,197 miles
11 Lewis Hamilton 1,125 miles
12 Kamui Kobayashi 1,075 miles
13 Pedro de la Rosa 1,067 miles
14 Mark Webber 966 miles
15 Sebastian Vettel 872 miles
16 Vitaly Petrov 756 miles
17 Tonio Liuzzi 702 miles
18 Adrian Sutil 627 miles
19 Jarno Trulli 388 miles
20 Timo Glock 347 miles
21 Paul di Resta 294 miles
22 Lucas di Grassi 289 miles
23 Heikki Kovalainen 270 miles
24 Gary Paffett 216 miles
25 Fairuz Fauzy 209 miles
TEAMS' TOTAL MILEAGE FROM ALL 3 TESTS
1 Williams 3,176 miles
2 Ferrari 3,074 miles
3 Toro Rosso 2,689 miles
4 Mercedes 2,653 miles
5 McLaren 2,539 miles
6 Sauber 2,143 miles
7 Red Bull 1,838 miles
8 Renault 1,804 miles
9 Force India 1,624 miles
10 Lotus 867 miles
11 Virgin 636 miles
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
New chassis for Massa in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera, 17 February 2010 – At 9am the third test session with the Formula 1 Championship in sight, with the first GP held on 14 March in Bahrain, was started this morning in Jerez.
The seven teams, which took part in the tests in Valencia turned into ten last week, while today there are eleven, including also Lotus. Now there are only two teams missing: Campos Meta and USF1 – while there are pessimistic rumours about their near future.
Felipe Massa is the driver on the track today for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The Brazilian driver went out for the installation lap at 9:02am, while the track was still wet from the rain last night.
The bad weather might stay the main protagonist here during the tests in Jerez and also today’s forecast is not really encouraging. Therefore Felipe’s programme for today has to be adjusted to the track conditions. For this third test session the team set up the F10’s second chassis with the number 282. The car doesn’t sport any major updates compared to last week: just some minor aerodynamic and mechanical updates for these days, while the main novelties will be used next week during the tests in Barcelona.
The seven teams, which took part in the tests in Valencia turned into ten last week, while today there are eleven, including also Lotus. Now there are only two teams missing: Campos Meta and USF1 – while there are pessimistic rumours about their near future.
Felipe Massa is the driver on the track today for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The Brazilian driver went out for the installation lap at 9:02am, while the track was still wet from the rain last night.
The bad weather might stay the main protagonist here during the tests in Jerez and also today’s forecast is not really encouraging. Therefore Felipe’s programme for today has to be adjusted to the track conditions. For this third test session the team set up the F10’s second chassis with the number 282. The car doesn’t sport any major updates compared to last week: just some minor aerodynamic and mechanical updates for these days, while the main novelties will be used next week during the tests in Barcelona.
Testing underway once more at Jerez
The third of four pre-season tests began on Wednesday morning at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. After wet weather limited everyone’s running at the same track last week, the teams are no doubt hoping for a little sunny respite, but the forecast looks just as bleak and rainy for this week’s four-day session.
One bright spot will be provided by Lotus, who will test for the first time amongst their rivals following the T127’s launch in London last week. Test driver Fairuz Fauzy is scheduled to take the green and yellow-liveried car out on Wednesday, before handing it over to team mate Heikki Kovalainen for two days. Jarno Trulli will then get his first chance behind the wheel on Saturday.
And there should be much else to take note of during the test. Force India’s new reserve driver Paul di Resta is expected to enjoy his first outing in the VJM03, before team mates Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi take over for the rest of the test. After struggling to chalk up much mileage last week, Virgin will also be back in action testing the VR01.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will be eager to carry on where he left off, after clocking the quickest time of last week’s test with a best lap of 1m 19.583s, as he takes charge of the MP4-25 over the opening two days of the session. Team mate Jenson Button will drive from Friday. Ferrari incumbent Felipe Massa will also take charge of his team’s programme during the opening two days before handing the F10 over to new team mate Fernando Alonso on Friday.
Pedro de la Rosa will test for two days in BMW Sauber’s C29, before team mate Kamui Kobayashi steps in, whilst Renault’s Vitaly Petrov will drive the R30 on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of team mate Robert Kubica’s time in the car. Red Bull and Toro Rosso’s programmes are similar, with Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi set to test the RB6 and the STR5 respectively on the first two days, before their stable mates Mark Webber and Jaime Alguersuari take the wheel.
Williams too plan to field Rubens Barrichello for two days, and Nico Hulkenberg for two days. Mercedes, however, are understood to have opted to let their drivers take to the track on alternate days. Michael Schumacher will be in the MGP W01 on Wednesday and Friday, whilst his team mate Nico Rosberg will test on Thursday and Saturday.
One bright spot will be provided by Lotus, who will test for the first time amongst their rivals following the T127’s launch in London last week. Test driver Fairuz Fauzy is scheduled to take the green and yellow-liveried car out on Wednesday, before handing it over to team mate Heikki Kovalainen for two days. Jarno Trulli will then get his first chance behind the wheel on Saturday.
And there should be much else to take note of during the test. Force India’s new reserve driver Paul di Resta is expected to enjoy his first outing in the VJM03, before team mates Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi take over for the rest of the test. After struggling to chalk up much mileage last week, Virgin will also be back in action testing the VR01.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will be eager to carry on where he left off, after clocking the quickest time of last week’s test with a best lap of 1m 19.583s, as he takes charge of the MP4-25 over the opening two days of the session. Team mate Jenson Button will drive from Friday. Ferrari incumbent Felipe Massa will also take charge of his team’s programme during the opening two days before handing the F10 over to new team mate Fernando Alonso on Friday.
Pedro de la Rosa will test for two days in BMW Sauber’s C29, before team mate Kamui Kobayashi steps in, whilst Renault’s Vitaly Petrov will drive the R30 on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of team mate Robert Kubica’s time in the car. Red Bull and Toro Rosso’s programmes are similar, with Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi set to test the RB6 and the STR5 respectively on the first two days, before their stable mates Mark Webber and Jaime Alguersuari take the wheel.
Williams too plan to field Rubens Barrichello for two days, and Nico Hulkenberg for two days. Mercedes, however, are understood to have opted to let their drivers take to the track on alternate days. Michael Schumacher will be in the MGP W01 on Wednesday and Friday, whilst his team mate Nico Rosberg will test on Thursday and Saturday.
Lotus makes track debut at Jerez
Lotus has completed its first run alongside the rest of the Formula 1 field as this week's Jerez test got underway this morning.
The team has entrusted the T127 to test driver Fairuz Fauzy for its first day, and the Malaysian joined the rest of the pack for an installation lap shortly after the start of the session at 9am local time. He then briefly returned to the pits before embarking on a longer run.
Lotus had previously completed a shakedown run at Silverstone before its launch event last week, but today marks the start of the team's fully-fledged testing programme.
Fauzy will remain in the car for the rest of the day before handing over to Heikki Kovalainen for the next two days. Jarno Trulli then has his first run for Lotus on Saturday.
The team has entrusted the T127 to test driver Fairuz Fauzy for its first day, and the Malaysian joined the rest of the pack for an installation lap shortly after the start of the session at 9am local time. He then briefly returned to the pits before embarking on a longer run.
Lotus had previously completed a shakedown run at Silverstone before its launch event last week, but today marks the start of the team's fully-fledged testing programme.
Fauzy will remain in the car for the rest of the day before handing over to Heikki Kovalainen for the next two days. Jarno Trulli then has his first run for Lotus on Saturday.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Jerez Test – Day 1 - Toro Rosso
Circuit: Circuito de Jerez – 4.428kms; Driver: Sebastien Buemi; Chassis: STR5-02; Best time: 1:21.031, 84 laps
Formula One’s tour of Southern Spain continues, with the second pre-season test getting underway at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.
As predicted, rain was a constant factor, falling in varying degrees throughout the day, apart from the first half hour or so.
Sebastien’s best time of the day was set in that dry period and after this, the STR5 had its first taste of running in the wet, so that the day proved to be an effective test of the Bridgestone Intermediates and Extreme Wets.
It’s worth noting that the Intermediates are a new tyre, with the front sharing the same narrow width as the dry tyres. As for the Extremes, these are the same tyres as in 2009, however they are mounted on narrower rims for 2010.
Switching between the two types of tyre, our Swiss driver also evaluated mechanical set-up suited to the wet conditions, as well as carrying out some launch simulations. The car ran reliably all day and the Toro Rosso day ended slightly ahead of the final chequered flag as the entire wet running programme had been completed for the day.
Buemi continues driving tomorrow.
Formula One’s tour of Southern Spain continues, with the second pre-season test getting underway at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.
As predicted, rain was a constant factor, falling in varying degrees throughout the day, apart from the first half hour or so.
Sebastien’s best time of the day was set in that dry period and after this, the STR5 had its first taste of running in the wet, so that the day proved to be an effective test of the Bridgestone Intermediates and Extreme Wets.
It’s worth noting that the Intermediates are a new tyre, with the front sharing the same narrow width as the dry tyres. As for the Extremes, these are the same tyres as in 2009, however they are mounted on narrower rims for 2010.
Switching between the two types of tyre, our Swiss driver also evaluated mechanical set-up suited to the wet conditions, as well as carrying out some launch simulations. The car ran reliably all day and the Toro Rosso day ended slightly ahead of the final chequered flag as the entire wet running programme had been completed for the day.
Buemi continues driving tomorrow.
Renault F1 Team completed the first of four days testing in Jerez today.
Circuit: Jerez de la Frontera
Length: 4.4 km
Driver Day 1: Vitaly Petrov
Chassis: R30 02
Total Laps: 27
Fastest Lap: 1:25.440
Summary of the day: A dry start to the day lasted for just over half an hour when heavy rain showers hit the circuit. The track remained damp throughout the day and Vitaly completed some wet weather running in the afternoon.
Vitaly Petrov: “The weather was really poor today with lots of rain so we did limited running. I usually enjoy driving in the wet but it was annoying to loose so my much track time to the weather. Hopefully we will have better conditions later in the week.”
Alan Permane, Chief Engineer: “The bad weather meant it was a frustrating day for us as we only managed to complete one dry run this morning on scrubbed tyres. We then spent some time doing systems checks in the garage and discovered a small problem with the brake system, which we managed to fix by the end of the day. Looking ahead to tomorrow, Robert [Kubica] will be in the car and fortunately the weather forecast looks a lot better.”
Jerez Test Schedule:
Thursday 11 February: Robert Kubica
Friday 12 February: TBC
Saturday 13 February: TBC
Length: 4.4 km
Driver Day 1: Vitaly Petrov
Chassis: R30 02
Total Laps: 27
Fastest Lap: 1:25.440
Summary of the day: A dry start to the day lasted for just over half an hour when heavy rain showers hit the circuit. The track remained damp throughout the day and Vitaly completed some wet weather running in the afternoon.
Vitaly Petrov: “The weather was really poor today with lots of rain so we did limited running. I usually enjoy driving in the wet but it was annoying to loose so my much track time to the weather. Hopefully we will have better conditions later in the week.”
Alan Permane, Chief Engineer: “The bad weather meant it was a frustrating day for us as we only managed to complete one dry run this morning on scrubbed tyres. We then spent some time doing systems checks in the garage and discovered a small problem with the brake system, which we managed to fix by the end of the day. Looking ahead to tomorrow, Robert [Kubica] will be in the car and fortunately the weather forecast looks a lot better.”
Jerez Test Schedule:
Thursday 11 February: Robert Kubica
Friday 12 February: TBC
Saturday 13 February: TBC
NICO KICKS-OFF TEST PROGRAMME IN JEREZ
Posted: Wednesday 10 February 2010 at 17:09 Formula One’s second pre-season test got underway in Jerez today for the first of eight days of testing at the Spanish circuit in the next eleven days. Nico Rosberg began the test for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team and will alternate the driving responsibilities with team-mate Michael Schumacher.
With rain showers predicted throughout the test, the first downpour arrived after only an hour of running this morning and the conditions remained wet throughout the day. Nico had time to complete a couple of short runs in the dry before the rain arrived and the test programme was changed accordingly.
Using the Bridgestone Potenza wet and intermediate tyres, Nico gave the MGP W01 car its first run-out in wet conditions, completing 57 laps over the day. Nico’s fastest time of 01:20.927 which was top of the timesheets was set in the dry this morning.
Michael will take over at the wheel of the MGP W01 tomorrow for the second day.
Nico Rosberg: “The car felt very good today. Compared to Valencia where I was sitting too low which affected my visibility and the set-up wasn’t perfect, today I felt really comfortable and I could push so it was an enjoyable day and a good start to the test for me. Our objective here is to learn as much as possible, put miles on the car and engine to check the reliability and to make progress on our set-up work. The rain is a little bit frustrating but the car feels good to drive and that’s what’s important.”
With rain showers predicted throughout the test, the first downpour arrived after only an hour of running this morning and the conditions remained wet throughout the day. Nico had time to complete a couple of short runs in the dry before the rain arrived and the test programme was changed accordingly.
Using the Bridgestone Potenza wet and intermediate tyres, Nico gave the MGP W01 car its first run-out in wet conditions, completing 57 laps over the day. Nico’s fastest time of 01:20.927 which was top of the timesheets was set in the dry this morning.
Michael will take over at the wheel of the MGP W01 tomorrow for the second day.
Nico Rosberg: “The car felt very good today. Compared to Valencia where I was sitting too low which affected my visibility and the set-up wasn’t perfect, today I felt really comfortable and I could push so it was an enjoyable day and a good start to the test for me. Our objective here is to learn as much as possible, put miles on the car and engine to check the reliability and to make progress on our set-up work. The rain is a little bit frustrating but the car feels good to drive and that’s what’s important.”
Track still wet in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera, 11 February 2010 – The second day of testing in Jerez began with a cloudy sky but without rain. The weather forecast doesn’t foresee any rain for today, but also yesterday the teams thought that the rain might stop in the afternoon, but it went on until the end of the day.
Fernando Alonso went onto the track for the installation lap at 9am in the F10. His programme for today is very simple: driving many kilometres to gain more confidence with the single-seater and the new tyres, which are challenged more on this track here than on the one last week in Valencia.
There are still ten teams on the track, with two changes as far as the drivers are concerned: Schumacher took Rosberg’s seat in the Mercedes and Kubica the one of Petrov behind the wheel of the Renault.
Fernando Alonso went onto the track for the installation lap at 9am in the F10. His programme for today is very simple: driving many kilometres to gain more confidence with the single-seater and the new tyres, which are challenged more on this track here than on the one last week in Valencia.
There are still ten teams on the track, with two changes as far as the drivers are concerned: Schumacher took Rosberg’s seat in the Mercedes and Kubica the one of Petrov behind the wheel of the Renault.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Williams,Jerez Test Summary
: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. 4.423km
Objective: Young driver test with Nico Hulkenberg and Andy Soucek
Weather: Mixed – cloudy, wet and sunny.
Average ambient temperature: 17°C
N Hulkenberg:
Total Days: 2, Total KMS: 884.6kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.184
A Soucek:
Total Days: 1, Total KMS: 384.801kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.158
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1:
“This week was all about giving young drivers a shot in the car. We spent the time evaluating Andy Soucek, who did a superb job on day one and really showed he can handle a Formula One car. Nico Hulkenberg took over for days two and three and worked on set-up with the high fuel loads we will be racing next season.”
Nico Hulkenberg:
“We’ve had two positive days at Jerez. It was good for me to get back in the car and get some laps in before next year. I covered a lot of mileage, which I was pleased about, and I got used to driving the F1 car quite quickly, which I wasn’t really expecting as it’s been quite a long time since my last outing. The car felt good and we fitted in a lot of set-up work, so I’m happy with the two days.”
Andy Soucek:
“Tuesday was a perfect day, a dream day. I thought I was near the front, but I never expected to finish at the top of the times. I’m very proud of myself but I also have to thank Williams for this opportunity. I still can’t believe I’ve just had my first Formula One test, it feels like a dream! This has been an amazing year for me and I think I deserve a seat in Formula One next year. I’m doing everything I can to secure a drive, and I think my performance this week will help with that objective.”
Objective: Young driver test with Nico Hulkenberg and Andy Soucek
Weather: Mixed – cloudy, wet and sunny.
Average ambient temperature: 17°C
N Hulkenberg:
Total Days: 2, Total KMS: 884.6kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.184
A Soucek:
Total Days: 1, Total KMS: 384.801kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.158
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1:
“This week was all about giving young drivers a shot in the car. We spent the time evaluating Andy Soucek, who did a superb job on day one and really showed he can handle a Formula One car. Nico Hulkenberg took over for days two and three and worked on set-up with the high fuel loads we will be racing next season.”
Nico Hulkenberg:
“We’ve had two positive days at Jerez. It was good for me to get back in the car and get some laps in before next year. I covered a lot of mileage, which I was pleased about, and I got used to driving the F1 car quite quickly, which I wasn’t really expecting as it’s been quite a long time since my last outing. The car felt good and we fitted in a lot of set-up work, so I’m happy with the two days.”
Andy Soucek:
“Tuesday was a perfect day, a dream day. I thought I was near the front, but I never expected to finish at the top of the times. I’m very proud of myself but I also have to thank Williams for this opportunity. I still can’t believe I’ve just had my first Formula One test, it feels like a dream! This has been an amazing year for me and I think I deserve a seat in Formula One next year. I’m doing everything I can to secure a drive, and I think my performance this week will help with that objective.”
Bridgestone Motorsport Jerez Young Drivers Test Summary
07/12/2009 Young drivers test Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres
Motor sport’s finest up and coming drivers sampled Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on December 1-3.
All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone’s intermediate and wet tyres were also used.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres are next scheduled to be used at a group test at the beginning of February next year at Valencia, Spain where the 2010 specification tyres will be in use.
What was learnt from the young drivers test in Jerez?
“This was an interesting test as we had many different drivers, most of whom had little or no experience of Formula One cars. The teams all had different programmes, and all four 2009 dry compounds were available to them. There was a lot of running with heavy cars to simulate the heavier fuel loads of next season so we gained useful data from this.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
How was the feedback from the young drivers?
“It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
What will be the changes to the Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres for the next test?
“Our 2010 tyres are designed for the requirements of the heavier fuel loads in next year’s cars and also for the potential different pit stop strategies we could see without refuelling. The construction is more durable, and the compounds have also been modified. A narrower front tyre will also be introduced to adjust the basic balance of the cars. As tyre characteristics will be changed due to the modifications, we are now working very hard with all teams to enhance their understanding of this. We are very looking forward to seeing how quickly the teams maximise tyre performance within the new regulations of 2010.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
Motor sport’s finest up and coming drivers sampled Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on December 1-3.
All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone’s intermediate and wet tyres were also used.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres are next scheduled to be used at a group test at the beginning of February next year at Valencia, Spain where the 2010 specification tyres will be in use.
What was learnt from the young drivers test in Jerez?
“This was an interesting test as we had many different drivers, most of whom had little or no experience of Formula One cars. The teams all had different programmes, and all four 2009 dry compounds were available to them. There was a lot of running with heavy cars to simulate the heavier fuel loads of next season so we gained useful data from this.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
How was the feedback from the young drivers?
“It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
What will be the changes to the Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres for the next test?
“Our 2010 tyres are designed for the requirements of the heavier fuel loads in next year’s cars and also for the potential different pit stop strategies we could see without refuelling. The construction is more durable, and the compounds have also been modified. A narrower front tyre will also be introduced to adjust the basic balance of the cars. As tyre characteristics will be changed due to the modifications, we are now working very hard with all teams to enhance their understanding of this. We are very looking forward to seeing how quickly the teams maximise tyre performance within the new regulations of 2010.”
Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Renault continue at Jerez, testing with their young drivers
3rd December 2009
Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, and the team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi share the Renalt seat on the second day of testing at Jerez.
Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, and the team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi share the Renalt seat on the second day of testing at Jerez.
Paul di Resta tests for Force India at Jerez
3rd December 2009
Q and A with young test driver showing some promise for the Force India team that are coming off a remarkable finish to the 2009 season.
Q and A with young test driver showing some promise for the Force India team that are coming off a remarkable finish to the 2009 season.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Bianchi delighted with maiden F1 test
Jules Bianchi declared himself "very happy" after his first two days of Formula 1 testing with Ferrari at Jerez.
The Formula 3 Euro Series champion, who was recently signed to a long-term deal by the Italian squad, was fifth fastest on the opening day, and despite slipping to ninth on Wednesday, was in a positive frame of mind.
"We had lots of fuel today, looking towards next year, so we were not fast. But it was my job to do that because the team wanted to do it," Bianchi said.
"We did a good job I think, because we did a lot of laps without any mistakes or problems. So we finished the day with 113 laps. That's really good and I'm very happy.
"The most important thing was for me to learn how to drive a Formula 1 car, because it's really different between F1 and F3 cars, and even GP2 cars. I'm just here to learn how to drive it and how to work with the team."
Bianchi admitted that he would have liked more track time to acclimatise to the demands of driving a Formula 1 car than the three days teams are allowed before the end of the year.
"For me, no [three days are not enough]," said the Frenchman. "And see Nico Hulkenberg, who will do the season next year, it's certainly not enough for him. It would be better to have more days testing to prepare for a season, but at least it's the same for everybody."
Bianchi will not drive the Ferrari on Thursday, the team instead running Daniel Zampieri, Marco Zipoli and Pablo Sanchez as their prizes for taking the top three positions in this year's Italian F3 Championship.
The Formula 3 Euro Series champion, who was recently signed to a long-term deal by the Italian squad, was fifth fastest on the opening day, and despite slipping to ninth on Wednesday, was in a positive frame of mind.
"We had lots of fuel today, looking towards next year, so we were not fast. But it was my job to do that because the team wanted to do it," Bianchi said.
"We did a good job I think, because we did a lot of laps without any mistakes or problems. So we finished the day with 113 laps. That's really good and I'm very happy.
"The most important thing was for me to learn how to drive a Formula 1 car, because it's really different between F1 and F3 cars, and even GP2 cars. I'm just here to learn how to drive it and how to work with the team."
Bianchi admitted that he would have liked more track time to acclimatise to the demands of driving a Formula 1 car than the three days teams are allowed before the end of the year.
"For me, no [three days are not enough]," said the Frenchman. "And see Nico Hulkenberg, who will do the season next year, it's certainly not enough for him. It would be better to have more days testing to prepare for a season, but at least it's the same for everybody."
Bianchi will not drive the Ferrari on Thursday, the team instead running Daniel Zampieri, Marco Zipoli and Pablo Sanchez as their prizes for taking the top three positions in this year's Italian F3 Championship.
Di Resta impresses in Force India Jerez test
Di Resta has been competing in the DTM touring car championship
Scotland's Paul di Resta posted the second-quickest time at the end of the first day of Formula 1's young driver test at Jerez in Spain.
The West Lothian driver, 23, vying for a place as Force India's test and reserve driver for the 2010 season, finished behind Spain's Andy Soucek.
Di Resta was eight places ahead of his team rival, American JR Hildebrand.
Fellow Briton Gary Paffett was third with Mike Conway fifth, and Oliver Turvey posted the 11th quickest time.
Di Resta - the cousin of IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti - started three days of testing with the Force India team on Tuesday.
"It's a great opportunity and something I have waited a very long time to get a hold of," Di Resta told BBC Scotland earlier this week. "Who knows what the future holds, but my aim is to get into Formula 1."
The Scot began his career in karting before moving into British Formula Renault and then the Formula Three Euroseries, beating present F1 Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel to the title in 2006.
The Scot moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) championship in 2007 and has previously been linked with a move to F1 with McLaren Mercedes and Virgin Racing.
Force India, who finished ninth in the F1 championship in the season just past, have decided to retain Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi as their drivers for 2010.
"It is a very exciting time and I have to be realistic and productive over these testing days," said Di Resta, who began racing go-karts from the age of three.
"It is very difficult to predict anything. Force India are giving me a chance to drive the car and we are looking to try to bond a relationship that will work for many years to come.
Becoming a test driver would bring Di Resta within touching distance of following fellow Euroseries graduates Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton into an F1 race car.
Scotland's Paul di Resta posted the second-quickest time at the end of the first day of Formula 1's young driver test at Jerez in Spain.
The West Lothian driver, 23, vying for a place as Force India's test and reserve driver for the 2010 season, finished behind Spain's Andy Soucek.
Di Resta was eight places ahead of his team rival, American JR Hildebrand.
Fellow Briton Gary Paffett was third with Mike Conway fifth, and Oliver Turvey posted the 11th quickest time.
Di Resta - the cousin of IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti - started three days of testing with the Force India team on Tuesday.
"It's a great opportunity and something I have waited a very long time to get a hold of," Di Resta told BBC Scotland earlier this week. "Who knows what the future holds, but my aim is to get into Formula 1."
The Scot began his career in karting before moving into British Formula Renault and then the Formula Three Euroseries, beating present F1 Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel to the title in 2006.
The Scot moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) championship in 2007 and has previously been linked with a move to F1 with McLaren Mercedes and Virgin Racing.
Force India, who finished ninth in the F1 championship in the season just past, have decided to retain Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi as their drivers for 2010.
"It is a very exciting time and I have to be realistic and productive over these testing days," said Di Resta, who began racing go-karts from the age of three.
"It is very difficult to predict anything. Force India are giving me a chance to drive the car and we are looking to try to bond a relationship that will work for many years to come.
Becoming a test driver would bring Di Resta within touching distance of following fellow Euroseries graduates Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton into an F1 race car.
Jerez day one - Soucek fastest at young driver test
Andy Soucek led the times at Jerez on Tuesday, as this week’s three-day young driver test got underway at the Spanish circuit. Soucek, testing for Williams as a prize for winning this year’s Formula Two championship, clocked a best time of 1m 19.158s to finish two-tenths ahead of Paul di Resta in the Force India.
With dry and sunny conditions, Spaniard Soucek was able to cover almost 90 laps, while Scotsman Di Resta completed 46 during his afternoon outing.
“Today was very constructive and we achieved what we wanted to achieve, which was to get familiar with the car and build up to speed slowly to fully prepare for the rest of the test,” said Di Resta, who has previously tested with McLaren.
“We tried a few different things, worked on a few set-up items and certainly went forward. That was the main goal, just building up on my side, learning more and moving forward together with the team. The VJM02 is certainly impressive and although I am still learning, I felt I could get to grips with it fairly quickly.”
Gary Paffett finished third for McLaren, conducting a number of aero configuration evaluations before focusing on tyres, and how they will perform in 2010 with higher fuel loads. Mid afternoon the team switched the MP4-24 over to McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver prize-winner Oliver Turvey. The afternoon run was primarily acclimatisation for the 22-year-old, who will undertake a longer stint on Thursday.
British Formula Three Champion Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for Red Bull, despite an early spin. “I don’t think I stopped smiling all day,” said the Australian. “Working with the team was great and they let me go at my own pace until I built up some confidence. After that, we began working on things that will be useful for next season. This was the first time I’ve ever driven a Formula One car round corners, having previously only done a straight line test and I have to say, it’s got more grip than anything else I’ve ever driven.”
Fifth fastest was Jules Bianchi, who made his Formula One test debut for Ferrari. Frenchman Bianchi, who recently clinched the Formula Three Euroseries title, completed 91 laps in the F60 . The 20 year-old will continue to test on Wednesday, before handing over the car to a trio of Italian F3 series drivers on the final day.
“I am really proud to have made my Formula One debut at the wheel of a Ferrari, for the greatest team in the world,” said Bianchi. “At the start, I was being careful not to make any mistakes, then once I felt confident, I pushed harder. The team spirit here is incredible and I hope I have made a positive impression on them and I want to do even better tomorrow.”
Former British F3 champion, and former Honda tester, Mike Conway finished sixth for Brawn. Conway covered 58 laps in the BGP-001 as he acclimatised himself to the car and worked through an aerodynamic evaluation. Also in action for the world champions was 19-year-old Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson, who took over from Conway after lunch. The reigning Japanese F3 champion finished his first Formula One test eighth in the times after 50 laps.
Alexander Rossi was in action for BMW Sauber, having been awarded his F1 chance after winning the Formula BMW World Final event late last year. Eighteen year-old Rossi, who also clinched the 2008 Formula BMW Americas championship, focused on familiarising himself with the track and the car. Although he wasn’t sent out on a low-fuel run, he was charged with carrying out some set-up tests.
“I very much enjoyed this day,” said the Californian, who finished seventh. “It is impressive what the car does, how predictable and precise its reactions are, and how high the overall grip level is. But I have to admit I am also a little bit disappointed because being a racing driver you always want to be the fastest! I think in the afternoon we didn’t manage to find the perfect balance.
“Physically I have to say it was as demanding as I expected it would be. The power steering is a great help compared to GP2, but the G forces obviously are higher.”
Belgian driver Bertrand Baguette began Renault’s session with a full day in the car as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category earlier this season. The programme focussed mainly on evaluating Bertrand, but the team also tried some new development items in preparation for 2010. The 23-year-old covered 105 laps behind the wheel of the R29 as he completed a trouble-free first day in an F1 car.
"This was my first time in an F1 car and I really enjoyed it,” said Baguette. “There's a huge difference between the F1 car and a World Series car, especially the efficiency of the brakes, which is incredible, and the speed you can carry through the quick corners. Also, it's a completely different world and I've been getting used to working with five or six engineers instead of just one. We started the day with a long run so that I could get used to the car and then we started the technical programme as I worked on improving the set-up of the car. It was an amazing experience for me and I hope to do this again in the future."
American driver JR Hildebrand finished tenth on the back of his morning outing with Force India. “I was really impressed with the ability of the car,” said the 21 year-old Indy Lights champion. “It is different in every way to what I'm used to, both in terms of the outright speed, but also in terms of the characteristics of the car and how it behaves, brakes and drives through corners. Having raced on ovals I'm used to a high top speed, so that wasn't too much of a shock, but the amount of load it runs and how much speed you can carry through the corner took some getting used to.
“The track was clearly improving throughout the morning, so based on the program we were running, in terms of relative pace we were doing pretty well. I felt I was getting there and was starting to get the most out of the car, particularly towards the end.”
Brendon Hartley completed the timesheets at the wheel of Toro Rosso’s STR4. His programme did not get off to the best of starts, as he spun at the fast right hander, following the chicane, having just switched to different aero settings on the car. The damage was repaired in time for the New Zealander to get back on track by the end of the morning. His programme had three main elements: aero measurement testing in view of 2010, running the car with ballast to simulate the weight of next year’s cars on full tanks, as refuelling is banned, and carrying out some brake testing.
“Apart from going off the track early on, I was generally happy with the way the day went, as I had not driven an F1 car for a while, so now I’m looking forward to making the best of Thursday when I get another run,” said Hartley.
Testing continues at Jerez on Wednesday.
Unofficial Tuesday times from Jerez:
1. Andy Soucek, Williams, 1:19.158
2. Paul Di Resta, Force India, 1:19.369
3. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:19.426
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:19.534
5. Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, 1:19.626
6. Mike Conway, Brawn GP, 1:19.920
7. Alexander Rossi, BMW Sauber, 1:20.227
8. Marcus Ericsson, Brawn GP, 1:20.333
9. Bertrand Baguette, Renault, 1:20.511
10. JR Hildebrand, Force India, 1:20.537
11. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:20.856
12. Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso, 1:21.325
With dry and sunny conditions, Spaniard Soucek was able to cover almost 90 laps, while Scotsman Di Resta completed 46 during his afternoon outing.
“Today was very constructive and we achieved what we wanted to achieve, which was to get familiar with the car and build up to speed slowly to fully prepare for the rest of the test,” said Di Resta, who has previously tested with McLaren.
“We tried a few different things, worked on a few set-up items and certainly went forward. That was the main goal, just building up on my side, learning more and moving forward together with the team. The VJM02 is certainly impressive and although I am still learning, I felt I could get to grips with it fairly quickly.”
Gary Paffett finished third for McLaren, conducting a number of aero configuration evaluations before focusing on tyres, and how they will perform in 2010 with higher fuel loads. Mid afternoon the team switched the MP4-24 over to McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver prize-winner Oliver Turvey. The afternoon run was primarily acclimatisation for the 22-year-old, who will undertake a longer stint on Thursday.
British Formula Three Champion Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for Red Bull, despite an early spin. “I don’t think I stopped smiling all day,” said the Australian. “Working with the team was great and they let me go at my own pace until I built up some confidence. After that, we began working on things that will be useful for next season. This was the first time I’ve ever driven a Formula One car round corners, having previously only done a straight line test and I have to say, it’s got more grip than anything else I’ve ever driven.”
Fifth fastest was Jules Bianchi, who made his Formula One test debut for Ferrari. Frenchman Bianchi, who recently clinched the Formula Three Euroseries title, completed 91 laps in the F60 . The 20 year-old will continue to test on Wednesday, before handing over the car to a trio of Italian F3 series drivers on the final day.
“I am really proud to have made my Formula One debut at the wheel of a Ferrari, for the greatest team in the world,” said Bianchi. “At the start, I was being careful not to make any mistakes, then once I felt confident, I pushed harder. The team spirit here is incredible and I hope I have made a positive impression on them and I want to do even better tomorrow.”
Former British F3 champion, and former Honda tester, Mike Conway finished sixth for Brawn. Conway covered 58 laps in the BGP-001 as he acclimatised himself to the car and worked through an aerodynamic evaluation. Also in action for the world champions was 19-year-old Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson, who took over from Conway after lunch. The reigning Japanese F3 champion finished his first Formula One test eighth in the times after 50 laps.
Alexander Rossi was in action for BMW Sauber, having been awarded his F1 chance after winning the Formula BMW World Final event late last year. Eighteen year-old Rossi, who also clinched the 2008 Formula BMW Americas championship, focused on familiarising himself with the track and the car. Although he wasn’t sent out on a low-fuel run, he was charged with carrying out some set-up tests.
“I very much enjoyed this day,” said the Californian, who finished seventh. “It is impressive what the car does, how predictable and precise its reactions are, and how high the overall grip level is. But I have to admit I am also a little bit disappointed because being a racing driver you always want to be the fastest! I think in the afternoon we didn’t manage to find the perfect balance.
“Physically I have to say it was as demanding as I expected it would be. The power steering is a great help compared to GP2, but the G forces obviously are higher.”
Belgian driver Bertrand Baguette began Renault’s session with a full day in the car as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category earlier this season. The programme focussed mainly on evaluating Bertrand, but the team also tried some new development items in preparation for 2010. The 23-year-old covered 105 laps behind the wheel of the R29 as he completed a trouble-free first day in an F1 car.
"This was my first time in an F1 car and I really enjoyed it,” said Baguette. “There's a huge difference between the F1 car and a World Series car, especially the efficiency of the brakes, which is incredible, and the speed you can carry through the quick corners. Also, it's a completely different world and I've been getting used to working with five or six engineers instead of just one. We started the day with a long run so that I could get used to the car and then we started the technical programme as I worked on improving the set-up of the car. It was an amazing experience for me and I hope to do this again in the future."
American driver JR Hildebrand finished tenth on the back of his morning outing with Force India. “I was really impressed with the ability of the car,” said the 21 year-old Indy Lights champion. “It is different in every way to what I'm used to, both in terms of the outright speed, but also in terms of the characteristics of the car and how it behaves, brakes and drives through corners. Having raced on ovals I'm used to a high top speed, so that wasn't too much of a shock, but the amount of load it runs and how much speed you can carry through the corner took some getting used to.
“The track was clearly improving throughout the morning, so based on the program we were running, in terms of relative pace we were doing pretty well. I felt I was getting there and was starting to get the most out of the car, particularly towards the end.”
Brendon Hartley completed the timesheets at the wheel of Toro Rosso’s STR4. His programme did not get off to the best of starts, as he spun at the fast right hander, following the chicane, having just switched to different aero settings on the car. The damage was repaired in time for the New Zealander to get back on track by the end of the morning. His programme had three main elements: aero measurement testing in view of 2010, running the car with ballast to simulate the weight of next year’s cars on full tanks, as refuelling is banned, and carrying out some brake testing.
“Apart from going off the track early on, I was generally happy with the way the day went, as I had not driven an F1 car for a while, so now I’m looking forward to making the best of Thursday when I get another run,” said Hartley.
Testing continues at Jerez on Wednesday.
Unofficial Tuesday times from Jerez:
1. Andy Soucek, Williams, 1:19.158
2. Paul Di Resta, Force India, 1:19.369
3. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:19.426
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:19.534
5. Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, 1:19.626
6. Mike Conway, Brawn GP, 1:19.920
7. Alexander Rossi, BMW Sauber, 1:20.227
8. Marcus Ericsson, Brawn GP, 1:20.333
9. Bertrand Baguette, Renault, 1:20.511
10. JR Hildebrand, Force India, 1:20.537
11. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:20.856
12. Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso, 1:21.325
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Soucek tops Jerez test for Williams
Andy Soucek set the pace on the first day of Formula 1 young driver testing at Jerez, despite an afternoon spin that brought out the red flags.
The 24-year-old Spaniard, who was testing for Williams as his prize for winning this year's Formula 2 championship, shot to the top of the timesheets during the first hour of running, and was never outside the top four thereafter.
His pace-setting lap of 1m19.158s came with an hour of running to go, and was after a spin and stall at the Michelin hairpin brought out the red flags.
Britain's Paul di Resta was an impressive second quickest, despite Force India having only run him in the afternoon, after JR Hildebrand drove the car during the morning.
The DTM front-runner's best lap, which came in the final 10 minutes of the session, was 0.211s slower than Soucek's and demoted Gary Paffett's McLaren to third.
The morning running was interrupted by an early red flag. Brendon Hartley spun his Toro Rosso between the chicane and Ferrari curve and clouted the barrier, knocking off the right-front wheel and nose of his car.
Daniel Ricciardo, who was following closely, spun in avoidance and ended up getting his Red Bull beached in the gravel.
Ricciardo recovered to set the fourth fastest time, ahead of Ferrari's Jules Bianchi and Brawn's Mike Conway.
Briton Oliver Turvey, who was testing as his prize for winning the 2006 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award, was given 90 minutes of running at the end of the day by McLaren.
He completed only 27 laps - less than anyone else - but improved his times more than anybody else in the final half hour. His best lap was 1.698s off the pace.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Soucek Williams 1m19.158s 87
2. Di Resta Force India 1m19.369s + 0.221s 46
3. Paffett McLaren 1m19.426s + 0.268s 54
4. Ricciardo Red Bull 1m19.534s + 0.376s 112
5. Bianchi Ferrari 1m19.626s + 0.486s 90
6. Conway Brawn 1m19.920s + 0.762s 58
7. Rossi Sauber 1m20.227s + 1.069s 82
8. Ericsson Brawn 1m20.333s + 1.175s 49
9. Baguette Renault 1m20.511s + 1.363s 105
10. Hildebrand Force India 1m20.537s + 1.379s 49
11. Turvey McLaren 1m20.856s + 1.698s 27
11. Hartley Toro Rosso 1m21.325s + 2.167s 69
All Timing Unofficial
The 24-year-old Spaniard, who was testing for Williams as his prize for winning this year's Formula 2 championship, shot to the top of the timesheets during the first hour of running, and was never outside the top four thereafter.
His pace-setting lap of 1m19.158s came with an hour of running to go, and was after a spin and stall at the Michelin hairpin brought out the red flags.
Britain's Paul di Resta was an impressive second quickest, despite Force India having only run him in the afternoon, after JR Hildebrand drove the car during the morning.
The DTM front-runner's best lap, which came in the final 10 minutes of the session, was 0.211s slower than Soucek's and demoted Gary Paffett's McLaren to third.
The morning running was interrupted by an early red flag. Brendon Hartley spun his Toro Rosso between the chicane and Ferrari curve and clouted the barrier, knocking off the right-front wheel and nose of his car.
Daniel Ricciardo, who was following closely, spun in avoidance and ended up getting his Red Bull beached in the gravel.
Ricciardo recovered to set the fourth fastest time, ahead of Ferrari's Jules Bianchi and Brawn's Mike Conway.
Briton Oliver Turvey, who was testing as his prize for winning the 2006 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award, was given 90 minutes of running at the end of the day by McLaren.
He completed only 27 laps - less than anyone else - but improved his times more than anybody else in the final half hour. His best lap was 1.698s off the pace.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Soucek Williams 1m19.158s 87
2. Di Resta Force India 1m19.369s + 0.221s 46
3. Paffett McLaren 1m19.426s + 0.268s 54
4. Ricciardo Red Bull 1m19.534s + 0.376s 112
5. Bianchi Ferrari 1m19.626s + 0.486s 90
6. Conway Brawn 1m19.920s + 0.762s 58
7. Rossi Sauber 1m20.227s + 1.069s 82
8. Ericsson Brawn 1m20.333s + 1.175s 49
9. Baguette Renault 1m20.511s + 1.363s 105
10. Hildebrand Force India 1m20.537s + 1.379s 49
11. Turvey McLaren 1m20.856s + 1.698s 27
11. Hartley Toro Rosso 1m21.325s + 2.167s 69
All Timing Unofficial
Young guns fired up for Jerez test
All eyes will be on the Jerez circuit in southern Spain from Tuesday as several Formula One teams take advantage of the proviso in the FIA’s stringent testing restrictions that allows them three days of track time to try out young, up-and-coming drivers.
The aim is to see if any of the stars from motorsport’s junior formulae really has what it takes to become the next big thing in F1 racing. Here’s a rundown of the drivers expected…
Renault - Bertrand Baguette, Ho-Pin Tung, Lucas Di Grassi
As reward for winning the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 series, with five wins and 155 points, Baguette will be in action for the French team on Tuesday. Baguette made his single-seater debut after winning a programme set up by Renault to assess young Belgian karting talent. And after getting promoted from Formula Renault 1.6 to 2.0 and finally 3.5, the 23 year-old believes driving the R29 will ‘complete the set’.
Tung became the first Chinese driver to drive a Formula One car back in 2003 when he tested for Williams, after winning the Formula BMW Asia championship. In 2006 he won the German Formula Three title and over the following two seasons competed in the GP2 Series, finishing 23rd in 2007 and 18th in 2008. This year he honed his racing skills in the Superleague series.
Although Renault’s reserve driver in 2009, Brazilian Di Grassi is yet to sample the R29 and is thus permitted to take part in the session. He finished this year’s GP2 championship in third for a second year running. Back in 2005 the 25 year-old won the prestigious Formula Three Macau Grand Prix.
Toro Rosso - Mirko Bortolotti
Red Bull Junior team member and Formula Two racer Bortolotti will test on Wednesday. It will be the Italian’s second taste of Formula One power. The 19-year-old took impressed in a test for Ferrari at Fiorano in November 2008, after winning the Italian Formula Three title.
Red Bull - Daniel Ricciardo
Australian Ricciardo will get his first full Formula One test with Red Bull. The 20 year-old, who has been a Red Bull junior driver for the last two seasons, scored six wins and 275 points on his way to the 2009 British Formula Three title. Last season he raced in Formula Renault, winning the Western European Cup.
BMW Sauber - Alexander Rossi, Esteban Gutierrez
Despite their F1 exit, BMW will be honouring their promise of tests for these two 17-year olds. American Rossi clinched the 2008 Formula BMW Americas championship after taking nine pole positions and 10 race victories, and was awarded his F1 chance after winning the Formula BMW World Final event late last year. This season he was the most successful rookie in Formula Master with three victories.
Mexican driver Gutierrez was declared the 2008 Formula BMW Europe champion after winning seven races and taking a further five podiums. This season he has been competing in the British and Euro Formula Three series.
Williams - Andy Soucek, Nico Hulkenberg
The 24-year-old Spaniard Soucek earned his test by winning this year’s inaugural F2 championship (in a Williams-designed car). He will get Tuesday at the wheel of Williams’ F1 machine, the other two days going to the team’s 2010 race driver Nico Hulkenberg, whose limited Formula One experience makes him eligible to test.
Ferrari - Jules Bianchi, Daniel Zampieri, Marco Zipoli, Pablo Sanchez Lopez
Highly-rated Frenchman Bianchi, 20, recently won the Formula 3 Euroseries title and will take the wheel of Ferrari’s 2009 machine, the F60, for the first two days. On the final day, as in 2008, Ferrari will trial the top three drivers from this season’s Italian Formula Three series - Italians Zampieri and Zipoli, and 19-year-old Mexican Lopez.
Force India - Paul di Resta, JR Hildebrand
Upcoming Di Resta, from West Lothian, Scotland, is a Mercedes works driver in the German DTM touring car series and finished third overall with one win in the 2009 championship. He previously won the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against a field including current F1 race winner Sebastian Vettel and in 2004 was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.
Hildebrand, from California, USA, has quickly risen to prominence on the American racing scene thanks to impressive results in the junior formulae and, most recently, his victory in Indy Lights, the feeder series to the USA's premier racing championship. In 2006 he secured the Formula Ford 2000 championship title and in 2007 was the top placed US rookie in the Atlantic championship.
Force India will field Di Resta on day one, Hildebrand on day two, with the driver for the final day dependant on the progress of the team’s testing programme. The team have made it clear that should either perform well a ‘permanent role’ could well be on the cards.
McLaren - Oliver Turvey, Gary Paffett
Twenty two-year-old Englishman Turvey gets his test as reward for winning the 2006 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award. He was runner-up in last year’s British F3 championship and this season finished fourth overall in Formula Renault 3.5. He currently lies seventh in the 2009 GP2 Asia Series.
McLaren are also expected to run Paffett, who first tested a McLaren back in 2001, the year before he became German F3 champion. Since then the Englishman has had regular outings with the British team (though none this year), but the bulk of his time has been spent in Germany’s DTM touring car series, which he won in 2005 with Mercedes. This season he finished runner-up to Timo Scheider after four wins.
Brawn GP - Mike Conway, Marcus Ericsson
Brawn GP, now owned by Mercedes, are expected to field two drivers whose talents are well proven in lesser series. Briton Conway, a former British F3 champion, was a tester with the team in their Honda days and has since competed in GP2 and most recently IRL in the United States. Swede Ericsson, 19, is the reigning Japanese F3 champion and finished fourth in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix last month.
Look out for reports and images from Jerez over the coming days on Formula1.com.
The aim is to see if any of the stars from motorsport’s junior formulae really has what it takes to become the next big thing in F1 racing. Here’s a rundown of the drivers expected…
Renault - Bertrand Baguette, Ho-Pin Tung, Lucas Di Grassi
As reward for winning the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 series, with five wins and 155 points, Baguette will be in action for the French team on Tuesday. Baguette made his single-seater debut after winning a programme set up by Renault to assess young Belgian karting talent. And after getting promoted from Formula Renault 1.6 to 2.0 and finally 3.5, the 23 year-old believes driving the R29 will ‘complete the set’.
Tung became the first Chinese driver to drive a Formula One car back in 2003 when he tested for Williams, after winning the Formula BMW Asia championship. In 2006 he won the German Formula Three title and over the following two seasons competed in the GP2 Series, finishing 23rd in 2007 and 18th in 2008. This year he honed his racing skills in the Superleague series.
Although Renault’s reserve driver in 2009, Brazilian Di Grassi is yet to sample the R29 and is thus permitted to take part in the session. He finished this year’s GP2 championship in third for a second year running. Back in 2005 the 25 year-old won the prestigious Formula Three Macau Grand Prix.
Toro Rosso - Mirko Bortolotti
Red Bull Junior team member and Formula Two racer Bortolotti will test on Wednesday. It will be the Italian’s second taste of Formula One power. The 19-year-old took impressed in a test for Ferrari at Fiorano in November 2008, after winning the Italian Formula Three title.
Red Bull - Daniel Ricciardo
Australian Ricciardo will get his first full Formula One test with Red Bull. The 20 year-old, who has been a Red Bull junior driver for the last two seasons, scored six wins and 275 points on his way to the 2009 British Formula Three title. Last season he raced in Formula Renault, winning the Western European Cup.
BMW Sauber - Alexander Rossi, Esteban Gutierrez
Despite their F1 exit, BMW will be honouring their promise of tests for these two 17-year olds. American Rossi clinched the 2008 Formula BMW Americas championship after taking nine pole positions and 10 race victories, and was awarded his F1 chance after winning the Formula BMW World Final event late last year. This season he was the most successful rookie in Formula Master with three victories.
Mexican driver Gutierrez was declared the 2008 Formula BMW Europe champion after winning seven races and taking a further five podiums. This season he has been competing in the British and Euro Formula Three series.
Williams - Andy Soucek, Nico Hulkenberg
The 24-year-old Spaniard Soucek earned his test by winning this year’s inaugural F2 championship (in a Williams-designed car). He will get Tuesday at the wheel of Williams’ F1 machine, the other two days going to the team’s 2010 race driver Nico Hulkenberg, whose limited Formula One experience makes him eligible to test.
Ferrari - Jules Bianchi, Daniel Zampieri, Marco Zipoli, Pablo Sanchez Lopez
Highly-rated Frenchman Bianchi, 20, recently won the Formula 3 Euroseries title and will take the wheel of Ferrari’s 2009 machine, the F60, for the first two days. On the final day, as in 2008, Ferrari will trial the top three drivers from this season’s Italian Formula Three series - Italians Zampieri and Zipoli, and 19-year-old Mexican Lopez.
Force India - Paul di Resta, JR Hildebrand
Upcoming Di Resta, from West Lothian, Scotland, is a Mercedes works driver in the German DTM touring car series and finished third overall with one win in the 2009 championship. He previously won the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against a field including current F1 race winner Sebastian Vettel and in 2004 was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.
Hildebrand, from California, USA, has quickly risen to prominence on the American racing scene thanks to impressive results in the junior formulae and, most recently, his victory in Indy Lights, the feeder series to the USA's premier racing championship. In 2006 he secured the Formula Ford 2000 championship title and in 2007 was the top placed US rookie in the Atlantic championship.
Force India will field Di Resta on day one, Hildebrand on day two, with the driver for the final day dependant on the progress of the team’s testing programme. The team have made it clear that should either perform well a ‘permanent role’ could well be on the cards.
McLaren - Oliver Turvey, Gary Paffett
Twenty two-year-old Englishman Turvey gets his test as reward for winning the 2006 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award. He was runner-up in last year’s British F3 championship and this season finished fourth overall in Formula Renault 3.5. He currently lies seventh in the 2009 GP2 Asia Series.
McLaren are also expected to run Paffett, who first tested a McLaren back in 2001, the year before he became German F3 champion. Since then the Englishman has had regular outings with the British team (though none this year), but the bulk of his time has been spent in Germany’s DTM touring car series, which he won in 2005 with Mercedes. This season he finished runner-up to Timo Scheider after four wins.
Brawn GP - Mike Conway, Marcus Ericsson
Brawn GP, now owned by Mercedes, are expected to field two drivers whose talents are well proven in lesser series. Briton Conway, a former British F3 champion, was a tester with the team in their Honda days and has since competed in GP2 and most recently IRL in the United States. Swede Ericsson, 19, is the reigning Japanese F3 champion and finished fourth in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix last month.
Look out for reports and images from Jerez over the coming days on Formula1.com.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Mercedes GP to test Conway at Jerez
Briton Mike Conway is to return to the Formula 1 cockpit early next month when he joins Mercedes Grand Prix for the young driver test days at Jerez, AUTOSPORT has learned.
The Indy Racing League racer was a test driver for the outfit when it was owned by Honda in 2007 in 2008, and is scheduled to run on all three days of the test that is restricted to drivers without vast race experience.
The test takes place at the Spanish track from 1-3 December.
Although the news has not been officially announced by Mercedes GP yet, Conway has been listed on the provisional entry list published by the Jerez circuit - and his management company has also confirmed he is travelling to the Spanish venue.
Japanese Formula 3 champion Marcus Ericsson has also been listed by Jerez as taking part in the test for Mercedes GP, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Ericsson impressed with his campaign in Japan this year, and his year ended strongly when he took pole position for the Macau GP qualification race last weekend
The Indy Racing League racer was a test driver for the outfit when it was owned by Honda in 2007 in 2008, and is scheduled to run on all three days of the test that is restricted to drivers without vast race experience.
The test takes place at the Spanish track from 1-3 December.
Although the news has not been officially announced by Mercedes GP yet, Conway has been listed on the provisional entry list published by the Jerez circuit - and his management company has also confirmed he is travelling to the Spanish venue.
Japanese Formula 3 champion Marcus Ericsson has also been listed by Jerez as taking part in the test for Mercedes GP, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Ericsson impressed with his campaign in Japan this year, and his year ended strongly when he took pole position for the Macau GP qualification race last weekend
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