20/09/2006
NEWS STORY
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Renault test driver Nelson Piquet (pictured) set the pace on the second day of testing at Silverstone, where 11 drivers, representing 6 teams, were on duty. Overcast skies in the morning gave way to sunshine in the late afternoon.
The Brazilian's second day with the Renault team saw him continue his acclimatization to both the team and the R26. Although his morning endurance work was delayed by mechanical problems, he conducted tyre and set-up development this afternoon as he learned more about the car, and began to fine-tune its handling.
Meanwhile, Heikki Kovalainen continued his tyre development work, narrowing down the tyre selection for the forthcoming Japanese Grand Prix. He completed a trouble-free day, completing 119 laps and setting the second-fastest time.
"We had a very good day," said the Finn, "we focused on the tyre testing and making the right selection for Suzuka. The tyres were quick on the first lap and consistent on the longer runs we did this morning. We had good reliability, doing more than two race distances, so it was a very positive day."
"This was another day of learning and improving for me," added Piquet. "The more laps I do, the better things are getting and I feel like I am improving with every run. We did a good variety of long runs and shorter runs today, and the car felt really good as we started making some set-up changes. I am looking forward to another strong day tomorrow."
"The team had another good day, completing nearly 200 laps, in spite of some delays this morning," said Christian Silk. "Heikki continued working on the Suzuka tyres with Michelin, and the results are very encouraging. As for Nelson, he did some endurance running this morning before running a tyre and set-up programme in the afternoon, which allowed him to tune the car and start giving us some feedback. His performance was encouraging and, all in all, it has been a positive day for the team."
Second quickest was Pedro de la Rosa, however, it was his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who was the centre of media attention.
While the Spaniard focussed on tyre work for the Japanese Grand Prix, with additional set-up programmes for China and Japan alongside the tyre evaluation, the English youngster continued to focus on the familiarisation programme of the MP4-21 and the testing process.
"I am really pleased to have made my full test debut with McLaren," said Hamilton, who ended the day sixth fastest. "It has been a positive session, working through more systems checks with the car during the day, with my focus on this rather than going for times.
"It is a steep learning curve," he admitted, "and as a result I am making sure I get the most out of my time with the test team and the engineers. It was great to be able to stretch the legs of the MP4-21 round Silverstone, the car is fantastic to drive, even more so as I am doing longer runs than yesterday and you can actually start to build up a proper rhythm."
Toyota took advantage of the somewhat decent Silverstone weather to work on tyre comparisons for the overseas races. Franck Montagny filled in for Ricardo Zonta, who was not feeling well, as Ralf Schumacher had a problematic day as he began his set-up preparations for the final Grands Prix.
"The track conditions were quite cool this morning, but we were happy that the afternoon turned out better allowing us to get in some good tyre comparison results," said test team manager, Gerd Pfeiffer. "We were glad to have Franck join us for another day of testing on such short notice. I think he has made a positive impact over these two days and are grateful for his help in preparing the cars.
"Ralf's day was a bit more challenging," he admitted. "He got in some good running in the morning, but his car suffered an engine failure, ending his day earlier than planned. Tomorrow we hope to finish off the rest of our test program before the team heads out to the races."
"We had a mixed day," said Schumacher. "In the morning I was able to get some good running in, but we had some issues with the engine in the afternoon. The team worked on it and I was able to go back out, but my test day finished early when the engine failed before the end of the session. This was something we were testing and although we lost some time due to this, we will try to make up for it tomorrow. I hope to finish testing some tyre compounds and find the right balance for the next races."
"We wanted to do some tyre evaluations in the morning but it was a little too cold for us to get some relevant data," revealed Montagny. "For me, it seems that the car is quite sensitive to different weather conditions and this I could definitely feel in comparison to yesterday. Therefore, I found it difficult to find a good set-up in the morning. However, we did finally find the right balance, got through some tyre testing and I think we found a good choice.
"I had one little spin out due to a mechanical failure on my car and then we lost some time repairing this, but I think we had a productive day in the end. I would be happy to return and drive again for the team, once we have signed a contract for me to take over testing duties."
WilliamsF1 had two drivers on duty, Alexander Wurz in the regular car, and Narain Karthikeyan continuing in the Toyota powered version.
"Narain continued with the systems checks on the interim FW28B and successfully completed a considerable number of laps over the course of the day," said test team manager, Mike Condliffe. "Meanwhile, Alex drove the FW28A Cosworth-powered car to evaluate tyre compounds for Suzuka and various components for Shanghai.
"Tomorrow (Thursday), Wurz will drive the FW28B with the Toyota engine.
Sakon Yamamoto was on duty for Super Aguri in the morning, as he concluded the planned aerodynamics programme and completed his shorter tyre runs. Takuma Sato joined the team in the afternoon and ran through the longer tyre runs of the team's tyre programme.
Takuma will conclude the team's test on its final day at Silverstone tomorrow.
Midland's second and final day saw the team operating two cars, as it first undertook a brief shakedown of a car destined for a demonstration event at Treviso in Italy this weekend. Ronnie Quintarelli, who will demonstrate the car, drove the shakedown laps.
Meanwhile, Alexandre Premat ran his first full F1 test today in the other M16 chassis in preparation for his Friday driving duties in China. He was quickly up to speed and the engineers decided to carry out a tyre programme for part of the afternoon in preparation for the event. Strong winds adversely effected the cars' balance and grip in the fast corners that characterise the Northamptonshire circuit.
"It was really exciting to drive a Formula 1 car for the first time," said Premat. "I think we did a good job today by covering 82 laps. I came away from today's test with a good feeling. I am really looking forward to getting back into the car in Shanghai."
"I was really impressed with my first time driving a Formula 1 car," said Quintarelli, who completed 6 shakedown laps. "The engine power was good, but the performance of the brakes was very different to what I am used to. I kept thinking I was late braking for a corner, but then realised the brakes and downforce allowed me to drive in a different style. I now have a better feel for the car and am looking forward to driving in Treviso."
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