04/09/2004
NEWS STORY
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team completed a three day test programme at Monza today, with both Juan Pablo Montoya and Antonio Pizzonia on duty for the duration of the test. In preparation for the Italian Grand Prix, which will be held at Monza on 12th September and will mark the last of the European races this season, the team concentrated on set-up and aero development work on the FW26 as well as brake testing and tyre evaluations.
Over the three day test, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team completed 437 laps of the Italian track, a total of 2,532 kilometers, while Antonio Pizzonia topped the time sheets on the second of the three days, setting the fastest lap time of the test. Following the Italian Grand Prix next weekend, the team will next return to the test track on 14th September for a three day test at Silverstone.
Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): We've had a productive test at Monza with Juan Pablo and Antonio. We worked on ensuring that we have a solid brake and engine cooling package for next weekend's Grand Prix, while we also evaluated different mechanical and aerodynamic set-ups. Michelin have produced some new compounds for the Grand Prix at Monza to give us a competitive tyre for the race. Following the tyre problem that Juan Pablo had at Spa - which appears to have been caused by external influences rather than any specific design problem - we tested some tyres at Monza with some changes. The tyres are similar to what we used at Spa as these changes are just precautionary rather than a requirement for safety.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): The team had a productive three day test so we feel well prepared for the race at Monza. The programme's focus was on chassis set-up for the high-speed circuit of Monza and on tyre evaluations for the forthcoming races. Regarding the BMW P84, we completed some final tests of a new engine specification and, once again, we will bring increased engine power to the Monza race. In addition, we made further improvements to the set-up for the starts. During the test we also identified certain weak points which has given us information for future development work.