08/12/2005
NEWS STORY
Luca Badoer was quickest at Jerez on the second day of testing, despite a heavy crash which brought his work, and indeed his test, to an early end.
The Italian suffered his second crash in two days when his front suspension failed, at the same part of the track it failed on Wednesday. Although unhurt, the team decided not to continue with the planned test programme until the cause of the breakage was identified. Until that point, Badoer had done 13 laps.
Marc Gene, at the wheel of an F2004 M, fitted with a V8 engine, had also 13 laps, when Ferrari called a halt to its programme.
Second quickest, albeit 0.8s slower than Badoer, was Jenson Button in the V8 'concept' car. The Englishman, who was joined by James Rossiter, suffered a spectacular engine failure towards the end of the afternoon session.
Third and fourth were the two Renaults of Heikki Kovalainen and Franck Montagny, both running (restricted) V10s.
Montagny's day focused solely around extensive brake testing and development. His running was composed of long runs on old tyres, as he compared different solutions. Kovalainen focused on tyre testing with technical partner Michelin, testing solutions for 2006 on both short and long runs.
"We had another very productive day in Jerez," said Christian Silk. "Both drivers were able to start running quickly, and progressed well with their programmes. Our technical solution for these test sessions, using a known R25 package to establish a good baseline for tyre and vehicle development, is so far proving extremely useful as we are completing very high mileages every day, and making solid progress for 2006. We hope to continue in the same manner next week."
This was the final day of testing this week for the French outfit, which will return to action here from 14 - 17 December, with the final day used as a wet tyre test.
As previously reported, Ralf Schumacher has withdrawn from the test as a result of back pains, which meant that teammate Jarno Trulli had to start work a day earlier than planned. The Italian was joined by Ryan Briscoe, who is deputising for Olivier Panis.
Trulli arrived at lunchtime and put in a packed afternoon's work on the TF106, following on from his first run in the new car last week at Barcelona. Meanwhile, Briscoe continued his return to an F1 cockpit in the other car, completing a full day of work on set-up, weight distribution and tyres.
"I was originally scheduled to start my test here tomorrow," admitted Trulli, "but the change of plan meant we were able to fit in some extra running today. I only arrived at noon so it was a very busy afternoon for us. Just as last week in Barcelona, the new TF106 felt well balanced and we got through a lot of laps. So it was a very positive day overall. We made it through a lot of set-up comparisons so this has been a useful starting point for the next two days when I will continue to test here."
"That was another productive day of running for me," said Briscoe, "and it was enjoyable to have more time in the new car. The TF106 is a very different car from the last Toyota I tested a year ago because there have been a lot of changes, most notably the V8 engine and the Bridgestone tyres. The new engine obviously has a bit less horsepower than the V10 - but not a massive amount, which is a good sign. Apart from that the car has made big improvements since I last drove it. The team has improved a lot in all the small details. Things like the electronics are working smoother than I remember and it all means the car is very smooth to drive. Today we had one stoppage with a throttle problem but overall it has been a useful return to action for me."
"That was a constructive day," added Mike Gascoyne. "Both cars ran very reliably and we only had one small mechanical issue when Ryan stopped with a hydraulic problem. Even so, he completed most of his programme. I have to say that considering Ryan has not driven an F1 car for a year and that this was his first time since his huge shunt in the IRL he's done an excellent job over the two days, both in terms of consistency and speed. So I congratulate him for conducting an excellent two-day test programme at very short notice.
"Jarno started his programme earlier than we expected, replacing Ralf. He, too, was able to complete his whole day's programme with no worries. He was working with Bridgestone on their reference tyres, looking to get a better balance and he made some useful progress."
Ricardo Zonta will take over from Briscoe for the rest of the week.
WilliamsF1 had Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg on duty. Between them, the Grove outfit's 2006 driver pairing completed 69 laps, finishing the day just 0.121s apart.
For McLaren, Gary Paffett was joined by Alexander Wurz, who, as previously reported, crashed heavily in the morning. Although the Austrian was unhurt, his MP4-20B chassis was badly damaged and as a result he did not return to the track until shortly after 14:00. The team is investigating the cause of the incident.
Paffett completed his morning programme; however it was interrupted by frequent red flag stoppages. His running was cut short following an engine failure just after 15:00, which happened on the main straight and as his rear wheels locked, the car span backwards into a wall.
Pedro de la Rosa will return to the test tomorrow to partner Alex.
Red Bull continued with David Coulthard and Christian Klien, while Midland F1 had Tiago Monteiro and Jeffrey van Hooydonk on duty.
Van Hooydonk spent part of the day familiarising himself with the EJ15B, testing control systems as well as collecting aerodynamic data. Meanwhile, Monteiro, who was driving the interim EJ15B V8, had a difficult day as he lost a considerable amount of time during the day with various technical problems.
"It was a difficult day for me today," admitted the Portuguese driver, "but I guess this is what winter tests are for. We had several different problems which prevented us from doing the work we wanted. Unfortunately I was unable to complete as many laps as we had planned.
"Today was also the first time I have tried the Toyota V8 and obviously there is a big difference," he continued. "We have a lot of work to do as this changes the balance and the electronics of the car as well as the driving style. Tomorrow I am going to drive both the V8 and V10 cars so it will be interesting to compare them. Although we had a lot of problems, the team has done a great job fixing the car as quickly as possible and I thank them for that."
Testing will continue tomorrow with Christian Albers joining Monteiro.
It was a difficult first day at the office for Jacques Villeneuve, who car failed on its very first lap, the result of an oil filter problem.
Nonetheless, the Canadian, enjoying his first taste of BMW V8 power, completed 64 laps, despite further engine problems, posting a best time 3.4s off the pace.
"It's always nice to get into the car after the break," said the Canadian. "Furthermore, it was the first time for me with BMW and the V8 engine, and this was nice. Of course, it's hard to compare the V8 with the V10, but I was expecting a bigger loss of power and more vibrations. It was not too bad and actually quite nice to drive. In fact you do feel a little loss of power, but it doesn't make driving less fun.
"The speed in the corners seems to be the same," he admitted, "while you are going slower on the straights. Nevertheless, the driving will still be exciting and physical. Hopefully since we are all going less fast on the straights this will give us a bigger tow and this could mean more overtaking in the future."