19/05/2006
NEWS STORY
The Toyota duo of Olivier Panis and Ricardo Zonta set the pace on the final day of testing at Paul Ricard.
With Renault, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, BMW and Ferrari heading back to their respective bases, Toyota and McLaren were the only team in action today, as they continued their preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix by using the 3.24 mile 1E SC Short configuration.
Other than high winds, which reduced running in the morning, drivers for both teams suffered a number of minor technical problems.
"For the last two days we used a different track solution, which was a longer course with two long straights to simulate and help prepare the race in Montreal," said Pascal Vasselon. "Olivier and Ricardo were driving the cars for the first time, also getting used to the new specification. Overall, this is a continuous development on the car and we are always pushing to improve on performance and our package."
Between them, the Toyota drivers completed 123 laps, with the Frenchman completing just 35, having lost time with a water leak. However, he was clearly delighted with the progress made, and the fact that he posted the fastest time of the day.
"It was good for me to be back and especially to be in the new car," said Panis. "Yesterday I was feeling really comfortable working with the set-up and we have found some solutions that work well for me. Today, we had a few issues with the engine, which caused us to finish early, but these were normal test items.
"In the end, I am also more confident with the tyres and grip, having better results with the tyre warm-up. This specification seems pretty promising, but we will have to see how it handles on the streets of Monaco, which can be pretty tricky."
Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett completed McLaren's programme. Pedro was third on the timesheets, with a 1:27.290 set during the afternoon's running. The Spaniard completed over 271km as he put in 52 laps of the track. A problem with the clutch meant that he did not run in the morning as the mechanics worked on his car to resolve it. Paffett covered 77 laps, equating to 401km, ending the day fourth fastest.
"Our two days of testing saw myself and Gary focusing on the technical build-up to the Canadian Grand Prix in June," said the Spaniard. "We covered a good distance yesterday in the two MP4-21s as we worked on areas such as engine, aerodynamics and Michelin selection for the race. Unfortunately I had a problem with the clutch this morning but the team worked hard and we managed to complete our programme this afternoon."
"It was really great for me to get my hands on the MP4-21 for the first time this week," said Paffett. "We had two good days, completing over 900km, and I got a real feel for the car. It is of course different to the interim MP4-20 to drive, as that car had a restricted V10 engine, but you soon adapt to that."