30/08/2006
NEWS STORY
Vancouver's Sean McIntosh was first out on track this morning, back in A1 Team Canada colors for the first time since his victory for the team back in Round 8 in Indonesia last February. Currently a front-runner in the World Series by Renault, McIntosh was quickly back up to speed in A1GP as 20 nations participated in the first of two days of pre-season testing.
James Hinchcliffe took over from McIntosh just before lunch and returned for the entirety of this afternoon's running under near-perfect conditions at Silverstone. The Champ Car Atlantic Series race winner picked up the circuit quickly then set to work further learning the A1GP car following his maiden test last month at Pembrey. Armed with a fresh set of tires Hinchcliffe bagged the fastest lap of the afternoon as the session drew to a close. Both drivers are scheduled to be back in action tomorrow.
James Hinchcliffe: "Sean put down a good baseline this morning and this afternoon I started off on an older set of tires to see if we could work on set-up based on the end of a race. We were pretty happy with the progress made so decided to slap on a new set of tires to see what we could do. That run went well, we made some changes and went faster again. Towards the end we decided to run another new set and I found a space on the track and put in the quickest time. Everyone's happy with the outcome of the day, not least myself as it was my first day at the track and only my second time in an A1GP car!"
Sean McIntosh: "I had a few good runs over the course of the morning but new tires definitely make the difference. It was great to be back working with the team and ultimately we were on the pace throughout the day which bodes well with the new season rapidly approaching. I'm looking forward to some more running tomorrow and continuing to work through our pre-season test program."