Renault F1 Valencia Testing, Day 1, 01/02/06 - 1 FEB 2006
Following yesterday's official launch of the R26 in Monaco,
the Renault F1 Team got back on track today in Valencia with
Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen at the wheel of two
R26 chassis.
The Renault F1 Team's opening day of testing in Valencia
proved positive today, in spite of completing little running
in the morning owing to an electrical problem on Fernando
Alonso's car. The problem proved minor, which was quickly
identified by the team and after which Fernando completed
a tyre development programme with Michelin during the afternoon.
On the other side of the garage, Heikki Kovalainen was given
his first taste of the new R26/RS26 package. The Finn settled
in quickly and adapted quickly to the new machine.
Fernando Alonso: "We had a good day today, in spite
of the electrical problem this morning. It was not really
serious, and in one sense, it allowed us to wait for the track
conditions to improve because the circuit was damp this morning.
We spent the afternoon working on tyre development with Michelin,
and we were pleased with how the car performed on the tyres."
Heikki Kovalainen: "I could feel a
really good level of potential in the chassis and engine.
The R26 is a an evolution of last year's car, which was already
a good chassis. I would say that the R26 is probably more
comfortable and more stable, as well as being just as nice
to drive. From my point of view, every day I feel better integrated
in the team, and I am ready to work hard on a busy testing
programme between now and Bahrain."
Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: "This
is a demanding circuit for the drivers, and so it's good to
see Heikki adapted quickly to the new package. Fernando ran
a thorough tyre test that allowed us to work on the chassis
set-up, and we looked very competitive on the timesheets,
which is always nice. The drivers feel good in the car, and
tomorrow we hope to complete more miles, if track conditions
allow. The aim will be to complete a race distance with the
two cars."
DRIVER - TEAM - BEST - LAPS
1 ALONSO Renault 1 :11.200 49
2 BUTTON Honda 1 :11.332 86
3 MSCHUMACHER Ferrari 1 :11.800 69
4 MONTOYA McLaren 1 :11.901 65
5 BARRICHELLO Honda 1 :12.076 111
6 KOVALAINEN Renault 1 :12.122 32
7 VILLENEUVE BMW 1 :12.624 76
8 ZONTA Toyota 1 :12.656 76
9 ROSSI Ferrari 1 :12.852 55
10 COULTHARD Red Bul 1 :12.888 36
11 WURZ Williams 1 :12.928 82
12 PAFFETT McLaren 1 :12.932 108
13 WEBBER Williams 1 :13.040 70
14 TRULLI Toyota 1 :13.082 107
15 KUBICA BMW 1 :13.356 69
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