ING Renault F1 Team completes promising first test with
R27 - 19 JAN 2007
The ING Renault F1 Team today concluded its first test of
the 2007 season at the Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain.
19/01/07, Jerez, Spain
Giancarlo Fisichella, R27-02, 56 laps, 248 km, fastest lap:
1:20.478
Heikki Kovalainen, R27-01, 113 laps, 500 km, fastest lap:
1:19.183
The ING Renault F1 Team today concluded its first test of
the 2007 season at the Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain.
The three-day private test, preceded by a new car shakedown
day, saw the new R27 makes it on-track debut in anger as the
team begins preparations for the new season, which begins
in just two months' time. Uniquely, the team was equipped
to run with two examples of the new car from the very first
test, in order to maximise mileage, find faults and begin
assessing the dynamic characteristics of the new machine.
The final day of running saw Heikki Kovalainen complete a
full programme of endurance running, followed by set-up development.
He finished the day having set the fastest time of the week,
and the team's fastest time of the winter so far. The Finn's
113 trouble-free laps were further proof of the promising
initial reliability of the car, and represent the second full
distance completed by the R27 in its first full test.
Across the garage, Giancarlo Fisichella was less fortunate
today, suffering from gearbox software gremlins during the
morning that prevented him from running until lunchtime. He
was subsequently able to continue the set-up programme that
he had begun on Thursday without any further problems.
At the conclusion of testing, Chief Test Engineer Christian
Silk was pleased with the progress the team had made during
this first week of work in 2007:
"We have had a very successful week in Jerez, especially
considering this was our first full test with the new R27.
The gremlins we have encountered are completely normal with
a new car, and we have worked methodically to solve each one.
It has been a huge benefit to be able to run two new chassis
from the off: we have found more problems, and conducted more
set-up development, than ever before in a first test with
a brand new car. Furthermore, the two successful race distances
demonstrate that the level of reliability is already very
good. For that, we need to congratulate our colleagues back
at Enstone and Viry on a fantastic job over the winter. The
team has worked hard out at the track this week, and the initial
results from our testing are encouraging: the drivers are
comfortable with the car, and we have begun to explore some
of the performance in the last two days. We have taken a step
forward in every area with the R27: firstly in terms of performance,
but also with our team operations. It has been a very good
start to the new year."
The team will next be in action in Valencia from 30 January
to 1 February with race drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki
Kovalainen.
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