Silverstone Test: Day 2
Location: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Dates: 19-21 September 2006
Drivers: Ralf Schumacher, Franck Montagny
Track Length: 5.141km
Testing continued today for Panasonic Toyota Racing at the
Silverstone circuit. Overcast skies in the morning gave way
to sunshine in the late afternoon. The team took advantage
of the somewhat decent Silverstone weather to work on tyre
comparisons for the overseas races. Race driver Ralf Schumacher
began his set-up preparations for the final grands prix, while
Franck Montagny filled in for Ricardo Zonta, who was not feeling
well. Tomorrow will see Ralf Schumacher at the wheel joined
by test driver Olivier Panis.
Ralf Schumacher – Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m21.125s
Total laps: 50
Total Distance: 257.05km
"We had a mixed day today. In the morning I was able
to get some good running in, but we had some issues with the
engine in the afternoon. The team worked on it and I was able
to go back out, but my test day finished early when the engine
failed before the end of the session. This was something we
were testing and although we lost some time due to this, we
will try to make up for it tomorrow. I hope to finish testing
some tyre compounds and find the right balance for the next
races."
Franck Montagny – Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m20.620s
Total laps: 92
Total Distance: 427.927km
"We wanted to do some tyre evaluations in the morning
but it was a little too cold for us to get some relevant data.
For me, it seems that the car is quite sensitive to different
weather conditions and this I could definitely feel in comparison
to yesterday. Therefore, I found it difficult to find a good
set-up in the morning. However, we did finally find the right
balance, got through some tyre testing and I think we found
a good choice. I had one little spin out due to a mechanical
failure on my car and then we lost some time repairing this,
but I think we had a productive day in the end. I would be
happy to return and drive again for the team, once we have
signed a contract for me to take over testing duties."
Gerd Pfeiffer – Test Team Manager
"The track conditions were quite cool this morning, but
we were happy that the afternoon turned out better allowing
us to get in some good tyre comparison results. We were glad
to have Franck join us for another day of testing on such
short notice. I think he has made a positive impact over these
two days and are grateful for his help in preparing the cars.
Ralf's day was a bit more challenging. He got in some good
running in the morning, but his car suffered an engine failure,
ending his day earlier than planned. Tomorrow we hope to finish
off the rest of our test program before the team heads out
to the races."
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