Force India Barcelona test notes 2008-02-03

Barcelona Test - Day three

SUTIL CONCLUDES BARCELONA TEST

03 February 2008 - The Force India Formula One Team today concluded its three-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of the vibrant Spanish city of Barcelona. Adrian Sutil took over driving duties to run through a programme of work on set-up and control systems, long run simulations and aero testing. Adrian also practised starts throughout the day.

Adrian completed just under 90 laps, however his day came to a premature end when the car developed a minor mechanical issue towards the close of the afternoon. With heavy rain falling just after the car returned to the garage and the programme finished, the team elected to end the run. Adrian's best lap was a 1min 23.800.

The team's next test will be from 12 - 14 February in Jerez, Spain.

Team quotes

Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer
"Today was a slightly better day with Adrian. We stopped slightly earlier as we had a small mechanical issue, but we were still able to do 86 laps and complete our full programme. Again with the lower temperatures we experienced a low level of grip but we could work through the programme of set-up evaluation. Overall a productive three-day test and we can now look forward to the team presentation next week in Mumbai and the next test in Jerez."

Adrian Sutil
"It was a normal day and we were able to complete our programme. It was very cold and one of our main issues was getting the tyres to work in the colder temperatures. To start with we couldn't quite get the balance because of this but a couple of changes made it a bit better, so it was another day where we learnt. In the end we did a lot of miles and the car was again reliable for the most part of the day. We also did some good work on the starts and we are now very consistent in the systems. I'm feeling more comfortable in the car and more confident."

Testing data

Driver: Adrian Sutil
Track: Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
Best lap time: 1min 23.800
Laps completed: 86
Kilometres completed: 400km
Air temperature: High of 12C
Track temperature: High of 12C
Weather: Cold, heavy rain at the end of the day

-credit: force india