McLaren Sepang test notes 2007-03-30

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team took to the track on the final day of the extended test at the Sepang circuit with both Lewis and Pedro sharing the driving duties. Lewis continued his programme in the morning, with a concentration on longer runs. Unfortunately just as Lewis was finishing the car suffered an oil pipe failure, causing him to stop on track.

The engine was not affected and the mechanics were able to solve the problem quickly. Pedro took over driving duties in the afternoon, but his running was limited due to a heavy rain downpour, meaning he was only able to go out on the dry Bridgestone Potenza tyres at the very end of the session.

Lewis Hamilton:

"The test in Malaysia this week has been very productive, with us covering over 1,400km as we push forward with development of the MP4-22. A big focus for this week was evaluation of the Bridgestone Potenza compounds that we will have for the race next weekend."

"We have managed to get a good understanding of the various performances in the conditions at Sepang. We were also working on finding performance in the car to try and close the gap to Ferrari. It was my first experience of driving in Malaysia, and it was tougher than I expected!"

"The heat in the cockpit is incredible, but I am making sure I keep hydrated when I am at the track and am continuing to train in the heat. These three days have been really useful as part of my acclimatisation process for the race. The circuit itself is great, it is very wide and flowing, and I am looking forward to racing on it."

-credit: mclaren