Minardi Magny Cours Testing Review

POSITIVE OUTCOME TO THE TESTING AT MAGNY COURS The test session which saw the Fondmetal Minardi Ford Team engaged on the Magny Cours circuit from Tuesday to today, had a positive outcome. Drivers, engineers and mechanics return to Italy this evening after completing a very satisfactory, if intense, work programme which focused primarily on the debut of the car with extended wheelbase (50 mm) and its set-up. This was a particularly difficult thing to accomplish on the French circuit which, with its combination of fast and slow corners, makes it hard to determine the optimum balance between traction and braking. The extensive testing conducted in the past few days by the test driver Laurent Redon (Tuesday) and by Esteban Tuero (Wednesday and Thursday) paved the way for the excellent lap times recorded today by Nakano. Nakano, who knows the track well thanks to his last years experience at Prost Team, which uses the Magny Cours circuit almost as its private track, was given the task of turning to account the groundwork done by his team mates, and therefore concentrated on lap times. Speaking about reliability, also the new mechanical solutions satisfied the technicians, even though the failure of an engine - which had ran already many kilometers - put a premature end to the day's testing. The Team deliberately committed to Tuero the first part of the work, as the testing and set up of the new solution, in order to carry on with the refines program of the young Argentinean, called, more and more frequently, to co-operate with Teams technicians. Team-mate Nakano, quite familiar with this track, as already told, thanks to last years experience, acted as litmus paper non only for car development, but for Tueros work as well, who managed to find a good set up for the longer wheelbase car on a difficult circuit such as Magny Cours. Esteban was expected to be more concentrated and steady in performing for next week race, rather than being speed. And the target was essentially hit. Nakano, on his side, was satisfied of the new cars behaviour and ensured that he will make a good race, providing that weather conditions will be similar to last days.