Yoong's testing pace impresses

YOONG'S TESTING PACE IMPRESSES

MUGELLO, ITALY, JULY 6, 2001 ^O Malaysian Formula One hopeful, Alexander Yoong, did his chances of landing a Grand Prix drive a power of good today as he put in an impressive performance while testing for the European Minardi F1 team at the Mugello circuit, in northern Italy. During the course of yesterday and today, the 24-year-old from Kuala Lumpur ran for a total of 67 laps - a Grand Prix distance - and steadily reduced his times. His best lap was a creditable 1 minute 29.99 seconds.

"Alex has genuinely done an excellent job during this test," observed European Minardi F1 Team Principal, Paul Stoddart. "He has been as cool as a cucumber throughout, has not made any mistakes, and has worked well with the team's engineers. Most importantly, though, his lap times have dropped progressively with each run, indicating that he is getting to grips with the car and the circuit ^O something that is the sign of a good driver. I think all of the European Minardi F1 personnel present in Mugello have been both pleased and impressed with Alex's approach to the job and with his quick progress."

As for the young man who has been firmly in the spotlight for the last two days, there was a look of quiet satisfaction on his face as he climbed from the car at the end of the test. "It really has been an incredibly good experience," he said. "I drove for 47 laps today and every time I went out, I went quicker. I was quite pleased with my best lap of 1 min 29.99 secs, but I feel I can go even quicker with a bit more acclimatisation.

"The main thing from my perspective was to get to grips with left-foot braking. By the end of the day, I was feeling a lot more comfortable with it, although I was still being quite cautious - there is certainly more to come. Physically, I haven't had any problems. There are a lot of fast corners at Mugello, the track is quite bumpy and the car didn't have a power-steering system fitted, so you definitely feel the forces through your neck and shoulders. Even so, I could have done more laps without difficulty.

"I have always dreamed of driving a Formula One car, and could only imagine what the power, the downforce and the braking must be like. Now I know, and it is every bit as exciting as I expected. I have really enjoyed the experience and, once again, must thank the Magnum Corporation for its support and assistance with this test programme."

-Minardi