Circuit: Catalunya, 4.655 kms
Driver: Jean-Eric Vergne
Car: STR7 – 01
Laps: 92
Best time: 1:23.792
“We achieved what we came here to do”
Jean-Eric Vergne: “I am much more confident in the car now than I was by the end of the Jerez test. We worked on many different aspects of the job and for example, today I had a much better understanding of the pit stops than I did after trying them yesterday for the first time. We did some good work today, acquiring plenty of data and I expect this will help us to improve still further next week.”
Laurent Mekies (Chief Engineer): “From a technical point of view, we completed our programme, working through a large number of test items, which are the type of thing you can only achieve in winter testing when you have a lot of tyres. Some of the work of making these changes to the car was time consuming, which explains why we have not completed such a large number of laps, but it was important to get the answers on the items we wanted to evaluate here. We can be reasonably satisfied with the results achieved. The drivers are getting into the rhythm. Next week here there will be plenty of race simulations and our drivers will get a lot of time on track to experience race conditions. Overall this week, we achieved what we came here to do.”
There is now just one test session prior to the first round of the 2012 World Championship and it again takes place at the Catalunya circuit from 1 to 4 March. Jean-Eric Vergne will drive the first two days, before handing over to Daniel Ricciardo. When the test ends, it will leave just 12 days until the first free practice session of the year at Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit.
