Jerez 1: Montagny on top
Franck Montagny topped the times on an incident-filled opening day of testing at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday as Renault recovered from its disappointing form over the Chinese Grand Prix weekend
With many race regulars choosing to stay in Asia between the Shanghai race and the Japanese Grand Prix, the week has been taken over by test drivers as teams focus on their final push for the last two races of the season.
Montagny's best lap was 1m17.714s was just one hundredth of a second faster than Marc Gene's Williams and one tenth quicker than BAR's Anthony Davidson. Renault will be keeping particular focus on BAR's form because it is locked in a battle with the Brackley-based outfit for second place in the constructors' championship. It currently lies nine points behind, having lost ground in China last weekend.
The opening day of testing was not without its dramas, as both Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer and Jarno Trulli had high-speed accidents - although neither driver was injured.
Badoer suffered rear brake failure going into the Dry Sac corner at the end of the main straight, plunging straight off the track and into the barriers. It is understood that his car nose-dived under the tyres, badly damaging the front of the F2004.
The Italian was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks after complaining of back pains, but is expected to be back in the car on Wednesday morning providing the team has managed to repair the damage.
Trulli was more lucky after he suffered a left-rear puncture at high-speed that pitched him off the track. The team blamed the incident on a sharp stone getting lodged in the wheel and, after a minor delay while Toyota fixed the minor damage, the Italian was back in action later in the day.
Monaco's Olivier Beretta was drafted in for Williams after test driver Antonio Pizzonia was sent home to Monaco having injured his ankle in a fall at his hotel in Shanghai on his return to Europe.
1. Franck Montagny (Renault) 1m17.714s
2. Marc Gene (Williams) 1m17.722s
3. Anthony Davidson (BAR) 1m17.806s
4. Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren) 1m18.106s
5. Alex Wurz (McLaren) 1m18.236s
6. Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 1m18.500s
7. Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) 1m18.673s
8. Enrique Bernoldi (BAR) 1m18.945s
9. Olivier Beretta (Williams) 1m19.017s
10. Luca Badoer (Ferrari) 1m19.842s
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
Why Italian GP success is on for McLaren even if Verstappen dominates
For the second time in 2021, McLaren will line up for the start of a grand prix from the first row. It knows it has the chance of “glory” if things go well for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at the start of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, but even if they just maintain their grid positions, signs from the rest of the Monza weekend suggest success is very possible for Formula 1’s other orange army
The F1 media favourite who lifted a broken Lotus
Graham Hill was nearly 30 when he made his Formula 1 debut. NIGEL ROEBUCK examines the life of a gifted racer whose talismanic personality defined an era
