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
Why Monte Carlo success could spark another past master’s WRC revival
Some 39 years on from his Monte Carlo Rally debut, World Rally Championship legend Francois Delecour continues to pick up silverware. Proving that age is purely a number, the 60-year-old's desire to compete against the WRC’s latest young talents could be the start of a new chapter in the Frenchman’s storied career
Haas: No plans to change F1 team model despite nearing budget cap
Gunther Steiner says there is no plan for Haas to change the model of its Formula 1 team despite nearing the budget cap with a new title sponsor.
Supercars team reveals coin toss chassis allocation
Supercars squad Team 18 used a combination of a coin toss and a ping pong ball lottery to allocate its new chassis to drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom.
HPD boss "amazed" by GTP reliability on debut at Daytona 24 Hours
The boss of Honda Performance Developments has expressed his amazement at the high levels of reliability demonstrated by the all-new GTP prototypes in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.