Minardi Hampered by Weather at Misano

Poor weather was once again the dominant factor affecting Minardi on their second day of testing at the Misano circuit.

The track was first hit by snow and then by a heavy rain, making driving conditions treacherous. The team elected to put Christijan Albers on track, however, so the Dutch could complete the necessary mileage to support his Superlicence application.

He covered a total of 21 laps, but no times were issued.

"There's not really a great deal to say," said Albers. "The weather made it very difficult to drive, and although I was able to complete sufficient laps this morning to fulfil the requirement for my Super-licence, there was very little we could do of any technical significance.

"Weather permitting, we'll continue with the programme tomorrow, and hopefully, be able to make up for some of the time we've lost."

In the afternoon session, and with rain still falling steadily, Nicky Pastorelli made his Formula One debut, but he managed just two four-lap runs before Minardi decided there was little point in continuing.

"It was awesome," said Pastorelli, the European F3000 champion. "I have to say, I was really well prepared thanks to the engineers' instructions. Before getting in the car, they had explained everything to me in detail and I knew exactly what I had to do.

"Once on the track, everything went well and we were able to complete the assigned laps without damaging the car. Despite the weather, it has been a very positive experience, and I want to thank the whole team for making my job easy. I really hope to be able to continue my relationship with Minardi in the future."

The team will continue testing tomorrow.