December 8, 2007

Winter testing wrap up.

We don't get much coverage of winter testing in the US but elsewhere it is covered like baseball spring training might be here.

That Michael Schumacher was testing again was eclipsed by news of the Renault-Mclaren spy case verdict and how that will affect Fernando Alonso's future. Massa says he does not follow the Alonso soap opera except to say that Mclaren will be a weaker team for losing a top driver. The now more fluent in Italian Schumacher smirks, Trulli and Kubica play coy and claim ignorance.

As to why he's there, Schumacher explained:

"You know, I have spent so much time in Formula 1, it's clear that I love the sport and there are many things I still enjoy about it, like driving. It is a great pleasure to be able to drive without further responsibility and pressure for the next season, I just enjoy it, it is quite nice!"

He goes on to warmly praise Kimi Raikkonen for stepping up for the team after he and Ross Brawn left. Of Lewis Hamilton, who recently declared his intention of eclipsing all of Schumacher's records, he says "a very good preparation combined with a natural talent and you see the results"

The second part of the Spanish language clip is raw footage of the cars testing, check out the extra large data aerial mounted on many of the cars and also the giant sensors on the Renault's left wheels. You can see how the various drivers are coping with not having electronic aids... Hamilton looks like he was torture testing the rear tires a bit, hopefully Mclaren was practicing figuring out the right time to bring him in and change them!



Jerez testing 1. from Axis on Vimeo.


Jerez winter testing 2. from Axis on Vimeo.

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