source:
minardi.it
The first day of a five-day Minardi test got under way today at the Autodromo
Santamonica in Misano. One of the two Minardi Cosworth PS04B chassis available
was driven initially by Tiago Monteiro, who then handed over to Patrick
Friesacher, while the other was allocated to Israeli driver, Chanock Nissany.
Monteiro's task was to work on chassis set-up, while Friesacher and Nissany, who
were both having their first experience of an F1 car, spent much of their
allocated time on the opening day acclimatising to the levels of performance and
handling available. Nissany is scheduled to continue testing on Tuesday, and
will be joined by young Australians, Will Power and Will Davison, fulfilling a
promise made to both men by Minardi Team Principal, Paul Stoddart, at this
year's Australian Grand Prix.
PATRICK FRIESACHER Best lap: 1 min 11.150 secs Total laps: 42
"To test a Formula One car is a great experience, and I have to thank the
Minardi team and Paul Stoddart for this opportunity. I was just amazed at the
speed and the braking of the car when I went out on my first lap, but then, like
all race cars, you start to get used to the performance. I think I had a good
day and I hope the team is pleased with the job I did."
TIAGO MONTEIRO Best lap: 1 min 13.240 secs Total laps: 20
"It was a great pleasure to be back in a Formula One car again, and I have to
thank Paul Stoddart, Gian Carlo Minardi and the whole team for the opportunity
they have given me today. I had never been to Misano before, so I spent the
first couple of laps this morning just familiarising myself with the circuit.
Initially, the conditions were very tricky, as the track surface was extremely
dirty. The situation gradually improved, however, so we got on with testing
several items and accumulating some useful information. I was also able to set
the car up for the other drivers, who don't have any F1 experience. I'm very
pleased to have been back with the Minardi team again, and now we have to work
for the future. The next few days will be very important."
CHANOCK NISSANY Best lap: 1 min 14.780 secs Total laps: 41
"At the beginning of the test, the track was not in great condition, but the car
was behaving well despite this. The surface and the grip improved in the
afternoon and the car had a good set-up, which allowed me to get a clear feel
for the performance. With the experience I have accumulated today, I hope to
improve further tomorrow."
MASSIMO RIVOLA, Team Manager
"The plan today was to keep set-up changes to a minimum and allow the drivers -
particularly Patrick and Chanock - to get some experience driving a Formula One
car in race configuration. On that basis, I think we have had a very good day,
and I want to thank all the drivers for their efforts. Tiago undoubtedly had the
toughest job, as he went out first on a cold and dirty track. As we have seen
before, though, he approached the situation with great maturity, by starting
carefully and then steadily reducing his lap times as he worked on finding a
good chassis set-up. Chanock lost about 45 minutes this morning, while a
potential problem with his car was checked out, but he went on to do a very
solid job, especially considering he has only been racing for two years. Patrick
was particularly impressive, starting off with laps of 1 min 15 secs and then
building up speed quickly. Once he got to the limit, he put in some consistently
fast laps. Finally, a special word of thanks to our partner, Bridgestone -
Minardi is the only F1 team testing here at Misano, and they are again
supporting us brilliantly with tyres and technical advice."
Minardi Testing Details
Location: Autodromo Santamonica, Misano, Italy
Date: November 22, 2004
Weather: Cold, cloudy with short sunny spells
Air temperature: 11-13 deg C
Track temperature: 12-13 deg C
Driver: Tiago Monteiro (P) Driver: Patrick Friesacher (A) Driver: Chanock
Nissany (IS)
Chassis allocation: PS04B/04 Chassis allocation: PS04B/04 Chassis allocation:
PS04B/02
Distance covered: 81.2 km Distance covered: 170.5 km Distance covered: 166.5 km