UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Final test goes to Lewis

Hamilton tops Jerez times

Lewis Hamilton ignored the media frenzy that surrounded the Mclaren camp today, thanks to Fernando Alonso’s last minute testing debut, to set fastest time of the day in the final test of 2006.

The Englishman emerged a fraction faster than the Renault of fellow rookie Heikki Kovalainen, with new team mate and World Champion Alonso setting third fastest time on his first run in a McLaren.

With Giancarlo Fisichella running fourth quickest in the second Renault, and having shown well over the course of the winter, the World Champion team look promising for the year to come.

Confusion at Honda saw young Marco Andretti, the American making his Formula One debut at Jerez, recording some very quick times at an early stage in the proceedings, only for the team to attribute these to Christian Klien once it became clear that the time recording transponders on the two RA106’s had been logged incorrectly. Klien set a fine fifth fastest while Andretti, accompanied by father Michael, finished the day in 14th, two seconds slower than Klien.

Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel were BMW-Saubers runners today, the Pole setting sixth fastest as he began to get to grips with the Bridgestone tyres, and the German eighth, with between them the Ferrari of Luca Badoer.

Marc Gene, in the second Maranello car, set eleventh fastest time on a troubled day for the team, Badoer suffering an engine failure that curtailed his running.

Somewhat confusingly, Tonio Liuzzi ran for Red Bull today, setting ninth fastest time along the way, while Sebastian Bourdais completed his weeks running for Toro Rosso with 12th fastest. Scott Speed withdrew from the test early, suffering light injuries from a heavy accident he endured on Thursday.

Also running were Takuma Sato, tenth for Super Aguri, and Alex Wurz who had a troubled day on the way to 13th in the Williams.

A crucial point is that the teams have to submit engines for homologation at this point, along with the much talked about ‘tuning list’ of amendments that the teams will be allowed to pursue before the beginning of the season. Needless to say that decisions made now could have a strong bearing on the course of the season to come.

Written: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 09:44:35