UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Slicks among the stars: Jerez

Heidfeld tops day one

New faces and the return of slicks added interest to the opening day of the final test of the year, as Jerez echoed to the sound of V8 f1 engines again today.

The test of slicks – based upon the GP2 tyre supplied by Bridgestone – provided a couple of wild cards at the top of the time sheet as Nick Heidfeld in the BMW went fastest with a time of 1:19.042, eclipsing the long standing time of Jenson Button who took the Honda around in 1:19.155. Both of these times are reputed to have been set on the slick tyre.

Fastest on the standard grooved tyre – although with a time set on a well worn set – was Pedro de la Rosa, whose time of 1:19.712 in the Mclaren MP4-22 looks good in comparison.

Mclaren, and Renault, appeared with wheel shrouds similar to those run by Ferrari this season, and it was Kimi Raikkonen who set fourth fastest time of the day in the F2007, the first man outside the 1:19 mark on 1:20.063, just ahead of Nelson Piquet Jnr in the Renault.

Sixth position represents a fine effort by Sebastien Bourdais, the French Champ Car title holder settling in nicely at Toro Rosso and running over 100 laps. In comparison, his team mate Sebastian Vettel ended the day 11th, just a few tenths behind having shouldered most of the team’s problems today.

Gary Paffett put the second Mclaren in the top ten, just ahead of Mark Webber in the Red Bull and Marc Gene in the second Ferrari, while Mike Conway had another run out in the Honda/Super Aguri and impressed to shade the Ferrari by only a tenth.

James Rossiter was also out for Super Aguri, or Honda, depending on who you asked, and set 12th best time of the day, while Timo Glock, making his debut as a Toyota driver, had a cautious run to 13th position.

Force India honours today went to Giancarlo Fisichella, the Renault refugee seemingly confirming his departure from that team by running for the remodelled Spyker outfit, and setting a respectable 1:21.4 on his way to 14th, two places ahead of Franck Montagny in the second Force India.

Fastest of the Williams runners was Nico Hulkenberg, the young German taking 15th spot, outpacing Kazuki Nakajima – in the second Williams – by a few thousandths and two places.

BMW had two youngsters running alongside Nick Heidfeld today, with Estonian Marko Asmer joining Spaniard Javier Villa in the blue and white cars in what many see as a shoot-out for the vacant third driver role with the Hinwil team. As it was, Asmer finished the day one and a half seconds quicker than Villa, with the young Japanese Kamui Kobayashi the final runner, just quicker than Villa in 19th position.

Little to glean from that, then, other than that slicks are quicker than grooved tyres.

UpdateSport will bring you a report of tomorrows running at Jerez.

Written: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:10:57