Jerez Testing – Day 4: Driver Statements

Lotus

Kimi Räikkönen (1:18.148, 83 laps): « The car already seems good. We made some adjustments to the settings and worked on different things in Jerez, but everything seems positive. My first impression with the car is good, so that’s the main thing. Clearly, there are still areas to work on, but I am happy for now.

We were at the top of the timesheet, but that doesn’t mean anything during testing. Our focus has been on testing parts on the car, but I’ve also been able to adjust the setup more to my liking. There’s still work to be done on that side, but that’s what these tests are for. The car feels strong and we seem to have a good idea of where we need to improve. We will see what happens in Barcelona.

Force India

Jules Bianchi (1:18.175, 56 laps): My first experience in the new car was very positive and it’s clearly an improvement over last year’s car. I spent most of the time on medium tires, but I had a chance to run on the softs and they offer a lot of grip, so I enjoyed that. It was also great to do some long stints, so I could feel the car with a lot of fuel, which is good for my experience. I’m glad the team asked me to help out this week and I’m happy with how things went today.

Paul di Resta (1:23.435, 49 laps): « Overall, it was a positive test. We worked according to the program provided by the factory, doing aerodynamic mapping, exploring settings, and gathering a lot of data. We covered many laps, and I feel comfortable with the car. The main challenge at the moment is learning how the tires work, but we have a lot of information to help us move in the right direction before the Barcelona tests. »

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel (1:18.565, 96 laps): « I think for the whole team, it was a good testing session. No reliability issues and we covered a lot of laps, so I am satisfied with the results. I feel a little better than last year. I think we had some reliability issues back then, so it seems we have done our homework well.

Regarding the interruption today, I don’t know why the track started to crack, but I think everyone is pushing the limits here, going wide, using the maximum of the track and the curbs, and unfortunately, it started to break. But the circuit did a very good job during lunch to fix all that and gave us an extra half-hour at the end, so no problem.

Looking ahead, I think the Barcelona tests will be a bit more revealing, but only because people will be driving more and the teams will play the game more there. So if you keep your eyes open, you should be able to detect a few small things. However, as I’ve said before, we need to focus on what we’re doing. In Barcelona, we’ll learn more about ourselves and maybe a little about our rivals. It should be interesting.

Clean

Esteban Gutiérrez (1:18.669, 142 laps): « It was a very positive day because we completed a large number of laps. We did some stints on new tires in the middle of the day, and we did long stints with fuel in the afternoon, which gave me the opportunity to test the car in different conditions. It was very interesting for me because I could feel different things and learn how to adapt my driving to different situations. It was nice to do this during testing because now I have time to analyze everything and then go to Barcelona with a good base. I’m really happy with how things went. »

Toro Rosso

**Jean-Eric Vergne (1:18.760, 92 laps):** « We made progress over the four days and in terms of pure understanding of the car, we took a significant step forward compared to last season and, especially today, we completed our entire program. I am much more confident about the new car than I was before testing, and it gives me a good feeling behind the wheel.

One of the goals of the design team was to give us, the drivers, a car with a wide range of operating settings, and I can already say that they have succeeded in this regard. There is still a lot to do, so I’m looking forward to being in Barcelona for my next session.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1:18.905, 145 laps): « Today, we completed the kind of running that the car is capable of and I think we have a good starting platform to work from. Now, we need to understand the F1 W04 even more: personally, I’m learning with every lap I do and with every change in the settings. Overall, I think we’re probably at the level where we hoped to be. The team has done a great job to add downforce to the car over the winter, and they need Nico and me to tell them where we can improve and which direction we need to go. Everyone has been very supportive and I’m building a good relationship with the team; they seem full of energy, ready to tackle things, and everyone is working hard to move forward. »

McLaren

Sergio Pérez (1:18.944, 98 laps): (statements unavailable)

Williams

Valtteri Bottas (1:19.851, 92 laps): « It has been four good days of testing for us, and I especially enjoyed the last two days when I was behind the wheel of the car. We accomplished everything we planned for this week without any problems, and I liked the way the new technical team worked. We gathered interesting data on several parts intended for the new car, and I can’t wait to go to Barcelona and drive the FW35 for the first time. »

Ferrari

Pedro de la Rosa (1:20.316, 51 laps): « When I got out of the car on the installation lap after the gearbox broke, I was not very happy because you wait for an opportunity like this your whole life, and suddenly, after a few corners, you have to get out of the car. I was very, very excited but I was disappointed, but the mechanics did a fantastic job to get the car back on track and we had a reasonable afternoon, which is crucial due to the importance of a test day nowadays. There is a scientific approach behind testing, it’s not just « putting Pedro in the car ».

I was very happy in the end to complete a few competitive laps, given the conditions in which we were driving.

Caterham

Charles Pic (1:21.105, 109 laps): A good day and 109 laps today, it’s a great way to finish these first tests. The track was colder this morning than during the first three days, so it was tricky to get the tires working well, but we completed all the planned programs for the day and collected interesting information that we will work on, and interesting options for the next tests.

One of the keys to these tests was working to extract the maximum from the KERS, and we have made good progress in this area. There is still more to come, especially in maximizing braking performance, but I am happy with what we have achieved and look forward to getting back in the car in Barcelona.

Marussia

Luiz Razia (1:21.225, 82 laps): It is unfortunate that we didn’t have the smooth running day we were hoping for, but we have to be happy to have completed the majority of our program with the MR02 this week. Testing is where we address our issues so we don’t encounter them during the season, and resolving them is good progress in itself. I had the chance to do some performance work later on, but I didn’t get a clear shot window, so I don’t think I ended the day where I could have been in terms of lap time.

What is good is that there is a lot of potential and we can clearly see it. I am very excited for the next two tests and I expect us to make good strides forward. For now, I will reflect on this studious but exciting first week as a Formula 1 driver and what I can do to keep progressing. I would like to thank the team for welcoming me so enthusiastically, and I am pleased that we have established a good working relationship.

From our special correspondent in Jerez