Formula One news

Paffett quick after three years away

Paffett in the McLaren

DTM Champion Gary Paffett tested a McLaren Mercedes Formula One car at Barcelona today. This test had been promised to Gary after he had won the 2005 DTM Championship at Hockenheim on 23 October.

Paffett drove the interim car MP4-20B, which had been adjusted to test the new Mercedes-Benz V8 engine FO108S for the 2006 season. The 24-year-old Englishman covered a total of 58 laps (268 kms) and set a best time of 1:20.588. Alexander Wurz, who also tested an MP4-20B with the new V8 engine, completed 11 laps (51 kms) and posted a best lap of 1:20.664.

It was not the first Formula One drive for Gary Paffett. At the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 he had tested three times for McLaren Mercedes. This had been part of the "McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award" he had received in 1999.

Gary Paffett will continue testing at Barcelona on Tuesday. In addition he will take part in two more Team McLaren Mercedes test days at Jerez, Spain on
7 and 8 December.

"I'm really happy to drive a Formula One car again after more than two years, and I
particularly enjoy that I can test with McLaren Mercedes," said Paffett. "I gained a lot of experience and completed more than 250 kilometres. For me, cornering speeds and braking were most impressive. However, in my opinion the difference between the DTM and the Formula One car is not as big as it was between the Formula 3 and the Formula One car three years ago. Co-operating with the technicians
I benefited a lot from my experience in the DTM. I'm already looking forward to continue testing tomorrow."

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