Formula One news

Renault in boyant mood after final test

Renault concluded its final three-day test of the 2007 pre-season on Thursday, with both race drivers running through the day and completing their planned work in spite of some delays.

Giancarlo Fisichella completed the set-up work that has been his primary focus this week, as well as practicing race weekend procedures ahead of the first Grand Prix in two weeks' time. A mechanical problem in the middle of the day cost him track time, but the parts involved had exceeded their target mileage when they failed. Overall, the Italian enjoyed a positive day, and was encouraged by the performance of the R27. He completed 64 laps during the day, to finish third fastest with a best time of 1:30.498.

Heikki Kovalainen also worked hard to complete his planned programme for the week. Completing his sixth day of running in eight days at Sakhir, the Finn continued to accumulate mileage ahead of his Grand Prix debut in Melbourne, while simultaneously fine-tuning preparations for the third race of the season at the Bahraini circuit. Heikki also demonstrated a strong level of performance in spite of interruptions owing to mechanical difficulties, and he rounded off his pre-season preparations with second-fastest time in 1:30.384, after completing 61 laps.

Chief Test Engineer Christian Silk summarised the results of the final winter test: "We concentrated on practicing procedures this morning, which was handled without any major problems, and we then continued working on set-up testing with both cars. Heikki and Giancarlo experienced some mechanical problems in the middle part of the day, but the team worked hard to fix them and make the most of the remaining track time. We have concluded our pre-season test programme on an encouraging note."

"Both drivers completed their programmes, and demonstrated promising performance," he added. "It has been a long, demanding winter for the whole team, and we are now looking forward to see how the R27 performs in race conditions. We have a competitive package, and we are feeling confident, but we will be working hard through the rest of the season to develop and improve the car."

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