Spanish driver Dani Clos will step into the F112 for the first time on Friday to take part in the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix which will take place at the Circuit de Catalunya. 23 year-old Clos will substitute teammate Narain Karthikeyan for that session and will join Pedro de la Rosa for the first 90 minutes of practice in Montmeló.

It will be history in the making for HRT Formula 1 Team at the Circuit de Catalunya since this will be the first time that two Spanish drivers hit the track forming a part of a Spanish team at the Spanish Grand Prix. It will be a moment to remember for Spanish motorsport and a great opportunity for Clos to prove his worth in front of his home crowd.

After having completed 377.67 kilometres at the helm of the F111 in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last November and having joined the team as an official test driver in February, Dani Clos will take another step on Friday and will fulfill another vital aspect of his testing role by completing his first laps at the wheel of the F112. A car that will be brining a series of aerodynamic upgrades for this important Grand Prix.

Dani Clos: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity. It’s something I’ve fought for all my life; to make my debut in Formula 1 and, above all, to be able to do it at the Circuit de Catalunya which is something very special for me. Besides, I’m extremely lucky to be able to do it with a Spanish team, alongside another Spanish driver who I admire and at home. I can’t ask for more! It’s the ideal situation and I’m proud to be where I am with the people who have always been with me and still are. I hope to extract a lot of data from this practice session, contribute with positive things to the team and do my job in the best way I can. I feel 100% ready and I can’t wait for the moment I step into the car and hit the track”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT: “I’m very proud and happy that this moment has arrived and that we’ve given Dani the chance to get in the car on Friday’s first free practice session at such a special and important Grand Prix as is a home Grand Prix. In this first contact he will drive next to Pedro de la Rosa and will have the chance to drive the new F112 for the first time. It’s an important session given the short amount of time on track that we have and more so when you take into account the various aerodynamic upgrades which we have brought. Dani is a great driver and I have no doubt that he will do a good job. Besides, this debut also represents another step forward in our desire for HRT to serve as a platform for young drivers to make it into F1”.

DANI CLOS – PROFILE AND CAREER SUMMARY

Dani Clos was born in Barcelona on the 23rd of October 1988. With a renowned trajectory in karting, Clos made his debut in single-seater racing in 2004 in Formula Renault Italia 2.0, going on to win the Championship in 2006. A year later he joined Renault’s F1 programme and took part in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2008 he entered Williams F1′s young drivers’ programme and finished in 2nd in the 24H Barcelona race. In 2009 he made his debut in the GP2 series, with a 3rd place finish in Portimao being his best result. In his second year in GP2 he achieved his first win in Turkey alongside various podium finishes. Last year, Dani Clos took one win and two podiums in what was his third season as a GP2 driver. Also in 2011, he took part in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi with HRT F1 Team, completing total of 377.67km in one day and leaving a very good impression on the team. In 2012, Dani Clos joins the HRT Formula 1 Team as its official test driver.

Career Summary:

2012 F1: test driver, HRT Formula 1 Team
2011 GP2: Racing Engineering, 9th in the Championship
F1: Young Driver Test with HRT F1 Team
2010 GP2: Racing Engineering, 4th in the Championship (1 win)
2009 GP2: Racing Engineering, 21st in the Championship
2008 F3 Euroseries: Prema Powerteam: 14th in the Championship
2007 F3 Euroseries: Signature Plus: 13th in the Championship
2006 Fórmula Renault 2.0 Italia: Champion (8 wins)
Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 7th position in the Championship
2005 Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 32nd in the Championship
Fórmula 2.0 Italiana: 16th in the Championship

The FIA could sanction F1′s reigning back-to-back world champion for his behaviour during the recent Malaysian grand prix.

Before calling backmarker Narain Karthikeyan a “gherkin” and “idiot” in the wake of their collision, Sebastian Vettel was captured by his on-board camera twice displaying his middle-finger to the Indian driver.

“I think he’s highly frustrated because he’s having a tough season,” Karthikeyan told the Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday.

“It’s completely unprofessional to blame me for the incident. The derogatory remark only goes to show him in bad light.

“Just because he has a good car, he can’t call others an idiot,” Karthikeyan continued.

“I have won races in all the previous single-seater championships I have participated in so I don’t need a certificate from Vettel.”

Reports in Germany, including in the Kolner Express, Bild and Die Welt newspapers, claim that Red Bull driver’s behaviour may have breached the new stricter code of conduct introduced by FIA president Jean Todt.

The FIA has been contacted for comment.

“He has breached the code of conduct,” former F1 driver Marc Surer told Germany’s Sky television. “You sign it when you get the license and then you have to behave correspondingly.

“Any behaviour that hurts other people or the sport is an offense,” added the Swiss.

Asked what the penalties might be, Surer explained: “Anything from a warning to a license revocation. In this case I think it was quite understandable and there will be a mild punishment, if there is anything.”

Hans-Joachim Stuck, however, is slightly less forgiving.

“When you’re overtaking, misunderstandings can occur. I think Vettel needs to learn this.

“With him, the curve was always upwards and now it’s not the case, and he needs to deal with that,” the German legend told the DAPD news agency.

As for Vettel’s description of Karthikeyan as a “gherkin”, Stuck insisted: “It’s better than ‘asshole’.”

Vettel’s attack, however, was sustained, with Kleine Zeitung newspaper now quoting the Red Bull driver as having said: “Maybe formula one is not the place to learn how to drive.”

Stuck responded: “If Sebastian had left more space, it would not have happened. It happens sometimes so it’s a racing incident.

“He (Karthikeyan) didn’t do it on purpose and it always takes two.”

The HRT driver hit back by calling Vettel a “bully”, and even David Coulthard – a Red Bull team consultant – defended Karthikeyan.

“He can’t make his car invisible,” the Scot is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

Also defending Karthikeyan was Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg, who told the Indian press this week: “From what I saw, it was not Narain’s fault.

“So I don’t really understand why he (Vettel) said all that.”

Hukenberg’s Force India teammate Paul di Resta added: “Narain is entitled to do as much on the track in comparison with someone like Vettel.

“Both are F1 drivers and are there to represent their teams.”

Spaniard Maria De Villota has become a Marussia F1 Team test driver.

Maria has raced in a variety of single-seater and sports car categories, including Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, the Euroseries 3000 and Superleague Formula Championship.

Maria has also experienced a Formula One cockpit previously, having received a test drive courtesy of the team formerly known as Lotus Renault F1 Team at Paul Ricard in August of last year, where she achieved 300kms of running.

As the daughter of former F1 driver and British Formula One Series Champion Emilio de Villota, Maria has always dreamed of following in his footsteps to reach the highest level of motorsport. Her integration into the Marussia F1 Team means she will have the opportunity to work with racing drivers operating at the pinnacle of the sport and, later in the year, the chance to drive the MR01.

John Booth, Team Principal, Marussia F1 Team, commented:

“We are pleased to welcome Maria to our test driver programme, which will enable her to be integrated into a Formula One team environment and gain a vast amount of experience that will be useful to her career progression. We will also provide Maria with the opportunity to sample F1 machinery later in the year, further adding to her racing credentials.”

Maria De Villota had this to say:

“I am very happy to be joining the Marussia F1 Team test driver programme. This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with a Formula One team and gain important experience to help me progress my career, including the chance to drive the new car later in the year at the Abu Dhabi test. I will be joining the team trackside so I’m looking forward to working alongside them at the first race next weekend and this can only help my future ambition to step up to Formula One racing.”

HRT F1 Team has reached an agreement with Dani Clos by which the young 23-year-old driver from Barcelona will become test driver of the Spanish outfit for the 2012 season.

The incorporation of Clos is another step in the team’s aspirations of establishing itself as a platform for young talents to reach the pinnacle of world motorsport.

Dani Clos will form an integral part of the team, taking part in several free practice sessions on Fridays and travelling to every Grand Prix throughout the season, with the main objective of learning and getting to know the team. There is a lot of hard work ahead of him but Dani will have the whole team’s support, including that of his teammates Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa, to help him learn and progress in such a demanding environment.

Dani Clos experienced his first contact with the team this past November, during the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi, and made the most of the opportunity given to him. The good sensations that the team and driver had, along with the objective of strengthening HRT F1 Team, helped to reach a quick agreement that was desired by both parties.

The Spanish driver will start to exert his functions as the team’s test driver immediately and will be with the team for the third pre-season tests in Barcelona from the 1^st to the 4^th of March.

Dani Clos: “I’m very proud to be a part of HRT Formula 1 Team. It is a great step in my career, something that I have dreamt of all my life and, finally, my dream is starting to come true. I’m very impressed with the job the team is doing; they’re achieving fantastic things in a short space of time. The team has changed a lot since we met in the Abu Dhabi tests and I think it’s a great opportunity and an honor to form a part of this new team. What they’re achieving is very important for motorsport in our country and has a lot of potential. Also, being alongside Pedro de la Rosa is very important for me, since he and Karthikeyan can positively contribute to me becoming a better driver. I want to thank Saúl Ruíz de Marcos and Luis Pérez-Sala for the trust they’ve shown in me from the start and, above all, I would like to thank the people who have always been by my side, such as Leonardo Soldevila and my father. For me a new chapter is beginning, one where hard work and dedication are going to be my priorities; I’m going to give it my all so that this phase is as successful as it can possibly be for the team, my teammates and myself”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal of HRT: “I’m very happy to have Dani on the team. He’s a quick, talented driver who, above all, is very willing to progress. The incorporation of Clos is another step in our project of restructuring HRT but also fits in with our desire to promote young motorsport talents. I’m sure that it will be a very positive experience for both parties”.

-Ends-

Dani Clos – Profile

Date of Birth: 23rd of October 1988

Place of Birth: Barcelona (Spain)

Nationality: Spanish

Height: 1,77cm

Weight: 68 kg

Country and place of residence: Barcelona (Spain)

Website: www.daniclos.com

Twitter: @daniclos

Dani Clos was born in Barcelona on the 23rd of October 1988. With a renowned trajectory in karting, Clos made his debut in single-seater racing in 2004 in Formula Renault Italia 2.0, going on to win the Championship in 2006. A year later he joined Renault’s F1 programme and took part in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2008 he entered Williams F1’s young drivers’ programme and finished in 2^nd in the 24H Barcelona race. In 2009 he made his debut in the GP2 series, with a 3^rd place finish in Portimao being his best result. In his second year in GP2 he achieved his first win in Turkey alongside various podium finishes. Last year, Dani Clos took one win and two podiums in what was his third season as a GP2 driver. Also in 2011, he took part in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi with HRT F1 Team, completing total of 377.67km in one day and leaving a very good impression on the team.

Career Summary:

2011: GP2: Racing Engineering, 9^thin the Championship

F1: Young Driver Test with HRT F1 Team

2010: GP2: Racing Engineering, 4^thin the Championship (1 race win)

2009: GP2: Racing Engineering, 21^stin the Championship

2008: F3 Euroseries: Prema Powerteam: 14^thin the Championship

2007: F3 Euroseries: Signature Plus: 13^thin the Championship

2006: Formula Renault 2.0 Italia: Champion (8 race wins)

Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 7^th position

2005: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: 32^ndin the Championship

Italian Formula Renault Championship: 16^th in the Championship

Yesterday, Kovalainen completed 30 laps prior to the accident where his front wing broke and forced him to leave the circuit, because there was no spare part to replace it.  However, he was not distressed and even though he admitted the single-seater lacks aerodynamics, he assured that the T127 has great potential.

“I think the potential is there.  The initial sensation this morning was good,” explained Kovalainen.  “With enough grip in the slow curves, the car is behaving quite well.  But it does lack adherence in high speeds [curves] where we lose time, probably too, because of configuration issues [set-up].  But, overall it is alright and I enjoyed it very much.”

After running for McLaren since 2008, Kovalainen has great experience in races with the Formula One champion team and is used to utilizing Mercedes engines – considered as the best in the grid.

When asked to compare the Lotus’ V8 Cosworth with Mercedes’ engine, he said: “In terms of sheer power, it is not very far from Mercedes’, although it is probably not as good, but on the whole, the sensation is quite positive.  The ease with which you drive it was very competitive when compared with Mercedes.  The power is located at different areas, but I feel it is one of the strongest parts of the car.”

Kovalainen has remained in Jerez to test his car today, Friday.  The new front wing was delivered last nigh to the racing team.

In the evening, Ferrari has hurried to clarify that the F10 problems had nothing to do with the new chassis that Felipe Massa unveiled yesterday.  As a matter of fact, they declared it was time to prepare for Bahrain, making clear that the initial tests were surmounted.

After Massa slid off the track, Vettel improved his time (1:28.162), leaving Red Bull in the third position of the timesheet.  After that lap, the red flag stopped everything; the marshals had to clean the racetrack a bit because when Massa slid off his car, the racetrack received some gravel.

A severe rain showered the racetrack again, with strong winds of 50km/h. which enjoyed the passing by of the single-seaters through the Jerez de la Frontera single-seaters.  Timo Glock did not let the command go as had been rumored and he rolled during the evening, which Lotus could not do, after Kovalainen’s incident where the front wing of the single-seater was destroyed.

Again, under the rain, Barrichello’s Williams was the one that ran more and better in the curvy racetrack of Jerez.  Meanwhile, Buemi, Hamilton, Pretrov and Glock went out to the circuit to take advantage of the last minutes of the day.

Nonetheless, they were not lucky, because again, there was a severe rainstorm that made it impossible to roll at too much rhythm.  So much so that Glock’s Virgin stopped at the first curve, finishing his session before the time.

Another day marked by the rain that altered the programmed unveiling plans and the single-seaters evolution.  Forecast are not better for tomorrow.

Thursday’s Final Times in Jerez

1. Barrichello 1:271.45 (74 lap)
2. Petrov 1:27.828 (34 lap)
3. Vettel 1:28.162 (49 lap)
4. Massa 1:28.879 (46 lap)
5. Rosberg 1:28.964 (41 lap)
6. De la Rosa 1:29.691 (8 lap)
7. Di resta 1:30.344 (33 lap)
8. Glock 1:31.557 (41 lap)
9. Hamilton 1:31.692 (44 lap)
10. Buemi 1:32.678 (43 lap)
11. Kovalainen 1:33.554 (30 lap)

Today, Thursday, the unveilings have restarted with rain after yesterday’s unpredictable day.  A of 10 AM, rainstorm limited the unveilings at Jerez; none could complete 30 laps.  A little while after 11 AM, the severe storm caused stagnant water in the racetrack generating a red flag.

As a result, times are even more diverse than yesterday’s, with Felipe Massa leading the timesheet previous to the rainfall.  The only team that made a remarkable progress was Virgin, with Timo Glock driving up to 26 wet laps.

On its part, Lotus, seems to have stepped backwards and no time has been registered up to now.  For a few moments, at the Lotus box, fire was seen coming out from under the engine’s cover, but the team has not yet announced the reason.

Renault has not established a lap time neither at the beginning of the session.  Vitaly Petrov continues his second consecutive testing day under the rain.

The teams gathered again on a wet racetrack on the second testing day and more precipitation is expected for tomorrow.  The programs were fractured yesterday by two severe rainstorms and five red flags, and it seems that today is not going to be different.

Felipe Massa went directly to the top part of the timesheet with a time of 1:28.879 at the beginning of his second successive testing day.  The only teams that changed their UPS line were Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg behind the steering wheel, and Lotus, that made the first test with Heikki Kovalainen with the el T127.  Paul di Resta continues in Force India, but it is expected that in any moment, he will be substituted by Tonio Liuzzi.  Lucas di Grassi, today will share his single-seater ,Virgin with Timo Glock.

Just before a break for lunch, the racetrack began to improve and that allowed some time modifications.  Barrichello placed himself first at one thirty with a best time of 1:28.499 in a rather long session (he remained in the track for 20 minutes straight.) Hamilton clocked his best personal time of the day with 1:31.833, but very far from the morning’s best times.  Afterwards, the Brazilian in his Williams stopped the chronometer in 1:27.145, using all the fuel.

Right now, Petrov with his Renault went back to the racetrack and placed himself second with 1:27.891.  The track is drying, although there are still some pools.  Ferrari has not explained its long stop at the boxes.  It has been rumored that it had an electrical problem.  At the end of the morning session, only the Russian pilot, Petrov and Barrichello have dropped off from 1:28.9.

The possibility of moving from the Spanish Jerez circuit to another speedway for two of the four test days this week was suggested.  Rain forecast indicated that weather conditions would be worse this week, but an adequate replacement for Jerez could not be found on such a short notice.

When Sauber Beat Zendher, team principal, was asked about the possibility of moving to Valencia or else, to the Portimao circuit he answered: “The circuits are taken up and weather conditions are quite uncertain.”

The pilots are waiting for the option of dry driving to be able to understand the performance of the cars and to tune them up before the March 14^th Bahrain season’s opening.  Hence, time is ticking away and there are only eight test days left, four in Jerez this week and four in Barcelona, next week.

Weather conditions are particularly bad for the new teams. Virgin and Lotus have just unveiled their single-seaters this year with two cars that start up in zero during the winter.  With scarce experience, they need dry performance much more that others with more data and experience, to be able to overcome the initial problems with their new engines.  Last week, Virgin lost the best part of the day, due to the front wing failure and lack of spare parts.

Michael Schumacher, confirms his “total convincement” that Mercedes GP has a car “capable of fighting for the championship” and that he hopes “to have an opportunity.”

“I cannot know what the future might bring, but I believe in this team and this is enough challenge for me. I love competition and hope to have a chance to show it,” he declared in an interview in ‘www.formula1.com‘.

The German pilot will be the oldest of the 2010 Formula One season’s grid, and recognizes that “after so much time in the single-seater world, he is aware that there are always fans who follow you and others that do not so much.” “To be able to be in for such a long time, sometimes I had to close up a little and it might just be the same this time,” commented Michael.

The seven-times champion of the world shares ‘box’ with another German pilot, Nico Rosberg, situation that Schumacher considers an advantage because they can communicate in the same language. “I wish the best for him. He is a constructive pilot and it is interesting to have him as a neighbor, since our ‘motorhomes’ are side by side in the paddock,” he explained.

Schumacher clarified that he felt well and that his doctor, Johannes Peil, who attended the test that Mercedes GP performed in the Valencia Circuit, is supervising his evolution.

“He was in Valencia to do me some check ups, as the last one. He wants to make sure that I am totally prepared for the race and obviously, I want to know, too. I am alright and that is the reason why it was not necessary for him to be in Jerez,” he added.

The rain that affected the programs of the teams on Friday was still pouring down at the beginning of the session.  However, dry conditions as of mid-morning allowed the single-seaters to roll out with more confidence on this test day at Jerez (this week), where Rubens Barrichello, did best time with 1:22.319.

Robert Kubica was the first to start out to a wet racetrack, with Sebastien Vettel in the Red Bull and Barrichello behind the wheel of the Williams FW32 following his trail.

Nonetheless, it was Felipe Massa, who did the first timed lap of the day with the Ferrari F10.  In his first attempt, the Brazilian made a time of 1:29.534, but little by little he found the rhythm until his car stopped on the grass of the pit-lane entrance.  It seems as though the team is pretending to go the limit.  There was the rumor that the car was deliberately left without fuel to confirm the tank’s capacity.

Michael Schumacher, Massa’s ex-team mate was slightly shaky during the first moments, achieving the best lap with 1:29.768 before taking his Mercedes GP W01 to boxes, where it remained the rest of the morning.  The spectators were surprised.

The changing weather conditions forced the teams to the difficult task of choosing tires.  Even though the pools of water in different parts of the racetrack were drying, the teams decided to play it safe and made pauses, waiting for the track to dry.

Barrichello informed through the radio that the driving and visibility conditions were quite good and hoped that the team could realize an evening session “to its fullest.”  Lewis Hamilton was glad with these news, who seemed distraught after he began his work with Jenson Button’s McLaren MP4-25, on Friday.  He declared that the day had been a waste of time, since neither him nor McLaren had been able to make a remarkable progress on their test program due to the wet racetrack.

On the contrary, Nico Rosberg, was filled with confidence after his second day with the Mercedes W01 GP, despite the fact that he was not allowed to drive in dry during two sessions.  He announced feeling comfortable with the car and to be sure that the Silver Arrow “will be near the racing pole positions when the competition begins in Bahrain, on March 14^th.”

“We have some valuable data, like all the procedures.  It’s difficult when you change teams; there is so much to learn.  It’s like airspace science, you know?  Two days ago I did four dry laps, and a one and a half today.  I felt extremely comfortable with the car, as if I could really up.  That gives me a lot of confidence, so I’m not worried with the fact that there was not much time to roll in dry” Nico assured.

The first appearance of the red flags came when Vettel skidded out of the racetrack and left the Red Bull trapped at the circuit end.  Yet, the delayed caused by this incident was minimal, thanks to the quick response of Jerez circuit recovery team.  In 15 minutes, the RB6 was back in the boxes.

At the end of the morning session began to improve quickly.  Barrichello did 1:22.319 after 39 laps and Massa stopped the chronometer at 1:22.697 after 94 laps.  The red flag indicated that Barrichello reached midday as time leader, three tenths faster than Massa.

The FIA announced through a press release that it will not publish the fuel loads of the 2010 Formula One season different single-seaters.  Despite this year’s refuel ban all through the Grand Prix, each team’s strategies will not be known before the race nor which single-seaters have a more efficient fuel consumption engine

During the last months, there was speculation regarding the possibility of FIA maintaining the publication of the fuel loads this season, but finally it was decided not to, and the weight of each car will be kept a secret.

Under a sunshine that the ‘scuderias’ in the racetrack were thankful for, the second session of unveiling began in the Jerez circuit.  With the absence of Virgin Racing in the tracks, because there were no spare parts to repair the single-seater, most of the pilots ran for long periods of time.

Today restarted the work that could not be done yesterday due to bad weather.  The teams have collected more data and have been playing the cat and the mouse.  Buemi’s Toro Rosso stopped the chronometer at 1:20.026, getting the best time of the day.

Many tests and many data, would be the balance of the day, where the expected Valencia time duel did not happen.  The media were left with the feeling that the duo reserved for later on.  However, tomorrow if the climate allows it, there will be new unveiling with other pilots.

Time classification

1. Sebastian Buemi (Toro Rosso) 1:20.026 (121 laps)
2. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1:20.618 (83)
3. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) 1:21.565 (67)
4. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 1:20.754 (80)
5. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) 1:21.083 (122)
6. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 1:21.377 (100)
7. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1:21.424 (129)
8. Robert Kubica (Renault) 1:22.003 (101)
9. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:22.043 (29)
10. Timo Glock (Virgin) 1:29.964 (11)

Despite the wet racetrack due to yesterday’s rain, the morning session allowed to collect and prove the single-seaters’ new modifications.

The pilots scheduled for the morning rolled out: Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Nico Hulkenberg, Viantonio Liuzzi, Sebastian Buemi, Michael Schumacher, Timo Glock and Kobayashi.

During the morning two red flags were seen, the second being more significant, because a front wing belonging to Timo Glock’s car roamed in the racetrack and the German pilot passed over it destroying it.

Sebástien Buemi’s Toro Rosso was a surprise making the best time; the pilot from Switzerland lowered his own times.  Alonso remained up to an hour in the boxes doing changes to the F10.  Everything is ready for the evening. The teams expect better racetrack conditions.

Second day’s morning times

1. Sebastian Buemi (Toro Rosso) 1:20.026 (58 laps)
2. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1:20.618 (29)
3. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) 1:21.565 (28)
4. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) 1:21.907 (60)
5. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1:21.928 (79)
6. Robert Kubica (Renault) 1:22.129 (43)
7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 1:22.886 (37)
8. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:23.164 (60)
9. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 1:23.190 (41)
10. Timo Glock (Virgin) 1:29.964 (11)

At 9:30 the single-seaters began to go out to the racetrack of the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, during the first day of the 2010 season’s second official unveiling.

In the morning, Fernando Alonso, started to try out the new parts that arrived all the way from Maranello, with the intention to verify mechanical elements performance, for next week when they expect to have new aerodynamic components.

The rain did not miss the appointment.  Even though it was not intense, it certainly was annoying enough during the performance checkup of the F1 racing cars.  When the rain pour began, all the single-seaters had to be taken to the boxes to make wet condition adjustments.

By the time the cars started to go out again, it was almost 10 AM and Nico Rosberg, with his Mercedes GP, was the leader of the first timesheets, even though it was not significant because he was one of the few who made some time before the rain began to fall.  Later on, the pilots were around 12 seconds higher.

Time went by without any interesting event.  In the circuit were: Ferrari, Mercedes GP, Williams, Red Bull, Force India, Toro Rosso and BMW Sauber. The Virgin VR01 must not be prepared for rain for it did not make any lap.

At midday the rain was heavier and the only thing that caught our eye were again the hard-working mechanics running to cover the diffusers to avoid photographers from pleasing us with the latest in aerodynamic novelties.

It was almost 12PM and nothing interesting happened.  There were almost no single-seaters in the racetrack and everything was extremely quiet.  My laptop (mini) seemed to say, “it’s enough for today.”  “I think a diving suit would be a good idea,” I thought and looked for shelter waiting for the rain to stop.

To speak of a duel between Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) may sound exaggerated, but the truth is that again they will be the center of attention during the four pre-season test days in Jerez de la Frontera Circuit.

It was only a few days ago that we saw them rolling with almost a difference of a second in favor of the pilot from Asturias, but none of them mentioned the other, making it more than evident that there is rivalry between them.  To stress this point, it would be sufficient to ask the child to whom Schumacher denied an autograph… and all because he was wearing a Ferrari cap.

Even though the “Kaiser” tried to clarify this incident, it is apparent that “it is not the right moment.”  Schumacher’s appetite has returned and according to a statement by Ross Brawn, they are showing up at the circuit with some changes to improve their presentations and performance in the racetrack.

The two pilots will only concur in the circuit of Cadiz on Thursday, because Alonso will roll tomorrow and day-after-tomorrow, while the ‘Kaiser’ on Thursday and Saturday, according to the provisional plan submitted by the circuit’s press department.

For these second unveiling events, ten teams will roll the first week: McLaren, Ferrari, Sauber, Renault, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Williams, Force India, Mercedes GP and Virgin GP -.

Together with them, the news at Jerez during these days will be the presentation of the new Red Bull and Force India single-seaters, as well as the first car presented by the new Virgin GP ‘scuderia.’

The ticket prices for these events are five Euros general admission and 10 Euros in VIP grandstand –exactly in front of the boxes-.  The audience will be able to access the circuit from 10.00 AM onwards.  Tests finish at 5:00 PM.