Team describes 32-lap haul in Jerez as a 'huge relief'
Wednesday 4 February 2015 07:53, UK
Fernando Alonso has given the MP4-30 his seal of approval after the McLaren-Honda was put through its paces for the first time in Jerez, team boss Eric Boullier has revealed.
Although Alonso was restricted to just 32 laps by a water leak on his final appearance of the week at the test, the Spaniard described the breakthrough as a “big step forward” after the car managed just 12 laps over the first two days in Jerez.
“It was very important and a huge relief ,“Boullier said afterwards. “It’s still not enough but it is better nothing. We could have maybe had half an hour at the end but we decided it was better to stop and focus on tomorrow.”
Alonso’s tally included an 11-lap stint in which the MP4-30 ran in earnest for the first time. Although he ended the day bottom of the timesheets after only using intermediate tyres on a damp track, the Spaniard was nevertheless sufficiently impressed to give the MP4-30 the thumbs-up.
“The driver feedback was very, very positive,” disclosed Boullier. “Fernando said the car was reacting well to changes and felt stable."
While McLaren’s problems over the first two days in Jerez have centred around their Honda engine, it was the problem-free performance of the car itself, which features an ultra-tight rear design, which was of particular relief to Boullier.
“The good thing about the car running 10 laps in a row is that [it showed] there are no design or concept issues. The car is amazing, it is very small and tiny. Honda have worked very hard with McLaren to ensure we can design such a car. It is thanks to our partners that we can run hotter engines with smaller radiators and cooling systems. Our car is very extreme – which is why it was a relief to see it running today.
“It’s good to see that the car is effectively able to run straight out of the box, without any major issues. That’s the most positive point of the day.”
The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary from all four days of testing in Jerez – from dawn on Sunday to dusk on Wednesday. Sky Sports News HQ will also have live updates from trackside.
