F1: Alonso Gives Ferrari A Boost In Jerez

Formula 1

F1: Alonso Gives Ferrari A Boost In Jerez

Double World Champion Fernando Alonso paced the final day of Jerez testing in his Ferrari...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted February 10, 2012 Jerez (ESP)

Fernando Alonso came on strong Friday in Jerez. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Fernando Alonso gave Ferrari a boost by setting the fastest time on the final day of the Jerez test, after what had been a difficult week for the Italian team.

With Mercedes absent Friday after completing its three planned days with last year’s car, only 2012 machines were present.

Inevitably, few real conclusions can be drawn from the week, but it’s clear that Lotus is in much better shape than last year. Romain Grosjean retained the top time of the week for a new car with the lap he set Thursday.

Alonso ran only 39 laps Friday, fewer than any other driver, as the red car spent a lot of time in the garage with hydraulic issues. However, the Spaniard said that the team had made a lot of progress over the week, and expected the car to be in better shape at the next test.

Behind Alonso, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne set the second best time of the day, the team having been at the sharp end all week and run without any major dramas.

“A good second day for me as we worked through everything on our work plan and completed a lot of kilometers,” said the Frenchman. “After making some adjustments, I feel more comfortable in the car and I can also get an understanding of the effect of the setup changes that we tried, and they seem to have moved us forward. A positive day, so now I’m looking forward to the second test session.”

Lewis Hamilton was fourth for McLaren as his team worked through its program.

“The first hour or so was spent aero data gathering," said McLaren team manager Dave Redding. "Then, Lewis embarked on two or three hours of intensive setup work, exploring suspension geometries and general car setup. The afternoon was then spent comparing tire compounds. We had the opportunity to try some changes that were time-consuming, so things you wouldn’t normally do at a race weekend. It was good to get those fundamental changes and tests out of the way early on. The car ran reliably and without any issues.”

Sebastian Vettel was third fastest for Red Bull, and like Alonso, he completed relatively few laps, logging just 50 by the end of the day after an early electrical problem led to a precautionary engine change.

“I’m happy with the progress we’ve made. I think we managed to get a lot done,” Vettel said. “Of course, this morning was a bit of a setback but these things happen.

“Something like this is simply part of testing; this is the reason why we are here,” he added. “Of course we would like to get more laps done, but that can't be changed now. So we go back to the factory, look at everything we have learned from this week and prepare for the next test in Barcelona, where I’m looking forward to putting some more miles on the car.”

Grosjean was only fifth on Friday, but the Franco/Swiss driver was hugely encouraged by progress.

“This morning we tried a number of different things on the car, including my first run on the soft tire,” said Grosjean. “In the afternoon we tried longer runs. Once it warmed up, the track temperature was hotter than yesterday, which helps our understanding of the E20 in different conditions.

“It’s strange to think that we are already a third of the way through preseason testing. We are pushing to get as much achieved as possible. I think everyone will benefit from next week away from the circuit so we can reflect on the data, then go to Barcelona with some new parts for the car. I can’t wait.”

Nico Hulkenberg had his first experience in the new Force India after Jules Bianchi crashed it Thursday, while Bruno Senna continued to come to grips with the Williams, topping the distance charts with 125 laps.

Finally, Jarno Trulli drove the new Caterham for the first time, and expressed his satisfaction with the car.

Unofficial Friday test times from Jerez:
1. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:18.877, 39 Laps
2. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:19.597, 80 Laps
3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:19.606, 50 Laps
4. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:19.640, 86 Laps
5. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:19.729, 95 Laps
6. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber, 1:19.834, 76 Laps
7. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:19.977, 90 Laps
8. Bruno Senna, Williams, 1:20.132, 125 Laps
9. Jarno Trulli, Caterham, 1:22.198, 117 Laps

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.

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