Jerez de la Frontera, Spain: Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was fastest on the final day of the first pre-season test in Jerez yesterday as McLaren’s hopes for a problem free day were dashed.
The Finn set the fastest time of the week with a lap of 1min 20.841 followed by Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and world champion Lewis Hamilton with all three completing over 100 laps on the day. There was no such luck for Jenson Button as a difficult week for the new McLaren-Honda partnership continued.
Button failed to get beyond the pit lane in two attempts early on before a fuel pump issue cut short his afternoon having completed just 35 laps.
That took the Woking-based team’s tally to just 79 laps for the week.
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier warned on Tuesday that any more setbacks in testing would delay their chances of being competitive once the season gets underway in Australia in six weeks’ time. Red Bull have also had problems in the southern Spanish city, but they recovered from a power unit problem in the morning as Daniil Kyvat managed 62 laps, albeit only ahead of Button on time.
Double world champions Mercedes enjoyed another marathon day on the mileage front as Hamilton’s 117 laps took them past the 500 mark for the week.
It is also been a promising few days for the perennial minnows Sauber and Toro Rosso.
Ericsson and rookie Brazilian teammate Felipe Nasr were in the top two across all four days.
Meanwhile, the youngest ever driver in Formula One, Max Verstappen, got some more experience under his belt in the Toro Rosso as he was fourth fastest in a 97-lap effort.
There was also plenty of news off the track as Force India announced that their new VJM08 car is unlikely to be ready in time for the next test in Barcelona, so they will run their 2014 car in the Catalan capital later this month.
Meanwhile, the stricken Marussia Formula One team are set to come out of administration, with former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King linked on Wednesday to a rescue bid that could put them back on the starting grid next month. Administrators FRP Advisory said in a statement that Marussia planned to come out of administration on February 19 via a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) agreed by creditors.
“It is envisaged that, prior to the commencement of the first race of the 2015 season, investment into the business will be made upon the Company exiting from administration,” said Geoff Rowley, joint administrator.
A CVA is a restructuring process agreed with creditors and Rowley said it would allow “a turnaround of the business and the creation of a longer term viable solution for the team.”
No details were given about the investors. However, Sky News television’s City Editor Mark Kleinman reported that King, who stepped down as Sainsbury’s chief executive last year, was part of a consortium bidding for the team.
King’s son Jordan was British F3 champion in 2013 and is due to step up to Formula One’s GP2 feeder series this season.
The group was also said to include Marussia’s former principal John Booth and chief executive Graeme Lowdon. Kleinman quoted an unnamed source as saying the plan was “to revive a high-quality British racing ethic and brand-name.”
Marussia, whose Formula One entry is under the name of Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd, went into administration last October after being overwhelmed by debts.
Despite having the smallest budget of any team, they scored two points in Monaco with French driver Jules Bianchi and finished ninth in the championship -- a placing that brings significant prize money and revenues.
Agencies
