Williams Martini Jerez Test 04:02:2015 Day Four

Driver: Felipe Massa
Chassis / Engine: FW37-01 / PU106B Hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: Aero work, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Mild and dry
Air & track temps: 9 - 14ºC / 8 - 16ºC

The Williams Martini team would commence their final day of testing at the Jerez circuit with Felipe Massa again behind the wheel. After having to cope with a wet track the previous day the team was presented with sun over the track but a slightly damp track. The Williams team would send out Felipe straight away aiming to make up for lost time yesterday. In this early run intermediates were the tyre of choice. Joining Felipe on the track was Grosjean in the E23 Lotus, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ericsson, and Kvyat. Kvyat's first effort would be a 1m:37.799 but he would lower this with a 1m:37.195. Felipe had yet to set a time having completed just the single lap. Felipe was out on the track but running very slowly with a lap time in the 1m:46s, 1m:46.701.

Hamilton in the Mercedes had been completing practice starts while Kvyat would cause the first red flag stopping out on the track. The car would be recovered and the session would restart and Verstappen would set a 1m:37.170 to be quickest. With the track still damp teams were waiting for things to dry out. Verstappen was down to a 1m:35.551 as the Torro Rosso team gave him the opportunity to put in a large number of laps. Times would continue to come down with a 1m:35.221 from Verstappen. Hamilton would ste a 1m:38.818 as Raikkonen took to the track.

For Williams Felipe had yet to come out having completed just four laps as Raikkonen went fastest with a 1m:33.022, running on intermediates. But another red flag would come out when we would see Hamilton out of his car with the Mercedes parked at 90 degrees to the track. His car would be recovered and with the track going green Felipe was back out and would set a 1m:25.508 seeing him third behind Raikkonen and Verstappen. The quickest time was a 1m:23.311. Grosjean was a fourth followed by Hamilton and Ericsson. Hamilton was able to return to the track as Raikkonen improved with a 1m:23.200 while Grosjean had moved into third with a 1m:25.146. Felipe was running on the medium tyre as the sun dried out the track. With three hours of the session completed Felipe had only completed fifteen laps.

Felipe would return to the track and would move ahead of Grosjean with a 1m:25.136. But Ericsson in the Sauber would move ahead of Felipe with a 1m:25.081. Hamilton was now second, 1m:24.177, running on the hard tyre but Verstappen would take this spot, 1m:24.155, but running on the medium tyre. The next lap and Hamilton would move back into second. Raikkonen was back out on hard tyres and was setting times in the 1m:22s. Early afternoon and Felipe had completed twenty seven laps. Hamilton was now second followed by Grosjean and Verstappen. Verstappen would break into the 1m:22s with a 1m:22.817 to be just 0.280 behind Raikkonen. Felipe would move into the 1m:24s with a 1m:24.674 but remained sixth fastest.

The afternoon running would see Felipe lower his times moving into the 1m:23s with a 1m:23.692 running on the hard tyre. He would pit having completed forty one laps. Quickest at this time was Raikkonen with a 1m:21.516 followed by Hamilton and Verstappen both in the 1m22s. Verstappen's time had been set on the soft tyre while Hamilton was on the mediums. Felipe was back out running on the medium tyre and would immediately find half a second setting a 1m:23.116.

Felipe would continue to put in further laps and with just over an hour remaining he had completed sixty three laps. Running on the soft tyres Raikkonen would set a new quickest time with a 1m:20.841 to move ahead of team-mate Vettel's quickest time, but Vettel's time was on the medium tyre. As the day drew to a close there would be another red flag which would see Felipe park his car finishing for the day. He had completed an impressive seventy three laps. His final run would see him set times in the 1m:24s so there was a lot more to come from the car.

Rod Nelson, Chief Test & Support Engineer: Today was another trouble-free day and so we completed our programme for the week. Today’s focus was on aero and mechanical set-up, as well as working through systems reliability. We have highlighted areas we need to improve before Barcelona and leave here with a reliable package that is straight forward to work with. I think we are all very happy.

Felipe Massa: The FW37 once again proved how reliable it was with an error free day. The car has been consistent over the last four days and we have made good progress. We have highlighted certain areas that need work and so will make sure the car is improving every time we take to the track. We have our feet on the ground and are focused on making this car quicker when testing continues in Barcelona.

Driver 		 Team 		  Best Time 	Best / 
						Total Laps
1. K. Raikkonen	 Ferrari	  1:20.841	77 / 106
2. M. Ericsson	 Sauber		  1:22.019	101 / 112
3. L. Hamilton	 Mercedes	  1:22.172	100 / 117
4. M. Verstappen Toro Rosso	  1:22.553	60 / 97
5. F. Massa	 WILLIAMS MARTINI 1:23.116	50 / 73
6. R. Grosjean	 Lotus	  	  1:23.802	43 / 53
7. D. Kvyat	 Red Bull	  1:23.975	60 / 64
8. J. Button	 McLaren	  1:27.660	24 / 35