SAUBER Begin Final Pre-Season Test
By Jamie Makin
February 20 2005
Team SAUBER PETRONAS began their final pre-season test today in Imola. Drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Felipe Massa were both in action today and blazed their way to a 1-2 finish atop the time sheets.
The results were hardly surprising though, as a pair of Minardis were the only other team in action at the circuit. Felipe Massa logged the most laps of any car today with 106 and a fast time of 1:23.485. Teammate Jacques Villeneuve was close behind with a best time of 1:23.477 which hopefully indicates he is getting more comfortable with the car and setup. He only completed 63 laps, although the team did not indicate if there was any problem which limited his running.
Chief Race Engineer Jacky Eeckelaert explains the work completed today. "Today Felipe ran an aerodynamic programme and compared different front wings. Part of this was the assessment of a newly developed front wing being a result of our wind tunnel work. Beside this Felipe tested Michelin tyres for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Jacques worked on further set-up improvements and thereby concentrated on a new traction control software."
Two more days remain in this final pre-season test and the team have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. "Tomorrow Felipe will test tyres for the Grand Prix in Imola in April and will carry out some set-up work too. For Jacques we have scheduled a simulation of a race weekend," Eeckelaert explained.
| P | Driver | Team | Engine | Car | Tyre | Best Lap | Gap |
| 1 | Massa | SAUBER | PETRONAS | C24- | M | 021:23.485 | -:--.--- |
| 2 | Villeneuve | SAUBER | PETRONAS | C24-01 | M | 1:23.777 | 0.292 |
| 3 | Friesacher | Minardi | Cosworth | PS04 | B | 1:25.883 | 2.398 |
| 4 | Albers | Minardi | Cosworth | PS04 | B | 1:25.983 | 2.498 |
For full 2005 pre-season test results click here.