Williams Martini Jerez Test 02:02:2015 Day Two

Driver: Valtteri Bottas
Chassis / Engine: FW37-01 / PU106B Hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: Aero work, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Cold and dry, rain at the end of the session
Air & track temps: 4 - 14ºC / 5 - 15ºC

For the Williams Martini team day two of the 2015 Jerez pre-season test would see Valtteri Bottas again carrying out the driving duties. Valtteri would get out early on the second day completing s constant speed run prior to pitting. In the very early running Hamilton would be fastest with a 1m:26.566, with Nasr second. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:24.803 while Valtteri was still in his garage. With thirty minutes of the morning session completed Valtteri would return to the track briefly while Vettel had gone fastest with a 1m:23.029 with nearly forty minutes completed.

Vettel would lower the quickest time with a 1m:21.926 set on the medium tyre, seven tenths quicker than his Sunday time. He would lower this with a 1m:21.884 and his following laps were again quicker than his Sunday time and 1.4 seconds quicker than the times set at the 2014 test. But for Williams Valtteri was still in his pit not having set a time after completing just four laps. Finally Valtteri would return to the track and would set a 1m:24.923 to be fourth but three seconds away from Vettel's time. Vettel would continue to lower his time setting a 1m:20.984.

In a surprising sight we would see the Red Bull with Kvyat driving coming out with no front wing attached to the nose after Kvyat had damaged the teams only wing. Also out on the track would be the Lotus with Maldonado driving. Valtteri had only completed sixteen laps with two and a half hours run in the morning session.

Williams' Pat Symonds would speak to the media saying: "The first test - and particularly the first day of the first test - is largely about systems, it's about making sure everything is under control. All that is working pretty well, but of course on top of that you're getting your first feel of the car.

"A lot of data is coming in but one of the important bits of data is what the driver says, even in these days of it being a very technical sport. I still pay a lot of attention to those first comments and Valtteri's comments were very positive. He feels the car is a step forward. We've had a lot of focus on aerodynamics and the new nose regulations and engine development."

Just after midday Valtteri would leave his pits but would return having now completed twenty four laps. His lap times were in the 1m:26s as the team continued to work on reliability of the new FW37. Valtteri would move up to third in the times with a 1m:24.131. The afternoon session would be interrupted with light rain falling. The Williams team had been running cameras on the front nose in order to assess front wing flex. Former Williams driver Felipe Nasr would move into third but on his next run Valtteri would improve with a 1m:23.049 to again be third. There would be a red flag when the Lotus of Maldonado stopped out on the track. At this point Valtteri had completed fifty two laps. His car had been seen running various aero measuring devices during the course of the day.

Nasr would move into second running on the soft tyre while for Williams Valtteri would set a 1m:22.319 also on the softer tyre. With an hour remaining the circuit would be hit by heavy rain seeing running come to an end.


Rod Nelson, Chief Test & Support Engineer: We learnt a lot yesterday and have continued to build on that today. We started aero performance based work today, continuing to move through the test schedule we have set ourselves. We have had no issues with the car today, so have made good progress.

Valtteri Bottas: We have had another good day. We managed to get through all of our programme and it was only the final run that we were compromised due to the rain. The morning was dedicated to obtaining aero data, then this afternoon we focused on the longer runs, making set-up changes and analysing the results.
We are learning all the time and at the moment I am really pleased with what I have felt when in the car.

Williams Martini Racing will be back on track tomorrow, with Felipe Massa at the wheel for his first drive of the FW37 on the third day of the test..

Driver 		 Team 		  Best Time 	Best / 
						Total Laps
1. S. Vettel 	 Ferrari 	  1:20.984 	22 / 89
2. F. Nasr 	 Sauber 	  1:21.867 	68 / 88
3. V. Bottas 	 WILLIAMS MARTINI 1:22.319 	56 / 61
4. L. Hamilton 	 Mercedes 	  1:22.490 	11 / 91
5. M. Verstappen Toro Rosso 	  1:24.167 	28 / 73
6. P. Maldonado  Lotus 		  1:25.802 	29 / 41
7. J. Button 	 McLaren 	  1:54.655  	4 / 6
8. D. Kvyat 	 Red Bull 	  No Time     	/ 18