Arrows end Valência test with Bourdais 2nd fastest

Potential shown
By Huw Alban
July 12 2002

The Valência circuit was a bit quiet today, with only three drivers from three teams running on the final test day. The young French driver Sébastien Bourdais was the sole representative for the Arrows team, and did well to post a quicker time than that of seasoned Williams tester Marc Gené.

The popular F1 news site F1-live.com were given the unique opportunity to talk to the French driver yesterday, after his first run in the Cosworth powered A23.

Q. How did you come by this opportunity?

A. It’s from the all the effort and hard work of David Sears and also thanks to Tom Walkinshaw, who was very open to the idea. He offered us the test last week but we did not want to rush, and then there was the problem that the team had in England. We were wondering what was going on. Then things were fixed up and we could plan this test.

Q. Do you have other contacts for an F1 test? We heard a rumor that Flavio Briatore showed a sudden interest in you.

A. Yes, Flavio offered me a test in September, but said that if I had the opportunity to do one elsewhere before it would be good. Doing one with Arrows is a plus and a great experience.

Q. There is a lot of talk about the financial difficulties with Arrows at the moment. Did you have to pay to do this test?

A. Not at all. This test is possible thanks to David’s work, and also thanks to Tom Walkinshaw. I would like to thank him and his team for this fantastic opportunity.

Q. Let’s change gear and talk about your first taste of F1. Did you fit well in the car? How did you feel at first?

A. It was little bit difficult at the beginning because I had no reference mark. I am used to driving other cars and it’s true there were many new things to work out, but it was not that bad.

Q. Did you have time to have a seat fitting?

A. No. In fact it is a carbon seat, which is rather close to the body. This is not as in F3000 where we use large seats. I was not too badly fitted though.

Q. Do you like the Valência circuit? Do you think it’s a good venue for a first Formula 1 test?

A. It’s a little bit artificial, a very panoramic, interesting track but it doesn’t have the same soul as say Spa or Silverstone. I knew it already as I drove here in F3000 back in 2000. It’s a rather technical circuit which is very appropriate for me. For a first taste of F1 I think that it’s a good track. It would have certainly been more difficult to test in Barcelona, with it’s fast curves and it’s sequences, and inevitably a taking risk much higher with a car than I do not know. It is necessary to have more experience and feeling of the car to plan to take risks.

Q. To run here with an F1 car must be very different from what you are used to?

A. It’s rather impressive in F1 because you go very quickly from one turn to the other. In just 2-3 pumps on the gas you quickly arrive at the following turn! No time to get bored! (laughs)

Q. To read the report from Graham Taylor, your test went pretty well, even if you did only a relatively small number of laps.

A. In fact I made 25 laps in 50 minutes which is not that bad. Apparently the team is satisfied with my technical feedback. Even if at the moment I am not completely in the rhythm. I try to say what I feel but I moderate my remarks a little. At this stage it’s rather difficult to draw final conclusions on the car. I know with team-mates who are at two seconds of your times and want to learn from you how the car reacts. I then turn over detailed information on what I feel and what is going well and that it’s very similar with what Frentzen feels. I do not use the brake pedal really well but it will come.

Q. Graham Taylor spoke about certain progress which would arrive with a little more of experience, in particular your passages in fast curves.

A. I clearly said to the team that I prefer to keep some air under the pedal rather than try something that I am not 100% sure I’ll do well with. After only 25 laps I still have to adapt my sights to the hard braking; as long as it’s okay, I prefer to keep a safety margin that enables me to keep control. To jump from F3000 into an F1 car is a notable change; for example in Valência the difference in speed in the first turn is around 40km/h.

Q. Are brakings and acceleration the most surprising differences?

A. In fact I was not too surprised by braking because I am accustomed to the carbon brakes thanks to Proto. On the other hand it is necessary that I am more aggressive on the brake pedal. In 25 laps I did not have enough reference with the car, not enough confidence, but I think today will be better. It is preferable to do the first test, then let things develop a little and return later. This makes it possible to think about everything and to be more confident.

Q. Do you have a definite program? Will you look for a better performance during this second day of the test?

A. No, but I respect my feelings, the car and what the team says to me. I will not try to push too hard, to put the engine in danger because it is of no interest to do it. I am not there to run a qualifying session. I will try to show what I can do for a first test while remaining reasonable.

Friday’s times from Valência:

1. Fernando Alonso - Renault - 1:11.870 - 48 laps
2. Sébastien Bourdais - Arrows - 1:13.220 - 71 laps
3. Marc Gené - Williams - 1:13.350 - 108 laps