Jerez Day 1: Timo 13th on Toyota Bow

By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
December 4 2007

There were new faces all around the paddock at the first day of the Formula One 2008 Pre Season tests at Jerez in Spain, But for the Toyota team, only one mattered and that was the arrival of new 2008 race driver and reigning GP2 Champion Timo Glock.

Wearing an unbranded helmet and overalls, Timo's first day in his new Toyota surrondings ended in a respectable 13th place on a time of 1.21.336 Test driver Kamui Kobayashi was also in action for Toyota today. The Japanese driver completed 111 laps, that being the most of anyone in the day and finished the day in 19th out of 10 runners on a 1.22.186.

BMW-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld was fastest on the day that slick tires returned to the sport for the first time in ten years. He set the pace on a time of 1.19.042 just ahead of British driver Jenson Button in the Honda, getting a decent laptime out of the 2007 Honda for the first time in er....ever! Since Fernando Alonso's depature from Mclaren, Spanish fans have asked thet Mclaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa get the second seat alongside Lewis Hamilton. The Spaniard did not do himself any harm for those chances by finishing the day in third position.

Reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen was back at the office for Ferrari for thr first time since becoming Champion and the Finn finished in 4th place just ahead of Renault Test driver Nelson Piquet Jr, who is hoping to become Renualt race driver for 2008. But the stand out of the top six drivers was definatly Toro Rosso race driver and 4 Times Champ Car Champion, Sebastian Bourdais who set a time of 1.20.615.

1.20.638 was the seventh place time set by British DTM star Gary Paffet for Mclaren ahead of Red Bull Racing's Aussie superstar, Mark Webber. Marc Gene was 9th in the second Ferrari with GP2 driver Mike Conway rounding out the top 10 for Honda on a time of 1.20.927.

Toro Rosso will be running 'Team Sebastian in 2008' and the second half of that team finished in 11th place. Vettel, with a time of 1.21.086. James Rossiter was next up for Super Aguri in 12th just ahead of Timo, and Giancarlo Fisichella making his Force India F1 Debut was a creditable 14th. A1GP and Formula 3 Euroseries Megastar Nico Hulkenburg made his Formula debut for Williams and finished 15th just ahead of Frnck Montagny, the ex-Toyota tes driver, who was driving the second Force India machine.

Williams race driver Kazuki Nakajima had an engine blow and could only finish 17th ahead of British Formula 3 Champion Marko Asmer who was making his BMW-Sauber F1 Debut as was GP2 Star Javier Villa who finished 20th and last. Kobayashi split the pair.

1 N. Heidfeld BMW 01:19.042 73

2 J. Button Honda 01:19.155 65

3 P. de la Rosa McLaren 01:19.712 48

4 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 01:20.083 73

5 N. Piquet jr. Renault 01:20.366 66

6 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 01:20.615 97

7 G. Paffett McLaren 01:20.638 50

8 M. Webber Red Bull 01:20.682 65

9 M. Gené Ferrari 01:20.832 67

10 M. Conway Super Aguri 01:20.927 87

11 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 01:21.086 45

12 J. Rossiter Super Aguri 01:21.246 71

13 T. Glock Toyota 01:21.336 69

14 G. Fisichella Force India F1 01:21.424 41

15 N. Hulkenberg Williams 01:21.556 28

16 F. Montagny Force India F1 01:21.559 65

17 K. Nakajima Williams 01:21.586 33

18 M. Asmer BMW 01:21.962 57

19 K. Kobayashi Toyota 01:22.186 111

20 J. Villa BMW 01:23.583 53