Test Day
Jerez, Spain
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aEZQmIpfjQ[/ame]
The winter testing season returns to the home of its own, the famous Jerez de la Frontera circuit, former host of the European Grand Prix.
Jerez offers amateur drivers an F1 experience without the cost or risk involved in racing. It was designed as an F1 track and is popular with drivers, however its location meant it couldn’t draw the crowds that the F1 needed, so the race moved to Barcelona. F1’s loss is our gain as this beautiful, state of the art track is just 240km from Malaga and can be hired for trackdays.
The Jerez race course first opened in 1985 and boasts many state of the art facilities, including excellent safety systems, large spectator areas and bars and cafes. It held several Formula 1 races and is a popular place for car and bike testing with the majority of F1 Teams using the circuit for Winter testing
Overview
- 4,428 meters long
- 11m wide
- 600m straight
- 15 corners (9 right / 6 left)
- 1 chicane
It is 4,423 metres long and has 15 bends and a chicane which was added in the 1990s as part of safety improvement works. They pride themselves on their safety measures, so it’s a great place to enjoy a trackday. There are wide run off areas of deep gravel and a revolutionary air-fence to protect any vehicles making contact with the side. The current lap record is 1:15.650 and was set by the great Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari in 2004.
The long straight sections make this a very fast circuit with just enough challenging twists and turns to put your driving abilities to the test and make you feel like a real racing driver.
Technical Data
Test Day Review - After Day 1
The skies above Jerez de la Frontera are cloudy and stormy throughout the day. The session was suspended for a few hours due to rainwater flooding the racetrack. Thankfully due to the circuit's drainage system, and the quick job from the track marshals to sweep the waters away, the session resumed.
bduddy made a, rather surprising, fastest lap of the session, outrunning Rhys Gardiner and Honk. McLaren are yet to release statements regarding their line-ups for the season, but they brought in Matthew Gutteridge, one of their drivers last season. Gutteridge decided that he will not compete this season, as he will step down to a lower formulae next season.
Standings - After Day 1
1 bduddy - 1:22.214
2 Rhys Gardiner - 1:22.478
3 Honk - 1:22.600
4 Peter Duivelaar - 1:22.855
5 Matthew Gutteridge - 1:23.321
6 Sebastien Levret - 1:23.522