Bridgestone gets back to testing

Bridgestone and all their partner teams are back in action this month to begin testing for the 2006 season with the drivers refreshed after much needed post-season breaks and this year's racing already just a memory.

The winter season will see a raft of changes for Bridgestone's teams as they prepare for the re-introduction of mid-race tyre changes next year and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro have already gained a head-start by making an early return. The Italian team was back in action soon after the 2005 season ended in China with tests at Mugello in Italy and Bahrain's Sakhir circuit allowing new Brazilian signing Felipe Massa a chance to settle in to his new surroundings.
Massa only tested in Italy and was joined by the departing Rubens Barrichello for his final event with the Scuderia at Mugello and by MotoGP star Valentino Rossi, who had his third run-out for the team. Regular testers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene moved on to Bahrain for warm-weather testing and concentrated not only on tyres but also on the development of their new V8 engine.

Bridgestone will forge two new relationships in 2006 as Panasonic Toyota Racing join the company for the first time and Williams F1 renew their partnership with the Japanese tyre manufacturer for the first time since 2000. Both teams will kick off their relationships with Bridgestone in Barcelona, where Williams will begin their post-season testing schedule with a three-day test. Toyota will run for four days.

The new Midland Formula One team, which has taken over the Jordan Grand Prix entry, will give their new red, white and black livery its debut in Jerez on December 7, when they begin their first test of the post-season. New signing Christjan Albers will lead driving duties at the test and Italian Thomas Biagi, Belgian Jeffrey van Hooydonk and Markus Winkelhock from Germany all testing as well.

All the Bridgestone teams will be present at the Spanish circuit with Ferrari running a mammoth nine-day test and Williams and Toyota running seven and nine days respectively over the 10 day period. Meanwhile, the Minardi Formula One team ended their 20-year spell in the sport at Vallelunga with regular test driver Chanoch Nissany, from Israel, conducting four days of testing and five other drivers enjoying their debuts.

Spaniard Roldan Rodriguez and Italian Luca Filippi completed 20 laps each on the first day with Uruguay's Juan Caceres, Davide Rigon of Italy, and Briton Katherine Legge all on track the next. Filippi was fastest of all drivers on the first two days and said: "The first day was wonderful for me as I was able to realise the dream to drive a Formula One car, a dream I have held since I was very young. It was also a great honour to work with the Minardi team, which is famous for its ability to discover young drivers. The car just seemed to get better as the test went on and I was quite confident with it at the end of the day."

Legge came back from an unfortunate crash, which halted her on the second lap of her first day, to put in an impressive performance on the second day as she completed 27 laps.
"I expected the unexpected and that's what I got. I did the best job I could and, bearing in mind my relative lack of experience, I'm very pleased with the result. I can't wait to get back in an Formula One car again now."

Team Principal Paul Stoddart, who took over the reins in 2001, brought the final test to an emotional close when he turned the last laps of a Minardi Formula One car.