MGP tries 2012 exhausts on final day
The third and final day of the Young Driver Test took place in Abu Dhabi today, with Sam Bird rounding off the test programme for Mercedes GP at the Yas Marina Circuit. On this final day, the W02 was fitted with a 2012 exhaust position to collect data on the package.
After trying the new exhausts in the morning, the W02 was reverted to its standard specification to focus on car setup in combination with the softer Pirelli tyres.
The three day programme has been extremely productive and enabled Sam to complete over 1394 kms of running.
Sam Bird:
"We again had a very good day today and were able to cover a lot of mileage with 104 laps in total. We were focusing on further development work for 2012 which went well and the team are very positive about the results gained. I would like to say thank you to Mercedes GP for trusting me with the driving responsibilities for this three-day test. It's been a very positive and enjoyable experience for me, and I've greatly enjoyed working with the team."
Ross Brawn, Team Principal:
"We have had a very good test in Abu Dhabi this week, and my compliments to Sam and the team at the Yas Marina Circuit for their efforts over the three days. The test has enabled us to make a good start to our 2012 preparations, and provided a wealth of data for our engineers to study. Sam has performed extremely well this week, providing consistency and accuracy in both his driving and feedback, and our engineers in Abu Dhabi have been very impressed with his contribution."
No of Laps: 104 laps
Best Lap Time: 1:40.897
Kms Covered: 578 kms
Track Length: 5.554 kms
