Positive day for Renault as Kovalainen gets first taste of Sepang track

The ING Renault F1 Team was on track in Sepang, Malaysia today for the second day of testing ahead of next week’s Grand Prix. Heikki Kovalainen was in action for the second day of running, taking over from Nelson Piquet Jr.

The Finn began his day by learning the circuit, as this is his first taste of the challenging Sepang layout. He subsequently worked on set-ups and aerodynamic evaluations in the extreme heat and humidity. The day was also used for a number of practice pit-stops, allowing him to fine-tune his technique. After covering a total of 81 laps, Heikki Kovalainen completed his programme without difficulty, and collected useful data, that will be added to tomorrow. His fastest lap was 1:36.578, ninth fastest for the day.

Heikki Kovalainen “This was a pretty positive first day for me. It is great fun driving here. The conditions are incredibly hot, but the track was really enjoyable to drive. I felt comfortable straight away, was able to push hard and the times were consistent. The balance of the car was pretty good, and we did some interesting tests. We learned a lot today, and we will try and build on that tomorrow.”

Chief Test Engineer Christian Silk “We made good progress today, and completed a good day’s work. Heikki learned the track quickly, and adapted to the conditions well on his first day, which meant he was able to focus on the programme very early. The car’s handling was good, and it responded well to the different changes we made. There is now a lot of data to analyse in order to build on our work tomorrow, and make the most of our final day of testing.”

Heikki Kovalainen, R27-04, 81 laps, 423 km, best lap: 1:36.578