Valencia testing: Firman impresses on first run
author: Hendrik Verwoerd
Ralf Schumacher set the fastest time as Formula 1 testing resumed at the Valencia circuit in Spain today, but all eyes were on Ralph Firman, who impressed in his first run for Jordan.
Firman completed 70 trouble free laps of the Spanish circuit, with his best time of 1m13.46s just 1.47s off the pace set by Schumacher.
"I had no problems in the cockpit, there's enough room for my legs no problem," said the 6ft 2 driver. "I experienced no problems with the car either. I just have to learn the car."
The only problem the team encountered was the size of the British driver's feet, which proved a tight fit in the limited confines of the car's footwell. However, Gary Anderson, the team's Director of race and test engineering, was happy with his new driver. "Ralph did a good, solid job," he said. "He's just learning F1 and the car."
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Leon Botha
Firman in his Jordan
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Williams set the two fastest times of the day, with Juan Pablo Montoya 0.35s slower than his teammate. The team debuted its new aerodynamic package at the test, which features a revised front wing and bargeboards. An indication of how crucial the new package could be for the car was signalled by Patrick Head's attendance at the test. The Williams technical director very rarely attends testing, giving some indication of the importance of the new package.
Renault was also in action, Fernando Alonso setting the third fastest time while concentrating on tyre development and qualifying runs. Test driver Allan McNish suffered an early engine blow-up, but spent much of the day completing a long run.
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