Snow in Parabolica


Photo: Lars Kaufmann/Kaufmann Racing

First official Formula BMW Europe test hampered by snow at Monza.

The first official test days of the Formula BMW Europe Season 2010 took place on March 9 & 10 at the “Temple of Speed” – Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

In the morning session of the first test day, all Josef Kaufmann Racing drivers did their planned testing programme. “Flying Dutchman” Robin Frijns adapted properly to the track and the cold conditions, and recorded the overall fastest lap time of the morning session.

Team’s two rookies, Hannes van Asseldonk, also from the Netherlands, and the Finn Petri Suvanto, first had to learn the track and get used to the low down force level. At the end of the morning session they were 10th and 11th.

In the afternoon the outside temperature dropped to freezing point and the fabled track fell victim to snowy conditions, forcing Kaufmann drivers to carry on the test session on used tires from the morning session.

Frijns did some more laps and finished his test session early. Hannes van Asseldonk and Petri Suvanto continued to gain more experience and mileage. At the end of the afternoon session Kaufmann drivers recorded 6th (Frijns) 12th (van Asseldonk) and 13th (Suvanto) fastest times.

Second day of testing saw more snow which forced cancellation of the session.

The Formula BMW Europe season starts in May as a support race to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Kaufmann team is aiming to capture the championship with their Dutch discovery from last season, Robin Frijns, who was Rookie of the Year in 2009.

Their assault on a second successive Rookie of the Year is led by Petri Suvanto, he is rated as the next “Flying Finn” by Kimi Raikkonen’s ex-karting mechanic. Both, plus van Asseldonk, are in good hands with Josef Kaufmann Racing, based in Wolsfeld, Germany.

For more information please visit: http://www.jk-racing.de/

They are also on Das Facebook.

— Nasir Hameed

Racing regards from California.


Nico Rosberg on top in second Friday practice in Bahrain.

Our three new F1 teams at the bottom of the time sheets.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps

 
Pos  Driver         Team                    Time              Laps
 1.  Rosberg        Mercedes                1:55.409            23
 2.  Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes        1:55.854  + 0.445   22
 3.  Schumacher     Mercedes                1:55.903  + 0.494   23
 4.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes        1:56.076  + 0.667   28
 5.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault        1:56.459  + 1.050   18
 6.  Hulkenberg     Williams-Cosworth       1:56.501  + 1.092   26
 7.  Massa          Ferrari                 1:56.555  + 1.146   30
 8.  Petrov         Renault                 1:56.750  + 1.341   26
 9.  Alonso         Ferrari                 1:57.140  + 1.731   25
10.  de la Rosa     Sauber-Ferrari          1:57.255  + 1.846   24
11.  Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari          1:57.352  + 1.943   27
12.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes    1:57.361  + 1.952   29
13.  Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth       1:57.452  + 2.043   21
14.  Liuzzi         Force India-Mercedes    1:57.833  + 2.424   29
15.  Kubica         Renault                 1:58.155  + 2.746   29
16.  Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:59.799  + 4.390   31
17.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault        2:00.444  + 5.035   12
18.  Kovalainen     Lotus-Cosworth          2:00.873  + 5.464   23
19.  Trulli         Lotus-Cosworth          2:00.990  + 5.581   14
20.  Glock          Virgin-Cosworth         2:02.037  + 6.628    3
21.  di Grassi      Virgin-Cosworth         2:02.188  + 6.779   21
22.  Senna          HRT-Cosworth            2:06.968  + 11.559  17
23.  Buemi          Toro Rosso-Ferrari                           1
24.  Chandhok       HRT-Cosworth