Testing to resume at Monza this week

Posted by admin on August 26th, 2008 at 11:08pm

With the summer ban now lifted, the Formula One fraternity is expected to be out in force testing at Monza this week. All 10 teams are scheduled to make the journey to the Italian track, as they begin preparations for September’s Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.

While the rest of the field will test from Wednesday, Ferrari will be in action a day earlier, with GT driver Andrea Bertolini in charge of the F2008’s cockpit on Tuesday. Bertolini will then hand the car over to Ferrari race regular Felipe Massa for Wednesday and Thursday. World champion Kimi Raikkonen, meanwhile, will test on Friday.

Ferrari’s title rivals, McLaren, will begin their three-day test on Wednesday. Both Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton will get behind the wheel of the MP4-23 during the test, with Kovalainen taking charge on the opening two days and Hamilton driving on the concluding day.

BMW Sauber are also expected to start work on Wednesday, with Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica scheduled to be in attendance. Toyota, meanwhile, kick off their session with veteran driver Jarno Trulli behind the wheel of the TF108. Team mate Timo Glock is scheduled to take over the car on the final day.

After his strong showing at the European Grand Prix, Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel is scheduled to share driving duties with team mate Sebastian Bourdais over the three days. Honda, Renault, Williams, Red Bull and Force India will also be in action from Wednesday. And in light of their disappointing Valencia race, Honda will be out to make the most of the available track time. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will both be in action during the test, as the Japanese team strive to improve the RA108.

“Our first priority will be to understand where we failed and make sure we have a more robust approach for Spa and beyond,” explained Honda team principal Ross Brawn after the European event. “We have a three-day test in Monza where we will focus on getting the most out of our recent developments.”

As always, Formula1.com will bring you daily reports on the teams’ progress, as well as all the latest pictures from Monza. Note - all schedules are provisional and subject to change.

Tags: BMW Sauber, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Force India, Formula One, Heikki Kovalainen, Honda, Jarno Trulli, Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, Monza, MP4-23, Nick Heidfeld, RA108, Red Bull, Renault, Robert Kubica, Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Bourdais, TF108, Timo Glock, Toro Rosso, Toyota

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