Marco Marks Time at Back of Jerez Pack
Written by Allan Brewer · February 7, 2007
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Photo: HondaRacing
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McLaren’s Rookie Hamilton Burning Up the Competition by Comparison
The Age-Old Question: Is it the Driver, or the Equipment?
Wednesday saw Marco Andretti’s return to the Formula 1 test track in Jerez, Spain with the IndyCar Series 2006 Rookie of the Year behind the wheel of last year’s Honda RA106 open-wheel machine.
Nineteen year-old Andretti completed 91 laps to end up last in the 16-car field, but made some progress from his previous visit to F1. He finished exactly 1.4 seconds off the pace of full-time Honda driver Jenson Button who took laps in the Japanese team’s new RA107.
In his prior test at Jerez in December of last year, the grandson of 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti finished over two seconds behind Honda test driver Christian Klien.
Andretti’s best time was 1:22.147 circulating clockwise on the 13-turn 4.43 kilometer circuit in southern Spain.
He still has some catching up to do, however; 2.5 seconds a lap’s worth to be exact.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa posted the best time of the day at 1:19.647 in the Italian team’s new F2007 car.
McLaren’s rookie driver Lewis Hamilton posted the day’s third best time of 1:19.810 in his new MP4-22.
Klien shook down the now-obsolete RA106 earlier this week in preparation for Andretti’s test, recording a best lap of 1:22.078 on the Jerez course.
Testing will resume at 10AM local time on Thursday as Andretti enters the final day of his two-day F1 trial.
Testing times from Jerez (February 7)
1. MASSA Ferrari 1m19.647s
2. KUBICA BMW 1m19.794s
3. HAMILTON McLaren 1m19.810s
4. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m20.007s
5. ALONSO McLaren 1m20.040s
6. PIQUET Renault 1m20.070s
7. WURZ Williams 1m20.111s
8. ROSBERG Williams 1m20.118s
9. R SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m20.600s
10. WEBBER Red Bull 1m20.629s
11. HEIDFELD BMW 1m20.647s
12. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m20.702s
13. BUTTON Honda 1m20.747s
14. ZONTA Renault 1m20.767s
15. TRULLI Toyota 1m20.888s
16. ANDRETTI Honda 1m22.147s
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6 Responses to “Marco Marks Time at Back of Jerez Pack”
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Get him out of the IRL for a season in GP2 & some F1 testing. At 19 he is the perfect age, GP2 will either hone him into a F1 driver or it will eat him up.I’m inclined to think, despite his lack of road racing at a European level, he is the real deal.
Marco may be a really good driver, but just like his father, he is not in the shape required of a F1 driver.
The kid is going to really need some training and conditioning to even come close during testing, never mind getting into race shape.
But I agree, GP2 or maybe a little A1GP would certainly help.
I just wonder if he has the mental drive.
I think Marco is proving himself good enough for F1 already. Yes he’s at the bottom of the timing list but what car is he in?
Last year’s car.
He got to .069 of a second to the time set by the offical test driver in the same car. 1.4 of a seconds to Button (a man that is some times highly rated) who was in the new car. Every driver here (bar Marco) has been testing for at least two months now. Marco has done two DAYS worth of testing and showing plenty of potenial.
The kid’s a racer like his grandad. If he wants experience closer to F1 then he should go into F3000 or just jump straigt over.
I hate to say it, as I really enjoy the way he has given IRL a lift and all, but if Marco wants to run with the big dogs he’s going to have to get over to Europe and do the dirty work…and soon
Goodbye Rubens, hello Marco. Marco will be the Honda (or maybe Super Aguri) driver in 2008. Testing next year will be his learning curve, and whatever road tricks he learns in the IRL this year.
As Flavio Briatore has stated it’s more important to be fast than experienced. Wins will come to the fast driver with a little experience, while the slow driver never gains speed regardless of experience. Kovalienen and Hamilton will show that this year. They both will have their bobbles and learning curves, but they both will do well. As will Rosberg if Williams can get a good car under his butt.
George makes the point of Hamilton & Kovalienen are fast F1 rookies, however, both have been blooded as series champs in the cauldron of European junior formulas. They have wins & titles in F3, WsR & GP2. Marco’s resume is totally lacking in this area, & at 19, is perfectly placed for a season of building his skills, race fitness, temperament & race craft in GP2. Look what BMW have done with hotshoe Vettel, when he is not the Friday 3rd driver he is completing a in season of WsR. The same series Alonso,Kovalienen & Kubica won.
The last thing the kid needs is to be thrown in the deep end before he is prepared, why the rush.