F1 testing – Williams makes progress with the FW35

Williams installed a new package on the FW35 driven today by Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas who both placed in the top five of the day's times after covering 65 laps. The Grove team has notably designed new sidepods reminiscent of those of the RB9. The British team will use this version of the car during the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia. “Pastor carried out the usual checks in the morning before Valtteri worked on the tires in the afternoon”, explains technical director Mike Coughlan. “We will look to carry out more performance relays tomorrow by installing further developments before Australia. »

Pastor Maldonado was satisfied with the new version of the FW35 with which he was able to set the fourth time of the day (1’22”305). “We sought to learn more about the new elements and how they influenced the behavior of the car. The result is very different but it is still too early to assess the level of performance they will provide. I was able to achieve a good time despite my limited testing, which proves that we are progressing. » By completing the top five of the session with a tenth behind his teammate, Valtteri Bottas shares the feeling of the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix contested last year on the Catalunya circuit. “I could really feel the difference driving today with the new bodywork. We noticed the improvements immediately but we still need to work on the balance of the car to maximize the potential. In any case, we learned a lot and it’s good to see that the factory’s work has a positive impact on the car. It’s now up to us to get the time. »

Results ? Day 7 Barcelona

1/ Lewis Hamilton ? Mercedes ? 1'20"558? 117 rounds
2/ Felipe Massa? Ferrari ? 1'21 »266 (+0 »708)? 94 rounds
3/ Adrian Sutil? Force India? 1'21"627 (+1"609)? 109 rounds
4/ Pastor Maldonado? Williams? 1’22”305 (+1”747)? 34 rounds
5/ Valtteri Bottas? Williams? 1’22”468 (+1”910)? 31 rounds
6/ Esteban Gutiérrez? Sauber? 1'22"553 (+1"995)? 99 rounds
7/ Mark Webber? Red Bull ? 1'22 »658 (+2 »100)? 59 rounds
8/ Sergio Pérez? McLaren ? 1'22 »694 (+2 »136)? 101 rounds
9/ Jean-Eric Vergne? Toro Rosso ? 1'23 »223 (+2 »665)? 114 rounds
10 / Romain Grosjean ? Lotus? 1'23 »380 (+2 »822)? 46 rounds
11/ Davide Valsecchi? Lotus? 1’23”448 (+2”890)? 16 rounds
12/ Jules Bianchi? Marussia? 1'24"028 (+3"470)? 74 rounds
13/ Giedo van der Garde? Caterham? 1’24”235 (+3”677)? 126 rounds