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Lots of Windtunnel work

Manni
in ForzaMinardi.com Forum
From GP2005
Minardi driver Christijan Albers put in a storming effort in the recent German Grand Prix when he put his PS05 into 12th place on the opening lap and eventually crossing the finish line in 13th place. While a 13th place finish is not unusual for a Minardi driver in Modern Formula one, it is when there are still nineteen runners!



While this was an amazing feat, the young Dutchman has admitted that he could have done even better because he contested the entire event minus the bargeboards!



"You didn't see all of me,” he said on his official website. "An important piece was missing: my barge boards, which I lost right after the start. We have been spending quite a lot of time in the windtunnel recently, and improved a lot on the aerodynamic package. Barge boards are an essential part of that, especially on a track like Hockenheim. Missing one of the barge boards cost me approximately 0,5 seconds per lap, so I could have done 1.17.9 instead of 1.18.4. But that's water under the bridge now. Anyway, I would like to say sorry to the people of JVC and LB Icon (the sponsors that are presented on the barge boards); next race I'll make sure to keep you on my side!”



The next race is not that far away with the Hungarian Grand Prix scheduled for this coming weekend in Budapest. While the weather conditions are sure to provide the drivers with some sweltering temperatures, Christijan cant wait to arrive and not just because he is eager to race in a much improved car!



“It's difficult to say, but for sure we are on our way up. This morning I suddenly realized that it has been for the first time in over 5 years that a Minardi car beat it's main competitor (in this case Jordan) in both qualifying and the race,” he said. “Since Fernando Alonso was driving with the team, that hasn't happened anymore. I'm looking forward to Hungary, and not only because I'm the paddock's biggest goulash-lover!”
Windtunnel work......sounds good, did anyone know of this???

Comments

  • PistonBroke
    No, but it sounds like money, or the partnership with Fondmetal, well spent.
  • Jello_Biafra
    Yes, that Fondmetal signage is curious, and in more ways than most people here would know..
  • Manni
    I thought it was off the car, when did it go back on???
  • Brooksey
    Yes, that Fondmetal signage is curious, and in more ways than most people here would know..
    Explain?
  • MinardiP1
    He can't. It's something cryptic that only people who did Imola this year are in on. Apparently. :rolleyes:

    The post was designed to indicate to us that he's somehow more important in the grand scheme of things @ Minardi. ;)
  • Selespeed
    I thought it was off the car, when did it go back on???
    I suspect just before RD got hit by JV (the Fondmetal decal is clearly visable on the black part of the side-pod.)

    image
  • Jello_Biafra
    It's been on the car since the begining of 2004.

    Even folks that went to Imola don't know. The only other person that I know of that knows why is Emmett.
  • MCSF
    One day all will be revealed.
  • Manni
    do we still owe them money from the Rumi days?
  • Petroltorque
    Folks if you look at the performance dispassionately Minardi's fastest laps were still behind those of Jordan.
    Minardi have only beaten Jordan on two occasions, Monaco and Hockenheim. On Both occasions the Jordan was absolute crap.
    The real test comes on the remaining circuits like Spa and Turkey, etc all aero sensitive tracks. The other double 6 is how the Minardi will stack up against the B spec Jordan.
  • Selespeed
    As long as Jordan don't really test the B-spec and Minardi keeps on improving step by step, I think there's nothing to worry about. Sauber is the target now!
  • silverghost
    Albers had lost a few aero components, including the bargeboards, from his little off track excursion on lap 1, which will have cost him time. I think we were generally faster than Jordan at Hockenheim, but not by much. Sauber, Red Bull etc are way out of reach.
  • willie12masters
    Trying to get as close as possible to Sauber and Red Bull by the end of the season is a good call. But come next season, they'll be miles ahead with their new free V8's whilst we're paying for V10. Pretty sad really.
  • Skruff
    Albers has said his fastest lap should have been half a second faster than it was. This would put him in front of the Jordans:

    CA: 1.17.925 (aprox)
    TM: 1:18.106
    NK: 1:18.212

    However, This time is still about half a second slower than his qualifying time, where as Monteiro was able to go half a second faster in the race than in qualifying.
  • bernie
    windtunnels? hmmmm.... one must task where are th biggest wind tunnels in the world? Jello is onto something.

    this could be interesting....

    .....of mice and men.
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