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Vallelunga test week 47!!

Grandprix.com:
Britain's top female racer Katherine Legge is to test for the Minardi team at Vallelunga at the end of this month. The 25-year-old from Northampton will be the first woman to have a meaningful F1 test since the days of Giovanna Amati back 1991. Legge has made a big impression this year in her first year as a professional racer, driving in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Legge has been setting new standards throughout her career, dating back to 2000 when she was the first woman to take pole position in a British Formula Ford race. She struggled to find money to compete in Britain and in 2004 went to the United States to race in theNorth American Formula Renault. She then convinced Kevin Kalkhoven to sponsor her this season with his PKV racing team. Legge made the most of it with three Atlantic wins as a rookie, notably in her first race at Long Beach where she went from seventh on the grid to win. This was followed by wins in Edmonton and San Jose, and ended the year third in the championship.

Legge plans to compete in the Atlantic series again next year and hopes to move up to Champ Car in 2007. However, if she can impress in Formula 1 she may be able to fulfil her original ambition to become an F1 driver. The test has come about because of Legge's connections with Kalkhoven who, in addition to running PKV Racing, is also the owner of Cosworth, which supplies engines to Minardi.

Legge will be joined by three other young drivers in the Vallelunga test.
I wonder who the other 3 drivers will be.
Maybe Kubica, Marchy Lee and Toccacello?????

Well, good to see that PS and GCM still continue with the tradition of giving youngsters a test after the season.
Bravo !:D

[Edited on 19/10/2005 by Minardus]

[Edited on 21/11/2005 by Minardus]
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Comments

  • I wonder who of the three is going to fokk Katherine!:hehe::hehe:
    Or she should go to Mateschitz, rather, it would be the best option to get the seat:hehe::hehe:
  • In Hollywood it is called "the casting couch" - I wonder what it is called in auto racing?
  • The backseat?
  • Geez, chauvenist anarchy has set in!

    When does PS hand over the team? I thought it was straight away.

    So is it the current, or the new managment doing this?
  • November 1 he hands the keys over.
  • The test is still this month (as I pointed out above), so it's current management.
  • Kind of suprising that PS would spend more money on a test just days from the handover of the team. Personally I wouldn't spend that money, but then again I wouldn't sell out to Red Bull.
  • That's because PS has passion for F1 !!
  • More like PS is a businessman and as a businessman he had already signed a contract with Cossie to do this test and he simply does not want to be sued.
  • hmm, F1racing.net and f1update.com are now reporting that the test will be in November (for Toro Rosso):
    Katherine Legge will reportedly become the first female driver in nearly fifteen years to officially test an F1 car.

    The Toyota Atlantic rookie is slated to get behind the wheel of a Red Bull-owned Minardi at the end of November.

    Legge, a 25-year-old Briton, will steer the 'Squadra Toro Rosso' car at Vallelunga, Italy, TSN.ca reported, and would be the first woman since Giovanna Amati in 1991 to feel the power of a F1 machine.

    Earlier this year, the former Formula Renault and British F3 driver, Legge, trounced the boys at Long Beach, and also won in Edmonton and San Jose.

    The last woman in an F1 car was Sarah Fisher. She gave a demonstration in the McLaren at Indianapolis in 2002.
  • I'd trust grandprix.com first, before f1racing.net. Time will tell though.
  • Now Pitpass also reports the test is at the end of November.
    BUT,...... they stilluse the name Minardi and there's comments from PS saying he wanted to give her a shot at driving the F1 car!?!?!??!?

    http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=26340

    Edited with Grandprix.com's update:
    Minardi confirms Legge
    As exclusively revealed by grandprix.com, Katherine Legge is to test for the team at Vallelunga at the end of November.

    "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to drive the Minardi," Legge said. "It has been a dream and an ambition of mine to drive a Formula 1 car since I was a little girl. I am extremely grateful to Paul Stoddart and Kevin Kalkhoven for giving me this opportunity, and I am now focused on trying to impress and do a professional job in the test."

    "We have been watching Katherine's progress for some while now, and with her outstanding performances in the Toyota Atlantic Championship this season, we felt she was clearly deserving of a chance to experience a Formula 1 car," said Paul Stoddart. "We have always said that if a sufficiently talented woman racing driver arrived on the scene, who appeared capable of handling the performance of an F1 car, we would have no hesitation in giving her an opportunity to show what she could do. I believe Katherine has done more than enough to warrant that chance."
    [Edited on 19/10/2005 by Minardus]
  • From TOMS:
    FURTHER DRIVERS ANNOUNCED FOR VALLELUNGA TEST

    FAENZA, ITALY, October 27, 2005


    The Minardi F1 Team today confirmed further details of the driver line-up for its forthcoming Vallelunga test, scheduled for November 21-24. In addition to the previously confirmed British racer, Katherine Legge, and regular tester, Chanoch Nissany, other drivers scheduled to take part in the four-day session are Uruguay’s Juan Caceres, plus Luca Filippi and Davide Rigon from Italy.

    Over the last three seasons, Caceres has rapidly climbed the single-seater racing “ladder”, winning the Portuguese Formula BMW title in 2003, before moving to the Spanish F3 Championship in 2004, and the Italian F3000 Championship, with GP Racing, in 2005.

    The inclusion of Filippi and Rigon in the test comes as the result of an undertaking the Faenza squad gave earlier in the year to provide two young Italian drivers, selected in a joint ACI/CSAI “driver-search” programme, with their first taste of Formula One performance.

    Information regarding the schedule for the Vallelunga test will be released as it becomes available.

    Editors’ note: Further driver information can be found at the following websites:

    Katherine Legge – www.gokatherine.com
    Juan Caceres – www.juancaceres.com.uy
    Luca Filippi - www.lucafilippi.it
    Davide Rigon - www.daviderigon.it
  • ''the Vallelunga test was a commitment agreed to by Minardi some months back, well before the approach by Red Bull to purchase the team. Subsequently, the new owners agreed that the test could go ahead, and would be managed by the current Minardi infrastructure. This was simply deemed to be the fairest way of handling the commitment Minardi made to the young drivers who will be participating in the test.''

    Best regards,
    Graham Jones
    Communications Manager
    Minardi F1 Team
  • without Robert Kubica?

    damn, i think he really deserves it

    [Edited on 1/11/2005 by ATi]
  • This is Roldan Rodriguez testing the Minardi (??) today in Vallelunga.

    image
  • BUSY TEST GETS UNDER WAY AT VALLELUNGA

    CAMPAGNANO DI ROMA, November 21, 2005 - The Minardi F1 Team today commenced the final test of its 21-year history, at the Autodromo Vallelunga, near Rome. The Faenza squad passed into Red Bull ownership at the beginning of November, but this testing commitment, organised prior to the sale of the team, has been honoured in order to allow a number of young drivers to have their first experience of Formula One performance.

    In addition to three Minardi Cosworth PS05 chassis, plus a pair of PS04Bs, present at Vallelunga, there will be four of the Ledbury-based F1x2 two-seaters running this week, providing passenger rides to representatives from a number of Minardi sponsors, technical partners and suppliers.

    The driver line-up for the test includes Spaniard, Roldan Rodriguez, Juan Caceres from Uruguay, and Britain’s Katherine Legge, as well as two promising young Italian drivers, Luca Filippi and Davide Rigon, selected as part of a driver-search programme organised by the Italian autosport federation, the CSAI: In addition, official Minardi test driver, Chanoch Nissany, will complete his 2005 programme with the team in the course of the four-day event. Monday’s programme saw Nissany running throughout the day, with Rodriguez completing 20 laps in the morning, and Filippi a similar number in the afternoon session.

    The F1x2 cars will be driven by 2005 Minardi drivers Christijan Albers, Robert Doornbos and Patrick Friesacher, plus Gianni Morbidelli, Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Lancieri. The provisional schedule is as follows:

    Monday, November 21
    Chanoch Nissany
    Roldan Rodriguez
    Luca Filippi

    Tuesday, November 22
    Chanoch Nissany
    Katherine Legge
    Juan Caceres
    Davide Rigon

    Wednesday, November 23
    Chanoch Nissany

    Thursday, November 24
    Chanoch Nissany

  • While its great to see the new drivers getting a chance to drive what is Nissany doing specially Wednesday and Thursday on his own?
  • what is Nissany doing specially Wednesday and Thursday on his own?
    Less people to crash into !!!!;)

    I would guess that he paid for a number of test / play sessions and this is just to fufill his contract.
  • image

    What'S that? A lift of the names from the guys who worked on the PS05?

    €: Found the name of Massimo, so it should be a team-list. Nice idea.

    [Edited on 21/11/2005 by Homer]
  • That is a WEP I'd like to own.
  • Honda had that on the inside of their rear wing last year....
  • Guys is this part of the rear wing? Nice to see John Boys name on it along with Alberto, Massimo, Roberta and all the team.
  • Honda had that on the inside of their rear wing last year....
    Yeah and the years before that. Nice idea!
  • Guys is this part of the rear wing? Nice to see John Boys name on it along with Alberto, Massimo, Roberta and all the team.
    Not to mention that one name there. Giancarlo Minardi..
  • Speaking of names; Legge tried to write her name on a wall,... with a PS05.


  • Legge makes F1 debut with Minardi



    British driver Katherine Legge was impressed with the performance of Minardi's Formula One car after making her debut at the wheel of a Grand Prix machine on Tuesday.

    The 25-year old, the first woman to try out a Formula One car since American Sarah Fisher drove a handful of demonstration laps with McLaren at Indianapolis in 2002, took to the Vallelunga track in the afternoon and completed a few installation laps.

    Legge's day, however, was cut short after she lost control of her car on her second full lap and made contact with the wall.

    The Briton is looking forward to a better day tomorrow.

    "It's unlike anything I've ever driven before," Legge told autosport.com. "I'm fine. It was just a mistake on my part. I'm understanding the traction control and how it works all the time.

    "I'm just understanding how an F1 car works. I'm fine and it will be a good day tomorrow."

    The test was a pre-existing arrangement between Stoddart and ChampCar boss and Cosworth co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven before the sale to Red Bull was agreed.

    It is also Minardi's last outing before the name finally vanishes from Formula One after 21 years largely spent struggling among the backmarkers. Red Bull have renamed the team Squadra Toro Rosso.

    Spaniard Roldan Rodriguez, Uruguayan Juan Caceres and two young Italians - Luca Filippi and Davide Rigon - are participating in the test.
  • YOUTH TO THE FORE

    CAMPAGNANO DI ROMA, November 22, 2005 - The Minardi F1 Team today launched into the second day of its final test session at the Autodromo Vallelunga. DrivIng the Minardi Cosworth PS05 chassis today were Chanoch Nissany, continuing his ongoing programme with the team, Uruguay’s Juan Caceres, Davide Rigon of Italy, and Katherine Legge, who ventured on track late in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the young British driver was caught out by the cold conditions on the first run, her car spinning and brushing a concrete wall at the side of the track. The resulting damage was relatively minor, but with light fading and temperatures falling, it was decided to postpone her test until tomorrow.

    JUAN CACERES
    “The conditions were not ideal, with the track both cold and wet, and as this was my first time testing a Formula One car, I am happy with my performance. I think my lap time was good, and I didn’t make any mistakes. I want to thank the Minardi team for what has been a great experience.”

    KATHERINE LEGGE
    “It was great driving a Formula One car for the first time, even if I did end up learning about traction control the hard way! The accident was really just down to a lack of experience, but it most definitely hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for continuing with the test tomorrow and trying to do the best job I can. I really want to thank Paul Stoddart and Minardi for what is a fantastic opportunity.”

    LUCA FILIPP1
    “Monday was a wonderful day for me, as I was able to realise the dream to drive a Formula One car, which I have held since I was very young. It was also a great honour to work with the Minardi team, which is famous for its ability to discover young drivers. The car itself just seemed to get better and better as the test went on, and I was quite confident with it at the end of the day. I particularly want to thank the CSAI, for starting this young driver scheme, which I think it a very good programme, and Minardi, for the assistance it has given to young Italian drivers over the last 21 years.”

    PAUL STODDART
    “After the second day of Minardi’s last test, the tradition of giving young drivers a break continued with no fewer than six hopefuls testing at the Vallelunga circuit. In addition, the ever-popular F1x2 two-seater programme gave another 40 people the ride of a lifetime. The test continues tomorrow with Chanoch and Katherine in the Formula One cars and a further 30 passengers in the two-seaters.”

    - Ends -
    Minardi Testing Detail - Autodromo Vallelunga, Campagnano di Roma, Italy
    Date: November 22, 2005
    Weather: Cool and overcast in the morning, becoming sunny later

    Driver: Chanoch Nissany (IS) Driver: Juan Caceres (UR)
    Number of laps: 28 Number of laps: 22
    Distance covered: 115.1 km Distance covered: 90.4 km
    Fastest lap: 1 min 28.54 secs Fastest lap: 1 min 27.30 secs

    Driver: Davide Rigon (I) Driver: Katherine Legge (GB)
    Number of laps: 20 Number of laps: 3
    Distance covered: 82.2 km Distance covered: 12.3 km
    Fastest lap: 1 min 22.57 secs Fastest lap: No time

    ----------------------------------
    Date: November 21, 2005
    Weather: Cold and sunny

    Driver: Chanoch Nissany(IS) Driver: Roldan Rodriguez (E) Driver: Luca Filippi (I)
    Number of laps: 19 Number of laps: 20 Number of laps: 20
    Distance covered: 78.1 km Distance covered: 82.2 km Distance covered: 82.2 km
    Fastest lap: 1 min 29.33 secs Fastest lap: 1:23.14 Fastest lap: 1:21.09

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