Reported from Kyalami by Michele Lupini, for Atlas F1
Twenty five thousand Grand Prix starved South African race fans converged on AA Kyalami today, to witness the first real F1 action there since the 1993 South African Grand Prix. They were treated to an interesting first day of the official FIA Kyalami F1 test session, which saw Ralf Schumacher top the time sheets in the Winfield Williams, from team mate Alex Zanardi and the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve.
Perfect, sunny South African conditions saw the trio swapping fastest times towards the end of the session this afternoon, as the afternoon shadows stretched over Kyalami, and track and ambient temperatures dropped off from highs of 40deg.C and 28deg.C respectively.
Most of the day saw the teams finding their way at Kyalami, dialling the cars in to conditions at the circuit just north of Johannesburg. Then, later in the afternoon, first Villeneuve stopped the clocks at 1:25.8 seconds, according to his lap boards, the first car into the 1:25 bracket. No sooner was he back in the pits, than Schumacher responded with a blistering 1:24.7, to the joy of the pit grandstand as the Williams board man showed the time. Zanardi was also circulating at the same time, getting down to a very consistent pace just off his fastest lap of 1:25.1. Villeneuve went out just before the end of the session, but the BAR "broke something" on the out lap. This was the only technical problem of the day, although Schumacher had a spin earlier in the session, but continued unaffected.
The BAR breakage continues the fledging team's run of niggling development reliability woes.
Williams, in particular, praised Kyalami as a top-line circuit, complementing the tracks facilities as world class and perfect for testing purposes. The session also drew a cheerful, enthusiastic crowd, matching the biggest at any local race day in number, despite a busy schedule of other important SA sporting events this afternoon.
Kyalami offers the FIA a perfect solution to their problem with a shrinking GP calendar this year. It is clear by the large crowd which turned out to watch three cars test today, that South Africa is ready for a Grand Prix again.
Pos Driver Car Time*
1 Ralf Schumacher Williams FW 21 Mecachrome 1:24.7sec
2 Alex Zanardi Williams FW 21 Mecachrome 1:25.1sec
3 Jacques Villeneuve BAR 01 Supertech 1:25.8sec
Track temperature: 40C
Ambient temperature: 20C
Conditions: Warm, Sunny. Partly cloudy later
* All times unofficial, no official timing in place.
And other news in brief:
The Winfield Williams team's programme stepped up a notch this morning at Kyalami, when technical director Patrick Head arrived in South Africa. Head will oversee the team's test session at the Johannesburg circuit, where Williams drivers, Ralf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi headed up time sheets today. Head summed up the importance of the session, "This is our last opportunity for a major test with two cars before the first race of the year in Melbourne." He continued, "It allows us to run in temperatures similar to those we will encounter in Australia and we are pleased to be here. "We are making good use of the time spent in South Africa and are making progress."
Crowds Stun Williams, BAR
The two F1 teams testing at the AA Kyalami circuit, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa today, were shocked at the size of the crowd that turned out at the. In excess of 25 000 paying fans enthusiastically and excitedly watched Jacques Villeneuve, Alex Zanardi and Ralf Schumacher testing their BAR and Williams challengers to the 1999 F1 World Championship in ideal sunny South African conditions.
The number of spectators again underscored the demand for Grand Prix racing in South Africa today, while AA Kyalami is set for another bumper crowd tomorrow.
With various dates originally inscribed on the 1999 F1 calendar already not happening and others looking increasingly doubtful, Kyalami offers an ideal venue for a GP this year. On a recent visit to South Africa, where he also visited South Africa's President Nelson Mandela, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that an SA Grand Prix could happen on or before 2001.
With a guaranteed sponsor ready to underwrite a Grand Prix at Kyalami, in the form of local cellular giant, Vodacom, and a circuit passed by the FIA and ready to host a race, Kyalami is ideally set for a Grand Prix this year, should the opportunity arise...
Nigel's Record Safe
Ralf Schumacher's fastest lap is around Kyalami today, was eight seconds slower than Nigel Mansell's lap record at the South African circuit. Nigel's time of of 1:17.5sec, was set in the 1992 South African Grand Prix. It was, however, set before Kyalami's infamous AA Kink was installed at the SA circuit, and with Mansell's Williams Renault running on slick tyres.
The current Grand Prix cars run on grooved tyres, along with considerable changes introduced by the FIA to in an effort to slow the cars down. Williams, however, expect to be running in the low one minute 22 second bracket by the end of the week, and could even dip into the one minute 21 second bracket.
Zonta Arrives Monday
Riccardo Zonta will relieve BAR team mate, Jacques Villeneuve at Kyalami's F1 test session on Monday, where he will continue BAR's planned test schedule at the circuit . While Williams have two cars on hand at outside Johannesburg, South Africa for Ralf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi, BAR only took one racer. BAR and Williams will test at Kyalami until Wednesday 17 March.
Credit: Michele Lupini, South Africa