By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
October 13 2006

Toyota test drivers Ricardo Zonta and Olivier Panis concluded their Toyota test careers and finished 6th and 7th respectively on day 2 of Toyota's test at the Jerez Circuit in Spain.

Zonta who will move to the Renault team at the end of the season finished the day 6th with a time of 1.17.292 despite stopping on track late on. Olivier Panis will retire a the end of the year and competiting his final test duties the Frenchman finished the day 7th on a 1.17.801.

7 times World  Champion Michael Schumacher will finish his F1 carrer in 2 weeks in Brazil but today he concluded his testing career pretty much wehre he has spent all of his time in F1; First. The German's time of 1.15.688, is close to Jerez circuits unofficial track record. He maybe retiting but he still as it!

A pleasant suprise of the day for British fans was 2006 GP2 Champion Lewis Hamilton who is in te run for a 2007 race seat alongside World Champion Fernando Alonso was second today. Hamilton's time of 1.16.804 was very good and quite crucial as Hamilton beat race seat rival Pedro De La Rosa who was 5th today on a time of 1.17.292. Hamilton is strongly linked to make his Formula 1 debut at the season finale in Sao Paulo and with that god pace you can see why!

BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica was 4th on a 1.17.012 just ahead of long time Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer on a time of 1.17.241. Williams kept their testting of Toyota engines before the switch from Cosworth to Toyota pwer for 2007. The teams testers Alex Wurz (who is to be promoted to a Williams race seat for next season) and Narian Karthikeyan were on track. They kept up their strong performances with Wurz 8th on a 1.18.267 and Karthikeyan 9th on a 1.20.450s.

Testing times from Jerez (Thursday 12 October)

1. M SCHUMACHER (D)  Ferrari 1m15.684s
2. L.HAMILTON (GBR)  McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.804s
3. R.KUBICA (POL)     BMW-Sauber  1m17.012s
4. L.BADOER (ITA)    Ferrari   1m17.241s
5. P.DE LA ROSA (ESP)  McLaren-Mercedes1m17.292s
6. R.ZONTA (BRA)   Toyota    1m17.488s
7. O.PANIS (FRA)     Toyota    1m17.801s
8. A.WURZ (AUT)   Williams-Toyota  1m18.267s
9. N.KARTHIKEYAN (IND) Williams-Toyota  1m20.450s

 

Note: Sorry this story wasnt on earlier but Sportnetwork was down last night.