By Huw Alban
May 31 2002

Enrique Bernoldi wrapped up a two day test for OrangeArrows on Thursday with a stunning performance in difficult and changing conditions. The Brazilian finished the day third on the time sheets despite an engine failure half way through the afternoon session. Good vibes for Canada ? Rain has played a major role in all three days of testing at Silverstone this week, and the rain gods continued to have their way with the F1 paddock on the last day on Thursday. Light drizzle began just minutes before the session was due to start - guaranteeing a damp track and a bunch of nervous engineers, just waiting for a damaged car to be deposited at the garages.

Almost the entire pack streamed out for an installation run as soon as the session started, led by David Coulthard’s McLaren. Enrique Bernoldi was amongst the first drivers out, and when he returned it was interesting to note that the right hand side of his A23 was covered in little round white stickers. Two chaps in non-team clothing were checking a device mounted on a tripod on the pit wall, and periodically checking that the stickers were still in place. One theory expounded by the press corps gathered in the pit lane was that Arrows were assisting in the development of a new computer game, or that the OrangeArrows Virtual Reality racing simulation was being enhanced to include Silverstone.

Whatever the team was up to, Enrique was soon back out on track, but on his next lap cruised through the pit lane to perform a practice start in the pit lane exit road. The Brazilian pitted properly on his next lap.

The first stoppage of the day occurred 30 minutes into the session, with fine drizzle still falling. This turned to full-on rain around 11am, just as Rubens Barrichello put in his installation lap. Like yesterday the Ferrari engine smoked heavily when running down the pit lane.

Marc Gené was the next driver to suffer a problem, stopping the session. According to track marshals his Williams car just stopped on the circuit and he had to be towed in behind the recovery vehicle.

Coulthard’s McLaren let him down just yards from the pit lane entrance road and right in front of the public spectators. Unruffled, DC got out of the car and with a nonchalant wave to the crowd proceeded to push his car up into the pit lane. He was soon helped by some McLaren mechanics.

Ten minutes later there was another incident, this time involving Jarno Trulli. As the Italian driver was brought back into the pits in the recovery vehicle he could be seen making faces at some of the Toyota mechanics.

When the session got going again, Bernoldi was first out and this time it was his Cosworth engine’s turn to fill the air with smoke. It didn’t seem to hamper him as he started to pound around the circuit. With the weather now clearing, the Brazilian was on a mission and neatly swept around a BAR on the start/finish straight on one of his early laps. It wasn’t too long before he came up behind the Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello, who he followed closely up the same piece of track.

The track conditions improved dramatically once the rain had stopped, and this was very evident at Stowe corner where all the drivers were hurling their cars through the sweeping right hander.

Kimi Räikkönen was the only driver looking unsure there, his McLaren twitching all the way around. The Renault drivers looked the most committed, although Jarno Trulli overcooked it on one lap, locking his brakes sharply on the run from Stowe down to Vale.

There were two more stoppages in the last hour of the morning session, with a brief rain shower in between. The last was for Bernoldi, who had to have his car recovered by a low-loading lorry.

The rain started again during the lunch break, progressing into a torrential downpour 15 minutes into the session. Fernando Alonso, in his first test with the Jaguar team, was the first to take to the track once the rain had eased. Fellow test driver for today, Pedro de la Rosa, was going nowhere as his car was in bits in the Jaguar garage.

BAR were working hard on their cars too, with both chassis in various stages of rebuild. Nick Heidfeld was back out in the pit lane, talking to Sauber fans and engaging in brief question and answer sessions with the media. Most of the other cars which weren’t in pieces took to the track at some point during the first hour apart, that is, from Rubens Barrichello’s, which was still hiding behind four Ferrari blinds blocking the view into the garage.

It was all go in the McLaren garage, as Coulthard and Räikkönen seemed to be comparing the steering wheels of each of their McLarens. Once their discussion was over, the Finn put on his balaclava and looked to be getting ready to go out.

Takuma Sato got onto the track just before 3pm, but immediately returned to the Jordan garage. As he was pushed back into the garage he used his hands in an upwardly sloping fashion to describe something to the mechanics.

Räikkönen finally took to the pit road, and immediately started to ‘jink’ his car quickly from left to right as if checking the steering or feel of the car. Just behind him Barrichello finally made an appearance - a long lunch for the Ferrari boys !

Sato put in a four lap run, but at the end he was pushed back into the garage with the engine running - very odd ! The team left the engine running in the garage for some time before switching it off.

Bernoldi’s day came to a sudden halt at around 3.20pm when his Cosworth engine suddenly let go in spectacular style on the start/finish straight. The session was halted, and the sweeping tractor had to be sent out to clean the oil slick. At the same time another sharp shower decided to make an appearance, but it was mercifully brief.

I spent the last hour of the test at Club corner, definitely the best place to watch F1 at Silverstone. Barrichello, Gené and Sato were all on track initially, with Takuma sliding the rear of his Jordan around the sweeping corner, taxing his Honda traction control system all the time. Gené, by comparison, was out for a Sunday drive, while Rubens looked as smooth as ever. There were two more stoppages, although from Club corner it was not possible to see what had caused them.

Trulli had a curious engine problem causing smoke to pour from his exhausts when leaving Stowe. He immediately coasted through Vale and Club and down to the Abbey chicane - but on his next lap he was back up to speed again with no signs of any problem.

The McLarens seemed to be playing with brake balance as both cars locked their inside front tyres into Vale, and Gené looked to have been given a ‘hurry up’ call as he was now stretching the limits of his own traction control system.

Bernoldi’s car came out for one lap in the dying minutes, and the session ended with a spectacular see-saw from Sato as he applied the throttle way too early and had to overcorrect his car to keep going.

The next test session at Silverstone isn’t until September now, as the August test dates have been cancelled by the circuit. See you in a few months.

Thursday’s times from Silverstone:

Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari - 1:20.593 - 58 laps
Allan McNish - Toyota - 1:22.265 - 50 laps
Enrique Bernoldi - Arrows - 1:22.732 - 42 laps
Fernando Alonso - Jaguar - 1:22.784 - 54 laps
Pedro de la Rosa - Jaguar - 1:22.824 - 34 laps
Kimi Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:22.879 - 48 laps
Takuma Sato - Jordan - 1:23.054 - 54 laps
Jacques Villeneuve - BAR - 1:23.263 - 55 laps
Jenson Button - Renault - 1:23.268 - 52 laps
Jarno Trulli - Renault - 1:23.327 - 33 laps
David Coulthard - McLaren - 1:23.484 - 43 laps
Nick Heidfeld - Sauber - 1:23.947 - 41 laps
Marc Gené - Williams - 1:24.062 - 74 laps
Juan Pablo Montoya - Williams - 1:24.634 - 37 laps
Mika Salo - Toyota - 1:24.756 - 34 laps
Patrick Lemarié - BAR - 1:26.144 - 24 laps