By Huw Alban
January 24 2006

As a seasoned F1 test attendee at Silverstone, in my role as Feature Producer and Photographer for Planet-F1, today should have been just like any other test - but it wasn't. On the last day of the private test at Silverstone MF1O got an invite from the team...

I'd driven through those gates so many times that the thrill of entering Silverstone as a member of bona fide media, with all the access privileges that go with it, had long since faded - but today the tingle of excitement was back.

I still clearly remember my first media-accredited Formula One test session - driving through the main gates looking at all the fans gathered there, all craning forward to see if you were a driver or some other famous name. It was only a few weeks before that that was me! I remember slapping the dashboard of my car in pure exhilaration as I drove across the bridge at Bridge Corner, and the tingle of excitement on entering the paddock without being challenged. Five years later it had all become almost a formality, but when that phone rang today and the person on the other end said that I was invited to the test at Silverstone as a guest of Midland F1 Racing, the tingle came back!

Bear in mind for a moment that Midland F1 Online has only been up since November 2005, so to be invited has to be the highest form of compliment we've received to date. Security at Silverstones front gates waved us straight through and after a quick conversation with Charlotte, we were shown to the Midland garage...

... and there it was right in front of me: the EJ15B, fitted with a Toyota V8 engine and the Midland gearbox. The engine cover was off, with the contents of the rear of the car exposed to view. A small army of grey-clad Midland staff moved around the car with clockwork-like precision, making adjustments and performing checks to the rear wing.

For the first time, I got to see the Midland livery in daylight. Up to today, all I'd seen were pictures and the show car under the horrible orange lights at the NEC. But in daylight, the colour scheme looks stunning. I'm pretty sure that Midland has tweaked the metallic grey and brightened it up a bit, because I'm sure that at Jerez the grey was a lot darker. When this scheme takes to the track at Bahrain, it's going to turn heads and get noticed.

Within minutes of being in the garage I was shaking hands with James Key, Technical Director. I thought I would try and ask a general intelligent question about how the test was going and what they were up to, but my brain realised half-way through that the question was reasonably useless, as there was no way that James could give away technical information. I managed to tag an, "of course, you can't tell..." at the end of the sentence, but James answered the question just the same. Apparently, the last day of this test was all about proving components from the rear section of the new M16 on the EJ15B, and it was his view that it had all gone well. He explained that the test was essentially useless for endurance runs, as the temperature outside was so cold that it was virtually impossible to get any heat into the tyres. What the team was trying to do was make sure that individual components worked together as they should so that the team could then look to conducting stress tests when they hit the test track again in Jerez at the beginning of February.

When I first met Tiago Monteiro in a freezing pit lane at Silverstone in February last year, it really struck me what a nice chap he was. Today, when he walked into the garage, he did a double-take. "I know you," he said, walking towards me, hand extended. "Last year, in the snow", he continued, shaking my hand firmly. And he was spot on! I first met him at a private Jordan test where snow fell during the day, and I have pictures of him rounding the Luffield corner with snow flakes falling all around. I have to admit, I was impressed that he still recognised me, and I'm pleased to say that he continues to be a thoroughly nice chap. He explained that he had had some problems with the rear of the car for the first part of the morning, but the team had about got it sorted. "At least it isn't raining," he laughed.

We talked briefly about Biaggi's test, and Tiago seemed impressed by Max's ability to handle the car in wet conditions - it slung it down on Wednesday. All too soon, he had to get into the car and after some brief instructions, set about a 5-lap run of the Grand Prix circuit. A quick visit back to the garage to have the rear suspension adjusted saw him back out again on another 5-lap tour.

Today was the first time I heard the noise of an F1 V8. I have to admit, and I've stated as much on the forum, that I was concerned about the sound. For me, the shrill note of a V10 in full flight, the gear change noise thumping your chest, and the noise of four chunks of rubber gripping the tarmac are a big part of the attraction of the sport. Having heard sound samples on various web sites, it really bothered me that the switch to V8 would take some of that thrill away. Not a bit of it! Apart from the engine note being lower, the noise of a V8 in full song in the middle of the start/finish straight is just as good!

Still on the subject of V8 engines, have you seen the size of the thing? I could carry it comfortably (well, size-wise, anyway) under my arm - it's tiny! It's no wonder that the bodywork of cars fitted with V8 engines falls so sharply away from the airbox - there's nothing there to cover up!

During the lunch break, the team jacked the car up in the air and drained all the fluids from it to check the thing out thoroughly. Race Engineer Oliver Knighton explained what was going on to us, and even talked about a thread on the forum here at Midland F1 Online discussing test times from Jerez in December. You see, the team does read the forum, after all!

The car was still being worked on when the track reopened for the afternoon session. Watching the proceedings from the back of the garage, it struck me how odd - how bare, even - the car looked without the rear wing on. Tiago, meanwhile, had taken to the track in a BMW road car to check out the damp bits. He overcooked his 'test lap', spinning off somewhere in the Maggotts/Becketts/Chapel group of corners. The circuit marshal on duty had a good giggle about that one.

For Tiago's next run, we went trackside and observed his next 5-lap run from Club corner. Last year, the EJ15 looked very loose when braking for the Vale hairpin, but today it was all calm, controlled, and looked fast. Obviously, those M16 rear components that were being tested were doing their stuff and doing it well. Despite the track surface still being a little damp, Tiago looked as if he was pushing very hard.

Another V8 observation for you: the traction control barely kicked in at all as the car accelerated out of Club corner and up Farm Straight. The V10 units used to 'burble' almost all the way up to Abbey unless the track surface was completely dry.

It was extremely cold up on the spectator banking, so we retreated back to the relative warmth of the Midland garage. A change of tyres saw Tiago out again, but something wasn't quite right because he came back in before his 5 laps were complete. A quick adjustment under the engine cover and he was off again.

How those cars stick to the road at Copse corner I'll never know. The speed is immense but all four wheels stay glued to the road - awesome to watch. This time, however, something went wrong. "There was a puff of smoke," my companion told me after Tiago had flown around Copse corner, "Did you see it?" I have to admit, I was too busy trying to get a panning action picture of the car rounding Copse corner. You could hear from the engine note of the car that Tiago was taking the rest of the lap carefully. Lots of team mechanics spilled out into the pit road as the car approached, some clutching fire extinguishers. The car returned safely and without any flames, but it appeared that something had gone awry with the gearbox. Tiago was out of the car and talking in animated fashion to the mechanics gathered around him, using his hands to enhance his description.

We decided to call it a day there, so with a brief "cheerio, and good luck" to Oliver, James and Tiago, we left the paddock and returned to the car.

The narrative above really doesn't do justice to the time I spent with the team. I felt exceptionally privileged to have shared some time and conversation with some of the key people, and was really struck by just how nice and accommodating all the people in the team were. I have to thank everyone at Midland for making us feel so welcome, and allowing the visit to happen. Special thanks go out to Manfredi Ravetto, Ruth, Nikki, Charlotte, James Key, Oliver Knighton, and, of course, to Tiago Monteiro. Thank you all. It was a fantastic experience, and one that I really hope can be repeated in the future.

Words & Photographs - Huw Alban - Friday 20th January

This article is published with the approval of Midland Group