15.07.2004 Despite MASERATI suffering a setback after the FIA refused to homologate the MC12, the GT-racer's on-track development program continued apace this week with a three day test at Mugello
Despite
Maserati suffering a setback this week after the FIA World Council refused to
homologate exciting new MC12 sportscar, the development test programme continues
apace.
This week Reparto Corse Maserati conducted a three day test program with the MC12 at 5.245-km Mugello circuit, with usual testers, Andrea Bertolini and Mika Salo, once again sharing driving duties.
The conditions were dry and warm when the programme kicked off on Tuesday, Bertolini notching up 70 laps at the wheel of the MC12 during the course of the day, his best a 1:46.557, while Salo ran 46 laps with a fastest of 1:48.093.
Maserati did not
reveal any specific areas of the development undertaken during the three days,
except to mention that a race-distance simulation was run on the final day.
Wednesday, the second day, saw Bertolini complete 64 laps, his quickest in
1:47.118, while Salo ran a distance of 48 laps, his fastest a 1:47.018.
The third and final day, yesterday, saw two long stints being run. The Reparto Corse Maserati official test driver ran 73 laps, his quickest in 1:45.945, while the Finish ex-F1 star then turned in 79 laps, posting his fastest in 1:45.631. Salo's final day best was the fastest lap time all week, the race distance run seeing the two drivers considerably up the pace in the MC12 sportscar.
The Mugello test built on a programme carried out by Reparto Corse Maserati in conjunction with Pirelli, who are developing tyres specifically for the MC12 programme, at the tyre giant's state-of-the-art Vizzola track last week.
Vizzola is one of the most sophisticated centres in the world for the
scientific evaluation of tyre-vehicle performance. The facility is as
much prized by the world's vehicle manufacturers, whose prototypes are often
test developed there for months or even years before they go on public sale, as it
is by Pirelli itself.
Designed and developed by Pirelli's own engineers, Vizzola is a combined network
of straight, twisting and circular tracks, covering about 85,000 square metres,
a third of which can be wetted to simulate conditions ranging from light drizzle
to a monsoonal downpour. Everything that happens on the tracks is controlled from a 25 metre tower, the laboratory's electronic
nerve centre.
As test vehicles rush, squeal and crunch their tyres over twisting tracks,
straight tracks, rough, ultra-smooth, wet and dry surfaces, sensors, on-board
computers and telemetry beam results to the tower instantly. There, electronic
equipment elaborates the information as it comes in and, depending on what they sees, the technicians in charge can vary procedures as
the tests progress.
It was to this track that Maserati Reparto Corse brought the MC12 to conduct extensive a multi-day wet weather test last week.
While track development continues on schedule, all eyes have been focused this week on efforts to obtain homologation for this stunning GT-racer. The FIA's decision to refuse the MC12 permission to race means that its proposed debut in the closing races of this year's FIA GT Championship is now firmly in doubt.
The ACO, have however granted it permission to run in the GTS class at next year's Le Mans 24 Hours, subject to extensive dimensional modifications being carried out. Maserati had argued that, while they could redesign the car in time for the 2006 season, it would be impractical to do so for next year. This however was insufficient for the ACO.
With the FIA GT and the ACO GTS rules about to be harmonised in the very near future, this should pave the way for the car to be accepted by the FIA. However it is believed that Maserati will offer to run the MC12 with a substantial handicap in an effort to allow it to make its race debut in the FIA GT series later this year.
Circuit: Autodromo del Mugello (5.245 km – short course 2.760 km), Drivers: Andrea Bertolini and Mika Salo, Car: MC12, Weather: 13/07: air temperature 23/27°C, track temperature 27/40°C; clear skies; 14/07: air temperature 22/30°C, track temperature 28/42°C; clear skies; 15/07: air temperature 22/30 °C, track temperature 28/48 °C; clear skies.
|