The Minardi F1 Team today joined the major test under way at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. The Faenza squad has allocated a single Minardi Cosworth PS05 chassis to the planned two-day session, with Robert Doornbos driving today, and team mate, Christijan Albers, at the wheel on Friday.

Recently, the team has made good progress with the PS05 chassis, which was introduced in April, at the San Marino Grand Prix. The purpose of the test is to work on developing a suitable chassis set-up for the Monza circuit, and to that end, Minardi technical personnel are also taking the opportunity to assess several new aerodynamic components relevant to this high-speed track.   

ROBERT DOORNBOS (Best lap: 1 min 24.796 secs; Total laps: 79)
 

“I was really looking forward to spending a full day testing with the Minardi team, and was determined that we should get the best out of it. I think we have done just that. We had the opportunity to work with the team in a different way from race weekends, when there is more pressure. Now we can sit down and have a good look at the data. It has also been useful for me personally, as I know the track pretty well now, after 79 laps. We have developed a good set-up for the car, so thanks to all the guys. Everyone looks happy, and so am I.”

MASSIMO RIVOLA, Sporting Director and Team Manager