Wurz keen to put pedal to metal
McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz was today looking forward to putting the new MP4-18 through its paces in France after a frustrating first day of testing.
The Austrian has been forced to sit out part of the test session because of a hydraulic problem with the car, but is now hopeful of getting more track time.
“It was very nice to be the one who drove the new car first,” said Wurz after completing 17 laps at the Paul Ricard circuit.
“You could see that everyone was so excited in the team and that a lot of effort had gone into this.
The big bosses had flown in from around the world and it was like a lot of kids that had a new toy to play with.
“So far, I’m happy. The day was all about system checks, to look at the consistency of the car.
“It has a seven-speed gearbox but I was only using six yesterday and short-shifting. I had a speed limit.
“We only did a few laps, but we will build that up as the week progresses and maybe get to a level where we can look at the performance. We are not planning any race distances or anything like that.
“There is no way I can judge the car yet. We’ll just have to wait and see until I am allowed to push the car.
“The 17D has shown that it is competitive enough, but at the same time everybody wants the new baby. We will only race it when we are happy with it.”
