Spyker seeking Malaysian gains 02 Apr 2007
New components to debut in Friday practice at Sepang
Spyker are expecting a significant upturn in performance at this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix where they will introduce a major aerodynamic upgrade to their Ferrari-powered F8-VII machine.
A low-key performance at the Australian season opener saw Spyker qualify at the rear of the grid and then bring just one car home in the race in last place. Now, having chosen to skip last week’s Malaysian test to get the new aero package finished, they believe it will help them race for position at Sepang.
“We were where we expected to be in Australia in qualifying time difference, but on race pace we were pretty close to the group in front,” said Mike Gascoyne, Spyker’s chief technical officer.
“For Malaysia the goal is now to transfer the aero upgrade onto the car and move forward. The simulations we have conducted in the wind tunnel suggest the modifications will give a significant increase in performance and hopefully we will be able to move further up the field.”
Both F8-VII cars will feature revised bodywork, sidepod inlets, bargeboards and a modified diffuser to increase aerodynamic efficiency. The revisions are a direct result of Spyker's new partnership with Aerolab, which allows the team access to a second wind tunnel and 30 additional staff.
Spyker will use this Friday’s two 90-minute practice sessions at Sepang to test the new parts for the first time in representative race conditions. The team will not be using Friday test drivers. Instead, team mates Christijan Albers and Adrian Sutil, will be installed in the car to acclimatise to the new modifications and the challenging Malaysian climate conditions.
