Autosport/David Sears on Schumey's testing

Michael Schumacher has been bang on the pace during his GP2 test outing for Super Nova at Jerez in Spain this week, team boss David Sears has revealed.

And although no lap times have been issued from the test, Sears has given away just how quick Schumacher has been - despite the poor weather that has blighted the week.

"I would say that with a track that is not completely dry, with the kerbs wet and everything else, to be less than one second off the quickest ever time is pretty handy!" Sears said on the main stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

"It [the test] is ongoing as we speak, and it has been damp for the last couple of days. Michael is going around as we speak, doing long runs and making sure that his neck is standing up - which it is. "

Sears also reckons that Schumacher would put some of his rivals to shame this year on his return to F1 – despite being 41.

"I think the guy is on such a higher plain in being incredibly physically fit," he said. "Probably Nigel Mansell was the first guy that made sure that racing drivers were incredibly fit because he had broken his neck and his back.

"Michael having gone off and stolen our chief mechanic to go and ride motorbikes, I think he fell off a few times and one of those times he landed on his head.

"Obviously he damaged a couple of vertebrae there which took a while to mend, and I think when he was asked to deputise for Felipe Massa it wasn't mended at that point.

"But now obviously it is – and certainly I would say the guy it fitter, more intelligent and quicker than most of the other drivers. And at 41, he is going to demonstrate that again."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80886


Really solid to be less than a second off. Finding actual lap times is proving to be like trying to find the Rosetta stone. This seems to be the most accurate posting from a solid source.

 

Not really.

Not that it's bad, just that you can't tell if it's good or bad. You can't compare times from different days.

Just like top gear times, meaningless because even though all the cars are tested with the same driver (stig), different weather conditions render the times incomparable.

The track might be a second faster, meaning schumi is 2 seconds off. Or it might be a second slower meaning he is just absolutely amazing. But the track could easily be off more than a second.

 

True that, but I give him the benefit on this one due to colder conditions (colder tires) and a wet track. Good point nonetheless

 

Seems ok to me, to many factors to take into consideration to make any real judgement.

 

it seems to me that if anything, the larger variable is ... how good is the car?

As far as the track goes, I would bet it much more likely that track is "slower" rather than "faster" compared to historical best times.... Between the rain washing off deposits, dampness lowering traction and with only one car lapping, I don't see how the track could anything but slower.

That said, even if the track is a second slower, the car could just be that much better or perhaps running a non spec gp2 configuration to more accuratly simulate F1 loads.

Tough to say without knowing the specifics.

 

There is no other driver testing in an identical chassis for a reference point. Without this there is no context for how his performance stacks up against the competition...

Therefore I believe it is pointless to read too much into this test other then MS is getting back into the swing of things and at least he structured it so that some benefit will come of it. It is good that his test will help a team in another category and provide them with excellent feedback as well. This is a win-win for all concerned...

Frank