Today Tyrrell has tested again at the ...

Published on 17 December 1997 by Verstappen Info Page

Today Tyrrell has tested again at the circuit of Barcelona. Jos Verstappen has done 10 laps in a test session in a Tyrrell 025X, modified for '98 specs. The test session was hindered by the weather gods who had figured out that it should rain very hard today. Before the testing actually started the team had some difficulties in setting up the car and in the few laps that were made no good set-up could be found.

The test had the objective of testing several parts for the '98 car, the Tyrrell 026, and will be continued tomorrow. In any case Jos will try and manage 24 laps. If the weather cooperates a bit than the test will be continued. Jos is accompanied in Barcelona by the team of Sauber, with Jean Alesi behind the steering wheel for the first time. Prost was there too and Olivier Panis did the largest number of laps today. Hakkinen and Coulthard are testing the '98 tyres in their McLaren's and Jan Magnussen tests the Stewart who caught fire in it's first lap.

Tomorrow FIA president Max Mosley will have a meeting with the French Minister of Sports, Marie-George Buffet, to discuss the problems risen around the French Grand Prix that isn't on the 1998 calendar. In a letter to her Max Mosley gave her little hope today for a Grand Prix in 1998. Only if France changes it's point of view around the exclusive broadcasting rights for some channels than there might be a basis to stage a Grand Prix again in 1999. Mosley wrote: "All reasonable deadlines having passed, it is now virtually impossible to insert an extra race into the 1998 calendar".