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Cosworth has enjoyed its first Formula One track action as an engine supplier since 2006 as the company accelerated preparations for the 2010 season with two of its customer teams this week.
The AT&T Williams team carried out a three-day test session at the Valencia circuit in Spain, putting Cosworth’s CA2010 V8 engine through its paces in earnest for the first time at a race track.
Q+A with Mark Gallagher, General Manager Cosworth F1 Business Unit
How important have this week’s activities been for Cosworth’s pre-season preparations?
“We have been delighted to get started with pre-season testing in Valencia with Williams this week as it was our first opportunity to run the CA2010 in the back of a race car with all of the implications that that brings. Developing and testing an engine in our facilities in Northampton is one thing but committing it to the track takes us into an entirely new phase of our programme.”
What work was carried out with the AT&T Williams team in Valencia this week?
“Our work with Williams has been very important in order to collect data, driver feedback and to gauge the initial results from the marriage of the new CA2010 engine to the all-new FW32 chassis. Our first measure of performance was always going to be durability and the fact that Rubens and Nico completed over 1,200kms between them showed that engine reliability has been in line with our expectations. We also looked at the overall success of the installation, seeing how the engine works together with the Williams transmission and checking all associated systems, pressures, cooling, temperatures. From a human point of view, Valencia was the first time that our dedicated team of track support technicians and engineers worked as an integrated part of the Williams team, which is a key aspect of the working relationship, so in that regard it was an important milestone. We now look forward to next week’s Jerez test where we can take our technical programme with the team to the next level.”
Cosworth in F1: (1967 to 2006)
- In four decades of F1 competition Cosworth engines have delivered a powerful set of figures:
- 176 race wins – including every race in the 1969 and 1973 seasons, enough for triple consecutive drivers championships at the start of the 1980s, the first race victory for Michael Schumacher in 1992 and the most recent in 2003 for Giancarlo Fisichella.
- 10 Constructors’ Championships – including the legendary Lotus performances of the 1960’s and 70’s, and Williams’ first consecutive championships in 1980 and 81.
- 13 Drivers’ Championships – for great names including as Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher. www.girlracer.co.uk
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