Minardi ran their new car, the Ford powered M198 for the first time in private tests at Mugello last week. With new signing Esteban Tuero at the wheel, Minardi had their first taste of the Ford V10 engines that have replaced their underpowered Hart V8 powerplants.
Tuero also ran 90 laps on the circuit again today with a best time of 1m 34.53s.
The team said they were happy with the test, suffered no serious problems and were looking forward to the Barcelona test.
The team have apparently asked Cosworth (the engine builder) to concentrate on improving the top end power of the engine whilst Tyrrell have asked them to lower the centre of gravity in it.
Currently it seems that former Prost Grand Prix driver Shinji Nakano is the most likely candidate for the second seat.
Takagi drove 16 laps with the new Tyrrell on the Silverstone circuit without any problems. Panis and Trulli tested some new mechanical components on the Prost car before the car is shipped to Barcelona for testing, next week.
Michael Schumacher is ready to sort out the problems with Jacques Villeneuve.
Schumacher said: "It's becoming boring. We haven't seen each other face-to-face since after the last race of 1997 and so all the discussion is being conducted via the press, which obviously has its own interests in the affair. If you're not very experienced in this field, there's the risk of commenting on statements which are always coming to you second-hand. So that's why, for years now, I haven't bothered to answer them. In this case, there's nothing to respond to. I've no comment on what's been written."
He also stated: "I'd prefer to meet Villeneuve personally and reply to him directly if there are any problems."
Michael Schumacher showed some concern about the new 1998 grooved tyres: "We just don't know what kind of wear and what kind of reactions they might have on different circuits and in different weather conditions, for example, if practice was in the wet and the race in dry conditions. It means that this year we'll start the season with no experience, apart from on those circuits where we've been testing. In the past, we've always been able to draw on out experience from previous years."
He again stated that Williams has no advantage over Ferrari because of the amount of test kilometres the British team has done, about 15,000: "In absolute terms, I don't think they'll have an advantage. In this situation, it's not the number of kilometres covered in practice that counts, it's the specific knowledge of how the different circuits treat the tire mix and the wear. It's a problem we'll have to face, for example, when the championship starts in Melbourne."
On a general idea of the 1998 tyres he stated: "Compared to last season, there's only a slight reduction in speed, which on some circuits can be gauged at around three seconds a lap. And it concerns more the slow corners than the fast bends, where there's hardly any change at all compared to 1997. The braking is about the same."
He also stated again that McLaren is the main threat: "I think they're the best team, both from the point of view of the car and of the drivers. Hakkinen was in Formula One before me, he's got experience and he's quick. He won the first race and can only get better."
Former Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell has got into ice racing. He has his hands free this year and is enjoying some other things. His practice session for Chamonix 24 Hours race ended in a collision with a Nissan today, which forced him into the pits.
Mansell stated after the session: "That was brilliant. I haven't driven in the dark before and I couldn't see where I was going but that was incredible. I overtook a Nissan and he didn't like it. So he came and smashed me in the back and damaged my tyre. It wasn't a big problem but I just wish I could have done some more laps. That is the biggest blast I have had in motor racing for a long time, because you are never in control. It is so exhilarating."
Mansell's time was three seconds slower than the fastest driver in practice.