Reported from Kyalami by Michele Lupini, photography by Keith Wilson, for Atlas F1

Testing continued in what can only be described as a carnival atmosphere at Kyalami today. Thirty thousand South Africans paid for the privilege of watching three Grand Prix cars testing at the circuit north of Johannesburg, Sunday. Total attendance after two days is 55,000, easily rivalling turn outs at international cricket tests in SA, which also stretch over five days.

Kyalami’s pit grandstand was already packed with a cheerful crowd, as fans were lining the 4.270km circuit. The Williams and BAR teams continued with development and testing today, with rumours circulating regarding the possibility of Williams running their version of Benetton's FTT braking system at Kyalami.

More Snags For BAR

Following Jacques Villeneuve's last run being curtailed when "something broke" last evening, BAR's niggling reliability raised its head again this morning when the car was towed back to Kyalami's pits with apparent gear selection maladies after four laps this morning.

Schumacher jr. Flies at Carnival Kyalami

Northern Johannesburg’s lazy Valentine Sunday morning was buzzing to the tune of Mecachrome/Supertech race engines as the morning session saw lap times becoming continuously faster. But only Winfield Williams’ Ralf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi thrilled the Kyalami crowd for most of the morning session.

The BAR team was working frenetically on their sole chassis at Kyalami, after Jacques Villeneuve experienced gear selection problems, his car apparently stuck in first after only four laps of the session. BAR had the car ready to wrap up Villeneuve’s test programme after lunch, with Riccardo Zonta taking over driving duties Monday.

Ralf Schumacher pushed the morning pace to 1:in23.9sec before lunch, but ended his charge with another spin just before lunch. Alex Zanardi, though not as quick as his team mate on a given lap, was impressive by his reliably quick pace and ended the morning at 1:in24.4sec.

reaching a warm 31C ambient, and the track at 42C after lunch, testing continued into a perfect highveld day under striking partly-cloudy skies, which can only be had on an African afternoon. But for BAR, another transmission gremlin raised its ugly head, on the car’s first lap out of the pits this time. The car was towed back to Kyalami’s impressive pit complex for the third time in only two days.

With a significant amount of downtime as a result of their problems, BAR requested an extra half hour at the end of the session, but when Villeneuve returned to the track, he managed a few runs before another transmission failure - this time in front of the pits, allowing the BAR to be pushed back to its garage for the day. Villeneuve managed a slightly quicker time than yesterday, albeit with very little circuit time.

So, in the end, Williams benefitted from BAR’s extra half hour, but came away with work to do as well, after Zanardi left the track on the first lap of his last run. The left front corner of his Williams was damaged in the shunt, but Alex walked away.

With ideal conditions Deciding discretion was the better part of valour, Schumacher was told to ease off on his last sortie, leaving his morning time as the new Kyalami modern F1 benchmark and the expected sunset shoot-out for another day.

Pos Driver              Car                         Time*     
 1  Ralf Schumacher     Williams FW 21 Mecachrome   1:in.23.957sec
 2  Alex Zanardi        Williams FW 21 Mecachrome   1:in.24.456sec
 3  Jacques Villeneuve  BAR 01 Supertech            1:in 225.685sec

Circuit Length: 4.270km
Track temperature: 42C
Ambient temperature: 21C
Conditions: Warm, Sunny. Partly cloudy later
* All times unofficial, no official timing in place.

Credit: Michele Lupini and Keith Wilson, South Africa