Ricardo Zonta today took over the driving duties from Jacques Villeneuve as British American Racing continued its intensive pre-season test programme at the Kyalami circuit. It was the young Brazilians first experience of the South African circuit and he spent the morning getting accustomed to the track and working with his engineers on chassis adjustments. As part of an ongoing endurance programme started by Villeneuve, Zonta completed a total of 60 laps on Tuesday, including a 22-lap stint in the afternoon. During the run, he recorded a best lap of 1min 25.38secs.

Ricardo Zonta: "As this is my first visit to Kyalami, this morning I ran a few laps just to get to know the circuit and build up my confidence. It is a difficult track and it is important to find the limits, especially on the fast corners. Today was very productive for us. We did some long runs, which taught me a lot about the car and helped my engineers with their preparations for the first race. The car feels good and we found some promising set-ups that we will continue to work on tomorrow"

Carig Pollock, Managing Director, British American Racing: "It was Ricardos first time on this circuit and he has done a really good job. His lap times were consistent, although maybe lacking a little bit in outright speed. Today, though, he showed everybody that he will get there and that he can perform. Whats even better is that the car is showing more and more reliability. The future is looking bright." ALastair Gibson, Chief Mechanic, British American Racing Test Team: "Everything is getting a lot better as the days go on. The things which are catching up with us are just small problems, but thats the same for every team Ive worked with. The important thing is that we are getting on top of them, so really, the whole thing looks very positive. Everyone is working very well together. Weve done some successful pit-stops, weve carried out some practice engine and gearbox changes in good times, and everybody is working hard - but still with smiles on their faces!"