Mann Completes First Test of 2010
This weekend Pippa Mann completed her first test of the 2010 season, spending two days at the Firebird circuit in Arizona, Phoenix, with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. After extreme weather had delayed the test that was originally scheduled for Thursday, Mann was finally able to get out onto the track on Saturday morning, and despite the slippery conditions was determined to extract as much as possible from her time in the car.
After uncovering some issues under braking, compounded by the low track temperatures, Mann was able to clock her best run of the day just after lunch. The remainder of the afternoon was spent trying various setups on the car, and while the British driver was unable to further improve on her best lap time, she ran a consistent and productive day.
By Sunday morning the track conditions were beginning to improve and Mann was back in the car and ready to build upon Saturday’s progress. The team switched their attention from the car to the driver, as they studied Mann’s driving style in the hope they could further adapt it to the SSM Firestone Indy Lights car. Some of the techniques Mann learned during her time in World Series by Renault are very different from those needed to drive the FIL car, and she used much of the day pinpointing where she as a driver could make up some time.
Speaking about the test, Mann said: “I think these two days have been really positive, despite all the delays and the weather conditions not being ideal for us here in Phoenix! We’ve taken steps forward with the car, and I’ve also managed to make some personal progress with my driving technique to better suit the car I’m now driving. We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us before the season kicks off, but this has been a good, strong start to the year, on which we can build.”
© 2010 Salamander Motorsport
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