APRIL 26, 2007

McLaren men take to life in Menorca

McLaren's visit to the holiday island of Menorca is proving to be popular with the troops and we hear that several of the team are now considering returning to the islands with their families, which will certainly please the locals who came up with the idea of allowing F1 cars to test on the 1.1-mile long airfield at San Luis. The team's aerodynamic tests at the airfield are obviously of much importance as there is a much larger testing crew on hand than normal and while the track is a little dusty and has a few bumps, it seems that the team has generally given the facility a thumbs up and will back later in the year. It is currently not certain whether McLaren has exclusivity to use the runway or whether other teams will be allowed to buy time as well. The venue is, by all accounts, quite efficient as a test on Menorca can be linked to testing in Barcelona, which just an overnight ferry ride to the island. The test team in action in Menorca this week will be in Barcelona next week, thus maximising the running while minimising the costs.