Spyker’s technical director James Key has explained his teams absence from winter testing, informing the media that it would be too costly to build an interim car. For the 2006 season Spyker (formerly known as Midland) used Toyota engines, but after a disappointing year, the team moved to Ferrari power for the upcoming 2007 campaign. In order to test the Ferrari unit, Spyker would have to build an interim car, taking away valuable resources from the development of the 2007 challenger. However, Key is confident that the lack of testing miles will harm their progress, as they raced on Bridgestone tyres last year. Most of the testing currently being done is by teams acclimatising themselves to the new rubber of Bridgestone, who will become the sole supplier next season.
We’re not going to test before the launch of the new car, simply because the Ferrari engine installation is so different from the Toyota. It would be nice to go out and test, but we’re happy getting on with things in the factory and concentrating on the new car, so all our efforts are going in one direction. We know Bridgestone, and while the tyres will be very different, it’s not like we’re coming from Michelin. James Key.
Spyker will test their new car after it has been launched, most likely in January 2007.
