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Thursday, 12th October 2006

Ernesto Viso completed his first run in an F1 car in soaking conditions at Silverstone, getting a feel for the Spyker-Toyota he will pilot at the Brazilian GP, if not the additional power that the car brings over his regular 2006 mount.

Ernesto Viso completed his first run in a Formula One car in soaking conditions at Silverstone on Wednesday, getting a feel for the Spyker-Toyota he will pilot in Friday practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix, if not the additional power that the car brings over his regular GP2 Series mount.

Having confirmed to Crash.net that completing the necessary 300km superlicence requirement wasn't a priority - apparently the Venezuelan has already been granted the mandatory paperwork for Interlagos - Viso admitted that the day was primarily about giving him seat time before his debut in Brazil next weekend. The British weather, however, did its best to scupper any meaningful running, with persistent downpours leaving much of the track and surrounding area under water.

Just 15 laps were possible during the morning, before torrential rain forced the Spyker team - and the Renault crew running Nelson Piquet Jr and its latest-spec engine on the same Stowe circuit - to take shelter and seek an early lunch. Viso ventured out after the lengthy hiatus to complete some practice starts, but every time he reached for his crash helmet, the conditions appeared to worsen.

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Despite the limited running, which will leave him playing catch-up in the early part of next Friday's first session, the 21-year old remained positive about both his first outing and the task ahead at the final F1 round of the year.

"I really enjoyed my first time at the wheel of a Formula One car, even though the wet conditions limited my running time and dictated my programme," he admitted, "The performance of these cars is phenomenal – particularly the braking.

"However, I was pleased that I was able to adapt quickly and get into a comfort zone in the wet. It was also good to get to know the team and work with a number of the crew who will be in Brazil. The test crew have been fantastic and really worked hard - they weren't scared of getting wet to keep sending me back out."

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