Marc Gené was the BMW WilliamsF1 Team's sole representative yesterday as the team began its final preparations for the forthcoming San Marino Grand Prix.  It was a chilly 0°C when the BMW WilliamsF1 Team arrived at the "Paul Ricard Circuit" near Le Castellet, France, this morning. Thankfully, however, conditions improved with temperatures eventually reaching 17°C, while the high wind that caused problems at last month's test abated, and the programme continued in bright sunshine.

In the morning Marc worked on set-ups before switching to tyre evaluations in the afternoon. In all, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team's official test and reserve driver tried four different constructions and six different compounds. Marc completed 108 laps, setting a best time of 1:08.806.

Tim Newton (Test Team Manager, WilliamsF1): “Today Marc was our sole runner in the FW26. During our first day of testing at the Paul Ricard Circuit, we concentrated on set-up work and tyre compound evaluations with Michelin in preparation for the forthcoming San Marino Grand Prix."

Today, Antonio Pizzonia will take over testing duties.