Timo Glock is hoping McLaren’s driver simulator is accurate.
That’s because he is relying on that data in hoping his 2012 car – the new Cosworth-powered Marussia MR01 – is fast enough to beat F1′s 107 per cent qualifying cut-off.
If not, he and rookie teammate Charles Pic could be left out of Sunday’s season opening Australian grand prix.
Some promotional running on demo Pirelli tyres aside, the MR01 sat out the entire pre-season period because it twice failed to pass one of the FIA’s mandatory crash tests.
“As it (the testing) was on the demo tyres, I can’t say much. The feeling was very good, but it’s just a feeling,” said Glock.
In addition to the Silverstone shakedown, he has done three days at the wheel of the car in the virtual world, thanks to the former Virgin team’s technology deal with McLaren.
In the McLaren simulator, German Glock said the car was fast enough to qualify for races.
“But I’m cautious,” he said, “because we do not have much experience with the simulator.”
Meanwhile, HRT is pushing to get a final shipment of components to Melbourne in order to put together a second 2012 chassis.
“If there’s a flight delay, it could be we miss P1,” Pedro de la Rosa told the BBC.
source: GMM