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F1: Low Expectations for New Spyker
Written by: RACER Staff   http://www.racer.com
08/08/2007 - 07:00 PM
Northamptonshire, UK
 
Toro Rosso might be in the new Spyker's reach, Gascoyne believes. (LAT Photo) ยป More Photos

Spyker's long-awaited B-spec car won't be the breakthrough the team originally envisioned, technical director Mike Gascoyne admitted.

The Dutch-owned team are the season's undisputed backmarkers so far, as Super Aguri made a significant step forward, scoring four points thanks to Takuma Sato's efforts at the Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix. Spyker cars have started from the last row on most GPs.

The heavily revised B-spec challenger was initially expected to help Spyker to fight in the midpack, but with rivals also making significant progress, Gascoyne no longer believes that to be the case.

"Aerodynamically, it's worth about three quarters of a second," he said. "Mechanically, we're expecting a good step forward. But if you look at recent Grands Prix, that only really closes the gap to Toro Rosso. But at some circuits, it will be closer.

"But rather than being a big step in itself, rather it's the first step in the process - there
will be further updates coming. We've just switched on our wind tunnel in Brackley - and that was meant to happen six to eight weeks ago, and that has limited the progress we've made with the B-spec car.

"So it's not as much of a step forward as we aimed for initially but you'll see updates coming throughout the rest of the season. And our pace of development will accelerate. It won't suddenly mean we're a point-scoring team but it's the start of the process which means by this time next year we will."

The new Spyker is set to debut at the upcoming Turkish GP.



Stay on top of the ever-changing face of sports car racing each month in RACER. Peter Brock relates how Audi and Peugeot's diesel duel at Le Mans is changing the technical landscape in our September issue, on sale now.