Car impresses Villeneuve

BMW-Sauber have declared themselves happy with the first test of their 2006 car at Valencia.

The new team concluded a three-day test today after launching the new car on Tuesday, completing 430 largely trouble-free miles in the hands of Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld.

Former world champion Villeneuve got his hands on the car for the first time today and immediately hailed it an improvement on last year’s Sauber.

He said: “The car felt really good. After the first day in a new car you can tell if it will be competitive or not.

“This one felt fast and I think there is more potential in it than in the car last year. That’s very positive.”

Technical director Willy Rampf was impressed with the new car’s reliability, claiming the team “experienced very few minor technical problems”.

BMW-Sauber’s rivals were testing elsewhere in Spain this week, at Jerez where Jenson Button topped the timing sheets for the second consecutive day.

Driving an interim Honda prior to the new car’s launch next week, Button and new team-mate Rubens Barrichello claimed a one-two. Ralf Schumacher was third in the 2006 Toyota.