Menu and Larini begin testing

Alain Menu and Nicola Larini, both had their first drives in the Chevrolet Lacetti at the MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, yesterday. Since the shakedown at two weeks ago, the first Lacetti has undergone extensive workshop tests at RML. The chassis also underwent suspension testing with the aim of optimising damping and spring rates.

A second car was tested on the rig at French tyre company Michelin. Chevrolet Europe’s Motorsports Manager, Eric Nève said: “The team is right on schedule, which is always very positive in a brand new undertaking like the Chevrolet WTCC programme. But what is more is that so far there haven’t been any unpleasant surprises.”

Larini was pleased with the car after a morning’s work: “The car is a good basis to start our development work from. It is well balanced and I’m sure we’ll make some serious progress once we’re in Albacete. Here we ran with a test engine, so the real race engine we’ll have at the next test will already be a major step forward. Surprisingly enough I had no problems adapting to the right-hand drive configuration of the car, although this was the very first time in my career that I was sitting on the “wrong” side.”

Equally positive was Menu: “It was an interesting afternoon, as for me it was the first time I worked with the team. It’s difficult to get to an accurate impression of things, as the MIRA is not a real circuit, but overall things look like a solid basis. We will get a better idea where exactly we stand after the first test in Albacete in February, but today has been a good day to build relationships with all the team members.”