Tough test day for Fabrizio Giovanardi

A frustrated Fabrizio Giovanardi says he needs time to get used to the latest specification of BTCC machinery, after losing almost all his dry running time at the official media day test.

The 47-year-old Italian said he and his Motorbase Performance team had planned a major change to their Ford Focus ST at Donington Park on Tuesday, but fell foul of the conditions.

Giovanardi is now hoping his last-minute team-mate Mat Jackson can gather some dry data in another test today (Thursday).

“The conditions didn’t help us because we were planning to make a big change to the car, but there wasn’t time to do that,” said Giovanardi to TouringCarTimes,

“There is a question mark about Brands Hatch. Jackson will drive the car on Thursday, and he will try what we planned to do. I hope we find something.”

The double BTCC champion is finding the newest specification of touring car very different to the Super 2000 and BTC machinery he drove for Triple Eight in his previous outings in the series.

He said: “When you want to make big changes you need time, especially with this car. Small things make the car completely different.

“It’s not like Super 2000. This is good or bad – you don’t know where you are.

“The Vectra was built around myself and the Astra was built around Yvan [Muller]. This car is built around…I don’t know who!

“Because the car is strange, to find the best set-up is tough. I need time.”