In the hunt: MP Motorsport Pre-season Round-Up

MP Motorsport, like the rest of their nine rivals, had their first taste of the new Formula 3 car at the Barcelona pre-season test earlier this month, and so far, the signs are positive for the Dutch outfit.

The team quietly went about their work over the three days, banking 565 laps in their three cars driven by second-year returnee Tim Tramnitz, and rookies Bruno del Pino and Alessandro Giusti.

Tramnitz finished inside of the top three in each of the afternoon sessions and was joined by his new teammates in the final segment of the test, with Giusti in P7 ahead of del Pino in eighth.

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As things wrapped up in Barcelona, their Formula 2 Team Manager Jeremy Cotterill was on hand to reflect on MP’s pre-season test.

“All fine, all has been good, no major issues, a few little hiccups, but nothing too stressful,” said Cotterill. “It's too early to say but we're relatively happy. I'd like to have been two seconds a lap quicker than we were, but I guess everybody is the same.

“But now it's a matter of having a look, going through the data, and just making a plan. I think we went through a similar thing with Formula 2 last year, so it's really the same that we've got to go through.

“So that means looking at all the aero tests that they did on Day 1, so it's going through all that data, and making plans for Australia.”

Talking through the process of adapting to a new car, Cotterill explained how intense the three days of testing have been for MP.

He explained: “There is a lot more to do because you are looking for weaknesses in the car. There are things that you need to keep your eye on, and things you’re looking for. So, for example we have new tyres, a new car, a new gearbox, so there is a lot of things.

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“You're also looking at performance and at reliability. All of these things you're trying to build into three days. We've got to get back and actually open it all up, and actually see what's going on, and hopefully everything is okay, but I think it is.”

Cotterill conceded it was “difficult” not have a look at what their rivals were doing on track, but the main things for them was focusing on themselves and sticking to their run plan.

This also involved watching over their drivers, and from what they have seen, Cotterill believes MP are well set for the upcoming season with the trio they have in their cars.

“The three of them all seem to get on well which is a good start,” Cotterill continued. “We've just been working through the program, and I think we're okay. I think we're in the hunt shall we say, it's my feeling, but we're not going to know until Qualifying in Australia.”

Tramnitz echoed those feelings when he also spoke after the test, the German feeling that MP had plenty to be confident about heading into the season, especially in dry conditions.

As did his teammate del Pino, who later said: “For sure it was positive, testing a lot of things with the new car. The rain didn't help a lot on Day 3, but it’s still quite positive.

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“We took some good feedback from the car and the tyres, and looking forward to Melbourne. I feel really good. Obviously, it's going to be a really difficult season, but I'm ready for it.”

So, what happens now? Well, with all the data collected across those 565 laps, it is back to the drawing board for MP’s engineers and mechanics. Cotterill says they have a lot to analyse before making the trip to Melbourne.

“The engineers have got to plough through all the data that we've got,” he added. “Then the mechanics have got to go through the cars with a fine-tooth comb because, when it's a new car you need to look and see, if you assume anything it will bite you. So, the cars need to be looked at in detail and then we start making a plan for Australia.”