Brad Benavides has described his post-season testing at Imola as productive, following a strong afternoon that saw him top the timesheets on Day 1. The AIX Racing driver was in fine form during the afternoon session, setting an impressive lap time of 1:33.022, which at one stage put him nearly eight-tenths clear of the rest of the field.
Reflecting on the day, Benavides said, “It was a good day all around. In the morning we had some wet running, and in the evening the track was getting drier, so the whole grid came out on their slicks.”
Disappointment over limited wet running
Despite the encouraging pace, Benavides admitted that not everything went according to plan. He was particularly disappointed with the limited time he was able to spend running in the wet conditions during the morning session. This lack of wet running was frustrating for the American driver, especially given the importance of such practice for his development.
He explained the situation candidly: “It’s a bit unfortunate that in the morning we could not run a little bit more in the wet, especially I could not because people didn’t want to drive. But all around it was a positive day. I ended it quickest, so we will see what tomorrow brings.”
To emphasise his feelings, Benavides was straightforward: he was disappointed not to have gotten more wet running in the morning, which remains an area he is keen to improve upon.
The challenge of tyre strategy
Part of the reason for the cautious approach to wet running came down to tyre management. Teams were mindful of their limited supply of wet tyres and wanted to ensure they had enough for the following day if rain returned. Benavides shed light on the delicate balancing act teams face in these situations.
He described the predicament, saying, “That’s where it’s bittersweet. It’s not like you have a crystal ball to know how much it is going to rain, and then how much you can run on the Wet tyres.”
He elaborated on how this influences decision-making during the test: “So people tend to be a bit conservative, and you never know what tomorrow brings. If it’s raining more and we end up using all our wet tyres then we cannot complete the kilometres needed for those conditions.”
With that in mind, Benavides expressed his hopes for the coming sessions, saying, “So hopefully it rains a bit more, so we can end up using all the Wet tyres. I want to drive a little bit more in the wet, because that’s what was lacking a little bit this year, we didn’t really get much wet running.”
Concentrating on race pace
Beyond the focus on wet running, Benavides revealed that much of the post-season testing has centred around improving his long-run race pace. This area had been a priority for him heading into the winter programme, and the data gathered during the sessions reflects that dedication.
He said, “We have been testing a bunch of things. At the end of the day, that’s what testing is for, to test a bunch of test items and like I have mentioned, I have been more focused on the race runs to try to improve the pace there. So I feel like to summarise up till now, it has been productive.”
Looking forward to the final day
As the testing campaign approaches its conclusion, Benavides is already thinking about how to make the most of the final day at Imola. He hopes to experience more varied track conditions to maximise his learning.
He shared, “I definitely want more wet running, and then for the track to get drier. I really want the best of both worlds, but you can never really have that. But I am definitely going to enjoy the last day of driving this car this year.” His enthusiasm for the final session is clear, and he’s keen to extract every last bit of performance and knowledge before the season ends.
