Menorca Island News Menorca meets Formula 1 
Menorca meets Formula 1
The island of Menorca should not only be famous for its beautiful beaches, hidden coves, crystal clear waters and laid back living, it also delights those with a love for fast moving motorsports – especially the Formula 1 kind. What still seems one of Menorca’s best kept secrets, the quiet Balearic Island is home to the Real Aeroclub de Mahon airstrip which has seen champions of the likes of Lewis Hamilton add an element of high speed excitement.
The airstrip is under the care of club president Jose Villalonga and is
two kilometres long making it an ideal strip for aerodynamic and speed
testing F1 race cars. Not far away is also the better known Mahon
Airport where normal flights to Menorca bring in the island’s tourists.
Late 2007 saw a number of F1 teams utilise the airstrip for testing
including Ferrari, Mercedes McLaren and Honda. Ferrari cars of Kimi
Raikkonen, the Finnish defending driver’s champion, and Felipe Massa of
Brazil were also tested in Menorca. Another highlight was Lewis
Hamilton taking over from 2008 teammate Heikki Kovalainen on 28th
January 2008 as McLaren conducted straight line tests. The British
driver was watched by locals as he practiced manual starts and braking
with no electronic assistance.The McLaren team also travelled to the
Spanish airfield at Menorca for a two-day test in April 2008. The team
brought their driver Gary Paffett for aerodynamic tests.
Recently, the airstrip underwent repairs to enhance its safety. It’s
now faster with an ideal surface for ‘straight-line’ testing, for these
cars with their amazing horsepower. Choosing Menorca for winter testing
is, ithout a doubt, a smart move for Grand Prix teams as the island’s
holiday season runs from May to October and then comes alive with fast
and furious F1 race cars – quite a contrast!
