Team Aon lacking straightline speed

Consistently throughout free practice and qualifying one thing was clear about the new Team Aon Ford Focus ST’s - that they are lacking in straight-line speed. After qualifying 16th and 19th respectively for Tom Chilton and series returnee Alan Morrison, the team is aware that there is lots of work to be done.

Through the speed trap at the finish line both cars are approximately six miles per hour off the pace, with this translating into poor lap times even at a circuit as short as Brands Hatch Indy. With Chilton already having praised the team’s chassis and handling, it is a significant issue which is preventing the drivers from getting the best out of the car. For comparison, the fastest times through the speed traps are averaging in the region of 124mph, with the Focus’ only achieving 118 mph at their best.

“There’s clearly a problem we need to solve with the cars so don’t judge them yet – not until those problems have been solved,” team spokesman Andy Constable told the official BTCC website.

“To be that far off proves there is something amiss. The chassis is coming along and the handling is about where both our drivers expect it to be so it’s something else and we are looking very hard into it. Whether it’s something that can be cured for tomorrow or it will have to wait we don’t know yet.”

Alan Morrison was yesterday at the wheel of a touring car for the first time in over five years, so it was understandable that he would be a bit off the pace. “He’s 6/10ths off Tom and I’m sure he’s got an idea in his mind how long it will take to get on the pace but at the moment we’re not giving him the tools to do the job,” added Constable.

Source: BTCC.net