Alessandro Zanardi reckons the new brake system developed by BMW is a ‘100% success’ as he feels much better using it after the ‘Roar Before The Rolex 24’ test.
BMW brought a new brake system to its GT car especially for Zanardi where the Italian wouldn’t have to use his prosthetic legs anymore to reach to the brake pedal and apply the brakes to either slow down or stop the car.
With the new system, Zanardi can use his hands instead to apply the brakes. With few issues aside, he feels the new system is a ‘100% success’. “Physically speaking it’s incomparable,” said Zanardi, when asked about the physical benefits it brings.
“It’s like night and day compared to what I was doing before. So yes, it helps far more than we expected when we started to investigate solutions to follow that direction. So yes, from that point of view it’s 100 percent a success.
“Still I think for me to negotiate the things, some of the actions that I have to do, I am still a student. And I hope I can learn some more but I will have 24-hours of time to go through my mental data and to try to develop the right technique.”
Zanardi tested the #24 BMW M8 GTE along with his teammates John Edwards, Jesse Krohn and Chaz Mostert as they prepare for the Daytona 24 Hours race scheduled for January 26-27 weekend at Daytona International Circuit in USA.
Talking about the event, Zanardi said: “Daytona is a race that, when I was racing in the United States, many of my colleagues and rivals were engaged in as its dates never clashed with any of the Indycar championship races because it is very early in the season.
“I never had the opportunity for some reason to have a taste of it myself but hearing my colleagues talking about the event, how great it is, their excitement, what they had to say about it, got me very curious about it and it was a really long, long time ago when I said: down the road, sooner or later, I want to be at Daytona.
“So to finally have the opportunity to go there, not only just to be part of it but to go there with a very competitive machine, to represent BMW to the best of my ability as a driver and as a brand ambassador, it’s fantastic.
“Now I can’t wait to finally start the 24-hour race weekend.” Even with all the tests and simulator work, Zanardi stressed that no one is prepared to the full but the Italian feels good after Roar especially working with his teammates. “These guys are terrific.
“Jesse, Chaz and John are very, very talented drivers, very professional and it’s fantastic and also very helpful to be in such a team, because to be in a team with those drivers is a huge plus [and] it is inevitable to feel [the] pressure.
“[It is also] because I would really like to perform at their level and on top of my personal problems, my age and whatever, it’s a question of their talent knowing the car the way they do. I will try my best but so far so good. I’m not so far behind, actually,” he said.
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