February 09, 2004
In a private session at the Stowe Circuit at Silverstone the Mapes-VO team ran their 2004 challenger for about 2 hours before retiring back to base, the car is reported to have run glitch free.

However it was a closed session and reportedly only a few key members of staff, and the team owners, were present.

F1VWC photographers were not present as the test was so secret.

Reports filtered through that Maple, Van Sambeek and Van Oostende were inside the circuit. However a local reporter managed to grab a quick word with Matt Hunt, who was smoking outside the Mapes-VO HQ.

When asked what he thought of the car he replied "great". Obviously he is a man of very few words - whether this is due to shyness or a speech impediment we are still unsure.