Friday, December 12, 2008

2009 Pre-Season Testing: Jerez Summary

Toro Rosso hopeful Sebastien Buemi ended the 3 day Jerez on top once again and the swept the top spot for all 3 days as he looks to secure a ride for 2009. Below is test summary for the participant teams.

McLaren- On day 1, McLaren test driver Gary Paffett set the third quickest time as he focused on KERS development. Pedro de la Rosa concentrated on set-up evaluation. On Day 2, Pedro de la Rosa was fourth quickest as he worked for the first time with a 2009 front wing fitted to the heavily revised MP4-23A car. The KERS equipped car is the MP4-23K. He was joined by Finn Heikki Kovalainen, who drove a MP4-23K. On Day 3, Kovalainen switched to the MP4-23A and spent the final day successfully running through tire work and aero mapping. Pedro stepped back into the MP4-23K but mileage was limited by a number of small issues with the device.

Ferrari- On day 1, Kimi Raikkonen returned to the cockpit for the first time since his demonstration run at the World Finals at Mugello last month to set the fifth quickest time. He worked on set-up and long distance evaluation of the Ferrari engine. He continued work On Day 2 investigating various set-ups on the F2008, fitted with slick tires and reduced aerodynamic downforce, as well as experimenting with a few new components aimed at next season, all this while continuing with an engine endurance program. Felipe Massa was also on hand and completed 27 laps. Third and final day of testing saw both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa on track continuing to work on finding the best set-up for the F2008, fitted with slick tires and new development components aimed at next season. Kimi also carried on with the endurance testing of the engine.

BMW-Sauber- Nick Heidfeld focused on set-up work with the suspension, as well as aerodynamic development progress for BMW Sauber on Day 1. Klien worked on KERS development. On Day 2, Robert Kubica joined testing duties and drove the car fitted with KERS for the first time. Nick Heidfeld concentrated on development work on the F1.08B-03 fitted with the conventional engine. He worked on the set-up of the car, collecting more data on the slick tires as well as the revised bodywork. On Day 3, the team continued its development work in preparation for next season. Robert Kubica and Christian Klien who replaced Heidfeld for the day worked on the mechanical set-up of the F1.08B. Both drivers also did tire evaluations for the different compounds.

Renault- On day 1, Nelson Piquet was at the wheel and continued its evaluation of the slick tires while simulating a 2009 car set-up. The team was also able to put some mileage on the engine in preparation for the three race engine rule for 2009. On Day 2, Fernando Alonso put some work in and continued with the team's program and add further miles to the car. Fernando also sampled slick tires with a car set up to best simulate 2009 settings. On Day 3, the team got through a trouble-free technical program in which Fernando Alonso concentrated on further familiarizing himself to the 2009 slick Bridgestone tires as the team evaluated some suspension
set-up options and added further mileage to various components.

Scuderia Toro Roso- Scuderia Toro Rosso continued its preparation for the 2009 season where it ran two cars and three drivers over the three day session. Both cars went out on track in the same configuration as at the previous Barcelona test, with downforce levels replicating those expected from the new aero rules for next year. Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi concentrated on set-up work, with Buemi additionally assessing various aero options. On Day 2, all 3 prospective STR drivers, Bourdais, Buemi and Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato were on hand which shaped up to be a STR speed show with all 3 drivers claiming the top 3 slots. On Day 3, it was only Buemi and Sato on hand and they were tasked with finding a good set-up on the 2009 slick tires. In addition, Buemi did some work on the braking system.

Williams- Williams F1 was at Jerez a day earlier then the other teams and they ran Dani Clos in the FW30B interim car. The team concentrated on development work of the KERS and general chassis set-up work. Kazuki Nakajima was on duty the following day ('Day 1' for the other teams) and he continued set-up work on the interim FW30B chassis. Nico Rosberg was on hand on 'Day 2' continuing 2009 development and car set-up. The FW30B modified chassis covered 540 kilometres without encountering any problems. 'Day 3' saw Williams continue its work on set-up changes, slick tires and understanding the new aerodynamic rules with Nico Rosberg.

1. Buemi 1:17.258
2. Sato 1:17.520
3. Kovalainen 1:18.049
4. Raikkonen 1:18.782
5. Massa 1:19.050
6. Alonso 1:19.319
7. Rosberg 1:19.388
8. de la Rosa 1:19.499
9. Kubica 1:19.559
10. Klien 1:19.738

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