2009 Testing - March (Jerez & Barcelona)

[Scotracer]

Since there isn't anywhere to update times and the like, here we are...


Times @ 15:24 March 1st - local time

1. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB5 1:19.055 52 pit
2. F. Massa Ferrari F60 1:20.664 +1.609 41 pit
3. K. Kobayashi Toyota TF109 1:21.384 +2.329 47 pit
4. N. Rosberg Williams FW31 1:21.418 +2.363 40 pit
5. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.09 1:22.245 +3.190 42 pit
6. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R29 1:22.266 +3.211 34 pit
7. P. de la Rosa McLaren MP4-24 1:22.511 +3.456 68 pit
8. G. Fisichella Force India VJM-02 1:22.648 +3.593 19 pit

As a comparison, the fastest times from Jerez in Feb 08:

1 Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23 - 1′17.974
2 David Coulthard, Red Bull-Renault RB4 - 1′18.485
3 Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault RB4 - 1′18.628
4 Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota FW30 - 1′20.945
5 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23 - 1′19.102

Pictures

[malafunkshun]

Williams running with horns...

[Scotracer]

Final times for today

1. Sebastian Vettel 1.19:055 87
2. Felipe Massa 1.20:330 63
3. Kamui Kobayashi 1.20:699 79
4. Nico Rosberg 1.21:171 71
5. Robert Kubica 1.21:292 47
6. Giancarlo Fisichella 1.21:584 31
7. Pedro De la Rosa 1.21:831 94
8. Nelson Piquet 1.22:011 52

[joseff]

And the FW31 sidepod humps seem to have been toned down since launch.

[allan]

it feels like the Ferrari gained some weight around the sidepods..
i think they redesigned the whole backend not only the exhausts. Made it a bit higher to drive air flow towards the rear wing... what do you guys think?
the Williams is just.... beautiful!

[wesley123]

Toyota has new sidepod vanes, they look really good, i wanna see some better pics of them.

[Scotracer]

it feels like the Ferrari gained some weight around the sidepods..
i think they redesigned the whole backend not only the exhausts. Made it a bit higher to drive air flow towards the rear wing... what do you guys think?
the Williams is just.... beautiful!

Yes the sidepods have been changed. I feel they did it to get the exhaust exits within the regs. The car is quite a bit fatter now.

My personal performance measure:

1. Ferrari
2/3/4. Red Bull/Mclaren/Williams
5. BMW
6. Toyota
7. Renault
8. Force India

It will probably change though

Also, Pedro was testing 2010-spec rubber as they will have to be of a different compound (no tyre warmers and no refueling next year). BMW was testing 2010 spec tyres too.

[pliskinrob]

From Mclaren.com

Date: Sunday March 1 2009
Drivers: Pedro de la Rosa
Location: Circuito de Jerez
Track Length: 4.423km
Weather: Cloudy, with a light patter of rain at lunchtime
Track temperature: Maximum 16.1°C
Air temperature: Maximum 15.9°C
Laps run today: 94
Laps run in total at test: 94
Kilometres covered today: 416km
Kilometres covered in total at test: 416km
Best lap time today: 1m21.831 at 16:08pm
Best lap time of the test: 1m21.831

Programme: Pedro joined the test team today to evaluate compounds and casings for Bridgestone’s 2010-spec rubber. Next year’s tyres will be different as they will no longer be pre-heated in blankets and must also sustain cars running with heavier fuel-loads due to the ban on refuelling. While the team conducted some work using blankets, the prime runs were done without pre-heating, providing Bridgestone with useful data for next season. Despite the day’s session being punctuated by several red flags, the team completed 94 laps before an oil pressure sensor brought Pedro to a premature halt out on the circuit with just 10 minutes of the session remaining. Pedro said: “Running without tyre blankets makes it harder to get heat into the tyre – but that’s the objective for next year and that’s why Bridgestone will supply the teams with different compounds. We managed a lot of laps today and the work with the tyres was very positive.”

Drivers for tomorrow: Heikki Kovalainen
Duration of test: Five days (March 1-5)
Next Test: Barcelona (March 9-12)

explains the slow times that Pedro did on long runs

[axle]

LOL the VJM02 weent faster out of the box that the R29...(not counting the MP4/24 which was on 2010 rubber).

[myurr]

Interesting that McLaren are running the exhaust outlets we all presumed were for the 2008 spec wing, with the new 2009 wing. Any ideas why?

[pliskinrob]

Interesting that McLaren are running the exhaust outlets we all presumed were for the 2008 spec wing, with the new 2009 wing. Any ideas why?

In the MP4-24 thread, someone mentioned that the exausts were aimed towards the tires to heat them up, this may be why

also, Ferrari are running an older style engine cover.

[axle]

Interesting that McLaren are running the exhaust outlets we all presumed were for the 2008 spec wing, with the new 2009 wing. Any ideas why?

Maybe the presumption was wrong...

[myurr]

Interesting that McLaren are running the exhaust outlets we all presumed were for the 2008 spec wing, with the new 2009 wing. Any ideas why?

In the MP4-24 thread, someone mentioned that the exausts were aimed towards the tires to heat them up, this may be why

also, Ferrari are running an older style engine cover.

Sorry but that was referring to smaller latent heat exhausts not the main exhausts. McLaren have been running with two different main exhaust inserts depending on the rear wing they were running - I along with everyone else, I guess, assumed they'd be running the other exhaust outlets with this new wing.

[Conceptual]

Vettel with 1.2 seconds on the Ferrari..

[djos]

Vettel with 1.2 seconds on the Ferrari..

I nearly blew my load when I saw that but still we dont really know where Macca is (they where testing 2010 tyres) and who knows what fuel loads everyone was running.

Even so I suspect that all the fast times were at the end of long runs so still bode well.

Btw, how funny is it that the VJM02 was faster out of the box than the Renault!