2009 Testing - March (Jerez & Barcelona)

[Keir]

... and a McLaren style wheel fairing?

I suspect not, my suspicion is that it is for gathering data as they only have it on one side.

[Shaddock]

It appears on both sides.

I think they have tested these before.

[axle]

The fairing is indeed a sensor unit...

The air inlets on the roll hoop have been there since launch.

[natef1]

http://directo.thef1.es/tests/

15:14h red Flag!! The Brawn GP of Button has not endured more and has stopped in the straight line that precedes the chicane Senna.

Anyone know if he just stopped out on track, had a failure of some sort, or worse?

[Roland Ehnström]

First hickup for Brawn, though it could also be just a fuel consumption test, running the tank dry intentionally to confirm the efficiency of the fuel pick-up system, it's always done with new cars.

[Roger the knife]

Any word yet on the problem for Button ?

[twoshots]

Alonso's put in very nice time just at the close of the day, faster than the Brawns. It gets more interesting.

[vyselegend]

Yes, 1:18.343 for FA! unexpected pace from Renault. Perhaps they were bluffing, and their supposed dog is actually a top car.

[Metar]

That time beats Ayrton Senna's pole record.

Considering both Barrichello and Alonso were both doing quali-simulations.. That's some good news for Renault. If the time was in a legally-weighing car, that might put them ahead of Toyota... Perhaps even equal with the BMW/Ferrari?

[timbo]

That time beats Ayrton Senna's pole record.

That's apples to oranges - it was different track then.
Heikki posted 1.17:9xx last year.

[pipex]

Hopefully now Briatore will shut up and stop bitching about other cars...

[Metar]

Actually, yeah - I should've remembered that.

But still an awesome time - completely unexpected..

[Scotracer]

I'd wait until tomorrow to see if Brawn do a balls-out run.

[myurr]

Hopefully now Briatore will shut up and stop bitching about other cars...

Not a chance. Ferrari and Renault, at the very least, are both likely to protest the diffusers on the Williams, Toyota and Brawn. I'd suspect McLaren to protest as well, despite the connection to Brawn.

And as I posted on the other thread I do have a sneaky suspicion, with no evidence for it what-so-ever, that Renault have done a deliberately underweight run to see if they could match the Brawn. Perhaps trying to work out their own relative pace, quantify how much Brawn were underweight (as Renault have been rumoured to suspect), or gather evidence for the FIA as to how much of an advantage the 'illegal' diffusers are giving.

Could be wrong and they really are the number one car to beat.

[Conceptual]

Oooh... Drama!

Alonso fastest infront of his home crowd... Who didn't see that coming?