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Heidfeld fastest at Barcelona

Nick Heidfeld led the way for BMW Sauber on the first day of the final pre-season group test at the Circuit de Catalunya on Monday.

Although the F1.09 has had a fairly low-key testing programme so far, Heidfeld's best lap of 1:20.339 saw him end the day more than half a second clear of Kimi Raikkonen.

Jarno Trulli was third quickest for Toyota, just ahead of Jenson Button.

"This morning started off with drizzly conditions but the rain quickly tailed off, giving us the chance to have a good day's work," said Trulli. "The afternoon was windier but the track surface was fine.

"The car felt well balanced from the start and we worked on several new things on the aero side which gave us positive results. We were competitive throughout the day and we collected a lot of data so this was a useful start to the test."

Button was the talking point of the day after spending much of it at the top of the timesheets.

Just four days after the former Honda Racing outfit were given the green light to continue in F1, Button was consistently fast as he made his return to the cockpit for the first time since the end of last year.

The Brawn GP car caused a few raised eyebrows up and down the pitlane too, thanks to the design of its diffuser and some aero tweaks at the front end of the car.

Nelson Piquet was fifth quickest in the Renault, finally getting some decent running after a trouble testing programme so far.

"It was a really positive day for me and nice to be able to complete so many laps on a dry track," Piquet said. "I feel a lot more comfortable in the car now and, as we didn't have any issues during the day, I could get on with the set-up programme, which taught us some interesting things about the car."

Sebastien Bourdais completed the first public running for his new Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4 to set the sixth best time

Behind seventh fastest Mark Webber in the Red Bull Racing RB5 was Adrian Sutil in the Force India, who had another productive day.

"I feel quite confident and pleased with the progress we made today," said Sutil. "129 laps is a good achievement and we got a lot more data. We simulated a race and qualifying and actually it felt good.

"We did a long run, which was very important to see how the tyres react over this distance. I feel actually much more prepared for Melbourne, but let's see tomorrow if we can improve our times as the track conditions in the morning were not ideal."

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen ended the day at the bottom of the timesheets - more than 2.6 seconds adrift of Heidfeld's best time.

Source


First day results


Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:20.339 92
2. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:20.908 80
3. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:20.937 118
4. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:21.140 82
5. Piquet Renault (B) 1:21.662 124
6. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:22.158 96
7. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.246 115
8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:22.452 127
9. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:22.813 111
10. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.948 87


Other News


Brawn GP get off to promising start

Jenson Button got the newly-formed Brawn GP off to an encouraging start by topping the times for the morning session of the group test that began at Barcelona today.

Button's fastest lap of 1:21.140 was considerably quicker than anyone else managed, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli going closest with a 1:21.85s.

While variances in fuel loads and the different testing programmes being followed from team to team mean that the times themselves are not a reliable indicator of outright performance, the reincarnated Honda outfit will still have been pleased to see the BGP 001 complete 30 laps on the opening morning of its first public outing.

Prior to today, the Brawn GP car's track time had been limited to a brief shakedown at Silverstone late last week, with the team's very future only having been secured via a buyout a day earlier.

Rubens Barrichello will drive the car for the first time when he joins the Barcelona test later this week.

Source


Toro Rosso aim for more success

Scuderia Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost is hopeful that the Italian squad will be able to enjoy similar success to last year, but he is aware they must stay realistic.

Toro Rosso scored their maiden Formula One victory last season, thanks to a dominant performance by Sebastian Vettel at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The team, formerly Minardi, enjoyed their most successful season in grand prix racing, finishing in sixth position with 39 points.

As the team unveiled their STR4 car, Tost made it clear that their goal for the season is to have similar successes, but while keeping their feet on the ground.

"Normally you go to a race to win races, but we must be realistic," Tost told reporters at Barcelona. "Last year with Sebastian Vettel, I think Sebastian himself and also the team did a fantastic job. We also had a car with which you could win races.

"This year the cars are new and we hope we are prepared as well as possible and I hope that we will have similar successes to last year."

Sebastien Bourdais completed the first proper test with the STR4 today following a shakedown at the Adrian circuit last week, covering over 80 laps.

Tost said Toro Rosso were left encouraged by the car's early signs.

"So far I must say we are quite happy with the car," he added. "The car looks nice - normally a car which looks nice is also fast. And fortunately - I don't want to say too much, but from the reliability side it looks good because Sebastien did a lot of laps.

"And also with the set-up, we have already found some new steps forward, and I am convinced that after the four days testing here in Barcelona we will go - I don't want to say 'well-prepared', but quite prepared for Melbourne.

"And for the rest, we will see. If the basis of the car is good, and it looks like that - Adrian Newey and the team at Red Bull Technology have done a very good job - then it is easier to work out on the track. If the car doesn't work well then you are struggling. And we hopefully won't."

Tost revealed that, despite the credit crunch, the Faenza-based squad will be increasing their staff this year.

"We will add staff in the design department as well as the aerodynamic department, but all the rest of the departments are quite full with people. So this is fixed so far.

"Currently in Faenza we have 178 people, and at the end of the season, beginning of 2010, I assume we will have around 250 people.

Source


Barrichello insists Senna has a future in F1

Rubens Barrichello believes fellow countryman Bruno Senna does have a future in Formula One, despite beating him to the seat alongside Jenson Button at Brawn GP.

After conceding that his huge experience in F1, having made 267 starts, was a key factor in helping him get the seat, Barrichello believes that Senna's talent will still be enough to eventually see him make it all the way to F1.

"I left a message on his answer machine. We are good friends and although we haven't talked for the past few months and it is sheer coincidence that we ended up fighting for position," Barrichello said. "I wish him all the very best, for someone who has only four years of experience he has done fantastically well.

"He has a future in F1 for sure. I haven't seen anyone just yet with the capability of having run four years in cars, and all of a sudden getting to F1 and doing so well like he did in testing. I am just lucky that at this time F1 changed a little bit and because of a lack of testing it is going to more experienced driving again - but I wish him all the very best."

Button set the fourth quickest time of today's test at Barcelona in the Brawn GP car, and after watching the development of the car over the last six months, Barrichello believes the team will be competitive in 2009 and says he only agreed to return to F1 to win races.

"I am only back to win," he said. "It has been a tough two or three years and I am not here to promise anything, but I am only here competing because I feel I have the chance to win.

"It would not be my desire to just come in and compete with something that I did not think was good just to make up the numbers. I knew what the car was coming to - the good numbers on the aerodynamics and everything made me feel that I could still compete on a higher level and go to win. So I have to dream every day to wake up and do that, and I feel that that is very, very possible.

"I must congratulate the whole team for the effort since this car was started in May/June last year. We knew aerodynamically that the car had all the potential to be strong, so today is only a good proof of that. We are delighted that the car is running reliably and I am so pleased I am going to be driving it tomorrow."

Source


Kovalainen expects to challenge for title

Heikki Kovalainen says he in going into the 2009 championship believing that he is ready to fight for the title.

"It's too early to say but, yes, I hope so," the Finn told the official Formula One website.

"As a Formula One driver you have to go into every season believing you can be world champion, otherwise there's no point being here.

"And I totally believe I go into the new season with every chance of fighting for the world championship.

"I've learned so much from last year, I think I've developed both as a person and as a driver and I know that if the car is good then I'll have every chance of fighting for wins. And if that happens, I hope it will lead me towards fighting for the title."

Kovalainen joined McLaren as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton last year, but was overshadowed by the Briton, who clinched the title while the Finn finished in distant seventh position.

Kovalainen admits he needed more time than he expected to adapt to the team, but he feels he is much more prepared this time out.

"I think I went into 2008 in a very strong frame of mind, and feeling very positive," he added. "But looking back now, maybe it took longer than I anticipated to learn about the team and how to use the people in the team to help me.

"I also put a little bit too much pressure on myself when things didn't quite go my way, and I've learned not to worry too much about that now. I want to enjoy myself when I go racing.

"I definitely feel like I've really learned more about this team and how we can work together to get better results. It's something that Lewis already knew very well and I can see how that helped him last year. Now I feel much better prepared than I did last year."

The McLaren driver reckons, however, that it is still too early to judge how competitive each team will be.

"Honestly, who knows? Everybody at McLaren Mercedes has been working so hard over the winter and we feel we have a strong package. But who knows how much everyone else has done over the winter?

"Not even a test like this, where the majority of the teams are running their '09 cars, can give a real indication. That's what makes Formula One so fascinating and unpredictable. And that's also why I can't wait to get to Melbourne to find out!"

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Busch dominates

Kurt Busch dominated the Kobalt Tools 500 but still had to work hard for victory, overtaking Carl Edwards in a green-white-chequered finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Busch led 234 laps of the 330-lap race, but his win was not without its drama.

The Penske racer was in a league of his own for most of the day but still struggled at times with the poor grip that made drivers work hard for their money at the mile-and-a-half oval.

The former Sprint Cup champion brushed the wall twice and came close to hitting it many more times while taking a very high line on the banking all afternoon. No-one else seemed to be able to run that close to the wall with such consistency and speed as Busch.

In the early running, he overcame some adversity after his crew faced problems with the refuelling of his car. He had to concede the lead during the third caution of the day after being forced to pit again so that his crew could fix the problem in order to fill up the tank of his car.

Later he had to fight to regain the lead from Jeff Gordon, who was one of only two drivers able to get close to him. The Hendrick driver needed help from his pitcrew to steal the lead away from Busch during the sixth caution of the day, but 47 laps later the order was reestablished as Busch stormed past the outside of Gordon.

Brian Vickers then put Busch under pressure in the closing stages of the race, although he never really got close enough to attempt a pass.

When it looked like everything was said and done, a caution came out just six laps from the chequered flag. Busch's crew chief Pat Tryson had to decide whether to pit for tyres or not, and he eventually elected to do so.

Vickers and Gordon followed him down pitroad changing to a new set of Goodyears, but it was Carl Edwards who emerged ahead after taking only two new tyres.

On the final restart Busch easily got by the Roush Fenway racer, with Gordon also passing Edwards for second.

"It was incredible, it was an overall team effort," said Busch after taking his 18th career win. "I had my hands full but had a great race car. Our Dodge Charger was unbelievable. Just from the get-go of the race, I knew that we had something special; it was up to me to protect it.

"I started sliding around mid-part in the race and had to get back to the old school 'race the racetrack' and don't race the competition."

Gordon felt he had a run on Busch on the final restart but the Penske driver blocked his attack, putting him to race Edwards for second. His second place finish allows him to extend his lead in the championship and showed that his team has probably overcome at last the set-up issues that hampered their season last year.

"I really thought that restart was our one shot at it." Gordon said. "[Busch] was better than us in the long run, I know the No.83 (Vickers) had some trouble or something there in the pits and I got a run on the No.2 (Busch) and he kind of turned me in the fence so I had to check up and then we were just wide open.

"I thought we had cleared the No.99 (Edwards) and then Kurt got in there a little hot, got me tight, and it was just a great race, great battle."

Edwards seemed to have the speed to contend for victory but his team's decision to go for two tyres on the last pitstop didn't quite work as expected. He complained of his team's pitbox selection - between Earnhardt's and Gordon's - as several times during the race he lost in the pits what he had earned on the track.

"Kurt had been fast all day, so I knew he was the guy to beat," Edwards said. "He was right there behind me with four tyres and I kind of felt like a sitting duck there, pun intended. We got down into turn one and he got to the outside of me and that was it, so I was fighting with Jeff there to try to get everything we could.

"Third place, considering our pit debacle down there. We were boxed in. It was just a bad pit stall selection and it didn't work out like we planned, but we made the most of it."

Kevin Harvick was fourth in the end, recovering from being two laps down at one point. He was one of several drivers to get caught a lap down when the third caution of the day came out on lap 68 when most drivers had just pitted for fuel and tyres under green, while the leader had yet to pit. Only 15 cars were on the lead lap after the leader pitted under caution.

Brian Vickers finished fifth after a delayed last pitstop put him out of contention for victory.

Jimmie Johnson, who led 11 laps during the race, had to settle for ninth ahead of Martin Truex Jr, who also led a lap and got a solid top 10 recovering from a painful Saturday with kidney stones.

Engine failures didn't cease on the Ford camp, with Travis Kvapil and Bobby Labonte both retiring with smoking Roush-Yates engines. Mike Bliss (Chevrolet) and Marcos Ambrose (Toyota) also retired with engine-related issues.

It was a tough day for the rookies as well, as both Scott Speed and Joey Logano made contact with the wall. Speed was involved in an incident with David Ragan on lap 268 and his race finished on the spot, while Logano made contact with the barrier in the closing laps, but still managed to make it to the chequered flag.

Polesitter Mark Martin hit trouble once again when a right-rear tyre blew on lap 217 causing extensive damage to his car. Although he stayed on the lead lap following the incident, he had a lenghty stop for repairs, which dropped him down to a 31st-place

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Gabriele Tarquini leads Seat domination

Gabriele Tarquini took victory for SEAT as the Spanish manufacturer utterly dominated the wet second World Touring Car race at Curitiba.

The Italian started fifth but was quickly among the BMWs and picked off Augusto Farfus, Sergio Hernandez and Andy Priaulx in the first four laps. He then dispatched pole sitter Felix Porteiro's independent BMW and romped off to an almost unchallenged victory.

His SEAT Sport teammates followed him through the crowd of BMWs and by just the eighth lap, Tarquini led from Rickard Rydell, Jordi Gene and Yvan Muller - despite BMW filling the first two rows of the grid. The SEATs remained in formation for the remainding laps to score an emphatic 1-2-3-4 in both races.

The BMWs by comparison struggled seriously for grip on the wet surface and by far the best of them was Jorg Muller, who started only 19th but was the fastest car on the track as it dried and passed every one of his teammates to finish fifth.

Farfus was sixth, ahead of Porteiro who kept Tom Coronel at bay to claim his second independent victory of the weekend. Priaulx and Hernandez dropped to ninth and 10th places after running at the front in the first few laps.

Alain Menu's Chevrolet was another to charge through the field as the circuit dried out, setting the fastest lap on his way to 11th place from 21st on the grid.

Source


Race results


Pos Driver Car Time
1. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT 27:44.649
2. Rickard Rydell SEAT +0.810
3. Jordi Gene SEAT +5.869
4. Yvan Muller SEAT +7.157
5. Jorg Muller BMW +9.916
6. Augusto Farfus BMW +11.759
7. Felix Porteiro BMW +13.721
8. Tom Coronel SEAT +14.216
9. Andy Priaulx BMW +17.682
10. Sergio Hernandez BMW +18.144
11. Alain Menu Chevrolet +19.046
12. Tiago Monteiro SEAT +23.097
13. Rob Huff Chevrolet +23.376
14. Alex Zanardi BMW +27.315
15. Nicola Larini Chevrolet +27.694
16. Frank Engstler BMW +29.859
17. Jaap van Lagen Lada +34.424
18. Kristian Poulsen BMW +35.860
19. Tom Boardman SEAT +36.601
20. Stefano D'Aste BMW +36.992
21. George Tanev BMW +48.908
22. Kirill Ladygin Lada +49.709
23. Viktor Shapovalov Lada +1:13.069

 

[subzero9285]

Latest times from Barcelona.

1. K. Räikkönen Ferrari F60 1:20.314 44 pit
2. R. Barrichello Brawn GP BGP 001 1:20.966 +0.652 57 pit
3. J. Trulli Toyota TF109 1:21.326 +1.012 54 pit
4. F. Alonso Renault R29 1:21.937 +1.623 58 pit
5. N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1.09 1:21.965 +1.651 84 pit
6. A. Sutil Force India VJM-02 1:22.141 +1.827 41 pit
7. H. Kovalainen McLaren MP4-24 1:22.328 +2.014 42 pit
8. K. Nakajima Williams FW31 1:22.381 +2.067 40 pit
9. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB5 1:22.517 +2.203 29 pit
10. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso STR4 1:23.039 +2.725 14 pit

 

[subzero9285]

Audi R15 officially launched

AUDI AG becomes the world’s first automobile manufacturer to develop a "second” generation diesel racing sports car with its new LMP1 prototype, the R15 TDI. Using their prototypes as a test-bed for automotive technology, Audi will race the R15s at Sebring and Le Mans in 2009 while additional races in the United States have yet to be confirmed.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is particularly suited for Audi's development-minded approach to racing: Efficient and economical cars are especially required for the French endurance classic. Lightweight construction, environmentally friendly drive concepts and well-thought out aerodynamics are the focus of attention at Le Mans just as they are during the development of production cars. For this purpose the regulations intentionally give the engineers plenty of freedom.

Audi Sport fully exploited this creative freedom and put a new LMP1 race car on the track that differs significantly from all previous Le Mans sports cars. "The R15 TDI has many detailed technical solutions never seen before on a sports prototype,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "To a certain extent we followed entirely new routes.”

The heart of the R15 TDI is a newly developed V10 TDI engine producing more than 600 hp, with a maximum torque output in excess of 1,050 Newton meters and which reflects the latest version of the TDI Technology invented by Audi. The power unit is more compact and lighter than the twelve-cylinder engine used in the preceding R10 TDI model. The specific fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions could also be reduced. Innovations in the turbo-charging and fuel injection areas simultaneously ensure improved engine response. The R15 TDI is also equipped with a new generation of even lighter diesel particle filters.

The new sports car’s aerodynamics, which play a particularly important role at Le Mans, are extremely refined. Like the DTM 2008 championship winning Audi A4, the airflow around and through the car was optimized with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). Included among the many innovative detail solutions which can be spotted at first glance are a rear wing suspended from the top and a high nose.

The vehicle electrical system in the Le Mans sports car is entirely new: A lithium-ion battery, as found in some hybrid vehicles, is used for the first time. It is lighter than the conventional battery and supplies a higher voltage.

The headlights fitted to the R15 TDI also benefit from the higher power. At Le Mans, Audi competes for the first time with a low beam unit comprised entirely of light emitting diodes, which represents the next generation of Audi LED technology for road cars.

Numerous innovative approaches are also hidden in the chassis and suspension of the diesel sports car. Due to the aerodynamic concept the front and rear suspension have been raised. Thanks to a longer wheelbase and the optimized vehicle weight the R15 TDI is significantly more agile than its predecessor.

Audi is the only automobile manufacturer to have won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel car. "With the R15 TDI we have created the base to be in a position to win also in 2009,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

The Audi R15 TDI celebrates its race debut in the 12-hour race in Sebring, Florida in the USA on March 21. Audi Sport Team Joest plans to field three cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13/14.

Source

 

[twinturbo2]

Keep it up, subzero!

 

[blanky]

I wonder how that drives, a diesel race car. Must be a different beast than gasoline engines. Can't wait for the start of F1 season though, the cars look great and all the changes make it interesting enough to watch it.

 

[jey_16]

the green stripes on the F1 tires look crap....and even though i would love McLaren to absolutely suck this year, i seriously doubt they are as slow as they are making out to be

probably just sandbagging and then they will come to Melbourne with all these new bits and be extremely competitive.....i hope i am wrong though

also, looks like BMW are trying out the shark fin

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Keep it up, subzero!

Ditto.


And it looks like the Brawn car is pretty nippy.

 

[subzero9285]

Update

1 4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 00:01'20''314 37
2 9 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 00:01'20''907 00:00'00''593 20
3 17 Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP 00:01'20''966 00:00'00''652 40
4 11 Jarno Trulli Toyota 00:01'21''182 00:00'00''868 29
5 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 00:01'21''937 00:00'01''623 38
6 6 Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 00:01'21''958 00:00'01''644 69
7 20 Adrian Sutil Force India 00:01'22''141 00:00'01''827 16
8 10 Mark Webber Red Bull 00:01'22''220 00:00'01''906 26
9 2 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 00:01'22''328 00:00'02''014 27
10 14 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 00:01'23''039 00:00'02''725 14

McLaren's new nose cone

A video from a few days ago.

Barcelona test

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Can't wait for the season to start! I'm happy that Brawn was able to get the team, it would have sucked to have lost another team from the grid.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Has the Mac topped the testing sheets any day this winter? I'm really surprised since they might have the most KERS experience of any team. I thought they'd have nailed this by now. That or Kov is managing to underperform, even in testing. Oh well, we won't really know much until the end of Friday practice.

subzero: You're the info wizard. When is Lewis' last test dates? I want to see what the car does in his hands, screw Kov. PEACE.

 

[subzero9285]

Has the Mac topped the testing sheets any day this winter? I'm really surprised since they might have the most KERS experience of any team. I thought they'd have nailed this by now. That or Kov is managing to underperform, even in testing. Oh well, we won't really know much until the end of Friday practice.

subzero: You're the info wizard. When is Lewis' last test dates? I want to see what the car does in his hands, screw Kov. PEACE.

Lewis is going to test in the next two days, then a further two times next week. That will be the end of testing, and the season starts a week after that.

 

[skybaby]

I don't know, Mclaren seems a bit lost. Running 2008 rear wing for the longest time and yesterday they swapped engine cover, front nose and flooring in the afternoon after they were totally off-pace in the morning, and kova still underperfomed. Trend continues today.

 

[subzero9285]

I don't know, Mclaren seems a bit lost. Running 2008 rear wing for the longest time and yesterday they swapped engine cover, front nose and flooring in the afternoon after they were totally off-pace in the morning, and kova still underperfomed. Trend continues today.

This could be a season similar to 2004 for McLaren, or they could show up at Melbourne and blow away the competition. I guess we just have to wait and see.

 

[navanman]

2 seconds off the lap times for McLaren though. Thats too much for a team like McLaren and believe it has to be hard to believe is their current true race pace.
Ferrari are looking strong as usual, can't judge the others until first race as testing pace is all over the place.

 

[The Orange]

Trulli doing good in these tests. This is his season, guys.

 

[Arhal_Katarn]

Lol i can't believe the macs are that slow although there have been many seasons where they are not competitive . Ferrari are always there but the big question is who will be closest to them in real track times. I am expecting maclaren to start off behind the reds and bmw's and get faster as the season unfolds.
It will also be a good test for Lewis to see how he does in a less then top end car.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Trulli doing good in these tests. This is his season, guys.

LOL! Trolley's problem has never been raw pace, it's what happens when you put another car on the track with him. Put someone in front of him, and he will adapt to their pace. Put someone behind him, and he becomes the widest car next to Webber...also the slowest. The only spectacle Trulli ever provides is a long line of cars behind him. Very odd for someone who clearly has natural talent in a car. PEACE.

 

[DrM]

2 seconds off the lap times for McLaren though. Thats too much for a team like McLaren and believe it has to be hard to believe is their current true race pace.
Ferrari are looking strong as usual, can't judge the others until first race as testing pace is all over the place.

They are still hiding some major components on rear end and they have 6 more testing days (4x Lewis and 2x Heikki), we will see true 2009 MP4-24 next week in Jerez (maybe even this week). Some teams are ending their winter testing season this week (Ferrari and BMW, but i can't find the source for this report).

We will see Renault, Williams, Mclaren and Brawn next week in Jerez. And some insight in Mclaren Simulator tech --> SGI

 

[subzero9285]

Raikkonen top at Barcelona

Kimi Raikkonen dominated the second day of testing at the Barcelona circuit, where all Formula One teams were again in action on Tuesday.

Ferrari driver Raikkonen posted a best time of 1:20.314 onboard the F60 to finish over half a second in front of his closest rival, Williams's Kazuki Nakajima.

Raikkonen's day, however, was cut short after a problem with the KERS cooling system. The Finn covered just 55 laps.

The Brawn GP team continued to show good form in their first public outing, with Rubens Barrichello setting the third fastest time after a total of 111 laps.

The Brazilian, who had not driven an F1 car since the end of the 2008 season, got his first taste of the BGP-001 after taking over from teammate Jenson Button.

Jarno Trulli had another solid day for Toyota, completing 121 laps on his way to the fourth quickest time of the day, ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber and BMW's Sauber Nick Heidfeld.

"Today was my last day of testing for the winter," said Trulli. "We again did a lot of laps including some interesting long runs as we finalised our preparations for Melbourne.

"It's clear we will only find out the true picture in Australia but I'm happy with our work in the course of the tests we've done. The car has been competitive and consistent so we can head into the first race with confidence. I feel ready."

Renault's Fernando Alonso had a low-key session, finishing down in eighth position.

"It was another good day for us, again covering lots of laps as we continue to get ready for the start of the season later this month," he said.

"The track conditions were good and we tried lots of things with the set-up, which has given us lots of useful data to look through tonight. We also worked on the aero and mechanical balance of the car with some interesting results. "

McLaren also had a discreet day, with Heikki Kovalainen again near the bottom of the times after 88 laps.

"We are running through a big programme in Barcelona this week," said McLaren Racing managing director Jonathan Neale. "Not only have we introduced a new series of aerodynamic components to MP4-24 but we have also been working on the car's set-up and balance over longer runs as well as rehearsing our pitstop procedures.

"It's been a very productive few days with Heikki in the car and we are hoping for an equally satisfactory conclusion to the week when Lewis takes to the track tomorrow."

The Toro Rosso team, who unveiled their new car yesterday, had a poor outing this time out, with Sebastien Bourdais managing just 14 laps before the STR4 suffered a problem with the front suspension.

The team were unable to solve it without the arrival of new parts from the factory back in Faenza.

Teammate Sebastien Buemi took over in the afternoon, but the Swiss completed only six laps, bringing Toro Rosso's total to a disappointing 20 for the whole session.

Source


Times


Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:20.314 55
2. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.907 66
3. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:20.966 111
4. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.182 121
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:21.347 66
6. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:21.615 127
7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:21.834 82
8. Alonso Renault (B) 1:21.937 111
9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.991 88
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:23.039 14
11. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) no time 6


Trulli ready to fight

Jarno Trulli believes his Toyota team are ready to take the fight to pre-season favourites Ferrari and BMW Sauber, after another encouraging run at Barcelona in Spain this week.

With the TF109 having shone since it first hit the track in early January, Trulli thinks the pace of development by Toyota leaves them on course to start the season fighting with the top teams.

When asked if he believed that the impressive long-run pace of Toyota had left him convinced he could run with Ferrari and BMW-Sauber, Trulli said: "Certainly yes, we can be there with them. Our aim is to be in the top three or four at the beginning of the season and see what we can do there."

Trulli says he has no doubts that the car Toyota have produced for 2009 is one of the most competitive he has experienced.

"We are definitely optimistic, but nevertheless only the race results will tell us the truth," he said. "All in all, this is so far one of the best cars that Toyota have so far made, so I am confident we will be right at the top with the others."

Trulli concedes, however, that the closeness of testing does make it difficult to firm up predictions prior to Melbourne.

"Well, it is difficult to get a clear idea," he said. "Ferrari are looking pretty competitive, BMW are looking competitive, and we are looking competitive. Renault are not bad as well.

"Today I was impressed by the Brawn which was straight away looking well, which is positive for F1, everybody, and I am happy for the team and everyone there as they have had such a difficult time.

"The Red Bull is looking good, the car looks good, but only the race results will tell us the truth. This will happen in Australia."

When asked for his feelings on McLaren, who have yet to make a big impression in testing, Trulli said: "The McLaren doesn't look particularly quick at the moment, but we have to admit that they are a very experienced team who can bounce back at any time.

"So as soon as they understand what is wrong, what is right, and which direction they can take, I am sure they will be back."

Source


Brawn had no choice

Ross Brawn says there was 'no choice' but for him to lead a buyout of Honda Racing, after admitting that the team would have had no Formula One future if he had not done so.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the creation of Brawn GP, the highly respected F1 figure said that he had no hesitation in taking on the challenge of being a team owner because it was the only chance the outfit had.

When asked during a media briefing at the Circuit de Catalunya if he felt he was taking a risk in getting involved in team ownership, Brawn said: "If I am frank, there were no choices.

"If the management group, because it is not just myself, had not taken this task on, there would be no team. Then all of the staff would have been made redundant. So, this gives us an opportunity.

"It wasn't a difficult choice in that respect. Things can go wrong, but we are optimistic and if we can capitalize on the performance of the car, and the car looks good, then I think the team have got a future. If the car was poor then we only have ourselves to blame."

Brawn used the opportunity of his first press conference to confirm that the management structure of the team remains unchanged despite his takeover.

"If we hadn't stayed together as a group, myself, Nick Fry, Nigel Kerr, Caroline McGrory, John Marsden, if we hadn't stayed together it would have been very difficult to achieve because there have been some very black days in trying to keep this team alive," he said. "I'm glad to say here we are and we are going to Melbourne, so it is fantastic."

Brawn also clarified that, as autosport.com reported, Fry would remain with the team.

"Nick has been a key member of the team. He retains his position as CEO and will be a vital member for the future. Nick's position hasn't changed, despite the speculation, and he has been a vital part of putting this all together."

Although the team have overcome the major hurdle in securing their short-term future, Brawn admits that longer term the outfit will need added sponsorship and investment.

He said the budget was in place for the 2009 season, but more would be needed for beyond that.

He also made it clear that the white, yellow and black colour scheme being used so far was not indicative of any sponsors they had lined up.

"It is just, how do I describe it, a benign neutral colour scheme that leaves plenty of potential for the future," he explained. "Now we have got over the first hurdle of securing the medium term of the team, we now have to look at the long term and try and find partners and sponsors to support the team.

"We are completely flexible on what we do in the future, but I hope we will have proper long term planning and proper structure for the team going forward."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Alex Lloyd will contest Indy 500

Alex Lloyd will contest the Indianapolis 500 again in a car run jointly by Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.

The 24-year-old Briton was signed by Ganassi on a long-term development deal after winning the 2007 Indy Lights title, but his only IndyCar Series start last season was when he was placed at Rahal Letterman Racing for Indy.

The Schmidt team, who were formerly IndyCar frontrunners but have only contested the Indy 500 in recent seasons, ran Lloyd in his Lights championship-winning season.

"There's just something about Indy that is so very special, and I got my first taste of that last season," Lloyd said.

"You want to go there to watch a race, you want to go there to race, you want to go there to win. I am looking forward to being able to build on what I learned last year. I think this will be a great opportunity and I plan on making the most of it."

Team owner Sam Schmidt was delighted about Lloyd's return.

"Alex is a great highlight in our team's history and remains the benchmark for drivers we evaluate today," said Schmidt. "To have the opportunity to team up with him again, on such a big stage, is fantastic, and we're all very excited."

Despite being unable to secure a full-time drive for him so far, Chip Ganassi is convinced that Lloyd has a good long-term future in the IndyCar Series.

"I've said many times before that Alex will be one of the future stars of the IndyCar Series, and for the second straight year we are able to provide him what I believe is an excellent opportunity for the month of May," he said.

Lloyd qualified 19th at Indianapolis last year and crashed out of the race.

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Gordon feels set-up issues are a thing of the past

Sprint Cup series points leader Jeff Gordon believes his team have finally turned the corner on the set-up issues that prevented them from fighting for the title last year.

The Hendrick driver has enjoyed a good start to his season, finishing twice in second place with a worst finish of thirteenth in the season-opener at Daytona.

He now leads the standings for the second week in a row after being a contender for victory at Atlanta on Sunday, where he challenged winner Kurt Busch on the final restart.

"We kind of had to settle for second," Gordon said about last weekend's race. "It was a great day for us, though. Just driving to the front, battling up front, leading laps, battling for the lead at times.

"We lost a little something there on the long runs, middle of the way on. Those guys were a little bit stronger than us. We were just settling in. But on the restarts we were real strong."

After struggling many times last year with set up issues while trying to get the right handling of the new Cup car at the intermediate tracks, Gordon believes his current trend of results prove that his team have finally gotten over those problems thanks to hard work during the winter months.

Gordon has not won a points paying race since October of 2007, but he is adamant that a victory should not be far now.

"I'm a big believer that you got to walk before you can run," Gordon says. "I think we've turned the corner. This team has really shown consistently in all four races this year that we're a team that can battle up front and for the win.

"I believe we keep doing that, we're going to win races. I think that we haven't really reached our full potential yet either. We're experimenting with something that the guys worked hard on over the off-season, the engineers, (crew chief) Steve (Letarte), all the guys on this team. It's already been paying off. We're just really early into it. I think we can only make it better.

"Of course, I want to win. We've been close. But I'm not going to say we feel like we're frustrated. We're pretty happy the way we're running."

Gordon currently leads the Sprint Cup Series driver standings, 43 points ahead of Clint Bowyer. A year ago the four-time champion was only fifteenth in the championship.

Source

 

[BakedPigeon]

Gordon will definitely win a race this season, he has been running very strong so far this season. He needs a win badly.

 

[subzero9285]

Aston Martin debuts Le Mans prototype

Given its relatively small current model line, you'd be forgiven for categorizing Aston Martin as a small automaker. But the British sportscar-maker is one of the busiest in the business. As if developing the new Rapide four-door coupe didn't demand enough resources from a company that recently went independent after years under the Ford umbrella, Aston rolled into Geneva with the new V12 Vantage, DBS Volante and One-77, while reviving its Lagonda marque with a new crossover concept. Oh, and while they were at it, they redesigned London's famous double-decker city bus.

With that much going on, most other automakers would have scrapped their racing programs - in fact, many have, and with less to show for it - but at Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England, it's full steam ahead. Not only have they developed new GT2 and GT4 versions of the V8 Vantage, but after dabbling their toes in the proverbial waters last year with partner Charouz Racing to admirable effect, they're speeding head-first into the top-level Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) category to dice it up with Audi and Peugeot in pursuit of an overall Le Mans win this year, 50 years since Aston Martin's historic victory at La Sarthe in 1959.

To that end, Aston participated in the Le Mans Series group test at the Paul Ricard track in France, opened to the public for the first time in ten years as 3,500 spectators got a view of Aston's new challenger for the first time. With a Lola chassis and V12 engine from the DBR9 (which the works team won't be fielding this year while they focus on LMP1), the new car looks the business in retro Gulf orange and blue livery and bearing the numbers 007 and 009.

We'll just have to stay tuned to see if Aston and racing partner Prodrive, both under the direction of David Richards, can translate their expertise from the GT1 category into overall victory. In the meantime, feel free to check out the hi-res images in the gallery below and the details in the press release after the jump.

Source

 

[twinturbo2]

Aston Martin needs to run that beaut in British Racing Green.

 

[zaxor0]

Small question here, does anyone know how I can watch WTCC racing in usa? Or is my only option searching on the internet?

 

[subzero9285]

Small question here, does anyone know how I can watch WTCC racing in usa? Or is my only option searching on the internet?

The internet is probably your best option.

 

[subzero9285]

Latest from Barcelona

1. F. Massa Ferrari F60 1:20.168 21 pit
2. J. Button Brawn GP BGP 001 1:20.313 +0.145 86 pit
3. F. Alonso Renault R29 1:20.863 +0.695 64 pit
4. T. Glock Toyota TF109 1:21.046 +0.878 69 pit
5. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB5 1:21.165 +0.997 49 pit
6. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.09 1:21.201 +1.033 52 pit
7. N. Rosberg Williams FW31 1:21.482 +1.314 30 pit
8. G. Fisichella Force India VJM-02 1:21.545 +1.377 51 pit
9. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR4 1:21.569 +1.401 59 pit
10. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-24 1:21.657 +1.489 49 pit

 

[hadareud]

is there a story behind McLaren being so slow or are they really that slow?

 

[subzero9285]

is there a story behind McLaren being so slow or are they really that slow?

Seems like they really are struggling, even with all the updates they added to the car in recent days. The trend continues today, even with Hamilton at the wheel.

 

[arena08]

Great work on keeping this thread alive Subzero.

 

[S. L.]

is there a story behind McLaren being so slow or are they really that slow?

yeah seems like they are struggling a bit atm, but if former seasons teached us anything it is that pre-season testing tendencies don't really mean anything once the first race starts.
so eh...

 

[jey_16]

the Brawn GP cars seem to have some pace... considering they have basically done no testing, very impressive

 

[Arhal_Katarn]

Lol if the maclaren is that slow then bbc are gonna be pissed off. All the brain dead casuals are gonna switch off if Lewis is not doing well.

 

[dejan]

1. J. Button Brawn GP BGP 01:19:127
2. F. Massa Ferrari F60 1:20.168

It's getting scary now.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

the Brawn GP cars seem to have some pace... considering they have basically done no testing, very impressive

Yep,

And if Ross Brawn is to be believed they're not running the car on fumes, it's looking good for the new season.

 

[subzero9285]

Update

1.J. Button Brawn GPBGP 001 1:19.127
2.F. Massa FerrariF60 1:20.168 +1.04127
3.T. Glock ToyotaTF109 1:20.410 +1.28388
4.F. Alonso RenaultR29 1:20.863 +1.73665
5.S. Vettel Red Bull RacingRB5 1:21.165 +2.03854
6.R. Kubica BMW SauberF1.09 1:21.201 +2.07471
7.N. Rosberg WilliamsFW31 1:21.407 +2.28036
8.G. Fisichella Force IndiaVJM-02 1:21.545 +2.41859
9.S. Buemi Toro RossoSTR41:2 1.569 +2.44272
10.L. Hamilton McLarenMP4-24 1:21.657 +2.53058

McLaren v Ferrari from a standstill

Practice starts

 

[Burai]

McLaren have no rear-end grip. James Allen's excellent blog explains exactly where they are stuggling:

http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

RC F1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiLoANg6nNY

 

[subzero9285]

RC F1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiLoANg6nNY

Awesome.

 

[Zhuk]

I am so happy for the brawn team at the moment, it is great to see that they are taking significant strides already and I hope that they can keep it up during the season with some points. It is also great to see Alonso and Renault showing how strong they are, as well as Trulli with Toyota.

I am also hoping that McClaren's poor performance in testing will be reflected at Melbourne, but even though I don't like them I do respect and admire their skill and will never underestimate them.

Honestly when they announced the rule changes last year I was disappointed, but right now things are shaping up to be the most exciting season in a long time.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Hamilton has crashed the McLaren again:

Is that Schuey on a spying mission at the rear? :lol

 

[skybaby]

Hamilton has crashed the McLaren again. :lol

The Spanish crowd at the track went crazy haha

 

[h3ro]

Better shot of Shumi! :lol (Probably trying to get a look at that new Macca floor)

That being said, McLaren are doing race pace while everyone else seems to be short stinting. We'd all be foolish to think this team was really off the pace. I won't be surprised if they're right back at the top end of the grid once we're in Oz.

I'm really worried about all the problems Ferrari have been having. This red flag also screwed up Massa's race simulation today as well. The F60 looks like it has the most sheer pace of any contender but that doesn't mean jack if you go set fastest lap and then pull over due to electronics or hydraulics failure.

 

[CurlySaysX]

Hamilton has crashed the McLaren again:

Is that Schuey on a spying mission at the rear? :lol

Hamilol!!!!
uauahuahaah...
Where are the videos of Hami crashing please.

 

[DrM]

Dennis not worried by McLaren test form (Autosport)

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis says he has no concerns about his team's apparent lack of testing pace and is certain they will be title contenders.

The 2009 McLaren-Mercedes has not been at the front in recent tests, but Dennis is confident that Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen will be among the frontrunners in Melbourne.

"Whatever performance level McLaren have today we will be a competitive racing team," he told the BBC.

"That means we will be fighting for the world championship."

"The objective is to go to Australia and be the most competitive car there, not to come out of every single test at the top of the timesheets. Testing is about a disciplined approach to making the car go faster and you have to ignore the performance of the other teams."

He added: "Whereas our main competitors are finishing testing in two days we still have the ability to test next week in Jerez. When we get to Australia that will be the first measurement of everyone's performance.

"We expect our car to go faster with every grand prix and we expect to maintain our pace to allow us to win the world championship."

McLaren have continued using a 2008 rear wing at several tests, but Dennis denied this was a sign of problems with the 2009 aerodynamic package.

"We ran the 2008 rear wing because it was more relevant in its performance to the wing that we are going to have in Australia," he said. "It doesn't mean you are lost or that you don't know what you are doing."

However he admitted that McLaren had fallen behind schedule.

"We lost some time," said Dennis. "We had a strategy for this year to leave it to the last possible moment to produce our aerodynamic package for the Australian Grand Prix.

"That in itself gave us some production challenges and we have really only started to run the car in the last day with the Australian aero package."

 

[Ghost]

Are Brawn actually fast? Wont they just be testing ultra-light to try and trick sponsors into thinking they'll actually get air time this season?

 

[h3ro]

Are Brawn actually fast? Wont they just be testing ultra-light to try and trick sponsors into thinking they'll actually get air time this season?

I wouldn't be surprised if they challenge for the top of the second tier in F1 (behind Ferrari, McLaren and BMW). They now have a powerful and reliable package with the Mercedes engine/tranny/KERS combination and Brawn knows how to put a quick and reliable car together.

 

[gutterboy44]

Does anyone know a good Fantasty F1 league site that doesn't have an entrance fee? The site I played last year was horrible. You didn't get to make any changes during the season. I have some friends who are more casual F1 watchers and it would be hard to get them to play when there is an entrance fee. Throw me a PM if you have some good links. Thanks.