2009 F1 testing: February 10th (Update: video and pictures added)

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Felipe Massa testing the Ferrari F60 in Bahrain today

Now the run-up to the 2009 F1 season really gets under way, with major tests on three of the next four weeks. After the launch of Red Bull’s RB5 yesterday there are now seven new F1 cars in action.

The first of those starts today with F1 teams running in Jerez and Bahrain. Follow today’s F1 testing below.

Who’s testing where

Bahrain International Circuit

Ferrari and Toyota are continuing their practice from past years of heading out of Europe to do their F1 testing. BMW will be joining them too in reaping the benefits of what should be a warmer, drier climate. And with fewer cars on track, less chance of red flags interrupting the running.

Felipe Massa will begin testing for Ferrari and do the first two day’s running before Kimi Raikkonen takes over. According to the team the F60 will be running with revised front and rear wings.

Jerez, Spain

Most of the remaining teams are at the former F1 venue of Jerez. They include Red Bull, McLaren, Williams, Toro Rosso and Renault.

Mark Webber is supposed to be driving the RB5 for the first time tomorrow (Wednesday 11th), but still seemed to be limping at the new car’s launch yesterday.

Follow testing here as it happens

You can post updates on testing as it happens below and share files on the F1 Fanatic drop.io.

Video from today’s test

Pictures from today’s test

Images (C) Ferrari spa

2009 F1 testing

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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42 comments on “2009 F1 testing: February 10th (Update: video and pictures added)”

  1. read this on some blog while surfing about F1 .. 2009 F1 Drivers Lineup is Updated Again

  2. Keith, any links to find live session updates???

    1. http://f1today.nl/ is good but it’s not in English.

  3. It seems that Williams has a new engine cover

  4. Also this one has updates more frequently but it is in spanish…

    http://www.sportlifepress.com/index.php?option=com_moderatedchat&chatid=8

  5. 1. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR3 1:20.920 20

    2. H. Kovalainen McLaren MP4-24 1:24.275 +3.355 12

    3. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW31 1:24.695 +3.775 17

    4. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB5 1:26.066 +5.146 10

    5. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R29 1:29.066 +8.146 5

  6. BMW now have side pod fences with mirrors mounted on them: http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/122550

    1. They’re trying out things now! I suppose early development had put them ahead of the rest in the pack, but it would be interesting to see whether they can keep up this advantage till the end of pre-season testing…

    2. Well it’s showing, they are about 0.150 seconds ahead of ferrari at Bahrain

    3. For some reason, I feel the way BMW are shaping up, they’ll have extensive reliability (which is really important this season) but will be a little short of pace when compared to Ferrari, McLaren & RB5 (if what they’ve shown us today has anything to carry further) at Melbourne.

      BMW’s design is very basic and stable, doesn’t seem to be fast :)

  7. RB5 is right on track :)

    1. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR3 1:20.920 20
    2. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB5 1:22.397 +1.477 24
    3. H. Kovalainen McLaren MP4-24 1:23.313 +2.393 26
    4. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW31 1:24.695 +3.775 17
    5. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R29 1:29.066 +8.146 5

    1. Wonder what renault are upto?? just 5 laps and with abysmal lap times

    2. may be to another troublesome season, who knows :) I think, there’ll be nothing for Alonso to cheer up this season too!!! He is wasting his career there, with what we’ve seen today, he could well be considering a move to RBR!

  8. You never know, renault have one of the best aerodynamicists, they managed to keep up with mclaren and ferrari last year with their underperforming engine…..plus they now have formula 1’s most advanced supercomputer….to do their CFD

  9. Is Mclaren using another design for its exhaust pipes???

  10. Jerez times so far
    1 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso STR3 1:20.054, 42 laps
    2 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull RB5 1:22.397, + 2.343, 40 laps
    3 Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren MP4_24, 1:23.313, + 3.259, 34 laps
    4 Nico Hulkenberg Williams FW31, 1:24.695, + 4.641, 38 laps
    5 Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault R29, 1:29.066, + 9.012, 5 laps

    Bahrain times so far
    1 Felipe Massa Ferrari F60, 1:33.656, 38 laps
    2 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber F1.09, 1:34.397, + 0.741, 49 laps
    3 Timo Glock Toyota TF109, 1:35.324, + 1.668, 39 laps

  11. Anyone got any way of cross referencing the times set at the 2 tracks?

    For example does anyone have a fastest lap time set by the same driver in the same car at both Jerez and Shakir? By compring those 2 we could guesstimate how the teams at the 2 tracks are doing compared to each other…

    1. We could compare the lap times of those cars at both circuits last year and proportionately reduce it to this year’s times

  12. is there a site where we can see live what the drivers do at the tests?
    I want to see it

    1. Bernie is very paranoid of the web….or else we would have seen webcam views live

  13. Toyota press release:

    Bahrain Test – Day 1
    Tuesday 10 February 2009

    Location: Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
    Driver: Timo Glock
    Track length: 5.412km

    SUNNY DELIGHT
    Panasonic Toyota Racing today kicked off two weeks of scheduled testing in Bahrain. After the first test of the year was disrupted by rain in Portugal, the team has decamped to the Middle East in order to escape the harsh European winter. After a brief morning delay when the circuit was shrouded in fog, the local climate came into its own with a day of warm sunny weather. Timo Glock took full advantage, putting the TF109 through its paces and clocking up 79 laps of set-up work on the new car. Timo will return to the cockpit tomorrow as Toyota continues its preparations for the 2009 season.

    Timo Glock – Chassis TF109-01
    Best lap time: 1min 33.501s
    Position: 1st
    Total laps: 82
    “After the weather intervened during our Portugal test, this was our first real chance to give the TF109 a run in dry conditions. The fog held us up briefly at the start but it wasn’t a major problem. We did a lot of set-up work and in the end we found a good direction. The car felt quite consistent so this is already a positive sign. We got through a lot of laps so this was an encouraging start to the test.”

    Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test “This has already been a positive day and a good way to start our two weeks in Bahrain. It’s great to be here in nice weather and this circuit always has very good temperatures for a winter test. We were slightly delayed by fog early this morning but from then on we could run at significant temperatures. We did some aero work and evaluated different set-up options, learning what direction we have to take with the new car, new aero package and new tyres. We had no major problems and completed some useful work.”

    1. Looks like ferrari have a lot of competition this year…redbull, toyota, torro rosso, mclaren….and if things go my way…even Force India ;)

  14. When was the fast lap set by Glock? was it on the dying moments of the day?

    Keith, any specific details about the problem BMW were facing?

    1. Any specific problems with Renault? Why such a mean number of laps?

  15. Im going to Jerez on thursday NOT VIP THOUGH!! i wish!

    Alonso Vettel Hamilton Rosberg and Buemi are coming that day i think!
    Perfect weather here so BMW, Ferrari, and Toyota mistake!

    If anyone knows of a way to get into the paddock at Jerez pleaseeeeeee leave a reply!! thanx

  16. Circuito de Jerez
    1. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR3 1:19.660 104
    2. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB5 1:22.177 +2.517 61
    3. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW31 1:22.443 +2.783 82
    4. H. Kovalainen McLaren MP4-24 1:22.634 +2.974 60
    5. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R29 1:23.313 +3.653 35

    Bahrain International Circuit

    1. T. Glock Toyota TF109 1:33.501 82
    2. F. Massa Ferrari F60 1:33.615 +0.114 98
    3. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.09 1:33.702 +0.201 95

    1. Thanks Kike!

  17. StrFerrari4Ever
    10th February 2009, 17:53

    I know toro rosso are still running their 08 car trying out some parts for 09 but am i the only person who feels that this season they are going to be super fast and genuine contenders for both titles and wins ?

    1. I think your name gives away the source of your optimism….

      But if the RB5 is good then that’s good news for Toro Rosso.

  18. Toro Rosso press release:

    JEREZ TEST – DAY 1
    10 February 2009
    Jerez de la Frontera – 4.423 kms
    Sebastien Buemi
    Chassis: STR3- 04
    Best time: 1:19.660
    Laps: 104
    The modified version of our 2008 car, the STR3, was in action today in Jerez for what should be its final test session. Sebastien Buemi worked on set-up, suspension and on putting miles on the 2009 specification Ferrari engine. In addition, he tested a steering system being developed for the coming season.

    Our Swiss driver began the day on the Bridgestone “soft” compound tyres, but mid-morning rain meant he also got the opportunity to gain further experience on the intermediate and full wet tyres. Buemi will be back behind the wheel tomorrow.

  19. Red Bull press release:

    10 February 2009
    JEREZ TEST – Day One
    Driver: Sebastian Vettel
    Car: RB5 – 01
    Laps: 63
    Best time: 1:22.177
    Circuit length: 4.423
    Fastest lap: S. Buemi – 1:19.660

    After a preliminary shakedown yesterday, the job of getting to know RB5 and developing it for the coming season began today, once again with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel.

    The day went well, with successful runs in dry conditions, until mid-morning rain left the track wet until well into the afternoon, so that the car spent quite a bit of time in the garage.

    Tomorrow, it will be a case of one car and two drivers: Vettel is due to do the bulk of the driving over these four days, but tomorrow morning Mark Webber will get his first taste of RB5, not just to assess the car’s potential, but also to see how he feels physically in the cockpit, as he continues his remarkable recovery after breaking his leg, back in November.

  20. I’ve just posted some video from the Jerez test above – looks like Piquet had a spin! Also the session was briefly interrupted by rain.

  21. Small differences I notice!
    For sure the times in Bahrain :)

    Would be great if it’s a real measure.

  22. When Nelson spun did you see those flat spots? They’re going to be really easy to see this year if drivers lock the brakes up.

    1. Blistering’s usually much easier to spot on slicks as well.

  23. your welcome! maybe this year is going to be very competitive! I hope so!

  24. Any idea what the extension is on top of the Ferrari?

    1. It’s something they use for monitoring telemetry I think, an enhanced version of the systems they use on Grand Prix weekends.

    2. Fancy. I noticed a shorter model on top of the McLaren’s airbox too. It’s great to see the cars in action.

      Piquet had a nice spin at that oh-so-very-famous hairpin. 1997 seems like only yesterday.

  25. The “extension” on top of the Ferrari is a pitot tube, it measures air pressure, they use it to test and confirm aero configurations

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