Ferrari, Toyota and BMW remain in Bahrain this week, continuing their preparations for the 2009 F1 season and no doubt hoping to avoid any more sandstorms.
Follow the developments in today’s F1 testing below.
Today Kimi Raikkonen is testing for Ferrari at Bahrain, Christian Klien for BMW and Jarno Trulli for Toyota.
These are some of the sites we having been using to follow lap times:
http://f1today.nl/
http://www.sportlifepress.com/index.php?option=com_moderatedchat&chatid=8
http://www.msfree.gr/4675/2009-02-10/Live-dokimes-F1:-10-febrouariou
If you’ve got images or video to share you can upload them to the F1 Fanatic drop.io.
Pictures from today’s test
2009 F1 testing
- 2009 F1 testing: February 11th (Update: pictures added)
- 2009 F1 testing: February 10th (Update: video and pictures added)
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 24th
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 23rd (Update: Pictures added)
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 22nd (Update: new video and pictures added)
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 21st (Update: video and pictures added)
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 20th (pictures and video)
- 2009 F1 testing notes: January 19th (pictures)
Images (C) Ferrari spa
Ash
16th February 2009, 13:55
Looks like the Ferrari and Kimi have the pace, with Kimi topping two practice’s , will the Ferrari be dominent in the hot weather again..? Kimi is delighted with the car, and i feel this is his season! The Red Bull also looks quick as does the Mclaren, what has happened to the Hyped-Up BMW Sauber..? Hmm, maybe their not so confident anymore!
Filipe
16th February 2009, 15:59
Well, Klien did the best Bahrain lap yet this morning, so I guess Mario Thiesen ain’t losing any sleep.
Jasper
16th February 2009, 13:58
Probably too early to say for sure what the early pecking order is, but when you put together an overall list of the fastest times at the two tests last week, it makes for some interesting reading…
Testing times from Bahrain (Overall)
1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m33.350s
2. TRULLI Toyota 1m33.429s
3. GLOCK Toyota 1m33.501s
4. MASSA Ferrari 1m33.615s
5. KLIEN BMW 1m33.666s
3. KUBICA BMW 1m33.702s
Testing times from Jerez (Overall)
1. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m17.472s (2008 car)
2. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m17.591s (2008 car)
3. HAMILTON McLaren 1m19.632s (2008 Rear wing)
4. ALONSO Renault 1m19.846s
5. VETTEL Red Bull 1m20.738s
6. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m20.799s (2008 Rear wing)
7. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m20.898s
8. ROSBERG Williams 1m21.217s
9. WEBBER Red Bull 1m21.313s
10. PIQUET Renault 1m21.908s
11. HULKENBERG Williams 1m22.443s
Obviously you have to take into account the fuel loads and weather conditions on the individual days, but just by looking at the fastest times. You can conclude that at Bahrain how closely matched the pace is of the Ferrari, Toyota and BMW.
In Jerez you have to bear in mind that obviously Toro Rosso was running a 2008 car for both drivers and also that Mclaren’s 2009 car had an advantage by running with a 2008 rear wing. Makes you wonder why they are running with a 2008 rear wing at this stage? On the first day of the Jerez test they ran the ‘09 rear wing and the car was slower than the Williams and Red Bull? So that means that of the fully-fledged ‘09 cars Alonso’s Renault was 0.892 faster than Vettel’s Red Bull. Which is something of surprise considering that Renault seemed to be struggling to get any speed out of their car!
What does everyone else think?
Chaz
16th February 2009, 14:19
Does anybody know if McLaren are still running the old back wing and if so what could possibly be the benefit of this?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
16th February 2009, 14:20
Cool thanks for that Jasper.
Odd that McLaren have been using the ’08 rear wing. They justified it saying it simulated future downforce levels, so presumably they’ve got some upgrade coming for the car which they reckon is going to improve the aero considerably?
S Hughes
16th February 2009, 14:24
I have to say, I am concerned about the McLaren rear wing. Very concerned.
roser
16th February 2009, 15:40
Pedro said that they wanted to have “a reference point” and also to increase downforce.
To Jasper: ALO was heaver than HAM, but it was just testing…
Ash
16th February 2009, 17:22
I will change my first point, Klien set the fastest time of the day, but he was testing Aero Packages, while Raikkonen was evaluating different setups, i think the setup he used on his last test may be the bets one ;)
Even still i feel the Ferrari still has an uncomprimising Package overall, and even though the BMW Sauber started development before, i feel they will still not have the pace of the Ferrari’s or Mclaren’s.
Red Bull for a Win anyone..?
Ian Bryant
16th February 2009, 19:26
Macca’s rear wing is a strange one. Will they be changing design heavily to a Toyota/Williams diffuser, possibly with some RB5 endplate inspiration? Or they could just be struggling with it altogether, or the one I have to say I hope isn’t the case, are they planning something very unique that they don’t wish to show until late in the testing season to avoid early replication? Time will tell I guess, when is the Barca test?
sajonaraman
16th February 2009, 21:37
The McLaren rear wing is a mistery indeed. What concerns me is also a lack of improvement on the square front wing design from Sauber. I mean is this really the best shape? Simply by looking at it you just know there’s something missing here. Or maybe I just got used to the “complicated” 2008 design?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
16th February 2009, 21:45
Press release from BMW:
February 16th – 19th 2009
Week two / Day one – Monday
Weather conditions: Sunny all day.
Temperature:
Air: 20 – 28 °C,
Track: 22 – 35 °C
Number of drivers participating: 3 from 3 teams
Fastest lap overall: Christian Klien (BMW Sauber F1 Team) 1:32.544 min
Circuit length: 5.412 km
Christian Klien
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.09-02 / BMW 86/9
Test kilometres today: 709 (131 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:32.544 min
Programme:
On the first of this week’s four days of testing in Bahrain the BMW Sauber F1.09 completed a total of 709 kms (131 laps). In perfect weather conditions Christian Klien worked on the mechanical and aero set-up of the car, as well as trying different tyre compounds. He concluded today’s session by doing several start simulations.
“Today was a very productive day”, Klien said. “We collected a lot of data and I even did a long run at the end of the session. Again we didn’t have a single technical problem, which is very encouraging.”
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
16th February 2009, 21:47
Unofficial times from Bahrain:
1. Christian Klien, BMW – 1:32.544, 131 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 1:32.804, 116 laps
3. Jarno Trulli, Toyota – 1:33.064, 141 laps
Chris Reynolds
17th February 2009, 1:52
I would have to say that I love the Renault this season, the color scheme and nose just flat go together. Alonzo is hard at it, pushing early as usual. The rear wing is almost comical on the F ’09’s. No wonder The boys over at McLaren are using the ’08 version!! I bet no one likes that itty bitty yellow polka dot…. Sorry I got carried away :-) That next to nothing rear wing can do little at best. With the tyre packages and down force at a minimum I wonder what has been traded off? I haven’t seen or heard any comments about the draft effect or lack-there-of. Anyone know what traffic and the new cars will have to show us?
Alex
17th February 2009, 7:56
Nice one Jasper
Go Alonso…
GeorgeK
17th February 2009, 17:51
I thought Ferrari were going to extend the length of their exhaust outlets? Compare the Ferrari’s to Mac’s or any other car and they look substantially shorter.
Or am I missing something?
f1dv
22nd February 2009, 15:40
During the four day, three teams alternately record the best time. And for that four days also, the time difference between the third new car is never more than a range of 0.5 seconds.
BMW-Sauber was fastest on the first day, then Ferrari, and then Toyota, then Ferrari again on the last day. Felipe Massa recorded the best time trials on the closing day, with a record 1 minute and 32,162 seconds. But, the car Ferrari F60 only go up to 0.1 seconds better than the BMW F1.09 driven by Nick Heidfeld.