Brawn GP Takes to Track for First Official Test
The Brawn GP Formula One Team’s 2009 car, the BGP 001, made its full track debut at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain Monday following an initial shakedown at Silverstone, UK on 6 March.
Taking to the track to participate in the group test session, the BGP 001 showed encouraging reliability and pace as the team intensifies its preparations for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March. With only seven days of testing between now and the first race, the team’s test programme has been carefully planned to ensure a balance between reliability checks and improving the overall performance of the car.
Driving responsibilities over the four-day test will be shared by the team’s race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. After shaking down the car at Silverstone, Jenson had the opportunity to evaluate the car on a full Grand Prix circuit for the first time today. In addition to completing a reliability and set-up programme with the new chassis, he worked through new tyre evaluations using the Bridgestone Potenza slicks and completed a race start simulation.
Jenson completed 82 laps over the course of the day and set the fourth fastest time overall. Team-mate Rubens will join the Brawn GP team in Barcelona tomorrow to take over the BGP 001 car from Jenson.
Jenson Button: “It has been a good first day in the BGP 001 with our new team, Brawn GP. I’d like to start by thanking everyone at the team for all the hard work that has contributed to getting us here today. We have enjoyed a positive opening day of running at our first test and achieved a total of 82 laps, which we are all very pleased with.
We did experience a problem with the gearbox late in the day but we knew we might face some reliability issues in view of our lack of testing. Fortunately, it’s a minor problem that is easily addressed. It’s early days yet but generally it has been a positive start to our pre-season preparations.”
RESULTS (All times are unofficial)
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:20.338 96
2. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:20.908 81
3. Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:20.937 121
4. Jenson Button Brawn GP 1:21.140 82
5. Nelson Piquet Renault 1:21.662 126
6. Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 1:22.158 86
7. Mark Webber Red Bull 1:22.246 117
8. Adrian Sutil Force India 1:22.452 129
9. Kazuki Nakajima Williams 1:22.813 111
10. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 1:22.948 90
4th place and 82 laps for a car that never saw the track before is a tremendous achievement! AND you know the drivers are on strict orders not to break the car as it’s probably a one of a kind.
This has to be a far better result than even Ross could have imagined.
It’s a damn sight better than I ever imagined.
On the other hand all the other drivers are on a “don’t break it edict,” Ferrari and the Silver Bullets may be a second or more quicker than they are showing.