FIA post-race press conference - Australia

1. Jenson Button (Brawn GP), 1h34m15.784s; 2. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP), 1h34m16.591s; 3. Jarno Trulli (Toyota), 1h34m17.388s

Q: Jenson, mayhem in front of you perhaps and certainly the mayhem behind you showed how much things could have gone wrong for you today. But from where we sat it looked like a beautiful day at the races.
Jenson Button: I think it always looks easier than it is. The first few laps of the race were great for me and I could settle into a pace, but then when the safety car came out I struggled massively to get heat into the tyres. The car was hitting the ground and just before the safety car pulled in I flat-spotted the tyre pretty severely. I was struggling quite a bit with vibration and with the poor light as well. Being in the front it should be easy, but it was not easy at all. I tell you that. But an amazing day. Some people might say it is a pity it finished under the safety car, but I don’t care. I won the race today and that is all I care about. I have got to say a massive thank you to everyone for this. It has been a traumatic few months for all of us, as I have said already, but I can’t put it out there how tough it has been, so I have got to say thank you to the whole team. But also to my family for being so strong as it has been difficult.

Q: Rubens, backing up the team performance with a brilliant second place proving the car is not only quick but also incredibly strong.
Rubens Barrichello: It is strong, very strong. I was hit from behind and I hit someone in front. It was a tough race and as Jenson just said, it wasn’t an easy race, but for me I never thought I could finish on the podium after the start. I hit anti-stall, so the car went into neutral. I recovered quite quickly but then I lost a lot of pace compared to people and I was hit from behind from a McLaren and that put me sideways and I hit someone really hard. I thought the car was done from that crash but I survived quite well, but on my first stint my nose was falling apart and I lost the braking stability when I hit Kimi as well. He closed the door and I couldn’t avoid him. I had a lot of mixed emotions during the race, but it was fantastic. I started second but could only hope for one better but after the start I am delighted to be here with the second place.

Q: Jarno, in some respects starting from the pit lane was the best place to start, given what happened at the first corner.
Jarno Trulli: Well, after yesterday’s disappointment this was a great day, especially for my team. I started from the pit and I was lucky enough to get away from the first corner accident. From that time on I was just pushing, pushing, pushing really hard because the car was good. This is a great result and especially I would like to thank my Panasonic Toyota team because they have made a lot of effort and this result is entirely down to them as they have done a god job over the winter time to give me a fantastic car, so after yesterday we bounced back today to show that we are doing things the right way.

Q: Jenson, you said the light was getting bad and the temperature was dropping and after your second pit stop you are emerging on the softer of the two Bridgestone tyres and the pressure is on with Robert Kubica on the hard tyre.
JB: You know, I really made a mistake in my pit stop and it was frustrating. I was in second gear when I came into the box and the neutral didn’t work. It only works in first gear but I was just confused with Massa in front and that lost us a hell of a lot of time, so they just about got the nozzle on after they had done the tyres. That cost me five or six seconds which was a mistake but the good thing was we came out on top anyway with that. There is something to come from me and something to come from the team as well. I made it difficult for us today but we got there.

Q: What were the conditions like right at the end with the shade and the drop in temperatures?
JB: It was really difficult. It is strange for such an open circuit, you could not see the exit of the corners at all. I used a visor that was slightly tinted and that was the correct thing to do. But with the glare from the sun and the change in light from the trees it was so difficult. It was so easy to put a wheel wrong and the problem was the bad light was always on the most difficult corners, so it made it tough and on the prime tyre also we were struggling for heat. I just couldn’t get any heat in the tyres in the second stint.

Q: Rubens, you said that you started second. Explain what happened at the start.
RB: Well, revs are on and my car moved and stopped and that’s when I hit anti-stall. Anti-stall is a protection from the engine that you have. You jump into neutral if you don’t have the right revs. I went on the inside but the McLaren, I don’t know who, I hit it really fast on my back and then I hit the other car which was a Red Bull or Toro Rosso. It was a fairly big hit and I thought my race was over, but one thing we can say is that with the crash if people think that our car is only good because of the diffuser, well, that big hit from behind broke the diffuser completely. The car was very strong after that. It didn’t have a fantastic pace as the temperature dropped but it had a pace, so still a good car after all.

Q: Jarno, a brilliant race from the pit lane but your race really came alive in those closing stages when on lap 56 Robert Kubica attacked Sebastian Vettel with Vettel on the soft tyre and Robert on the harder tyre and I think you going through the debris after this.
JT: Well, there have been a lot of things going on during this race. Mainly I was trying to push as hard as possible in order to catch up. I made a lot of overtaking during the whole race, at the beginning of the session as well as in the middle and in the end. I didn’t know what was going on as my only target was to push as hard as possible to finish as high as possible and somehow I was lucky but once again I have to thank the team as we had a fantastic car, so I could do it.

Q: Jenson, at the 1954 French Grand Prix Juan Manuel Fangio led a one-two for Mercedes. That was the last time a team making its debut had a one-two finish. You did that today with a Mercedes engine behind you. Your emotions and your thoughts at the end of this momentous occasion?
JB: It is not just for me, but for the whole team. This is a fairy tale ending really to the first race of our career together and I hope that we can continue this way and I know we are going to fight to keep this car competitive and with the limited resources we have to keep it at the front. The whole team has done a good job and this has got to continue as this is where I think we deserve to be and we have worked very hard for this. So thank you very much to the team and bring on Malaysia.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Jenson, someone is going to pinch you in a moment and you are going to wake up.
JB: I said on the radio to my engineer ‘can you please pinch me next time round.’ It was at the start of the race after five laps when I had a five second lead or something, but yes, a special moment.

Q: Can you believe being on pole in a brand new car and now winning as well?
JB: Yeah, I mean Rubens made it sort of easy for me on the first timed lap when I was able to pull out four or five seconds in the first couple of laps. That was nice and I just settled into a nice rhythm. I was keeping Vettel’s times in check, just knowing what he was doing and just trying to pace myself. It was all looking reasonably good and then we got the first safety car and I massively struggled to get heat into the tyres. That is something we have not had an issue with before, but I was really struggling with the car bottoming and when I braked to start again when the safety car came in I locked the front left up and had a massive flat spot. It made the next stint very difficult, especially with the poor light, as I couldn’t see any of the corner exits and we were able to plough on and still put reasonably good lap times in. On my last stop I overshot the box a little bit and they couldn’t get the hose on for about four or five seconds, so that lost us more time. It wasn’t my best race I must say but I still won, so I am chuffed to bits. I know there is more room for improvement from myself and from team which is the exciting thing. I think it is just being out of practice for so long and not doing that much testing over the winter.

Q: What about that final stint and especially with Robert Kubica on the harder tyres?
JB: I actually wasn’t worried. I knew when I came out in front of Vettel that I would be fine as I knew that we could look after the tyre. The thing with the last stint was not to push and try and see what was the best time I could do. I was purposely driving very slowly for what pace I think we could do to look after the tyres. I wasn’t turning in aggressively to any corners. I think I could have been in the mid 1.28‘s but we were taking an easy route to stop the graining because as soon as that graining starts you see what happens as Vettel lost a massive amount of time behind me and I was able to just plough on doing my mid 1.29’s when he was in the 1.30’s, so I wasn’t worried once I was out in front of Vettel and I knew we could bring it home from there.

Q: And your thoughts about Ross Brawn and everything he has done?
JB: You don’t find Ross speechless very often but the last 15 minutes I would be surprised if he said a word. When we saw him when we went up to the podium he had nothing to say. The big bear was just there speechless. It was good to see as it was a very emotional day for him as it is for us as well.

Q: And in one week’s time Malaysia?
JB: I’m all for it. I cannot wait. It is a circuit I really enjoy and hopefully we can iron out some of the problems we had here. It is going to be a good race I think. It is never as easy as you think it is going to be and today was reasonably tough and the pace of Vettel was pretty strong. And with the safety cars it does mix up everything. Fair play to Rubens and Jarno, they did a great job to finish second and third. Some of it I am sure was the safety car and it makes it tough. Even though I am on pole, in first position, it is still not an easy place to be.

Q: Rubens, well done to you too. Again, I’m sure you couldn’t have imagined this result.
RB: Well, after putting the car into second place yesterday I was hoping that we could finish first and second but right after the start, like a milli-second after the start, I never really thought we could have imagined to finish first and second. It was a tough afternoon but I had a lot of adventure there. There was a lot of overtaking. I think I kept some of the guys awake in Brazil. It was three o’ clock in the morning, so I think they had reasons to keep awake. I’m pleased. My afternoon was great in a difficult car, let’s put it that way, because some of the bits were broken. We could see a drop in performance in terms of aerodynamics, when I was hit from behind by the McLaren, and then I hit someone on the side because of that. I had to change the nose, I had a difficult pit stop as well. There was no one to blame. We had 1500 kilometers (testing) each, one day for the mechanics to get used to things. They didn’t have a lot of sleep before they came here, so it’s all a dream really, to say that we finished first and second for a new team. It was funny to see Ross that way, not even at Ferrari did I see him like that. It looked like it was his first win, so it was really amazing.

Q: What about that very late second stop? It really was right at the end.
RB: Yeah, I think the team was trying to capitalise on the problems that we went through and made it as long as possible. We knew that the softer of the two tyres could have some graining issues, so with the small problems that I had driving the car, I was very happy to keep the pace with the guys in front on three stops. And then I had a fantastic car when I put on the softer tyres, even though there were some bits missing it was a good car to drive. But I was looking after it and all of a sudden I heard on the radio ‘crash, crash, crash. Be careful.’ And then I saw the two cars going off the track and it gave me second position which was great.

Q: Jarno, I get the feeling that you’re just a little frustrated. Maybe there’s the thought of what could have been if you hadn’t started from the pit lane?
JT: Well, many things happened this weekend, plenty of emotion, some highs, some lows, so it’s difficult to say if you’re happy or not. At the moment, I’m not completely happy with myself because I could have done well, but on the other hand if you look at the result we have all done a great job after the big disappointment of yesterday, we proved that our car has nothing to do in terms of competitiveness regarding the little details which we have been disqualified for. On the other hand, qualifying yesterday went pretty badly. It was the only time when the car felt pretty bad and I don’t know why. On top of that I’ve been struggling all weekend with brakes, so all I had to do today was completely change the brakes to a different material, different things, something I never ran with this weekend. With all the experience I have, I didn’t think about it, I just went flat out, out of the pit lane. It was lacking at some stages of the race, at the beginning, because I gained a couple of positions because of crashes. On the other hand, I don’t know if the TV showed them but I did some great moves and overtaking at the beginning of the race, in the middle of the race as well as at the end of the race. So I was a little bit unlucky because at one stage I fell behind Fisichella who was massively slower than me, something like one and a half seconds and I spent a lot of time, a lot of laps behind him which cost me so much track time. So I don’t know if I could have finished higher but anyway, all I want to say is thanks to the team, because the Panasonic Toyota team has done a great job over the winter and especially after yesterday’s disappointment, it’s a great way to hit back.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Mark Fogarty – Auto Action) Jenson, two things. Firstly, now that you’ve finally got that second win, any chance of shaving off the beard?
JB: I quite like it and my girlfriend likes it and that’s what matters to me, Fogarty!

Q: (Mark Fogarty – Auto Action) On the strength of today’s performance, is it now a realistic prospect that the World Championship could be a two horse race between you and Rubens? Is this a modern version of Senna versus Prost in ’88?
JB: I hope it is. I hope that we are quick all season and I hope that we have an advantage all season, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I think that you’re right, that we’re both going to be very competitive and pushing each other very hard if you look at the last few years that we’ve been team-mates. But I have a feeling that other teams are going to be on us very quickly, and when we get to a different type of circuit, maybe in Malaysia, some other cars which weren’t so competitive here will be. Vettel’s pace surprised me a little bit. I didn’t think they were quite as quick as they were today when we watched them in practice but their pace seemed to be good. So it’s not a walkaway victory for sure, and it’s never going to be easy for us over the next few races, but you’re right that we will be competitive together and we’re both in the same position here with a good car, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be fighting at the front.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Sport Auto) Rubens, what happened at the start?
RB: I hit the anti-stall. I don’t know why. I have to go through the data-logging to see what happened but basically when the car first moved, it hit anti-stall and then it was into neutral and so I had to recover and get the clutch back on and go. When you do that, you use a lot of throttle and there was a lot of wheelspin, so I lost a lot. And then you saw that I got to the first corner and I went on the inside of someone - I could definitely manage to stop, I wasn’t going to hit anyone – and the McLaren came up far too fast behind me and threw me into the side of a Red Bull, and as I said before, I thought that that was it for the race. Fortunately the car is very strong and kept me going.

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Jenson, you’ve scored more points in one race today than you have in the past two years. Does that pretty much sum up how bad the past two years have been?
JB: The past two years put together? Yes, it does really. It’s quite true. That’s pretty rubbish isn’t it? Wow! Yeah, it does. The last two years have been very tough, for both of us. To drive that car we had last season, it was a handful. Every corner we got to we didn’t know what was going to really happen. So it was a beast, but that’s what we had to deal with. We knew that there were some very talented people in the team. We just haven’t produced the car that I think we expected to last season, but we’ve put all our work into this car and you can see that we can produce a good car as we have in the past, and now the important thing is to just keep improving it and our updates throughout the season I hope are going to be enough to keep us strong.

Q: (Ron Reed – Herald Sun) Jenson, what, if any, conversations have you had with Richard Branson in the last 24 hours or so?
JB: I haven’t spoken to him really. We’ve obviously been doing our own thing, getting on with work, so we haven’t spoken.

Q: Jarno, sure it’s very early, but did today’s performance show you that Toyota can fight for the championship?
JT: It’s difficult to say because obviously I haven’t been close enough to these guys who at the moment look like they are the men to beat. All I can say is that since this winter time we were feeling pretty good, since the first time I tested the car I gave a positive comment straight away. This result is a lot down to the team but I’m proud of what is happening, because I think I’ve been giving a lot in terms of experience, in terms of direction and straight away the first time I tested the car we were on our own, so we didn’t have any reference point, but straight away I said that for me it was a very good baseline. Now we’ve proved that the first time I can tell when something is right or wrong and the direction to take and naturally this makes me feel very happy because it means that I’m not only good at driving but I’m also good at giving the direction and leading the team in one way. So I’m getting what I want and the team is doing a good job with both Timo and me, the atmosphere is great, so it’s a big thanks to everyone because we have seen that the machine has a major impact on the results, no matter who is driving it, but it’s important to have a good car. Today’s result is just a great way, a great day to thank everyone and to show that Toyota is on the right direction, on the right path. Now, from being third to saying that we can fight for the championship is a bit too early to say.

Q: (Bob McKenzie – The Daily Express) Jenson, two things: first of all, what was your feeling when the safety car came out, just at the end? Did you think that’s ruined the spectacular blaze over the line or did you know then that you’re going to win it? And secondly, is this a sort of poke in the eye for people who doubted your talent over the years? You always said you needed the right car?
JB: First of all, when the safety car came out I wasn’t thinking ‘I’m going to cross the finish line with the safety car out.’ It was ‘oh dear, another safety car.’ But when I crossed the line I’d won the race, I crossed the line first, it doesn’t matter how it’s done. The safety car wasn’t on the track then anyway, it had already come in, but it’s the same emotion, exactly the same emotion because you’ve won the race and in spectacular fashion, I think even though we had the safety car out.
What was the second question? This win is for me and for the team and that’s what I care about. I don’t need to poke anyone in the eye about what they’ve said about me in the past. There have been a lot of positive comments in the past and those are the ones that you obviously enjoy. If there are going to be negative comments, I have no reason to poke anyone in the eye for any reason. I’m just happy to be here and I’ve worked bloody hard to be here.

Q: (Livio Orrichio – O Estado do Sao Paulo) To all of you, do you think the FIA can change the result of this race; what do you think about that?
JB: That’s nothing that we can change as drivers. We’re here to put on a show and also to get the best out of the equipment on offer and that’s exactly what we’ve done this weekend, and we will continue to do so over the next few races or for the whole of the season, and we have to see what happens. At the moment, I’m enjoying this victory because it is a victory and I think it should stand for sure.
RB: Obviously it’s in the hands of the FIA to decide what to do but the FIA already checked the cars and already said that the cars were legal, so I’m not expecting anything different.

Q: (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) For Rubens and Jarno: do you think that now you’ve driven in a race, that the new rules are helping overtaking or does it not change much?
RB: I don’t know if I can answer this question right now. I would like to wait for Malaysia to answer that a little bit more, because this race was a bit strange. We’ve raced at five o’ clock, difficult visibility and the tyre temperatures were dropping. Because of that, people had different sorts of balance in the race. At one point, I thought I could overtake, it didn’t matter if I had the wings to play with or anything, so it didn’t seem to be easier but I think people did have problems, some more than others, with tyres temperatures, so I would like to wait until Malaysia to fully answer the question.
JT: Well, it helped make the race a little bit more fun, a bit more show and overtaking. The fact is that anyway, being late in the afternoon was really due to the shadows, so we had to be very careful where we were putting our wheels and on the other hand I don’t want to be pessimistic but I spent many laps behind Fisichella who was a second or a second and a half slower than me and I couldn’t overtake, and I really needed to overtake him, so I was really pushing and attacking but I couldn’t make it. Maybe it’s slightly better but definitely at the moment it didn’t change my race at all, but let’s wait and see. I would be more than happy if we had more chance to overtake, not just for us but the show for everyone.

Q: (Richard Williams – The Guardian) Jenson, did you know at the first test that this kind of thing was going to be possible, and if you did, what are the qualities of the car that make it different and make you feel so comfortable?
JB: When I drove it at Barcelona, after four laps I felt that the car was competitive, and also when I got out of the car and looked at the timing board, I realised that we were competitive. For me some of it is to do with the tyres which I think suit this car well. When I drove last year’s car with the slick tyres the car seemed to be reasonably good. We have made some massive steps forward with the car for sure. I would say that mechanically we have improved a lot since last season, so it’s better in the low speed corners, some of it again is helped by the slicks. Aerodynamically I think we are strong, I’m sure there is still room for improvement there and I think Mercedes have done a great job with the engine, the driveability of the engine has been good from the word go. There have obviously been some points which we needed to improve with the engine and the driveability but to be able to do that in six or seven days is impressive. So it’s not just one thing, it is the whole package which is good, but I still don’t think we’re getting the best out of it yet.

Brawn, Toyota, Williams - the diffuser controversy

The controversy surrounding the Brawn, Toyota and Williams diffusers (which will be considered by the FIA's International Court of Appeal on April 14) goes beyond their external shape and dimensions. More important is the fact that all three designs use a 'window' or hole (red arrow) to feed the diffuser. That hole is horizontal in the case of the Williams, vertical for the other two teams, and is located where the floor's step plane meets the reference plane (black arrow). Rivals' cars, such as Ferrari's on the right, feature no such hole at this point. This difference stems from the question of whether the diffuser's three channels can be considered as separate entities, or whether they must be considered as one (enclosed) whole. Given the wording of the regulations, one can argue a case either way, though the majority of teams apparently took the spirit of the rules to mean that all three channels must have the same height and length, with no holes to feed them.

Hamilton s’est comporté en champion !

Depuis qu’il est devenu évident que les ingénieurs de McLaren s’étaient fourvoyés avec la première version de la MP4-24, Lewis Hamilton a vu sa cote chuter aussi vite que celle de Jenson Button augmentait !

En Australie, le champion du monde a passé la plupart du temps à répondre à des questions sur son état d'esprit, son avenir, sa voiture. Et quand les essais libres ont finalement commencé, les pires craintes du pilote britannique se sont confirmées…

A l’issue de la qualification, victime d’un problème de boîte de vitesses, Lewis Hamilton se voyait même relégué à la 18ème place, la dernière sur la grille de départ suite au déclassement des Toyota qui partiront des stands !

Pourtant, une fois les feux rouges éteints et la course lancée, le pilote McLaren Mercedes a retrouvé son instinct de vaincre. Dès la fin du premier tour, il avait déjà gagné cinq places – la plupart récupérées à la suite du chaos dans le premier virage.

Incisif et opportuniste, Lewis Hamilton a pu tirer avantage du malheur des autres - l’accrochage entre Vettel et Kubica en fin de course, et la sanction infligée à Trulli – pour finalement hérité d’une troisième place inespérée.


« Quand on sait que Lewis n’est pas habitué à démarrer un Grand Prix en fond de grille, le voir se frayer un chemin à travers le peloton a été impressionnant » déclarait Martin Whitmarsh, le successeur de Ron Dennis à la tête de l’équipe McLaren. « Il n'a pas la voiture la plus compétitive pour le moment, il est donc nécessaire d’avoir une discipline irréprochable. »

« Je crois que c'était une véritable performance de champion. Avec le package actuel, tout le monde peut voir que nous sommes beaucoup plus lents que d'autres. Je suis sûr que certaines personnes n’en sont pas malheureux » ajoutait-il.

« Dans l'ensemble, pour McLaren, c’était mieux que ce à quoi nous pouvions nous attendre. Je pense que nous avons opté pour la bonne stratégie. Nous avons pris quelques risques en démarrant la course avec les gommes super tendres. Nous nous sommes arrêtés assez tôt et - par la suite - Lewis a fait quelques dépassements fantastiques. C’était la démonstration de ce qu'est un grand champion du monde… qu'il est. Il a fait un excellent travail pour nous à Melbourne » concluait Martin.

J-P.K
© CAPSIS International

Domenicali ne se voile pas la face…

Directeur de la Scuderia Ferrari, Stefano Domenicali n’a pas caché son immense déception à la lecture des résultats du Grand Prix d’Australie – première épreuve du championnat du monde de F1 où aucun des deux pilotes n’a inscrit le moindre point.

Massa, contraint à l’abandon par la faute d’un problème mécanique, et Raikkonen – dernier ! – ce n’est pas vraiment le début de saison rêvée pour l’équipe italienne.

« La fiabilité a été un gros problème, mais je dois être juste et honnête – nos résultats sont la conséquences d’un manque de performance » affirmait Domenicali. « Avec Felipe, rétrospectivement, nous n’avions pas une bonne stratégie – c’était peut-être trop agressif. Avec Kimi, nous étions mieux en termes de stratégie. »

« Nous avons vu que les Brawn sont vraiment très, très rapides, fiables et constantes. Dans des circonstances normales, sans aucune voiture de sécurité, ils se seraient envolés.
Alors, si nous avons devons nous fixer un objectif à atteindre, c’est eux » ajoutait-il.

« Ils ont été meilleurs que nous en Australie, mais attendons de voir. Peut-être comprendrons-nous mieux la situation le week-end prochain, lorsque nous serons sur un circuit différent, comme Sepang, avec plus de grip. Un élément important est de bien comprendre les pneumatiques. L'utilisation est également liée aux KERS, il y a donc beaucoup de choses que nous avons besoin de mieux comprendre » concluait Domenicali.

J-P.K
© CAPSIS International

Cinq équipes préparent un diffuseur type "Brawn"

Les diffuseurs de Brawn Gp, Toyota et Williams semblent efficaces et ont été jugés légaux par la FIA.

Et malgré que plusieurs équipes aient décidé de faire appel de cette décision, la concurrence travaille dur quant à l’élaboration d’un diffuseur similaire.

Pas moins de cinq équipes travaillent actuellement sur la conception d’un diffuseur plus ou moins similaire. Parmi elles, toutes les équipes ayant fait appel.

Ferrari, BMW-Sauber, Renault, Red Bull Racing mais également McLaren Mercedes se préparent déjà dans l’éventualité ou la cour d’appel ne leur donne pas raison.

Cependant, tout le monde s’accorde à dire qu’il y aura de grosses répercutions économiques si les monoplaces 2009 doivent être équipées d’un nouveau diffuseur.

"Pour passer à un nouveau diffuseur, il faudra revoir tout l’arrière de la monoplace, ce qui prend beaucoup de temps et coûte très cher," indique Christian Horner, responsable de l’équipe Red Bull Racing. Même constat pour Flavio Briatore, patron de l’ING Renault F1 Team qui explique que "passer à un tel système n’est pas difficile. On peut le faire, mais pour ça il nous faut beaucoup d’argent."

Des mesures qui ne s’accordent pas vraiment à la politique de réduction des coûts.

Australian GP : technical news part 3

Ferrari F60 - rear wing updates

Ferrari introduced new front turning vanes and a new rear wing on Friday in Melbourne, but only on Felipe Massa's car. It was added to Kimi Raikkonen's on Saturday, though he didn't get much practice running with it thanks to his hydraulic problems. Both men qualified and will race with the new package. For the first time, the rear wing has a slot (red arrow) in the middle of its main plain (a solution introduced by Toyota two years ago) to increase downforce. The endplates are those introduced at the recent Barcelona test.


Williams FW31 - revised nosecone splitter



Williams have brought to Melbourne a modified version of the nosecone splitter (see red arrow) first seen during pre-season testing at Barcelona. Positioned low down on the nosecone, the revised part better directs the airflow through the lower part of the car to feed the diffuser's central section. Note the wing-like shape of the mini vertical turning vane's leading edge.


Brawn BGP001 - front-wing design





As well as its controversial diffuser design, the Brawn also features a very innovative front wing. Situated very low at the front, the wing boasts sophisticated endplates (1), divided into two sections to better direct the airflow (purple arrows). An inventive horizontal splitter (2) creates a kind of venturi effect under the chassis, while the steering arm (3) has been located level with the lower wishbone to lower the centre of gravity. The engineers have also added a small spoiler (4) to each side of the nose cone.

GP : Brawn GP, première course, premier doublé

Il fait beau au départ du Grand Prix d’Australie, la manche d’ouverture de la saison 2009 de Formule Un. Il fait pas moins de 31° sur la piste et 21° dans l’air.

Les feux s’éteignent, très mauvais départ de Barrichello qui perd d’entrée de nombreuses places. Les Ferrari sont là, excellent départ de Massa, déjà troisième.

Derrière, ça frictionne. Heidfeld, Sutil et Webber sont aux stands tandis que Kovalainen tourne au ralenti ! Button, en tête de la course, creuse l’écart et prend trois secondes à Vettel en tout juste un tour. Kovalainen abandonne, les ingénieurs rentrent sa monoplace dans leur garage.

Après deux tours, Button occupe la première position, devant Vettel, Massa, Kubica, Räikkönen et Rosberg. Alonso est le grand perdant de ce début de course, il n’est que 14ème.

Räikkönen ouvre la valse des ravitaillements au 10ème tour après avoir été doublé par Rosberg et Barrichello. D’ailleurs, il y a eu une légère friction entre ce dernier et le Finlandais. Visiblement Massa souffre aussi, la faute sans doute aux pneus tendres. Il s’arrête dès le tour suivant, imité par Hamilton puis Kubica.

Vettel aux stands au 16ème tour, suivi par Rosberg, qui perd plus de vingt secondes aux stands ! Nakajima part en tête-à-queue et tape le rail de sécurité, le safety-car sort. Fisichella rate son stand, les deux Renault s’arrêtent pour ravitailler.

C’est reparti. Piquet et Rosberg sont au coude à coude au bout de la ligne droite, et Piquet sort de la piste, c’est terminé pour lui ! Derrière, beaucoup de mouvement, Hamilton et Alonso passent Glock.

Il reste 27 tours, Massa est le premier à s’arrêter pour son deuxième arrêt. On se prépare chez BMW-Sauber. Kubica dans les stands, Räikkönen également. Tête-à-queue de Glock, sans conséquence heureusement.

Au tour d’Hamilton de s’arrêter une dernière fois. Il ressort au même moment que Massa et s’impose. Räikkönen est a deux doigts d’exploser sa voiture dans un muret, il rentre à nouveau aux stands. La fin de course s’anime. Il ressort juste devant Barrichello.

Massa au ralenti ! C’est terrible pour Ferrari qui voit ses deux voitures abandonner en quelques minutes seulement ! Button, le leader, s’arrête pour son dernier arrêt alors qu’il reste 12 tours. Il ressort en tête mais Vettel s’est rapproché. Barrichello (P3) et Alonso (P5) doivent encore ravitailler une dernière fois et chausser les pneus tendres.

Barrichello et Alonso effectuent enfin leur dernier arrêt, à 7 tours de la fin de la course. Rosberg est à l’agonie, Barrichello le passe, Trulli fait de même. Hamilton ne se gène pas beaucoup plus. Glock et Alonso passent également le pilote allemand qui n’est plus dans les points maintenant.

Accrochage entre Vettel et Kubica ! Les deux sont au tapis, quelle fin de course ! Le safety-car sort pour les trois derniers tours ! Brawn GP va réaliser un doublé pour son tout premier Grand Prix, c’est incroyable ! Hamilton, pourtant parti de très loin, est au pied du podium.

La course est maintenant terminée. Brawn GP réalise comme prévu le doublé, Button devant Barrichello. Trulli complète le podium du jour. Suivent Hamilton, Glock, Alonso, Rosberg et Buemi, qui marque son premier point à l’issue de son premier Grand Prix.

Prochain rendez-vous dès la semaine prochaine, en Malaisie, où les top teams auront l’esprit revanchard, à n’en pas douter.
Pos Pilotes Equipes Tours Ecart Points
01 J. Button Brawn 58 10
02 R. Barrichello Brawn 58 + 0.8 secs 8
03 J. Trulli Toyota 58 + 1.6 secs 6
04 L. Hamilton McLaren 58 + 2.9 secs 5
05 T. Glock Toyota 58 + 4.4 secs 4
06 F. Alonso Renault 58 + 4.8 secs 3
07 N. Rosberg Williams 58 + 5.7 secs 2
08 S. Buemi Toro Rosso 58 + 6.0 secs 1
09 S. Bourdais Toro Rosso + 6.2 secs
10 A. Sutil Force India + 6.3 secs
11 N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber + 7.0 secs
12 G. Fisichella Force India + 7.3 secs
13 M. Webber RBR + 1 Tour
14 S. Vettel RBR + 2 Tour
15 R. Kubica BMW Sauber + 3 Tour
16 K. Räikkönen Ferrari + 3 Tour
Ret F. Massa Ferrari + 13 Tour
Ret N. Piquet Renault + 34 Tours
Ret K. Nakajima Williams + 41 Tours
Ret H. Kovalainen McLaren

Qualifs : Brawn GP monopolise la première ligne

La séance de qualifications de Melbourne en Australie débute sous le soleil. Il fait 18°C dans l’air, 26°C sur la piste et l’humidité est à 57%. Dix pilotes sortent aussitôt de la voie des stands. C’est Fisichella qui est le premier pilote à signer un chrono.

Nico Rosberg, qui a terminé premier des trois séances d’essais, passe rapidement en tête : 1:27.083. Son coéquipier Kazuki Nakajima fait mieux. Après quelques minutes, c’est Kimi Räikkönen qui s’impose à la première place.

Le premier temps ne cesse de changer. Les pilotes Brawn GP sont de la partie. Le Français Sébastien Bourdais réalise un temps raisonnable qui le positionne à la douzième place. Devant, Barrichello est en tête avec un tour en 1:25.815.

Il reste quatre minutes. Felipe Massa passe de la dernière à la seconde place. La seconde Ferrari pilotée par Räikkönen améliore aussi, le pilote finlandais est quatrième. Deux minutes plus tard, Mark Webber prend la première place devant Rubens Barrichello. Timo Glock progresse, il passe deuxième.

Il ne reste que quelques secondes et Nelson Piquet n’améliore pas suffisamment pour passer dans la Q2. Même chose pour Sébastien Bourdais. Les deux Brawn GP équipées avec des pneus tendres signent les deux meilleurs temps.

C’est la fin de Q1 : Buemi, Piquet, Fisichella, Sutil et Bourdais ne sont pas qualifiés pour la prochaine phase des qualifications.

La deuxième phase des qualifications est lancée. C’est Kimi Räikkönen qui signe le meilleur tour. Felipe Massa signe à son tour un temps et passe derrière son coéquipier. Timo Glock prend à son tour la première place. Button fait mieux pour 75 millièmes.

Il reste trois minutes dans la séance et Lewis Hamilton est toujours bloqué dans ses stands. Heikki Kovalainen essaye d’améliorer, mais sans succès. Pendant ce temps, le champion du monde 2008 sort de sa voiture. Hamilton partira de la quinzième place sur la grille de départ.

Les deux pilotes de chez Brawn GP améliorent. Ils se positionnent tous les deux devant. Fernando Alonso essaye de sa qualifier pour la Q1, mais le double champion du monde fait une excursion dans l’herbe.

C’est la fin de Q2 : Heidfeld, Alonso, Nakajima, Kovalainen et Heidfeld ne sont pas qualifiés pour l’ultime séance qualificative.

Jenson Button signe un premier chrono en 1:26.600. Son coéquipier arrive derrière avec une demi-seconde de retard. Au tour de Rosberg qui se place à plus d’une seconde du leader. Il reste trois minutes dans la Q3. Tous les pilotes retournent aux stands avant de signer un dernier tour rapide.

Rubens Barrichello améliore le temps de Button dans le premier secteur. Le pilote brésilien passe la ligne d’arrivée avec quelques millièmes de mieux. Mais Jenson Button réplique et améliore à son tour dans le premier secteur. Timo Glock prend la troisième place, rapidement reprise par Rosberg puis Kubica. Jenson Button passe finalement la ligne en signant le meilleur tour.

C’est finalement les deux pilotes de chez Brawn GP qui partiront devant. En troisième position, on retrouve la Red Bull Racing de Sebastian Vettel.
Pos Pilotes Ecuries Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
01 J. Button Brawn 1:25.211 1:24.855 1:26.202
02 R. Barrichello Brawn 1:25.006 1:24.783 1:26.505
03 S. Vettel RBR 1:25.938 1:25.121 1:26.830
04 R. Kubica BMW Sauber 1:25.922 1:25.152 1:26.914
05 N. Rosberg Williams 1:25.846 1:25.123 1:26.973
06 T. Glock Toyota 1:25.499 1:25.281 1:26.975
07 F. Massa Ferrari 1:25.844 1:25.319 1:27.033
08 J. Trulli Toyota 1:26.194 1:25.265 1:27.127
09 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:25.899 1:25.380 1:27.163
10 M. Webber RBR 1:25.427 1:25.241 1:27.246
11 N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:25.827 1:25.504
12 F. Alonso Renault 1:26.026 1:25.605
13 K. Nakajima Williams 1:26.074 1:25.607
14 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:26.184 1:25.726
15 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:26.454
16 S. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:26.503
17 N. Piquet Renault 1:26.598
18 G. Fisichella Force India 1:26.677
19 A. Sutil Force India 1:26.742
20 S. Bourdais Toro Rosso 1:26.964

EL3 : On n’arrête plus Rosberg !

C’est sous le soleil que va débuter la séance d’essais libres 3 du Grand Prix d’Australie à Melbourne. Il fait pas moins de 35° sur la piste et 19° dans l’air.

La première nouvelle du jour nous vient de chez Brawn GP, qui affiche son premier sponsor sur sa monoplace. L’écurie de Brackley a en effet signé un partenariat de sponsoring avec Virgin.

C’est parti pour la dernière heure d’essais de ce Grand prix d’ouverture de la saison 2009. Tous les pilotes sortent des stands pour faire un tour d’installation avant de rentrer dans leur garage.

Piquet est le premier à s’attaquer au chronomètre. 1:31.330 pour le Brésilien, très vite dépassé par Glock, puis Räikkönen. Alonso réalise un premier chrono en 1:28 après vingt minutes de séance.

Rosberg, qui a réalisé les meilleurs temps des deux séances de la veille, s’élance, suivi par Button, Heidfeld, Trulli, Nakajima, Hamilton. Räikkönen est au ralenti ! Il stoppe sa monoplace sur le bas-côté, visiblement c’est un problème hydraulique. Drapeau jaune donc.

Button améliore, 1:27.863. Rosberg, Nakajima puis Barrichello s’emparent successivement de la P1. Il reste désormais une demi-heure, Vettel accélère, 1:27.284 puis 1:27.009 ! Seul Sutil n’a pas encore réalisé de tour chronométré pour le moment.

Kovalainen part en tête-à-queue dans la première portion du circuit tandis que Button est le premier à passer sous la barre des 1:27 dans cette séance d’essais libres 3. Barrichello prend le relais, 1:26:489 alors qu’il reste vingt minutes encore.

Comme la veille, les favoris sont en retrait à l’heure actuelle. Hamilton n’est que P11, Alonso P12, Kubica P14 et Massa P16. Räikkönen ferme logiquement la marche suite à son arrêt en piste. Massa s’invite dans le haut du tableau, P4 puis P3 pour lui !

Vettel au ralenti à présent ! Un problème de freins vraisemblablement pour le jeune pilote allemand. Il ne reste désormais plus que dix minutes, presque tout le monde rentre une dernière fois aux stands.

Button lance l’assaut final, 1:26.184. Trulli tourne en 1:25.811 ! Et Rosberg améliore, 1:25.808 pour lui. Tous les pilotes sont en piste et il y a énormément de changements dans le classement.

C’est terminé, Rosberg a une fois encore terminé la séance en tête. Il devance Jarno Trulli et Jenson Button. La pole position se jouera t’elle entre Williams, Toyota et Brawn GP ? C’est en tout cas ce que l’on peut croire à l’issue de ces essais libres.
Pos Pilotes Equipes Temps Ecart Tours
01 N. Rosberg Williams 1:25.808 21
02 J. Trulli Toyota 1:25.811 + 0.003 19
03 J. Button Brawn 1:25.981 + 0.173 20
04 F. Massa Ferrari 1:26.020 + 0.212 17
05 K. Nakajima Williams 1:26.078 + 0.270 18
06 R. Barrichello Brawn 1:26.348 + 0.540 19
07 M. Webber RBR 1:26.355 + 0.547 16
08 T. Glock Toyota 1:26.410 + 0.602 25
09 R. Kubica BMW Sauber 1:26.514 + 0.706 18
10 N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:26.555 + 0.747 19
11 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:26.652 + 0.844 13
12 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:26.714 + 0.906 18
13 S. Vettel RBR 1:27.009 + 1.201 12
14 A. Sutil Force India 1:27.062 + 1.254 12
15 S. Bourdais Toro Rosso 1:27.152 + 1.344 16
16 S. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:27.192 + 1.384 17
17 F. Alonso Renault 1:27.357 + 1.549 18
18 G. Fisichella Force India 1:27.492 + 1.684 20
19 N. Piquet Renault 1:27.739 + 1.931 22
20 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:28.801 + 2.993 5

Australian GP : technical news part 2

Red Bull RB5 - front aero package




The RB5 is one of the most innovative and radical cars of 2009. The chassis is V-shaped (1) on top, improving the management of airflow towards the rear of the car. Both the chassis and suspension are higher than on the previous RB4, as is the position of the driver's feet. The two central pillars (2) connecting the nose to the front wing are straight and close together, while the wing's main plane is intricately shaped where it joins the endplate (3) to direct airflow under the wing. Both the main plane and the upper flap are slotted (4). Also note the ballast compartment (5) in the endplate.

Red Bull RB5 - pull-rod rear suspension



The RB5 brings pull-rod rear suspension back to Formula One for the first time in over 20 years. With the diffuser moving rearwards under the revised 2009 regulations, the pull-rod layout (2) - where the suspension rockers are pulled rather than pushed by the rod - allows for cleaner aero packaging (see inset for more common push-rod set-up). The pull-rod suspension is lighter and, along with a gearbox that is now 15cm lower, helps to lower the car's centre of gravity and improve handling. The top wishbone is a single piece and is attached very high at the rear of the car (1), forming a wing-like section that works together with the lower section of the rear wing. Also note the very low and rearward positioning of the exhausts (3), which exit just under the front arm of the rear wishbone, and the lack of a central pillar to the rear wing, which is instead mounted via the wing's two large endplates, which attach directly to the diffuser.

Australian GP : technical news part 1

Williams FW31 - rear diffuser design



Like engine suppliers Toyota's, Williams' interpretation of the revised diffuser regulations is highly innovative. Much of the diffuser's central section is actually lower than the outer sections. However, clever shaping of the rear crash structure immediately below the rear light effectively creates a second central section (red arrow). In combination, the result is a central section that exceeds the 175mm height allowance that applies to the diffuser alone.

McLaren MP4-24 - cut-out rear floor




McLaren have introduced something completely new for 2009 - a floor with a cut-out section in front of the rear tyres. Its aim appears to be to increase the effectiveness of the rear diffuser by effectively turning the whole rear bodywork area into one large diffuser, with the 'throat' of the venturi starting just ahead of the back wheels. The delta-shaped leading edge of the cut-out creates low pressure, encouraging the diffuser to pull in more air at a faster rate. This solution is possible because with no more flick-ups (banned for 2009) on the upper bodywork, it's no longer essential to retain the uniformity of the lower floor area. It remains to be seen whether this is a pro-active measure from McLaren, or a reaction to a general lack of downforce.

Williams FW31 - vertical 'skate' fins



With the 2009 regulations bringing so many changes, teams are inevitably investigating every avenue in a bid to find potentially beneficial loopholes. Williams have utilised this area immediately surrounding the cockpit - an area unrestricted by most bodywork regulations - to add new vertical fins, dubbed 'skate' fins because of their resemblance to the flat fish of that name. They utilise similar principles to the 'horn' wings employed in recent seasons by McLaren and BMW Sauber on the side of their engine covers. They interfere with airflow, redirecting it more effectively towards the rear wing, hence improving the wing's efficiency. Sauber used the same idea in practice for the 2006 French Grand Prix. However, their fins were sited on top of the chassis, level with the front suspension, and fears over their effect on driver visibility meant they were never raced.

Rosberg et Nakajima aux avant-postes !

Le soleil et un ciel bleu étaient au rendez-vous pour le début de la deuxième séance d’essais du jour. Côté températures, en raison du vent le thermomètre n’affichait que 18° dans l’air, mais un peu plus de 30° sur la piste.

Ce sont les deux Toyota de Trulli et Glock qui étaient les premières à quitter les stands. Ils étaient rapidement rejoints en piste par une bonne moitié du plateau.

Nico Rosberg reprenait là où il s’était arrêté à la fin des 90 premières minutes : à la 1ère place ! L’Allemand était rejoint par Nakajima aux avant-postes quelques instants plus tard…

Après 10 minutes, Adrian Sutil hissait la Force India propulsée par le V8 Mercedes en tête de la hiérarchie – 1’28.111 – quelques millièmes devant les deux McLaren Mercedes de Kovalainen et Hamilton.

Au terme du premier quart d’heure, Jenson Button – 1’28.002 – imposait la Brawn Mercedes devant la Force India de Sutil.

Jarno Trulli et sa Toyota accéléraient la cadence quelques instants plus tard - 1’27.111 – mais ne s’arrêtait pas là et abaissait le temps de référence en 1’26.925

Le nouvel assaut des Force India permettait à Sutil et Fisichella de grimper au 2ème et 3ème rang – à quelques dixièmes de Trulli.

Glock succédait un instant à Jarno en tête des écrans de chronométrage, mais l’Allemand allait se voir ravir la première place par la Williams de son compatriote Nico Rosberg – 1’26.
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Victime d’un blocage de roue au freinage, Rubens Barrichello traversait un bac à graviers – sans dommage pour la Brawn Mercedes. Une escapade qui ne perturbait pas outre mesure le Brésilien qui parvenait à grimper en 3ème position un tour plus tard.

Peu avant la mi-séance, Nico Rosberg abaissait le temps de référence en 1’26.053 – ce qui permettait au pilote de la Williams de compter trois dixièmes d’avance sur Trulli, suivi de très près par Barrichello.

Webber améliorait régulièrement ses temps et décrochait la 4ème place à quelques millièmes de Trulli et Barrichello.

Immobilisé ce matin par un problème mécanique à bord de sa Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel a été victime d’une sortie de piste cet l’après-midi. Parti à la faute au freinage, l’Allemand était contraint d’abandonner sa monoplace sur le bas côté et de laisser un tracteur la dégager !

A l’approche du dernier quart d’heure, la majeure partie des pilotes regagnait les stands pour permettre à leurs mécaniciens de préparer leur monoplace – et des pneus neufs – pour une simulation d’un tour de qualification.
Barrichello – 2ème - se rapprochait à un dixième de Rosberg qui allait réussir à conserver la première place jusqu’au terme de la séance. Derrière Nico et Rubens, on retrouve la Toyota de Trulli, suivi de la Red Bull de Webber et la Brawn GP de Button.

Nakajima, Vettel, Sutil et Massa complètent le Top 10 !

Déception pour les pilotes des BMW Sauber – Heidfeld est 14ème, suivi de Kubica 15ème.

Les visages étaient encore plus fermés dans le clan McLaren Mercedes dont la première MP4-23 – celle de Heikki Kovalainen - apparaît seulement à la 17ème place, juste devant celle de son équipier champion du monde, Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg et Nakajima aux avant-postes !

Essais libres 1

La première séance d’essais libres du premier Grand Prix de la saison – à Melbourne – s’est ouverte sous un ciel nuageux mais une piste sèche. Le thermomètre affichait 18° dans l’air, 25° par terre !

Dès le feu vert, l’ensemble des monoplaces – sauf Alonso et Barrichello - s’élançait une à une pour un tour de vérification. Aucun incident ne viendra perturber cette mise en place.

Il faudra ensuite attendre de longues minutes avant de revoir une voiture en piste. A noter que les pilotes disposent de huit moteurs pour boucler la totalité de la saison – y compris les essais libres.

Ce n’est qu’une demi-heure après le début de la séance que le nouveau venu Sébastien Buemi entamait la première une série de tours chronométrés. Le Suisse était rejoint par la Ferrari de Kimi Raikkonen quelques minutes plus tard.

Le pilote finlandais se hissait rapidement en tête de la hiérarchie, améliorant son chrono à chaque passage sur la ligne de chronométrage.

La première tentative de Massa voyait le Brésilien tirer droit à l’abord du dernier virage. Felipe parvenait à remettre sa Ferrari dans le sens de la marche.

Un problème mécanique à bord de la Red Bull contraignait Sebastian Vettel à stopper sur le bas côté à mi-séance.


Heikki Kovalainen sera le premier à boucler un tour de l’Albert Park en moins de 1’28 - un peu plus de 4 dixièmes devant la Ferrari de son compatriote finlandais.

Très rapide lors des quelques séances d’essais hivernaux auxquelles la voiture a participées, Rubens Barrichello ne tardait pas à confirmer le potentiel de la Brawn GP propulsée par un V8 Mercedes – 1’27.743 – deux dixièmes de mieux que la MP4-24 !

Glock et sa Toyota réussissaient également à prendre l’ascendant sur la Ferrari de Raikkonen.

A l’entame de la dernière demi-heure, Barrichello devançait Kovalainen, Glock, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Button, Nakajima, Massa, Sutil et Webber.

Raikkonen ressortait avec un train de pneus tendres, et améliorait illico le chrono de référence – 1’26.750 – une performance qui le mettait à l’abri d’une nouvelle tentative de Button - revenu à 7 dixièmes, toujours avec le même train de pneus.

Alors que Nakajima devait regagner les stands à faible allure en raison d’une crevaison, Rosberg ne connaissait pas le moindre problème – ce qui permettait à Nico de se hisser à la 2ème place – une demi seconde derrière la Ferrari de tête.
Lors du sprint final, Nico Rosberg raflait la mise - 1’26.687 – un tour déjà plus rapide que la pole position réalisé l’an dernier !

Le succès des Williams était totale puisque dans une ultime tentative avant le drapeau à damiers, Kazuki Nakajima décrochait la 2ème place – à 49 millièmes de son équipier.

Kimi Raikkonen – 3ème – est suivi de Barrichello, Kovalainen, Button, Massa, Glock, Sutil et Alonso !

Le champion du monde en titre – Lewis Hamilton – est relégué à une lointaine 16ème place, et se voit même devancé par le débutant suisse Sébastien Buemi, le plus rapide de l’équipe Toro Rosso. En difficulté avec l’adhérence de sa voiture, Bourdais termine 19ème.

Le plus grand nombre de tours – 27 - est à mettre au crédit de Buemi !

Test pneumatique positif pour McLaren

Photo F1-Live.com
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Fin de journée prématurée

Les essais ont repris sur le circuit de Jerez, en Espagne, pour l’équipe McLaren Mercedes.

Pilote d’essais et de réserve de l’écurie anglo-allemande, l’Espagnol Pedro de la Rosa était aux commandes de la MP4-24 pour évaluer les pneus slicks prévus par Bridgestone pour la saison 2010.

L'année prochaine, les pneus ne seront plus préchauffés et devront résister à des plus lourdes charges de carburant, suite à la future interdiction du ravitaillement en carburant pendant la course.

La séance a été interrompue à de nombreuses reprises, ce qui n’a pas empêché Pedro de boucler un grand nombre de kilomètres avant qu’un problème de pression d'huile l’oblige à stopper prématurément sur le circuit à seulement 10 minutes de la fin de la journée.

« Rouler avec des pneumatique qui n’ont pas été préchauffés complique la tâche pour les faire monter en température, mais c’est ce qui est prévu pour 2010 - et c'est la raison pour laquelle Bridgestone fournira les équipes avec des gommes différentes de cette année.
Nous avons réussi à faire beaucoup de tours, le travail avec les pneus a été très positif » concluait Pedro de la Rosa.

Jerez - 01/03/09
1. S. Vettel - Red Bull RB5 - 1'19"055 - 87 tours
2. F. Massa - Ferrari F60 - 1'20"330 (+1"275) - 63 tours
3. K. Kobayashi - Toyota TF109 - 1'20"699 (+1"644) - 79 tours
4. N. Rosberg - Williams FW31 - 1'21"171 (+2"116) - 71 tours
5. R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.09 - 1'21"292 (+2"237) - 47 tours
6. G. Fisichella - Force India VJM02 - 1'21"584 (+2"529) - 31 tours
7. P. De La Rosa - McLaren MP4-24 - 1'21"831 (+2"776) - 94 tours
8. N. Piquet Jr - Renault R29 - 1'22"011 (+2"956) - 52 tours

J-P.K
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