Mark Webber tops the tables in rain affected Barcelona test day one – Formula 1 news
The last test session, prior to the season opener in Australia, was mostly interfered by the rain and wet conditions which hampered the teams development process.
A total of eight teams participated on the first day as Williams, Ferrari, Mercedes and HRT will join the test session on the second day of the controversial five-day test session.
The Red Bull driver Mark Webber was on top of the table with the fastest time of 1 minute and 22.544 seconds while completing 97 laps in his new RB7 in wet conditions.
Webber’s time was four tenths of a second faster than the next in line, McLaren’s Jenson Button. Button managed 74 laps in his trouble free outing in the new MP4-26. McLaren’s car had a device fitted on the front wing, which critics called ‘a pimple on the
nose’. It was used to get an exact reading for the aerodynamic development of the car.
Following Button was Renault’s Vitaly Petrov who took the car from Nick Heidfeld, in the afternoon session. Petrov managed only 27 laps with a fastest of 1 minute and 22.937 seconds. Heidfeld, who was on top of the table in the morning session, finished
fifth on the times chart with only 20 laps when he was called to the pits after getting cold. Separating the Renault duo was Sauber’s Sergio Perez who completed a total of 90 laps.
Sixth was Force India’s Scot Paul di Resta who completed 38 laps in his new VJM04. Force India’s test driver, Nico Hulkenberg, was in action in the morning session and finished the day in ninth with 31 laps.
Team Lotus tested a GP2 winner, Davide Valsecchi, who finished seventh on the times table with 50 laps. Luiz Razia also tested for Team Lotus and managed a tenth slot with 29 laps.
Team Lotus had an off day as both of their drivers induced the Red Flag on the track. Valsecchi induced the second Red Flag of the day when his car ended up in the rubble at turn eleventh. Razia’s car was stopped just before the end of the day.
Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi finished eighth with 48 laps. He brought the first red flag into play when his car stopped at the pit-stop exit and was crane lifted out of harm’s way. The last runner on the grid was Virgin’s Jerome d’Ambrosio who managed 57
laps.
The testing will continue on Wednesday with all the 12 teams joining the session as Williams, Ferrari, Mercedes and HRT will be joining as well.
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