The second day of the final pre-season test went well for us here at the Catalunya Circuit. The STR6-03 ran reliably, which meant Sebastien was able to complete a lot of laps, more than any other driver in fact.
In the morning, the Swiss driver completed a full race simulation which provided useful data in terms of tyre degradation, car performance and reliability. In the afternoon, the focus switched to running with lower fuel loads, while the team spent almost an hour practicing “live” pit stops, a very important exercise given the increased number of pit stops likely during this year’s races.
During the day, Sebastien used Pirelli’s Hard, Soft and Super-soft compounds. Tomorrow, Jaime Alguersuari takes over cockpit duties for the final two days of the test.
Sebastien said: “We can be pleased with what we achieved today, because with 120 laps, it meant we completed all the programme we had planned. Apart from the race simulation, I was also able to do a qualifying simulation. We showed a reasonable performance level and the team did a very good job in preparing the car so well. Overall, it has been a productive test. Now, we must wait and see if we can make even more progress over the next two days with Jaime driving and then we can see where we really are when we get to Melbourne.”
Unofficial Wednesday times:
1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:21.865
2. Sebastien Buemi, Scuderia Toro Rosso, 1:22.396, 120 laps
3. Vitaly Petrov, Renault, 1:22.670
4. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:22.888
5. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:23.324
6. Paul di Resta, Force India, 1:24.334
7. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber, 1:24.436
8. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:25.807
9. Jarno Trulli, Lotus, 1:26.090
10. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:26.989
11. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Virgin, 1:28.982
BARCELONA TEST - DAY 2