The third pre-season test session finished today at the Catalunya circuit, with Sébastien Buemi bringing the fourth day to an end with 90 laps and the third fastest time to his name.
His programme was similar to the one followed with Jaime Alguersuari, with a mix of short and long runs today, using all the types of Pirelli tyre with the exception of the Medium. In addition, the Swiss driver also worked on car set-up work and brakes.
Summing up our Barcelona sessions, our technical director Giorgio Ascanelli said: “This has definitely been a productive four days for us with a good number of laps completed. We addressed all the technical issues that came to our attention at the previous test in Jerez, although as you move forward and make progress, you always discover new problems. But 90 trouble-free laps today means that this is a positive end to our time in Barcelona.”
Sébastien said afterwards: “Today went well and I am happy with what we achieved. We got through the entire programme we had planned and did enough laps to improve our understanding of the various types of Pirelli tyre. Along with the two other drivers, we gathered a lot of data over the past four days here in Barcelona and it will be important to analyse everything very carefully to find the right way to move forward in terms of reliability and performance, when we tackle the final pre-season test session. The team, at the track and back at the factory worked well to deliver a car reliable enough to do plenty of laps, which is always the most important thing at this point in the year.”
Unofficial Monday times:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:22.625
2. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:23.442
3. Sébastien Buemi, Scuderia Toro Rosso, 1:23.550; 90 laps
4. Nick Heidfeld, Renault, 1:23.657
5. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:24.003
6. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:24.057
7. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 1:24.177
8. Sergio Perez, Sauber, 1:24.515
9. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Virgin, 1:26.501
10. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP, 1:27.079
11. Jarno Trulli, Lotus, 1:29.992
Barcelona Test - Day 4