Formula One teams have standard procedures for everything; race starts, pit-stops, post-race in-lap. Apparently there is also a standard procedure for running out of fuel.
On the first day of proper testing with the all-new F1.09, BMW Sauber continued the evaluation process begun on Tuesday during the shakedown. Robert Kubica completed 99 laps as well as conducting several race start simulations. In the morning he deliberately stopped on the track when he carried out a so-called fuel run-out, a standard procedure with every new F1 car.
I’m not really sure what this would involve apart from switching off any electrical systems and putting the car in neutral. I mean, if you run out of fuel there’s not much you can do apart from park at the side of the track and get out, is there? I suppose it must be more complicated than that if it is something they need to test. If you know what a ‘fuel run-out procedure’ is please let me know in the comments.
Kubica will be at the wheel of the F1.09 again on Thursday before Nick Heidfeld takes over on Friday.
The rain that continues to affect the Algarve Motor Park is making testing difficult for the teams at the Portuguese track. Sebastien Buemi’s interim Toro Rosso posted the fastest time on Tuesday of 1:34.429, three seconds clear of Pedro de la Rosa in the new McLaren MP4-24. Jarno Trulli was third fastest in the Toyota TF109 followed by the Renault R29 of Nelson Piquet and Nico Rosberg’s Williams FW31.
The wet conditions make it hard to evaluate how the cars will perform on a dry circuit and with the lack of in-season testing in 2009 the teams are missing out on vital testing miles.
But it does give us a chance to see how the new cars compare in the wet. Jarno Trulli has found the new Toyota hard to drive at Portimao:
In the conditions it was very difficult to get temperature in the tyres. It was really hard for everyone out there and it was nearly impossible to drive. This is the first feeling!
But McLaren’s Pedro de la Rosa didn’t seem to have the same trouble:
The car has a little bit more grip at the front end generally and it is very responsive to steering. You have to put everything together – if you put these tyres onto last year’s car, we would be three seconds a lap faster.
It’s always hard to compare lap times in testing as different teams will be testing different setups but perhaps this gives us a clue that more work is needed on Toyota’s 2009 goal of “stability”.
BMW Sauber unveiled their new car today at the Circuit de Valencia (not to be confused with the Valencia Street Circuit.) Immediately after the official unveiling in the morning, Robert Kubica gave the F1.09 its roll-out on the track. Taking advantage of the sunny weather in the afternoon, the team concentrated on system checks and collecting base data from the all-new car.
The F1.09 is quite different beast from their 2008 challenger. By the end of last year, the F1.08 had sprouted so many wings, horns and curves that it looked like something that had flown straight out of Hades. It looked like it would give you a nasty cut if you bumped into it. Basically, it looked cool. But when viewing the F1.08 and F1.09 side-by-side the difference is striking. The new car’s bodywork is smooth, the nose is higher and wider, the sidepods are high at the front and it almost seems like they’ve forgotten to bolt some things on around the front wheels there.
This is all part of the new look resulting from the 2009 regulations but unfortunately I don’t think BMW have succeeded in producing as attractive a car as McLaren or Ferrari. While the front wing has three elements it doesn’t look as racy as the McLaren’s and there is something about the whole car which just doesn’t look very adventurous. Still, BMW have been working on this car for a long time and were one of the first teams to test the new aero package and are reportedly well advanced in their KERS testing.
Robert Kubica’s performance was impressive last year, achieving the first win for the team. He was leading the championship at one stage and seemed to feel if the team had developed last year’s car more instead of turning their attention to the F1.09 he may have been in a position to challenge seriously for the title. But it’s always a trade-off. With the limited testing available in 2009 Kubica might be glad of all the work that has gone into the new car.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen clearly has his sights set on Ferrari and McLaren this year:
Ferrari and McLaren possess vast reserves of experience and have been operating at the top level for many years. That’s what our highly motivated team are setting out to emulate – through hard work and efficiency, coupled with our calm, analytical approach to the job.
If the F1.09 gets Kubica and Heidfeld onto the podium more often this year I’m sure they won’t care how it looks.
Williams and Renault have unveiled their 2009 contenders at Portimao in Portugal today. While the Williams FW31 is painted in winter test livery, the Renault R29 is sporting a new paintjob and prominent Total branding with the front and rear wing end-plates.
Both cars show the new wide front wing and tall rear wing prescribed by the new 2009 regulations but as with the previous 2009 car launches each have their own unique approach. The Renault’s rear is quite different from any of the other 2009 cars and they have kept the ‘shark fin’ from last year.
The Williams’s front wing looks more sculpted than the Renault. Williams have also chosen to go down a different route with their KERS development. While most teams have opted for an electronic device, Williams are using a kinetic version.
I was starting to worry that Bernie Ecclestone hadn’t said anything controversial for a while but his surprise visit to ‘Wrooom’, Ferrari’s annual ski trip at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy, last week provided ample opportunity.
He surprised everyone by showing up last Thursday wearing a bright red ski jacket, leading some to suggest he was trying to make up with Luca di Montezemolo who has been critical of the way Ecclestone has been running F1 and the amount of money the teams receive.
But when he was asked whether he would be meeting with the Ferrari president, Ecclestone replied:
I’ve no idea. It is not my intention. To be honest it is a cheap weekend for me.
And as for his 50 percent share of Formula One’s commercial earnings he said :
Now that we have really managed to reduce the costs a lot, we will be able to pay them less money! They don’t need so much money.
He also used the opportunity to respond to Sir Jacki Stewart’s recent criticism in the Times:
Most times and I am frightened about this when people get older, they become a bit senile and hes just caught it a bit early, thats all.
Formula One teams have standard procedures for everything; race starts, pit-stops, post-race in-lap. Apparently there is also a standard procedure for running out of fuel.
