24/01/2009
NEWS STORY
With gusts reaching 70 km/h, the weather called for further changes in BMW's scheduled test programme as the German outfit concluded its fourth, and final, day of testing.
In the morning Nick Heidfeld concentrated on system checks for the new F1.09, while in the afternoon the engineers' focus switched to collecting more data on the car's mechanical components.
"Although the test had to be interrupted once when the wind blew some debris over the track, I managed to do some long runs in the afternoon," said Heidfeld. "I finished the day with some race start simulations on different tyre compounds."
"After Tuesday's shakedown we went on to complete four days of testing," added Managing Director Walter Riedl. "Covering a total of 1,887 km, the new car ran without any noteworthy problems, which meant we were able to carry out a comprehensive test programme on each day. At first it was a matter of testing the individual systems, after which we focused on set-up work. We managed to collect a great deal of data and have already made initial progress.
"Although the strong winds made testing difficult during the last two days, we benefited from the fact that the track was dry throughout and outdoor temperatures were higher than during our tests in December, which meant we were able to glean some valuable insights concerning the tyres as well. We have already used the 2009 version of the V8 engine with its rev limit of 18,000 rpm, as well as employing KERS. Overall we are very happy with the testing, particularly with regard to the high reliability of the new car. Now we are naturally very keen to see where we stand in terms of the competition, but we will have to wait for the next test to gain a first impression."
BMW's next outing will be the two tests in Bahrain in February (10th - 13th and 16th - 19th).