Button Smashes Barcelona record in major team test
Discussion
Go Jenson!
Autosport said:
BAR's Jenson Button set a sensational lap record in testing at Barcelona today (Thursday). Driving the interim Honda-powered car, he became the first man to lap the altered circuit in under 75 seconds. The Briton went a second quicker than anybody has done this week.
Button's time came after a day of tyre testing in the hybrid car, and was nearly a second ahead of Michael Schumacher's best. Schumacher was back in the cockpit for the first day since the Japanese Grand Prix last year, immediately going quicker than the hitherto all-conquering Williams duo. Michael was driving last year's car, of course.
His brother, who hadn't even seen Michael since that Suzuka race, was still positive about the new FW26: “This is the best Williams I have ever driven. I've never had such a good start to a season.”
Most runners had trouble-free days, with Montoya completing a race simulation and delighted with the lack of red flags. A great deal of tyre testing was completed by most of the drivers, which included Nick Heidfeld, who did an afternoon's work for Jordan. Timo Glock was in the car this morning, and also had an uneventful time of it.
Fernando Alonso was third quickest in the new Renault, clocking 102 laps. Franck Montagny helped him out, driving the older car.
Olivier Panis was none too pleased with the new Toyota today: “It doesn't have enough grip or downforce. I think the aerodynamics need work. But the base of the car is good and I think [technical director] Mike Gascoyne being here gives us plenty of reason for optimism. We should have some new aero parts for the next Barcelona test in February.”
Barcelona testing day 4:
Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1 Jenson Button (BAR-Honda) 1m14.607s 85
2 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1m15.410s 95
3 Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1m15.505s 102*
4 Ralf Schumacher (Williams-BMW) 1m15.736s 63*
5 Luca Badoer (Ferrari) 1m15.767s 86
6 Marc Gene (Williams-BMW) 1m15.820s 46
7 Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams-BMW) 1m16.251s 97*
8 Olivier Panis (Toyota) 1m16.507s 98*
9 Giancarlo Fisichella (Sauber-Petronas) 1m16.529s 66*
10 Takuma Sato (BAR-Honda) 1m16.560s 90
11 Mark Webber (Jaguar) 1m17.173s 144
12 Franck Montagny (Renault) 1m17.447s 130
13 Nick Heidfeld (Jordan-Ford) 1m17.530s 49
14 Christian Klien (Jaguar) 1m18.029s 46*
15 Ryan Briscoe (Toyota) 1m18.106s 62
16 Timo Glock (Jordan-Ford) 1m18.236s 36
condor said:
He has 3 fast laps out of 85: 1:14.607 directly followed by 1:15.810 directly followed by 1:16.775. All his other laptimes are in the 1:19s approximately. He showed no consistent speed and nothing that even comes close to that amazing 1:14 lap.
Fuel fumes anyone?
That's because he was tyre testing, you see they tend to do a benchmark lap and try to keep consistency over each lap so that they can get accurate feedback, they probably gave him his head to try a few fliers and that was the result, so it's not fuel fumes as he did laps after it too. He actually did that time, in that car. Considering the others would have been doing the same it's a very good lap.
>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Friday 23 January 16:00
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condor said:
You're quite right...was indeed tyre testing ....and doesn't count for anything
Of course it bloody well counts for something, it's a lap record for the place! What is it with some people, can't give credit when it's due. Do you mean to tell me none of the other hundred of thousands of laps that have ever been driven there previously were never on a light tank? YOo may not like the bloke, you may just want to knock him 'cos he British - I don't know, but don't say it's counts for nothing 'cos as long as it was correctly timed it does. Doh!
Rich... >> Edited by RichB on Friday 23 January 15:20
Don't think that that was the issue - the reason people are saying that it counts for nothing is that this is the general concensus of winter testing - we won't know what the situation is until the first race 
(I know, said many times before).
Button is possibly now regarded as the No 1 home driver, so of course he has support - when people are critical, it is only to manage the expectations. At the end of the day if he had five laps, light fuel, balast out, we would want to see four of them under the old lap record - and can possibly get concerned that the consistency wasn't quite there.
Having said that, as Graham mentioned above, I wish I was as quick as Jenson on a really bad day!
Rich
(I know, said many times before). Button is possibly now regarded as the No 1 home driver, so of course he has support - when people are critical, it is only to manage the expectations. At the end of the day if he had five laps, light fuel, balast out, we would want to see four of them under the old lap record - and can possibly get concerned that the consistency wasn't quite there.
Having said that, as Graham mentioned above, I wish I was as quick as Jenson on a really bad day!
Rich
The track Button set his record on is 100m shorter than the time set last year, which was 1:15:020.
The track has had other improvements as well - including it's been re-asphalted.
It wasn't my intention to 'knock' Button - just give a reality check. I like him...but this is winter testing - and sometimes it's neccessary to put in a flyer just as a morale booster to the team - and to please the sponsors.
The Michelin tyres are known to be very fast on the first flier...and then degrade a little. Similarly, it's good engineering practice to try and find the max limits of the car with the lightest weight....as a control measure.
DC beat the Valencia track record Thursday with a time of 1:09:697 - but there isn't a big song and dance over it.
Day 5 - Button managed 28 laps before mechanical failure stopped his session. His fastest time was in the 1:17s. Badoer was faster than Michael - so what?
It just means different components were being tested.
If anything the Barcelona test session showed that Alonso in the Renault was very consistent - he was fastest yesterday with several laps in the mid 1:15s - which he also managed on Day 4 too.
Performance on Race day is what counts. Testing is what's neccessary to achieve that goal.
The track has had other improvements as well - including it's been re-asphalted.
It wasn't my intention to 'knock' Button - just give a reality check. I like him...but this is winter testing - and sometimes it's neccessary to put in a flyer just as a morale booster to the team - and to please the sponsors.
The Michelin tyres are known to be very fast on the first flier...and then degrade a little. Similarly, it's good engineering practice to try and find the max limits of the car with the lightest weight....as a control measure.
DC beat the Valencia track record Thursday with a time of 1:09:697 - but there isn't a big song and dance over it.
Day 5 - Button managed 28 laps before mechanical failure stopped his session. His fastest time was in the 1:17s. Badoer was faster than Michael - so what?
It just means different components were being tested.
If anything the Barcelona test session showed that Alonso in the Renault was very consistent - he was fastest yesterday with several laps in the mid 1:15s - which he also managed on Day 4 too.
Performance on Race day is what counts. Testing is what's neccessary to achieve that goal.
condor said:
DC beat the Valencia track record Thursday with a time of 1:09:697 - but there isn't a big song and dance over it.
Just as an added extra
Pizzonia smashed the Valencia record to-day
...and he doesn't get a song and dance either Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time Laps
1. Pizzonia Williams-BMW (M) 1:09.165 63
2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:09.414 86
3. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:10.440 87
4. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:10.466 93
5. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:10.473 72
6. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:11.319 81
7. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:11.443 102
8. Davidson BAR-Honda (M) 1:11.712 94
9. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:12.306 104
Yes...it was an impressive time.
But it's still winter testing - I would think it was more of a query as to why BAR had to try and produce record breaking runs...more sponsors needed perhaps?...or just another slap in the face for jV.
BAR is a mid-field team - expect it to stay that way
But it's still winter testing - I would think it was more of a query as to why BAR had to try and produce record breaking runs...more sponsors needed perhaps?...or just another slap in the face for jV.
BAR is a mid-field team - expect it to stay that way
condor said:You really don't like them do you Condor
Yes...it was an impressive time.
<clip> BAR is a mid-field team - expect it to stay that way
Weren't Williams once a mid-field team? Likewise did Renault suddenly arrive from nowhere with a car for Schumacher to win a couple of championships or did they build up to it? To listen to you one would suggest anyone other than last years top 3 teams may as well not bother trying to improve their car over the winter because they will "always be a mid-field team" 
Oh hang on... I get it - Jenson's British and BAR includes the word British in it's name and some Brit's love to knock anything British don't they... 
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