Jarno Trulli has claimed that the new style 2009 Formula One cars are almost impossible to drive in the rain thanks to their lowered downforce specs.
The Italian, who was testing Toyota’s new TF109 at the Portimao Circuit reckoned that it was just impossible to handle these cars in wet conditions. He also believed it was a pitlane long problem, not just one with Toyota’s new machinery.
“There is a massive drop in downforce and grip,” he said. “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!”
He defended the new car in terms of its ability though, and is looking forward to a hot test in Bahrain.
“The car doesn’t seem to have any big problems and it has run really well in the past few days with Kamui (Kobayashi) so I will say we are pretty confident about this year,” he said.
“We just need to get into the normal testing with warm conditions and probably this could be the case in (the next test in) Bahrain.”
BMW Sauber have become the latest F1 team to launch their 2009 car, the F1.09 is the car the team are hoping will secure them at the front of the grid after a successful 2008 season. Last season saw Robert Kubica (retained) win the Canadian Grand Prix.
The F1.09 is obviously different thanks to the swathes of regulation changes, but we can draw some big similarities and differences with other 2009 cars previously launched.
The car will be driven this season once again by Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica.
The frong wing looks wider than the rest despite its dimensions, probably down to those large proruding pieces on the top and bottom of the end plates. It is also a three-plane style wing, with a large square nose similar to that of the R29. The sidepods are very blocky and feature no aerodynamic pieces as stipulated in the rules, making this BMW look very different to all of the others and in some ways incredibly stark.
The car itself, finished in the traditional white/blue/red BMW Motorsport colours, shows real signs of the biting world economic crisis. It has literally no sponsors. Petronas Malaysia still are the front runner in terms of advertising space, and probably will stay with the team as they have been involved with Sauber since the original team days. Intel now have much more space, and T-Systems are on the wings. BMW’s other major backer, Credit Suisse pulled out of sponsorship earlier on in the week as reported on F1Fanatics.
“Developing a new Formula One car is always exciting, but this time there was something even more special about it. We really were starting from scratch,” said Willy Rampf, team technical director.
“First and foremost, the switch from grooved tyres to slicks means more grip, of course, but it also moves the balance of forces further forward: removing the grooves gives the front tyres proportionally a greater contact area and more grip than the rear tyres.
“Because the car differs so significantly from its predecessor, we already started work on the first concept studies in February – two months earlier than normal and before the F1.08 had even started its first race.
“Our aim. was to build a car with high aerodynamic efficiency and in so doing claw back as much of the downforce as possible, which the new regulations had taken away.”
Meanwhile speculation remains about whether the team will run the KERS system at the first event.
“KERS is still the most challenging part of the new package to me,” said Dr Mario Theissen during the launch of the new car in Valencia.
“We are still not ready to race, but if I look at what progress we have made in last 12 months, it’s amazing. We have learned so much.
“We are still pushing hard. We are not ready yet. I am sure we will be ready at some point, I don’t know whether we will be ready for Melbourne.”
Williams have joined Renault in launching their 2009 challenger today in a low key event at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal.
The British based team left test driver and rising star Nico Hulkenberg with the duty to show the new car, named the Fw31 to the presses.
The new machine will give the team optimism to get back to the top with the swathes of new rule changes leaving this car completly different to the FW30. Still powered by a Toyota engine, this car has a lot in common with the Ferrari F60. It has a very similar front wing, and aerodynamic winglets protruding from the sidepods where Ferrari houses its wing mirrors.
The car seen here is in an interim test livery and will have a liverly launch nearer to the first round of the season in March.
Philips have become a larger sponsor to the team, who are struggling to find backers in the increasingly tough economic crisis. Thomson, Oris and RBS still remain on the car, but for RBS how much longer must be questioned as they posted a £20billion loss, the largest loss for a British company ever today.
Robert Kubica has delcared himself confident that in the first few corners of the Australian Grand Prix there is guaranteed to be plnety of carbon fibre flying in the air.
The new aerodynamic regulations have made the front wings much wider, but BMW Sauber have taken this to extremes and their front wing currently is wider than the tyres. There is a good chance too that any front wing damage is going to cause punctures, so there could be a massive smash into turn 1 given the slick tyres.
“The front wing, it is too wide,” he is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport,
“I am curious to see how many (wings) will be flying at the first race in Australia,” Kubica added.
The BMW Sauber has rather questionable aesthetics, and after test driver Christian Klien commented that “it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen”, Robert Kubica joked;
“It looks better from inside the cockpit!”
The morning in Barcelona hearalded a new era of Formula One, and BMW Sauber alongside Williams have brought out their 2009 specification cars. Takuma Sato is testing for Scuderia Toro Rosso, in an attempt to get his seat. Luca Badoer is testing 2 different Ferrari’s, one in 09 spec and another in 08 spec with slicks. McLaren are slick tyre testing. Red Bull Racing are testing Sebastian Loeb.
FULL REPORT THIS EVENING WITH TIMES.
PHOTOS OF 2009 SPECIFICATION CARS
Photos, timesheets and report to all come tonight.