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Driver Rubens
Barrichello
Chassis / engine FW33-01 / CA320 (morning) CA321 (afternoon)
Location Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona 4.655km
Objectives Mileage on FW33, aero testing, set-up work
Weather Damp in morning / sunny in the afternoon
Ambient & track temps 18ºC / 24ºC
With the AT&T
Williams team moving to the Barcelona circuit for their next four days of
testing the team would be greeted by a damp track. Rubens Barrichello would
be driving today and he would bring out his FW33 early in the morning. He
would pit after an installation lap and would not come back out until around
8:30AM. Rubens first flying lap was the quickest yet, a 1m:44.769. He would
improve his time with a 1m:43.551. Rubens would find a few tenths to set a
1m:43.148. He would go quicker with a 1m:43.020. The track was drying as it
started to become sunny.
After an hour of running Alguersuari would move ahead of Rubens with a
1m:42.031. The Spaniard would improve with a 1m:41.698. Rubens had pitted
while Alguersuari would lower the quickest time to a 1m:40.408 and then he
would pit. Just before 10AM Rubens was back out on the track and would
quickly move back to the top of the times with a 1m:39.162, only to be
beaten by Button with a 1m:38.429. Rubens would improve slightly with a
1m:39.129. As the track dried the times would come down with Kobayashi
setting a 1m:36.264 to go fastest. Rubens had returned to his garage
returning to the track at around 10:45AM. He would show that the conditions
were improving by setting a
1m:34.067 to go fastest by a considerable margin, 2.197 seconds.
Rubens would then set a 1m:31.334 to be 3 seconds ahead of the rest of the
field. Again he find time with a 1m:30.421 followed by a 1m:30.045. Rubens
would stay out lapping in the 1m:30s. Now everyone was taking to slick tyres
with Button setting a 1m:27.094 to be followed by a 1m:26365. While this was
happening Rubens had pitted while Alonso was now fastest with a 1m:25.597.
Around 11:15AM and Rubens was back out on the track and would set a
1m:29.197. Alguersuari was now second with a 1m:26.117. Rubens would return
to the track and would improve slightly with a 1m:27.447.
But the session would be red flagged and it would be Rubens' car that was
the cause. Rubens had stopped at Turn seven. Rubens car would be returned to
the pits on the back of a truck. Rubens was currently fifth in the times,
having completed forty three laps. After a midday break the afternoon
session would get underway but was quickly red flagged as Kobayashi stoped
out on the circuit at Turn five. His car was returned to the pits and the
session would restart. But there would be another red flag with Alguersuari
going off at Turn four and into the gravel. It was reported by the Williams
team that it was a "Possible engine issue for Rubens, team changing it while
investigating."
AS other drivers continued to put in laps of the Barcelona circuit Rubens
would remain in his pit and he would drop down the order to be sixth. Rubens
engine issue would be resolved and he would return to the track late in the
afternoon. His last series of runs would see him improve with a lap time of
1m:26.912 but this would only see him seventh fastest. Fastest at the end of
the day would be Vettel with a 1m:24.374, from Alonso, Alguersuari,
Kobayashi, Button, and Di Resta in sixth. Rubens would finish the day having
completed fifty two laps.
Sam Michael,
Technical Director: We didn't have enough set-up time today. The track
was moist to start and didn't start ramping up until late morning, at which
point we encountered an issue with the engine. Over the break, we changed
the engine and did just one proper run at the end of the session. All of our
running was carried out on the medium compound tyre. Despite the downtime,
we actually tested and measured quite a few aero and systems items in the
background. Tonight, we will re-activate KERS in preparation for tomorrow’s
running.
Rubens Barrichello: We did some laps in the wet this morning which
was good as it allowed us to get a feel for the car on intermediate tyres.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get much running in the dry. I had a short run
after lunch, but we had to make a precautionary engine change so my day was
cut short.
AT&T Williams will be back on track tomorrow, Saturday 19 February, with
Rubens Barrichello continuing in the FW33 for the second day of the test.
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