Only two weeks after the end of 2008 Formula One season all the F1 teams except Toyota returned to the track to begin preparations for 2009 season. Thanks to major rules and regulation changes this winter season promises to be exciting one. It will take a while before teams roll out anything that is close to the cars they will race next year. At the moment each team seems to be collecting different sorts of data and in different ways. This means that the times we see on the timesheets mean very much nothing. So let’s look at what the teams were up to in Barcelona this week:

McLaren

McLaren worked with 2 cars. Both of them with simulated 2009 levels of downforce, one of them with KERS (the MP4-23K). Both cars also ran the slick tyres that will return to Formula 1 next year. Gary Paffet tested for all three days, Pedro de la Rosa on Monday only before moving to the Force India garage for the other 2 days of testing.

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F1Wolf

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2009 style front wing on BMW Sauber car

(Updated, more pictures added including Honda 2009 wing)

The winter testing for 2009 Formula One season begins in Barcelona today. The are is some added excitement about the testing this winter as all the teams will have to come up with brand new cars for next season, very different from the 2008 Formula 1 machinery. So far all we have had were speculations, more speculations, and few photos of Williams wings. Today BMW Sauber put their new wings to test (and public display) - large, wide and low front wing, small, narrow and high rear wing. That “Credit Suisse” painted part of the front wing seems to the movable one. All the winglets, horns and mini fins are gone. They still however run the car with grooved tyres, but those will not be used in Formula 1 from 2009 season.

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F1Wolf

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There was no Michael Schumacher on track on the final day of Barcelona testing, so the honours could go to Massa. The times and order are not that important for the teams at this stage of testing. Except probably for Force India, the team that is using this and the next test in Jerez to select their drivers. In Barcelona Klien did a bit better than Liuzzi…

Everywhere else this test was mainly about the new ECU and no traction control or some new components for the 2008 cars. Being on the top of the time sheets definitely feels good anytime, but does not mean much right now.

Day 3 Times:

1. Massa - Ferrari - 1:21.044
2. Kovalainen - Renault - 1:21.136
3. Montagny - Toyota - 1:21.363
4. Vettel - Toro Rosso - 1:21.486
5. Coulthard - Red Bull - 1:21.555
6. Badoer - Ferrari - 1:21.741
7. de la Rosa - McLaren-Mercedes - 1:21.805
8. Rosberg - Williams - 1:21.820
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F1Wolf

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The second day of Barcelona test and Michael Schumacher was the fastest man on the track again. His best time was about 6 tenths faster than Massa’s.

Force India cars took over the bottom end of the time sheets. The day ended better for Klien but he was only a tenth of a second quicker than Sutil and Liuzzi. These guys are not making it easy for the team …

After Andreas Zuber on Tuesday, Honda gave today chance to test the F1 car to another GP2 driver - Luca Fillipi. He was only 2 tenths slower than Button.

Barcelona Test Day 2 Times:

1. M.Schumacher - Ferrari - 1.21.486
2. de la Rosa - McLaren-Mercedes - 1:21.857
3. Kovalainen - Renault - 1:21.894
4. Massa - Ferrari - 1:22.044

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F1Wolf

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None of the 2007 top 4 drivers was in action (one of them does not even have a team as we speak) but still, to jump in a car after year away and top the time sheets is impressive. Love him or hate him, Schumi still has it. Some of the current drivers should hope he does not start enjoying the track action again…

Coulthard gave him thumbs up:

“I think there is a guy called Michael. It looks as though he’s got a talent. He will make his way to F1.”

But some were not impressed even before the test:
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Let the pictures do the talking:

Honda got rid of the Earth livery and painted their car all white. Their last winter interim livery was all black…

Force India got rid of the orange Spyker color. The interim livery of the Force India F1 team does not remind me of neither Holland nor India … But Kingfisher is on the nose

The ugly logo that we spotted on Mallya’s shirt during Brazilian GP is on the car, it looks like it is going to stay…

And Michael Schumacher found some inspiration in Kimi Raikkonen, look at his updated helmet and compare it with 2007 Kimi Raikkonen’s helmet (click here)

F1Wolf

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