The final tests ahead of the new Formula One season came to a close this afternoon at Jerez with McLaren Mercedes and Williams Toyota concluding their pre-season running.Kazuki Nakajima was on hand to wrap up testing of the FW31, putting in 102 laps of the Spanish test circuit and recording a best time of 1:17.494s. The time eclipsed Jenson Button's best of 1:17.844s recorded on Tuesday and will be a boost for the Grove-based team.
“Kazuki was back in the cockpit today working through last minute reliability and performance items that required sign-off for Melbourne," explained Technical Director Sam Michael. "We have put over 8,000kms on the FW31 in the last two months and, while there are always areas that require attention, reliability has been good.”
“We’ve also been working hard with Toyota to achieve good reliability on the engine’s working range, which has been subject to a reduction in revs but an increase in mileage. Considering the time we’ve had to do this, the work has gone well, he concluded"
Heikki Kovalainen was back behind the wheel of the MP4-24 for the second day, the team once again using flow visualisation paint, this time on the floor of the chassis just ahead of the rear diffuser.
Kovalainen was just under half a second adrift of Nakajima but three-tenths up on his Wednesday best.
"The team concluded the on track proving process of the MP4-24 package," McLaren said in a statement. "New components, which arrived from the McLaren Technology Centre overnight, were fitted to the car for today’s session receiving productive feedback."
With the new regulations in place that prohibit in-season testing, the ten teams will now only be in action over the next 17 Grand Prix weekends, the first of which gets underway next Friday in Melbourne...
Jerez - 19/03/2009
1 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW31 - 1:17.494 (+ 0.000 ) - 102 laps
2 . H. Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 - 1:17.946 (+ 0.452 ) - 84 laps.
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