Algarve Day 3 – Buemi ahead of Rosberg, Hamilton and Alonso testing

Sébastien Buemi once again set the fastest time in private testing at the Algarve, near Portimao, Portugal. The Swiss driver, now a main driver for Toro Rosso, continues his tests without any issues with a STR 03 still in the 2008 style. As proof, he is ahead, this time in favorable weather conditions, by more than two seconds over Nico Rosberg’s new Williams FW31.

Buemi set his best time of the day on his last lap. He also recorded the best time of the week and for a Formula 1 car on this new Portuguese circuit. With 1:27.987, he is nearly two seconds ahead of the single-seaters complying with the new technical regulations. Rosberg, driving for the first time, takes second place in the new FW31. He is more than half a second ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The young Briton, world champion a few months ago, was driving an F1 for the first time since his victory. He was able to complete the circuit 81 times. The drivers were able to take advantage of a break in the weather. The sky cleared in the morning, and the track dried up, allowing them to put on slick tires.

On the McLaren MP4/24, Hamilton encountered an engine problem. It’s only the 5th red flag of the testing sessions since the beginning of the week. Surprising to see that the 2009 cars are almost already reliable… Tomorrow, it’s his teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, who will take the wheel of the new McLaren-Mercedes.

In 4th position, Timo Glock is 2.9 seconds off the best time. However, he experienced a major incident late in the morning, losing over two hours of testing. His car caught fire during a lap when a fuel supply hose to the engine broke. The damage was only to the bodywork. As a result, he completed only 63 laps, far behind the 143 covered by Rosberg.

Finally, Fernando Alonso tested the Renault R29 for the first time. The Spaniard was unfamiliar with the track and his equipment. He was 3.7 seconds off Buemi’s best time but considers himself satisfied. He took over from Piquet and was thus able to avoid the usual setup issues with the car. The R29 nearly failed a few minutes before the end of the session, stalling at the pit exit.

Private Tests Results Portugal – Day 3 – Wednesday, January 21: