Friday: Brawn GP is still on track
A weekend start that already promises a good performance from Brawn GP drivers. Besides Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello being in the top 10 in both practice sessions, the team’s only concern is focused on the tires, while other teams struggle to adapt ‘double’ diffusers or KERS. The other key point, with these very hot […]
A weekend start that already promises a good performance from Brawn GP drivers. Besides Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello being in the top 10 in both practice sessions, the team’s only concern is focused on the tires, while other teams struggle to adapt ‘double’ diffusers or KERS.
The other key point, with these very hot conditions, is reliability. Brawn has been a leader in this area since the beginning of the season despite a small scare in the morning with Button and his gearbox.
Jenson Button – 5th and 6th:
« A fairly standard test program for us today where the weather was very hot in Bahrain. We successfully completed our program. We evaluated a number of setup options to find the best balance for our car on this track. The heat is intense but we are well prepared for it and look forward to this weekend’s race in dry conditions. Our pace seems good from our initial assessments but I am sure the battle will rage tomorrow for the qualifications. »
Rubens Barrichello – 7th and 9th:
« We tested different setups on both cars today to gather as much information as possible and compensate for our lack of early-season testing. It is very hot here, and it is obviously very difficult to find a good balance on the car. Overall, I am quite happy with the work we have done. We are very competitive, but there is still work to do before tomorrow’s qualifying because the other cars around us are also very fast. »
Ross Brawn – Team Principal:
« While the Super-Soft and Medium tires we use for the Bahrain Grand Prix are familiar to us, the track conditions change the game. The track is always very dusty at the start of each session, and the track temperature is by far the highest since the start of the season. »
« We have therefore focused our efforts on understanding the tires and we are pleased with the progress made during the two testing sessions. The intense heat here means that we must be extra vigilant for the reliability of the cars. It will be a difficult weekend for the drivers. »
