Sato leads way as Loeb tests

Eurosport - Tue, 18 Nov 11:29:00 2008

Takuma Sato set the pace on the opening day of a multi-team Formula One test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

2009 Test Montmelo Toro Rosso Sato - 0

The Japanese driver, who is testing for the Toro Rosso team in an effort to land a race seat for 2009, set a best time of one minute and 20.763 seconds to finish fastest of 17 runners.

Red Bull test driver Sebastien Buemi made it a Toro Rosso one-two as the Italian squad set the pace on slick tyres, which will return for 2009.

Sato's time was a second quicker than Kimi Raikkonen's pole position of 1:21.813 at this year's Spanish Grand Prix, and only marginally slower than the quickest practice lap for that race, but Toro Rosso played down the significance.

"Testing times are always hard to evaluate, but today there was probably a bigger discrepancy between the car configurations used by the teams," the team said in a post-session report.

"For our part, the only concession to the new 2009 aerodynamic rules was to run with less downforce."

Veteran Austrian Alex Wurz was third for Honda, while McLaren test duo Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett were fourth and fifth ahead of Ferrari's Luca Badoer.

Robert Kubica was seventh in a hybrid BMW Sauber, which featured 2009-specification aerodynamics.

Elsewhere, reigning world rally champion Sebastien Loeb was a remarkable eighth for Red Bull Racing after completing 82 laps in only his second taste of an F1 car.

Honda hopefuls Bruno Senna and Lucas di Grassi, both of whom are vying with Rubens Barrichello for a place in the Japanese team next season, failed to make an impression at the start of the three-day test, finishing 15th and 17th respectively.

Senna, the 25-year-old who finished runner-up in the GP2 support series this year, was making his test debut and is the nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton.

"The first day of my first Formula One test has been just as big a moment as I expected it to be," Senna said afterwards.

"I was feeling quite calm but on my first lap out of the garage I realised the significance of the moment. This is a very special opportunity and one which has been a dream my whole life.

"The team were great and left it to me to find my level, but by the end of my second run I was feeling very much at home in the car," added Senna, whose uncle won all his titles in Honda-powered McLarens.

Day 1 test times:

1. Takuma Sato (Toro Rosso) 1:20.763 (121 laps)

2. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) 1:21.071 (117)

3. Alex Wurz (Honda) 1:21.198 (77)

4. Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren) 1:21.417 (65)

5. Gary Paffett (McLaren) 1:21.956 (78)

6. Luca Badoer (Ferrari) 1:22.038 (94)

7. Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) 1:22.341 (56)

8. Sebastien Loeb (Red Bull) 1:22.503 (82)

9. Nelson Piquet Jr (Renault) 1:22.560 (80)

10. Christian Klien (BMW Sauber) 1:22.883 (53)

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) 1:23.467 (116)

12. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 1:23.794 (86)

13. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 1:23.832 (88)

14. Marc Gene (Ferrari) 1:24.177 (32)

15. Bruno Senna (Honda) 1:24.343 (39)

16. Giedo van der Garde (Renault) 1:24.908 (32)

17. Lucas di Grassi (Honda) 1:25.512 (48)

Sporting Life / Reuters

Comment 3 - 22 of 22

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  1. Very interesting Mr Burns. But were is the 2nd Honda?­ It could have been even more interesting if Honda would­ allow one of the young guns on test to bench mark­ against Button.

    From JAYANTILAL, on Wed 19 Nov 12:49AM

  2. Not sure how relevant this is but may interest­ some:

    Unofficial times for Day 2 of testing at­ Barcelona (2 February 2008)

    Pos Driver Team ­ Time Laps
    1. Vettel Toro­ Rosso-Ferrari 1:21.679 89
    2. Bourdais Toro­ Rosso-Ferrari 1:21.782 88
    3. Hamilton ­ McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.135 80
    4. Kovalainen ­ McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.511 70
    5. Kubica ­ BMW-Sauber 1:22.833 90
    6. Alonso ­ Renault 1:22.938 115
    7. Piquet ­ Renault 1:23.002 115
    8. Webber ­ Red Bull-Renault 1:23.020 75
    9. Heidfeld ­ BMW-Sauber 1:23.070 94
    10. Coulthard ­ Red Bull-Renault 1:23.322 85
    11. Rosberg ­ Williams-Toyota 1:23.347 34
    12. Nakajima ­ Williams-Toyota 1:23.948 40
    13. Button ­ Honda 1:23.959 58
    14. Liuzzi ­ Force India-Ferrari 1:24.263 61

    From Mr Burns, on Tue 18 Nov 4:33PM

  3. Mrs Valerie I'd just like to say your picture is­ very pleasing to the eye.and yes gromit is the very­ same raven.who obviously has no scruples and is a­ stranger to honor and humor.

    From MGA, on Tue 18 Nov 1:05PM

  4. I IMAGINE LOEB'S DISAPPOINTMENT DISCOVERING THAT­ THERE IS NO COPILOT SEAT IN F1 !!!

    From golf in the kingdom, on Tue 18 Nov 12:26PM

  5. Quote "Despite the newly announced deal with­ McLaren and Mercedes, the Silverstone-based team is­ running at the Spanish venue this week with its­ customer Ferrari engines."

    From Grey Scale, on Tue 18 Nov 11:54AM

  6. so what engines are force india running

    From ian, on Tue 18 Nov 11:37AM

  7. Gromit
    Are you the same Gromit as Raven? Because I seem­ to remember you promising us you would not post on here­ again.

    From Mrs Valerie Quigly, on Tue 18 Nov 11:34AM

  8. irishroag: Please remember that when you praise­ Ollieboyyy this is in fact Jbolamtum aka "Marnio­ the Incontinent". This then puts you on the same­ level as him.
    Jealousy is such an unattractive thing.

    From BigBill, on Tue 18 Nov 11:31AM

  9. Hilarious - Loeb sits in the bloody thing and clocks up­ times faster than that useless @#$% Piquet and the­ wonder boy Senna. These guys are racing F1 and F2 and­ Seb never sat in this thing b4 - give him a week and he­ will mae them look even more stupid - GO SEB. 5 times­ world rally champion. His only problem would be getting­ board going round in stupid circles

    From not printable, on Tue 18 Nov 9:21AM

  10. dont mean to step on any one's toes but marnio­ arent you tired of posting same things over and over?

    From Mashenyka, on Tue 18 Nov 6:47AM

  11. go sato go..................

    From Topan, on Tue 18 Nov 4:55AM

  12. nice to see sebastien loeb running 8th. is it late for­ him to switch to f1?

    From Jonas, on Tue 18 Nov 12:29AM

  13. Oilyboy and the other pratts have never posted anything­ remotely connected with F1

    From Biggles, on Mon 17 Nov 11:21PM

  14. Well, this is a fine mess, I thought this was about F1?

    From USA 1, on Mon 17 Nov 11:13PM

  15. ps. i forgot to add vlad666 and his monkey girlfriend­ beegees25

    From Biggles, on Mon 17 Nov 11:01PM

  16. irishfrog, you can f#ck off as well.

    From Biggles, on Mon 17 Nov 10:59PM

  17. Oilyboy: usual @#$% from the mouth of the pratt from­ peru. your comments are so last year. grow up, get a­ life but please don't join our world which is the­ real world. you deserve to be in a tiny universe of­ your own populated by pondlife, NP, penisman,­ moronroute, jbolan, etc.

    From Biggles, on Mon 17 Nov 10:57PM

  18. ollieboyyy you hit the nail on the head.. unfortunately­ the british so desperately need to have an icon to­ boast about it doesn't matter in the least how­ un-british he or his team are in fact i think if­ you're a famous sport or media star and you­ "stop off" at one of the many ports and­ airports in the country you automatically become­ british instantly and idolisation is a given!!

    From dave, on Mon 17 Nov 10:42PM

  19. I am an open-mineded single girl who love sports. I­ want to end my single life by meeting
    a guy who likes­ sports too. Let's mingle at the club ___ kISs M­ ill iona ireS Co m __

    From sexyhotda33, on Mon 17 Nov 9:43PM

  20. Sato & Torro Rosso fastest ! What are they smoking­ ?

    From art_tidesco, on Mon 17 Nov 7:03PM
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