Formula One Testing Day 6: Massa and Glock Shine on Closing Day
Manama, 11th February 2008: Formula One testing concluded at the Bahrain
International Circuit with Ferrari’s Brazilian star Felipe Massa outpacing his
world champion team mate, Finland’s Kimi Räikkönen, for the first time. In a
shake-up for the order established since testing began, Räikkönen was also
outpaced by the Toyota of Timo Glock as the teams completed their programmes in
Bahrain.
The improving weather and warmer temperatures experienced this week quickly
brought times down into the 1m 30s bracket this week. Toyota enjoyed three days
without a recurrence of the gearbox problems it suffered early in the tests
while Ferrari suffered hydraulic and engine problems on the opening days of this
week’s running – which were solved in time for a trouble-free final day.
As was the case in 2007, all 11 teams in this year’s world championship are
limited to a maximum of 30,000km of testing throughout the year in order to try
and reduce costs. This, together with the first three races of the year in
Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain forming a fast and furious ‘flyaway’ season for
the European-based teams means that every kilometre counts as the first race of
2008 approaches.
In total both teams completed seven Grand Prix race distances across the six
days of testing, with Toyota racking up 869 laps or more than 4700km with its
new TF108 cars and Ferrari covering more than 4500km with an emphatic turn of
speed from the F2008. New regulations this year see a standard Electronic
Control Unit fitted to every car on the grid, thereby removing driver aids such
as Traction Control from the sport.
Despite the technical changes the Ferrari team, as reigning champion, stands as
pre-season favourite to lead the pack when the season starts in Melbourne for
the Australian Grand Prix on March 16. Toyota meanwhile goes into its seventh
season of Formula One competition desperate to break out of the midfield and
into the winners’ circle, but despite closing the Bahrain test just one tenth of
a second shy of the fastest time remained on average 1.3 seconds off the
Ferraris across the six days in Bahrain.
The Kingdom now looks forward to this year’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on
April 4-6, the third round of this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship.
The Ithmaar Group Yalla Bahrain! programme of cultural and community events
continues with the F1 Paint Bahrain art challenge underway as schools, colleges,
businesses and social groups come together from across the Kingdom to create 70
sculptures celebrating Formula One in Bahrain.
Fastest Laps – Formula One Testing, Bahrain International Circuit, 11 February
2008
1 Felipe Massa Ferrari F2008 91 laps 1m 31.189s
2 Timo Glock Toyota TF108 71 laps 1m 31.209s
3 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari F2008 85 laps 1m 31.329s
4 Jarno Trulli Toyota TF108 86 laps 1m 31.689s
Fastest Laps – Formula One Testing, Bahrain International Circuit, 4-6 February
2008
1 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari F2008 212 laps 1m 30.455s (Wednesday)
2 Felipe Massa Ferrari F2008 72 laps 1m 31.293s (Wednesday)
3 Jarno Trulli Toyota TF108 157 laps 1m 32.145s (Wednesday)
4 Luca Badoer Ferrari F2008 136 laps 1m 32.230s (Tuesday)
5 Kamui Kobayashi Toyota TF108 97 laps 1m 32.266s (Wednesday)
6 Timo Glock Toyota TF108 124 laps 1m 32.889s (Tuesday)
Fastest Laps – Formula One Testing, Bahrain International Circuit, 9-11 February
2008
1 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari F2008 212 laps 1m 30.015s (Sunday)
2 Felipe Massa Ferrari F2008 72 laps 1m 30.190s (Sunday)
3 Jarno Trulli Toyota TF108 157 laps 1m 30.944s (Sunday)
4 Timo Glock Toyota TF108 124 laps 1m 31.209s (Monday)
Distances Covered – Formula One Testing, Bahrain International Circuit, 4-11
February 2008
Ferrari 846 laps 4578.5km
Toyota 869 laps 4703.0km
