Jerez Day One: Vettel Fastest of 2009 Spec cars
By Ian Lockwood
February 10 2009
Sebastian Vettel showed some of the new RB5's potential by being fastest of the 2009 specification cars at Jerez on the day after the carmade its track debut.
After a preliminary shakedown yesterday, the job of getting to know RB5 and developing it for the coming season began today, once again with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel. The day went well, with successful runs in dry conditions, until mid-morning rain left the track wet until well into the afternoon, so that the car spent quite a bit of time in the garage.
Vettel completed a total of 63 laps in the new car before a precautionary halt was called on proceedings just before the scheduled end of the day due to a faulty gearbox sensor.
Tomorrow, it will be a case of one car and two drivers: Vettel is due to do the bulk of the driving over these four days, but tomorrow morning Mark Webber will get his first taste of RB5, not just to assess the car's potential, but also to see how he feels physically in the cockpit, as he continues his remarkable recovery after breaking his leg, back in November.
The days timesheet was ultimately topped by Sebastien Buemi in a 2008 specification Toro Rosso.
Driver: Sebastian Vettel
Car: RB5 - 01 Laps: 63
Best time: 1:22.177
Circuit length: 4.423
Fastest lap: S. Buemi - 1:19.660