McLaren MP4-24
Lewis Hamilton begins testing of McLaren's all-new F1 car
McLaren has began testing its new MP4-24 F1 car. Lewis Hamilton got behind the wheel at the new Portimao testing facility in Portugal, coming away pleased with the feel of the new-look 2009 car.
He set the third fastest time of the day, a 1:30.242, which was over two seconds slower than Sebastien Buemi running in an ‘08-spec, slick-shod Toro Rosso and half a second slower than Nico Rosberg in a full ‘09-spec Williams.
Unfortunately, his morning running was hampered by damp weather. The team sent him out with an ‘08-spec rear wing and intermediate tyres. He stopped out on track around midday with an engine fault but there was no need for it to be changed.
In the afternoon, the weather conditions improved to allow him to run an ‘09-spec rear wing and slick tyres, doing his first meaningful run.
Lewis said: ‘It was good to be back working with the team. It’s amazing to think that I haven’t properly driven a Formula 1 car since the Brazilian Grand Prix two months ago, but everything very quickly felt normal today.
‘This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and the new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers; it wasn’t about setting a fast time. I’m pleased to report that the car feels good.
‘It’s going to be an extremely busy winter. I’ve only been in the car for one day and our usual joblist for the weeks ahead is already enormous. With the limitations on testing during the season, and the few sessions we have over the next two months, this is going to be an intense time and absolutely critical for every team.’
