Mark Webber completed a staggering 139 laps today in Barcelona today, despite having to contend with a damp track this morning, thanks to some overnight rain.
Red Bull had intended to do a qualifying and a race simulation today, just as they had with Sebastian Vettel yesterday. However, as Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, explained, the inclement weather scuppered this carefully crafted schedule:
“We had a lot of rain overnight and it did upset our plans for Mark today,” he said. “The conditions in the morning meant we couldn't do a P3 or qualifying simulation, but it did allow Mark to get some running on the intermediate tyres, which was useful as he hasn't had that opportunity before.
“In the afternoon, with the track dry, we got down to the race simulation and I'm happy to say we got through that with absolutely no problems, which is always encouraging. It was a shame Mark didn't get to do a qualifying simulation but it was a pretty productive day otherwise, with some time on inters and the full race in the afternoon, so we're happy enough.”
Webber was also happy with the day’s efforts, and is very pleased with how the new RB7 is performing at these tests. “Today went well, with nearly 140 laps completed, and you can't complain about that,” the Aussie said. “Obviously, we now have a lot of data to digest and we're learning a huge amount about this car and how to get the best from it.
“It was damp all morning and that meant we had a pretty condensed programme this afternoon but we got through it well and, I have to say, the car ran really, really well. A good day and we'll come back tomorrow to learn some more.”
