Formula One winter testing Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona Spain: photos of Sebastien Loeb who was 8th quickest in the F1 Red Bull Racing RB4

Posted by RallyScott 17 November, 2008

Sebastien Loeb was a highly impressive 8th quickest (just under 2s slower than the fastest time) today at the Circuit de Catalunya F1 track driving the Red Bull RB4 on his first official Formula One test.

Loeb, who was awarded the test drive as a present from Red Bull for winning the world rally championship this year, set 12th best time in the morning session and then improved that in the afternoon to post 8th quickest.

Loeb had a familiarisation run in the car at Silverstone last week prior to the test. Many of the teams present today were trying their 2009 aero packages and the new KERS system, Loeb was using the 2008 Red Bull machine with 2009 slick tyres.

Video of Loeb in the F1 RB4 at Red Bull Racing HQ Milton Keynes and Silverstone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNnRD8FJKi8

Loeb spoke to autosport.com about being back in an F1 car, and his shakedown at Silverstone last week in preparation for the test at Barcelona today:

It was really good, but at Silverstone I only did about 100km with very low grip conditions so I could not really exploit the car. But just accelerating up the straight I could really feel the power so it was a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to Barcelona now: I don't think it should be five degrees and raining there!"

Loeb described the experience of his first official F1 test at Barcelona to wrc.com:

It was a very exciting experience and a big pleasure to have the opportunity to drive here. To start with I just tried to understand quickly how it all worked and then tried to improve. Later on I tried to change the settings a little - but maybe not in the right way because the times were not improving and even I felt I could go a bit faster.

But I felt in some places I wasn’t far from what I should be capable of with the car. I think the most impressive thing was the brakes. You have to heat then strongly but it’s incredible how late you can brake. I tried in some places to brake later and later but I still wasn’t on the limit - it’s really impressive.

Today was not like a race so when I saw someone faster in my mirrors I pulled over to the opposite side of the track. Anyway, I think you learn more when you’re driving alone and then speak to the engineers and look at the data.

But I did overtake. I followed one car for quite a while, I was closing and he stopped to let me past, so that was okay, but for sure at these speeds it must be something special to fight on a track.”

F1 Circuit de Catalunya morning test unofficial times 17th November 2008:

1º 15 Takuma Sato Toro Rosso 00:01'20''763 58
2º 14 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 00:01'21''071 00:00'00''308 61
3º 16 Alex Wurz Honda 00:01'21''198 00:00'00''435 38
4º 22 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren 00:01'21''417 00:00'00''654 29
5º 23 Gary Paffett McLaren 00:01'22''289 00:00'01''526 23
6º 4 Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 00:01'22''899 00:00'02''136 36
7º 6 Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 00:01'23''386 00:00'02''623 51
8º 1 Luca Badoer Ferrari 00:01'23''515 00:00'02''752 40
9º 3 Christian Klien BMW-Sauber 00:01'23''685 00:00'02''922 25
10º 7 Nico Hulkenberg Williams 00:01'23''757 00:00'02''994 64
11º 20 Adrian Sutil Force India 00:01'23''852 00:00'03''089 44
12º 10 Sebastien Loeb Red Bull 00:01'24''044 00:00'03''281 44
13º 2 Marc Gene Ferrari 00:01'24''521 00:00'03''758 10
14º 21 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India 00:01'25''344 00:00'04''581 44
15º 17 Di Grassi Honda 00:01'25''972 00:00'05''209 33
16º 5 Van der Garde Renault 00:01'26''968 00:00'06''205 08
17º 9 David Coulthard Red Bull 00:01'99''999 00:01'19''236 00

Afternoon session unofficial times:

1	T. Sato	Scuderia Toro Rosso	01:20.763	121
2	S. Buemi	Scuderia Toro Rosso	01:21.071	117
3	A. Wurz	Honda	01:21.198	77
4	P. de la Rosa	McLaren	01:21.417	65
5	G. Paffett	McLaren	01:21.956	78
6	L. Badoer	Ferrari	01:22.038	94
7	R. Kubica	BMW	01:22.341	56
8	S. Loeb	Red Bull	01:22.503	82
9	N. Piquet jr.	Renault	01:22.560	80
10	C. Klien	BMW	01:22.883	53
11	N. Hulkenberg	Williams	01:23.794	86
12	V. Liuzzi	Force India F1	01:23.794	86
13	A. Sutil	Force India F1	01:23.832	88
14	M. Gené	Ferrari	01:24.177	32
15	B. Senna	Honda	01:24.343	39
16	G. van der Garde	Renault	01:24.908	32
17	L. Di Grass	Honda	01:25.512	48