The test at the Circuit de Catalunya has begun and the big news is that Button's Honda GBP 001 heads the time sheets. As several commentators have pointed out, this may have more to do with light fuel runs designed to impress potential sponsors but it does at least mean that the car runs, is reasonably competitive and should not be entirely embarrassing in Melbourne.
Sebastien Bourdais in the Toro Rosso STR4
With Ross Brawn in charge, this may have been predictable but a winter of uncertainty such as the team has just experienced, plus the rumored discontent within the ranks, could easily have resulted in a lack of readiness for the coming season. I take it as a good omem, therefore, and look forward to the team doing rather better than they did last year.
The Toro Rosso STR4 has also made its debut and, in the hands of Sebastien Bourdais, it has been on a par with Webber's Red Bull RB5 so far. That, again, is not bad for a first outing, even if the two cars share a chassis design. As STR are at pains to point out, the different engine and KERS systems they use have meant considerable adjustment and re-design within the body so that the STR4 is not a clone of the Red Bull car by any means. It just looks the same - apart from a less cluttered paint job than its sister car...
The test is continuing as I write and I see Raikkonen has now beaten Button's time. It seems Ferrari will be as competitive as ever this year but doubts are growing regarding McLaren. We can mutter about sandbagging but to be so consistently slow in the off season tests is not a good sign. At some stage any team has to show its hand if it is to have a decent idea of the real speed of the car and it is getting very late - less than three weeks to go before the Australian GP.
It is all relative, of course, and the over-riding impression of the tests to date has been that the cars are very evenly matched. All the cars are looking good and there could be some upsets to the established pecking order when they get to the actual races. I am convinced enough about McLaren's problems to believe that they will struggle to begin with; Ferrari should be at the front but I expect BMW to be there too (it is normal for them to sandbag). After that, I really have no idea - the midfield could be packed to the extent of there being no one to bring up the rear!
Testing continues but it is getting late and I should post. I will add the times for today once the session is over.
Update - Test times at the end of the day:
Nick Heidfeld, BMW-Sauber 00:01'20.338
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:01'20.908
Jarno Trulli, Toyota 00:01'20.937
Jenson Button, Brawn GP 00:01'21.140
Nelson Piquet Jr, Renault 00:01'21.665
Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso 00:01'22.158
Adrian Sutil, Force India 00:01'22.452
Mark Webber, Red Bull 00:01'22.679
Kazuki Nakajima, Williams 00:01'22.813
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren 00:01'23.600
It seems BMW have grown tired of sandbagging!