• Pre-Season Testing

More rain expected in Jerez

ESPNF1 Staff
February 15, 2010 « Late starts lead to audience slump | »
Although spectacular, wet testing is not what the teams want as they prepare their new cars © Sutton Images
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F1 teams will continue to test in Jerez this week despite more forecasts of rain.

They had looked into relocating after two of the four days of testing last week at the Spanish circuit were washouts. Predictions suggest the weather will be even worse this week but a suitable alternative to Jerez could not be found at such short notice.

When asked about the possibility of moving to either Valencia or the Portimao circuit in the Algarve, Sauber team manager Beat Zendher said: "The [alternative] circuits are busy and the weather is too uncertain."

The drivers are hoping for dry running in the new cars to better understand them ahead of the season opener in Bahrain on March 14. However, time is running short with just eight days of testing remaining: four in Jerez this week and four in Barcelona next week.

The weather is particularly bad news for new teams Virgin and Lotus that have both built cars from scratch over the winter. With very little experience both need as much dry running as possible, as they overcome teething problems with their new machines. Last week Virgin lost out on the best part of a day's running due to a front wing failure and a lack of spares. Whether fellow 2010 debutants Campos and US F1 will complete any pre-season testing remains to be seen.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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