F1 testing washed out in Portugal

Rain washed out Formula One testing in Portugal on Thursday, while BMW Sauber took advantage of better weather in Spain to continue its first testing program of 2009.

Updated on: Jan 23, 2009, 01:07:57 IST

AP | By HT Correspondent, Portimao

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Rain washed out Formula One testing in Portugal on Thursday, while BMW Sauber took advantage of better weather in Spain to continue its first testing program of 2009. Red flags came out early at the Algarve track, with McLaren, Renault, Toyota, Toro Rosso and Williams forced to retreat into their garages.

Teams will next get a chance to test next month in Jerez, Spain. "It's a shame we couldn't get anything done today because at this stage of the season you need to maximize the track time available," Renault driver Fernando Alonso said. Robert Kubica continued BMW Sauber's testing program at the Cheste Circuit in Valencia.

The Polish driver tried different setups and race start simulations before strong afternoon wind changed the German team's program to focusing on overall reliability.

"We still got some interesting results which will help us understand the new BMW Sauber F1.09 better," Kubica said after 116 laps.

Kubica teammate Nick Heidfeld takes over for the next two days.

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