Teams eye extended Bahrain test
Following the disruptive sandstorms in the island Kingdom this week, BMW-Sauber and Toyota had requested that the session be extended to include the weekend.
But the Dutch portal f1today.nl reports that Ferrari did not agree to the extension, having booked the Sakhir circuit for exclusive days of promotional shooting.
Friday, however, was a much better day for the three teams, with only a bit of a haze lingering over the circuit as the pitlane opened at 8am.
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and BMW's test driver Christian Klien were in action, but at the beginning of the session the surface was very sandy and slippery.
02/12/09 (GMM) The three F1 teams in Bahrain – Ferrari, BMW and Toyota – are in talks to prolong this week's sandstorm-affected test at the Sakhir circuit.
Following Wednesday's events, poor visibility again on Thursday moved the teams to consider extending the scheduled test to include Saturday and Sunday in order to make up lost time, the Dutch portal f1today.nl claimed.
The talks reportedly also involve the management of the circuit. The teams were due to break for the weekend and then return to action next week.
"My first test in Portugal was also heavily disrupted by the cold and the rain so I'm itching to have a real run in the car," said Toyota's Jarno Trulli, whose Thursday action was restricted to slow installation laps.
All three teams will reconvene at the circuit on Friday.