The British driver was clocked at 1:19.127, a full second ahead of all the other cars on Wednesday. His time was also more than a second better that Robert Kubica's lap record in Barcelona last year, 1:20.5. It's worth mentioning, however, that Button's quick time was obtained with a low-fueled car.
Nevertheless, the BGP 001 showed consistent pace during Wednesday's long runs – when it ran with a considerable amount of fuel – making the constant work on their aerodynamic package throughout the winter pay off.
“It's been another great day and a very positive test generally. After the challenges we have faced, to come here and get off to such an encouraging start is just what we all needed and I can't thank the team enough. All that effort has really paid off and everyone can feel very proud,” admitted Button after Day 3 of the Barcelona testing.
BGP 001's performances in Barcelona speak for themselves really, as Button started the week clinching the best time during Monday's morning session (4th overall at the end of the day). Barrichello then stepped into the car for the first time this week on Tuesday and finished the day as the 3rd fastest driver on track, after which Button took control of the timing sheets on Wednesday.
Proof enough of Brawn GP's great development work on the BGP 001 are also Sebastian Vettel's and Fernando Alonso's comments after yesterday's session.
“If it stays like this, Brawn GP will be all by themselves at the front in Melbourne,” argued the RBR driver in an interview for Auto Motor und Sport publication. “Brawn is not such a surprise for me because they have been preparing their car for a long time. They have done great work with the aerodynamics,” added Alonso.
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