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Buemi Tops Jerez Testing, McLaren & Ferrari Debut Testing at Algarve

Following a busy week for most F1 teams at Jerez last week, some of the drivers returned to the track on Monday to further develop certain components of their 2009 cars. Only 5 cars recorded data for their teams yesterday, with Red Bull Renault, BMW Sauber and Williams-Toyota the only teams in action.

After topping the timing sheets last week, Sebastien Buemi finished another Jerez testing session in 1st place, outpacing nearest rival Nick Heidfeld by more than one-and-a-half second. The Swiss driver tested for Red Bull Renault on Monday, feeding rumors that he is very close to signing a deal with Dietrich Mateschitz's team – Toro Rosso, that is – for the upcoming season.

Red Bull also took the time to test another newcomer during yesterday's session, as New Zealander Brendon Hartley stepped in for the first time in the RBR cockpit during a public testing session. The 19-year old driver – who recently finished 2nd overall in the British Formula 3 championship – scored the best time of 1.19.586, ending the day 3rd overall.

The Palmerston North-born driver (Carlin Motorsport) has been offered the chance to drive an F1 car during a 3-day shakedown test for Toro Rosso earlier this year.

BMW Sauber continued their on-track testing on the KERS unit, while also running several setups throughout the day. Christian Klien was again chosen to drive the KERS-powered car – recording only the 4th best time of the day – while racing driver Nick Heidfeld focused on running the new standard slick tires.

The other driver involved in Jerez' testing on Monday was Williams' test driver Nico Hulkenberg. The German ran the most laps of the day but had to settle for the last position on the timing sheets, finishing only a second slower than 4th place Klien.

McLaren and Ferrari chose the Algarve track for their last testing session of the year. The Woking-based team focused on running their new aerodynamic package, while Ferrari ran different setups during their 36 laps of testing. The first day of testing on the Portuguese circuit was affected by strong winds.
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