Heidfeld happy with progress

Heidfeld: Long runs

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Heavy winds forced BMW Sauber to adjust their programme for the final day of private testing in Valencia, but despite the setback Nick Heidfeld said he was satisfied with proceedings.

Gusty conditions at the circuit meant that the German spent the majority of Saturday gathering mechanical data and focusing on systems checks in the team's new F1.09 car.

Heidfeld was able to get 91 laps under his belt despite winds of up to 70km/h, and was content with the results of the test.

"Although the test had to be interrupted once when the wind blew some debris over the track, I managed to do some long runs in the afternoon," he told the team's official website.

"I finished the day with some race start simulations on different tyre compounds."

Dry track

Whilst the wind was less than ideal, the BMW crew were nevertheless happy to have a dry track - something that was hard to come by when a number of teams tested in Portugal earlier in the week.

"We managed to collect a great deal of data and have already made initial progress," team managing director Walter Riedl added.

"Although the strong winds made testing difficult during the last two days, we benefited from the fact that the track was dry throughout and outdoor temperatures were higher than during our tests in December, which meant we were able to glean some valuable insights concerning the tyres as well.

"We have already used the 2009 version of the V8 engine with its rev limit of 18,000 rpm, as well as employing KERS.

"Overall we are very happy with the testing, particularly with regard to the high reliability of the new car.

"Now we are naturally very keen to see where we stand in terms of the competition, but we will have to wait for the next test to gain a first impression."

The team resume testing in February, with two stints planned for Bahrain.