Pedro de la Rosa wrapped up McLaren’s 2008 test programme at the new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve circuit in Portugal, outpacing Ferrari’s Luca Badoer for the top spot by just over a second.
The Spaniard gave the hybrid ’09 spec McLaren MP4-23 it’s final outing of the year and spent the day working on the car’s aerodynamic package and Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) device.
Luca Badoer completed 75 laps in the Ferrari F2008 and wound up just over a second adrift of his opposite number at McLaren. The Italian driver evaluated different setup variations for the new car alongside tyre and engine development.
McLaren report that both their 2009 aero package and KERS device are significantly more reliable and more powerful than they were when winter testing begun.
With no testing scheduled until late January McLaren are now turning all their efforts towards the development of MP4-24 which will be launched at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking on Friday January 16.
