Button tops first day of Barcelona test

Fresh from the launch of the BAR 006 yesterday, Jenson Button topped the times on the first day of testing at Barcelona this week. Button's best was a lap record breaking 1:13.867 out of only 29 laps, one and a half seconds ahead of second placed ...

Fresh from the launch of the BAR 006 yesterday, Jenson Button topped the times on the first day of testing at Barcelona this week. Button's best was a lap record breaking 1:13.867 out of only 29 laps, one and a half seconds ahead of second placed Marc Gen? in the Williams FW26.

Jenson Button tests the new BAR 006.

Photo by LAT Photographic.

Button beat his own record set nearly two weeks ago by about seven tenths of a second. BAR also had Takuma Sato on track, third quickest of the day. Button drove the 006 and Sato the interim 005B chassis.

The second Williams of Ralf Schumacher was fourth on the time sheet and both he and Gen? drove an FW26 chassis and worked on aerodynamics and set up. Ralf was followed by the solitary Ferrari of Luca Badoer. The Scuderia's test driver's Programme was tyres, electronics and engine and completed 81 laps.

Giancarlo Fisichella was present for Sauber in the new C23 chassis. The Italian focused on mechanical set up, front wing settings, cooling systems and Bridgestone tyres, and was sixth fastest.

The remaining three cars on track were McLarens -- Pedro de la Rosa was the best of the trio in seventh, followed by Alex Wurz and Darren Turner. Team race driver Kimi Raikkonen joins the test tomorrow, when Renault and Toyota are also scheduled to arrive at Barcelona.