Testing on three tracks 2003-01-22

A busy week for testing, the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona and the Valencia track playing host to sessions comprising of six teams. In Barcelona, Ferrari ruled the roost with Michael Schumacher fastest and team mate Rubens Barrichello hot on his heels. Schumacher's quickest was a 1:17.206 from 89 laps, Barrichello just four tenths behind.

Ferrari tester Luca Badoer was fourth fastest, the scarlet cars being split by the BAR of Jacques Villenueve. Ferrari's programme focused on electronics and tyres and continues tomorrow. Villeneuve's team mate Jenson Button was sixth fastest behind Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia. Pizzonia drove the new R4 today while Mark Webber took to the wheel of the revised R3C.

At Valencia, Juan Pablo Montoya took the top spot for Williams, the Colombian posting a quickest of 1:10.794. Team test driver Marc Gene was fourth fastest. "We had sunshine in the morning followed by an overcast afternoon and less wind than yesterday," said test team manager Tim Newton.

"The focus of today's test was dominated by tyre testing with Michelin alongside a routine testing program of chassis and systems work. Juan was driving a FW24 03 and Marc was putting some more useful mileage on the clock of the BMW P83 in a FW24D 01. A general testing day that accumulated a total mileage of 632km with which we were very pleased."

McLaren had three cars on track, Kimi Raikkonen second fastest and only three tenths slower than Montoya. Alex Wurz was third and Gary Paffett rounded off the times, sixth quickest. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was the sole Sauber present, the German running the new C22. Frentzen continued an aerodynamics programme but a change in the weather prevented a scheduled tyre test.

Elsewhere, Toyota carried out a three-day test at the Paul Ricard circuit in France this week. New test driver Ricardo Zonta got his first run in the interim TF103B and Christiano da Matta had a single day in the new TF103.

Renault also tested at Paul Ricard after the Lucerne launch of the R23. Fernando Alonso set the day's fastest time, 1:135.186, and Jarno Trulli was third quickest behind Zonta. "As the track was still damp from yesterday's rain, we lost the morning but we managed to cover a decent mileage with both drivers in the afternoon,” said technical director Mike Gascoyne. “Both Jarno and Fernando conducted a tyre program for Michelin with Fernando running a revised spec engine.”