F1: De la Rosa the quickest
2006-01-11 21:31
Jerez, Spain - McLaren's Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa was quickest in out-of-season testing at Jerez on Wednesday, putting in a day-best of 1min 16.509sec after 86 laps of the circuit to relegate former world champion Michael Schumacher of Ferrari to second in 1:17.970.
Schumacher had shown rivals a clean quartet of wheelhubs on Tuesday and this time was content to restrict himself to 53 laps with Toyota's Ricardo Zonta of Brazil third fastest in 1:18.541.
World champion Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest in a Renault, timing 1:18.697 following an industrious 104 laps, a day before he gets to grips with the team's new R26 car and its V8 engine.
Teammate Giancarlo Fisichella came in sixth on the day behind BMW's Nick Heidfeld and a nose ahead of Ralf Schumacher of Toyota.
De la Rosa shot out of the blocks in his McLaren MP4/20 Mercedes kitted out with a V10 engine to outpace the field by almost 1.5sec.
Again, as on Tuesday, Alonso was concentrating on tyres but had his mind on Thursday's session with the new car.
"We've had an intense day but I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I'll get the chance to run the rule over the new car," he said.
"It (the R26) looks great," he added.
The youngest-ever world champion and first Spaniard to lift the drivers' crown announced last month he will quit Renault once he has defended his title next season after accepting a "too good to miss" offer to drive for McLaren from 2007.
- SAPA