Massa tops Silverstone test on day one

The Brazilian edged out McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen by almost three tenths of a second as his team began their three-day preparations for next weekend's race.

Ferrari will, however, have been left concerned by a mechanical failure that resulted in Massa being left stranded on track 30 minutes from the end of the session to bring out a red flag.

Robert Kubica was a further half a second adrift of Kovalainen, as his BMW Sauber team bid to bounce back from their disappointing performance in Magny-Cours, where they failed to show the form that had helped them to their maiden in Canada earlier this month.

The team tried out a new front wing that they hope will lift them back into contention in the fight against Ferrari and McLaren.

Toyota delivered evidence of their improving form as test driver Kamui Kobayashi was fourth fastest on his first visit to the track in an F1 car, although he also brought out a red flag when his engine died at Becketts.

Nico Rosberg was fifth fastest, ahead of Mark Webber in the Red Bull Racing. Seventh fastest Nelson Piquet brought out a red flag when he stopped just after 3pm on the main straight.

Vitantonio Liuzzi tried some aerodynamic and mechanical developments on the Force India, but the team did not run the full 'shark fin' engine cover that is expected to be evaluated this week.

The most disappointed man of the day was Sebastian Vettel, who only managed to complete 10 laps after stopping with a fuel system problem in his Scuderia Toro Rosso STR3. The team expect the German to be back out in action tomorrow.

Pos  Driver      Team                     Time      Laps
 1.  Massa       Ferrari             (B)  1:20.188   71
 2.  Kovalainen  McLaren-Mercedes    (B)  1:20.477   90
 3.  Kubica      BMW Sauber          (B)  1:20.995   82
 4.  Kobayashi   Toyota              (B)  1:21.335   82
 5.  Rosberg     Williams-Toyota     (B)  1:21.410   88
 6.  Webber      Red Bull-Renault    (B)  1:21.656   94
 7.  Piquet      Renault             (B)  1:21.797   68
 8.  Button      Honda               (B)  1:22.081   90
 9.  Liuzzi      Force India         (B)  1:22.250  108
10.  Vettel      Toro Rosso-Ferrari  (B)  1:23.853   10  

All Timing Unofficial