Barcelona test, day 1: Irvine leads
Jaguar's Eddie Irvine kicked off Formula 1 testing at Barcelona by setting the pace at the end of the first day as the only non-test driver present at the Catalan circuit
Irvine completed 63 laps and put in a best time of 1m20.728s two and a half seconds behind Michael Schumacher's pole time from this year's Spanish Grand Prix.
The Ulsterman was four tenths ahead of Antonio Pizzonia, who is gunning for a second test drive with the Williams-BMW squad alongside Marc Gene for next year.
This week's test marks the Brazilian's second in as many weeks after completing three days of running with his Petrobras Jr Formula 3000 team mate Ricardo Sperafico at Estoril in the week after the Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren-Mercedes tester Alex Wurz finished third fastest ahead of Gene, who is thought to have been testing Williams' new BMW V10 for next year. The Spaniard completed 50 trouble-free laps.
Mark Webber wound up fifth for Benetton while Darren Turner put in a mammoth 98 laps in the second McLaren to finish sixth. Testing continues tomorrow.
Eddie Irvine, Jaguar M, 1m20.728s, 63 laps
Antonio Pizzonia, Williams-BMW M, 1m21.131s, 85 laps
Alex Wurz, McLaren-Mercedes B, 1m21.166s, 41 laps
Marc Gene, Williams-BMW M, 1m21.688s, 50 laps
Mark Webber, Benetton-Renault M, 1m21.834s, 43 laps
Darren Turner, McLaren-Mercedes, B 1m21.874s, 98 laps
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