Buemi continues to lead Portimao test

With Scuderia Toro Rosso being the only team present to run their 2008 car, albeit with 2009 downforce levels, there was little doubt that the Swiss driver would end up well clear of the opposition.

Buemi's best lap was more than three seconds clear of his nearest rival, McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa, on a day that started wet, dried out around lunchtime, rained again and then was hit by a dramatic hail storm.

With teams getting to grips with their new cars, little meaning could be derived from the times - with de la Rosa's 1:37.512 seconds almost five seconds up on Toyota's Jarno Trulli - who was getting his first taste of the TF109.

Nelson Piquet was fourth fastest in the new R29, but lost a lot of track time with an engine problem that the team could not fix quickly.

Nico Rosberg was the only other driver running, as he got his first experience of the Williams FW31.

Today's times:

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time     Laps
 1.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:34.429   48
 2.  de la Rosa    McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:37.512   62
 3.  Trulli        Toyota               (B)  1:42.399   30
 4.  Piquet        Renault              (B)  1:45.860    9
 5.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:51.580   31

All Timing Unofficial