Button Sets the Pace at Jerez - Day One

Briton Jenson Button continued with BAR's impressive pre-season form by topping the times on the first day of this week's testing at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

Button and teammate Takuma Sato continued working with the new Honda-powered 006 chassis, the Japanese driver completing a positive day for the British squad by setting the third fastest time of the session right behind Renault's Jarno Trulli.

The Italian driver worked alongside test driver Frank Montagny as the French squad put more miles on the new R24 car to be used in the 2004 season. Montagny, meanwhile, was seventh quickest in the old R23 chassis.

Italian Luca Badoer took to the track today, working with two different Ferrari F2003-GA cars. Badoer carried out a programme centred on tyres and new components for the 2004 season and posted the fourth fastest time of the session despite his car stopping on track with mechanical problems in the morning.

The McLaren team were in action with both test driver Alexander Wurz and Scot David Coulthard, both men driving the new MP4-19. The duo managed the fourth and fifth fastest times of the day, although Coulthard could only complete 22 laps as he was hit by mechanical problems.

Austrian Christian Klien was the only Jaguar driver on track, working with the R5 car. Sauber, meanwhile, worked with both their drivers at the wheel of the C23. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella was the quickest of the two, outpacing Brazilian Felipe Massa.

"Today Felipe has done the roll-out of our third chassis," explained Sauber's chief race engineer Jacky Eeckelaert. "Although it's been quite windy today which made it sometimes difficult to drive we completed our scheduled programme without any technical problems and the new chassis proved to be reliable.

"In the morning both drivers focused on set-up work for Jerez. In the afternoon Giancarlo concentrated on Bridgestone tyre construction tests while Felipe assessed new front wings and new cooling configurations. He also did Bridgestone compounds work for us."

The Jordan team began their second test with the new EJ14 chassis. The Silverstone-based squad's day, however, was rather poor, with German Nick Heidfeld finishing more than five seconds off the pace after 42 laps.

Italian Giorgio Pantano, who is hoping to land the second Jordan seat, made his debut with the team today, completing 16 laps to finish at the bottom of the times.

Testing resumes tomorrow.

Today's times:

Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time Laps 1. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:17.712 80 2. Trulli Renault (M) 1:17.864 64 3. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:18.037 84 4. Badoer Ferrari (B) 1:18.268 87 5. Wurz McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.442 69 6. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.558 22 7. Montagny Renault (M) 1:18.630 89 8. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:19.279 82 9. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:19.294 74 10. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:19.462 94 11. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:22.976 42 12. Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 1:23.156 16 All Timing Unofficial

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