Gene Flying at Barcelona - Morning Session

Spaniard Marc Gene set a blistering pace in the morning of the second day of testing at the Barcelona circuit, where the Williams test driver was more than a second ahead of his closest rival.

Gene, who had topped the times on the first day of work, continued at the wheel of the Williams FW24D and posted a fastest time of 1:16.144, more than a whole second quicker than Colombian teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who was in action with the new FW25.

The Ferrari team continued working with both their drivers and both their F2002 and F2003-GA cars. Italian test driver Luca Badoer was the fastest of the Ferrari men, outpacing Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who was only sixth fastest behind Britons Jenson Button and David Coulthard.

Both men joined the test today for their respective teams, Button replacing Takuma Sato at the wheel of the BAR, and Coulthard joining Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa in the second McLaren. De la Rosa, second quickest on Tuesday, completed only five laps this morning and finished as slowest.

German Sauber driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen also joined the Barcelona test today.

Today's times:

Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time Laps 1. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:16.144 40 2. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:17.272 30 3. Badoer Ferrari (B) 1:17.574 17 4. Button BAR-Honda (B) 1:17.734 39 5. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.889 23 6. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:17.964 41 7. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:18.157 31 8. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:19.105 30 9. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:19.325 5 All Timing Unofficial

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