Honda teams go head-to-head

Olivier Panis is driving BAR's new 03 chassis, which has been rebuilt since Jacques Villeneuve's suspension-related accident at Jerez last week. The Frenchman hasn't completed many laps this morning, and has been concentrating on front wing adjustments as the team investigates set-up avenues for the Catalonian track.

Jarno Trulli has been on-track for Jordan again, his second day in the car at Barcelona. Despite the fact it was a week later in debuting its new EJ11, the Silverstone-based team has had a less traumatic test programme thus far. This afternoon should provide a few answers as to who will be Honda's favourite sons for 2001, but the story of their fortunes so far has been diverse and action-packed...



First test is at Silverstone, where Panis completes 32 laps and ends the day quickest overall.
Panis conducts the first day's running at Jerez, completes 42 laps and is only 0.3s slower than pace setter Luca Badoer's 2000-spec Ferrari.
Villeneuve takes over, completes 88 laps but is slowest of the four cars present - including the new Sauber C20 of Nick Heidfeld. JV admitted he was "disappointed, as we are quite a bit slower than last year's car and we are not sure what it is yet. It's slow and difficult to drive at the moment but we have got some ideas of what we need to try."
Villeneuve is again bottom of the time sheets, over a second slower than Sauber newboy Kimi Raikkonen, before a fatigue-related suspension problem causes him to crash, seriously damaging the car. Technical director Malcolm Oastler said: "Initially, we did not find an ideal set up but we have made steady progress in that area."



Heinz-Harald Frentzen puts first miles on the car at Silverstone, completing 27 laps.
The German adds another 42 tours before clutch problems bring an early end to the test.
Jordan moves to Barcelona, with Frentzen completing 23 laps with no real quick times.
HH-F is third fastest overall, only beaten by David Coulthard's McLaren and Michael Schumacher's Ferrari.
Trulli takes over for his first full day in the car, lapping 0.8s slower than Frentzen had managed previously, but still well clear of Prost's 2001 car driven by Gaston Mazzacane.