Jerez 2: Montoya still top

The Colombian set his time early in the day while working through projected set-ups when there was still quite a lot of cloud cover. No-one got close to it thereafter.

Montoya is still gathering impressions of the new twin-keel chassis but has reported back that in terms of driving feel, although the seating position is a little higher, it is very similar to its predecessor the FW25. "Driving-wise," he said, "it feels much like it did when I finished in Suzuka last year." A race he was leading before his hydraulics failed...

Team-mate Gene was second quickest in the hybrid FW25B, banging in a fast lap with about 20 minutes left to go in the session. The Spaniard was one of three drivers to complete over 100 laps and spent the day unsurprisingly concentrating on the endurance of his Michelin tyres and the new BMW P84 engine and gearbox.

Renault tester Frank Montagny impressed with the third quickest time, but it was with last year's car and with light tanks so the lap was largely irrelevant. The Frenchman's programme tasks included trying out new brakes and differentials. Team-mate Jarno Trulli, who was fourth quickest, is enduring a heavy cold but despite this the Italian logged the most laps of the day, 132, as he worked his way through a mammoth Michelin tyre programme.

Ricardo Zonta set the fifth fastest time running last year's Toyota TF103 and concentrated on a software programme and general set-up work, while team-mate Olivier Panis, in the hybrid car, was eighth fastest racking up engine and gearbox mileage.


McLaren joined in the test today and the fastest of its drivers, Pedro de la Rosa, was sixth. The team brought two of its new MP4-19s but interestingly both cars were still running with 2003-spec rear-wings. Both cars endured brake problems and it's possible that the car is heavier on discs than its predecessor.

David Coulthard was the slowest of the testers, but only completed 18 laps which included a couple of installation laps in the afternoon before a hydraulic leak curtailed his on-track activities.

Ferrari continued to evaluate Bridgestone tyre constructions with a pair of F2003-GAs for Felipe Massa and Luca Badoer.

The BAR-Honda team is expected to join the test tomorrow.

Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW M 1m16.712s 85*
Marc Gene Williams-BMW M 1m17.197s 102
Franck Montagny Renault M 1m17.878s 76
Jarno Trulli Renault M 1m17.894s 132
Ricardo Zonta Toyota M 1m17.974s 106
Pedro de la Rosa McLaren M 1m18.224s 63
Felipe Massa Ferrari B 1m18.460s 77
Olivier Panis Toyota M 1m18.467s 88
Luca Badoer Ferrari B 1m18.864s 74
David Coulthard McLaren M 1m19.197s 18

* denotes 2004 car
B = Bridgestone
M = Michelin