Jerez 5: Zonta's day in the wet

Although Zonta did not run for the entire day, his time was still good enough to edge out Button by seven tenths of a second - as the pair were the only representatives for Michelin's rain tyre evaluation work.

Button's day was affected by a suspected oil leak, which hampered him running in the morning, although both men were forced to take a break around lunchtime when Michelin's water truck, which was spraying the track, understeered off the track at the hairpin and got stuck in the gravel trap.

It took track organisers a difficult two hours to get the truck out of the gravel - and it only became possible when the water inside was emptied out onto the track before the truck was refilled later in the day. The incident meant that the hairpin section of the circuit was much wetter than other areas.

Button, speaking to autosport.com, thought the truck accident was hilarious. "It is unbelievable, isn't it," he said. "It is not only us drivers who give excuses now..."

Zonta will stay for testing alone at Jerez on Sunday, but the circuit will be closed to everyone except Toyota team personnel.

Bridgestone is also expected to conduct its own wet weather testing, with Michael Schumacher being drafted in for a day at Valencia on Monday, before the track is taken over by BAR later in the week for the running of its new aerodynamic parts and engine developments that it hopes will help lift it nearer the front of the grid.

"It's going to be an important test," said Button. "I know Valencia is not exactly the perfect place to test aero kits, but we have nowhere else to go."



Ricardo Zonta (Toyota), 1m29.330s, 119 laps
Jenson Button (BAR), 1m30.051s, 99 laps