Jerez F1 testing: McLaren's Jenson Button quickest on day one
Jenson Button shrugged off early reliability woes to set the pace on the opening day of Formula 1's first pre-season test of 2013 at Jerez
The Briton's morning ground to a halt after just three exploratory laps due to a fuel-pump failure on his McLaren, and he remained sidelined until the midway point.
A similar problem led to Lewis Hamilton's retirement from the lead of last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Button was eventually able to resume and in the final minutes of the session clocked a 1m18.861s on Pirelli's new hard compound tyres, putting him more than eight tenths clear of the field.
Second was claimed by Mark Webber, after the Australian staged his own late rally following a modest morning in the title-defending Red Bull RB9.
Webber jumped ahead of Romain Grosjean's Lotus with a 1m19.709s, only for Button to trump that almost immediately.
That left morning pacesetter Grosjean in third, Force India's Paul di Resta fourth and Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo fifth, the trio all having set their fastest times in the morning.
Di Resta clocked up more laps than any other driver, his final tally standing at 89.
Felipe Massa managed to improve in the Ferrari F138 and ended the day sixth fastest, albeit 1.6s down on Button.
On his first day testing for Sauber, Nico Hulkenberg was seventh fastest, just ahead of Nico Rosberg and the stricken Mercedes camp.
Rosberg had been setting the pace in the morning but his run - and his day - came to a premature end due to an electrical fault.
Mercedes eventually had to abandon the rest of the day as it waits for new parts. Hamilton is set to test for the first time tomorrow.
Pastor Maldonado, driving the old-spec FW34 Williams, finished just ahead of F1 rookies Giedo van der Garde and Max Chilton.
Chilton went off at Dry Sack shortly after setting his fastest time in the afternoon, with Marussia later identifying a fault with the rear suspension.
TODAY'S TIMES: Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Jenson Button McLaren 1m18.861s 37 2. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m19.709s + 0.848s 73 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m19.796s + 0.935s 54 4. Paul di Resta Force India 1m20.343s + 1.482s 89 5. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m20.401s + 1.540s 70 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m20.536s + 1.675s 64 7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m20.699s + 1.838s 79 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m20.846s + 1.985s 14 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m20.864s + 2.003s 84 10. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m21.915s + 3.054s 64 11. Max Chilton Marussia 1m24.176s + 5.315s 29
AUTOSPORT special testing coverage:
Gallery Testing blog Technical blog Live commentary
Jerez Formula 1 testing: Nico Rosberg upbeat despite Mercedes glitch
Massa: 2013 Ferrari a different world compared to poor '12 car
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix