Jerez testing: Schuey Jr quickest... Montoya slowest

Schumacher, who set the fastest time yesterday, completed a total of 50 laps and had a best lap of 1m23.17s - around half a second quicker than Monday's time.

Although dry in the morning, rain at lunchtime meant that the times set this afternoon were never going to improve and so Schumacher's team mate, Colombian sensation Juan Pablo Montoya, actually found himself at the bottom of the timesheets.

The man who Montoya replaced at Williams, Jenson Button, had to sit out today's test. After experiencing engine problems on Monday, he has to wait until tomorrow, when a new wide-angle V10 arrives from Renault, to continue testing. Therefore, it was the Englishman's team mate, Giancarlo Fisichella, who was the sole Benetton representative on the track today. Again concentrating on tyre work, he finished second quickest.

Williams official test driver Marc Gene was the most improved runner of the day - his best time was nine-tenths quicker than the time he set yesterday and, after completing a marathon 82 laps, he finished in third - sixth tenths quicker than Montoya. The test concludes tomorrow.


Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW 1m23.15s 50
Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton-Renault 1m24.07s 46
Marc Gene Williams-BMW 1m24.29s 82
Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW 1m24.90s 59