Montoya Fastest; Sauber Happy with C22 - Barcelona

Williams's Juan Pablo Montoya remained on top of the time sheet at the end of the first day of testing in Barcelona, Spain, where Williams and Sauber have resumed testing before the beginning of the 2003 season.

Montoya improved his morning times to set a 1:17.790 - more than half a second faster than his team's test driver Marc Gene. Montoya's teammate, Ralf Schumacher, ran for only five laps in the morning before his car broke down. He did not resume testing in the afternoon.

Today also saw the debut of the Sauber C22 in testing, with Nick Heidfeld carrying out testing duties on the new car, while his teammate Heinz Harald Frentzen worked on the 2002 car. The German pair covered almost 100 laps of the Barcelona circuit, setting the third and fourth fastest times of the day.

"After our unexpected problem of snow in Italy last week, it was a relief to have cold but dry conditions in Spain today which enabled us to put the first kilometers on the new C22," technical director Willy Rampf said.

"Our purpose today was simply to check out all the components, control systems, the two-way telemetry and start to optimise the new gearbox and suspension settings. It has been a successful roll out. From the installation lap and the first run right up to the end of the day, the car ran with complete reliability. Our first set-ups and data measurements are satisfactory."

"I got some very good feelings from the C22," Heidfeld commented. This was of course my first acquaintance with the car and we weren't running hard, and it won't be until we get to more testing that we will be able to push harder. I am delighted to report that my first impression of the new car was very favourable."

"My role today was to continue testing development components on the C21," Frentzen added. "Unfortunately I lost a little bit of time with a hydraulic problem, but was able to continue running in the afternoon. I am very pleased to hear Nick's comments on the car. I am looking forward to my turn to drive the C22."

Today's times:

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:17.790 46 2. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:18.394 63 3. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:18.725 37 4. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:18.901 60 5. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 1:19.658 5 All Timing Unofficial

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Today's Full Laptimes:

Juan Pablo Montoya Williams 1->17:52.214 11-> 1:19.621 21->19:45.322 31-> 1:17.790* 41-> 1:18.908 2->15:04.847 12-> 1:18.950 22-> 1:37.125 32-> 1:18.415 42-> 1:18.642 3-> 1:19.256 13-> 1:24.860 23->10:19.655 33-> 1:18.628 43-> 1:25.666 4-> 1:18.850 14->10:48.111 24->10:53.428 34-> 1:19.074 44-> 8:03.024 5-> 1:24.173 15-> 1:18.079 25-> 1:38.431 35-> 1:18.910 45-> 1:56.921 6->47:57.900 16-> 1:18.163 26->43:59.523 36-> 1:25.552 46-> 6:21.554 7-> 1:32.148 17-> 1:18.603 27-> 1:18.708 37-> 9:46.498 8-> 6:22.986 18-> 1:24.663 28-> 1:19.108 38-> 1:17.857 9-> 1:32.426 19-> 8:20.738 29-> 1:26.681 39-> 1:30.988 10->42:45.594 20-> 1:34.844 30->10:20.275 40-> 1:18.031 Marc Gene Williams 1->58:54.694 14-> 1:28.783 27-> 1:20.597 40-> 1:21.966 53-> 1:20.523 2->27:17.017 15->27:03.652 28-> 1:26.648 41-> 1:26.422 54-> 1:20.419 3-> 1:20.408 16-> 1:22.220 29->18:27.320 42->20:06.974 55-> 1:22.457 4-> 1:20.401 17-> 1:21.042 30-> 1:20.104 43-> 1:19.120 56-> 1:20.990 5-> 1:20.473 18-> 1:21.206 31-> 1:20.817 44-> 1:19.770 57-> 1:21.014 6-> 1:28.666 19-> 1:21.693 32-> 1:20.865 45-> 1:20.260 58-> 1:20.822 7->14:34.468 20-> 1:27.868 33-> 1:21.919 46-> 1:20.406 59-> 1:20.673 8-> 1:25.342 21-> 3:30.012 34-> 1:21.625 47-> 1:20.745 60-> 1:20.271 9-> 1:21.457 22->13:42.396 35-> 1:22.014 48-> 1:20.608 61-> 1:19.910 10-> 1:20.937 23->17:15.732 36-> 1:21.998 49-> 1:20.731 62-> 1:20.123 11-> 1:27.366 24-> 1:18.394* 37-> 1:21.366 50-> 1:20.664 63-> 1:26.230 12->44:39.328 25-> 1:19.722 38-> 1:21.401 51-> 1:20.637 13-> 1:20.833 26-> 1:20.521 39-> 1:21.497 52-> 1:20.650 Heinz Harald Frentzen Sauber 1->30:32.066 9-> 1:21.669 17-> 1:20.440 25-> 1:38.775 33-> 1:19.799 2->25:29.220 10-> 1:21.396 18-> 1:20.345 26->15:51.945 34-> 1:19.830 3-> 1:25.349 11-> 1:21.590 19-> 1:26.592 27-> 1:18.725* 35-> 1:39.835 4-> 1:22.038 12-> 1:35.641 20-> 1:39.495 28-> 1:20.027 36-> 7:02.970 5-> 1:21.340 13->17:25.882 21->16:32.519 29-> 1:20.585 37-> 2:12.532 6-> 1:27.077 14-> 1:19.606 22-> 1:19.143 30-> 1:40.663 7-> 1:41.302 15-> 1:41.603 23-> 1:19.610 31->40:52.506 8->25:40.268 16->31:04.443 24-> 1:20.082 32-> 1:18.773 Nick Heidfeld Sauber Petronas 1->22:13.593 13-> 1:20.587 25-> 1:20.348 37-> 1:19.036 49-> 1:19.562 2->32:12.418 14-> 1:20.889 26-> 1:20.480 38-> 1:20.101 50-> 1:19.538 3-> 1:54.157 15-> 1:30.835 27-> 1:36.568 39-> 1:30.689 51-> 1:19.880 4-> 1:57.517 16->13:49.885 28->14:01.607 40->16:37.825 52-> 1:20.413 5-> 9:39.852 17-> 1:20.825 29-> 1:21.571 41-> 1:20.200 53-> 1:20.418 6->18:52.803 18-> 1:20.176 30-> 1:20.836 42-> 1:20.226 54-> 1:20.742 7-> 1:31.623 19-> 1:20.104 31-> 1:20.807 43-> 1:32.602 55-> 1:21.209 8-> 1:27.967 20-> 1:34.582 32->19:29.729 44->37:40.383 56-> 1:33.092 9-> 1:25.804 21->24:35.227 33-> 1:21.299 45-> 1:19.489 57-> 2:16.342 10-> 1:35.158 22-> 1:37.411 34-> 1:21.295 46-> 1:28.415 58->10:11.674 11->33:33.440 23->24:40.472 35-> 1:38.694 47->24:56.722 59-> 1:18.961 12-> 1:20.213 24-> 1:21.155 36-> 9:27.209 48-> 1:18.901* 60-> 1:35.081 Ralf Schumacher Williams 1->12:26.449 2->59:28.109 3-> 1:19.658* 4-> 1:26.211 5->30:40.776