Surprising Massa on Top at Barcelona - Morning Session

Brazilian Felipe Massa was the surprise of the morning session at the Barcelona circuit on the fourth day of testing, the Sauber driver finishing on top of the timesheets more than 1.5 seconds quicker than his closest rival Marc Gene in the Williams.

With the track still damp after yesterday's rain, nine Formula One teams continued working at the Catalan circuit, preparing for the first race of the 2002 season in Australia. Massa set a quickest lap of 1:26.540, but with the track drying up quickly it is expected that the times will be bettered soon.

German Nick Heidfeld completed a good performance for the Ferrari-powered Sauber team, setting the third quickest time ahead of Eddie Irvine in the first of the Jaguars. Italian Luca Badoer, who is the only Ferrari driver in Barcelona after Luciano Burti travelled to Italy to test at Fiorano today, was fifth quickest ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in the second Williams.

Takuma Sato was seventh with the Jordan while Alexander Wurz, who replaced Scot David Coulthard at the wheel of the McLaren was eighth. Finn Mika Salo took over from teammate Allan McNish, and set the 12th quickest time with the new Toyota.

Morning times:

Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time 1. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:26.540 2. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:28.055 3. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:28.224 4. Irvine Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:29.268 5. Badoer Ferrari (B) 1:29.449 6. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:29.487 7. Sato Jordan-Honda (B) 1:29.800 8. Wurz McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:30.065 9. Panis BAR-Honda (B) 1:30.152 10. Fisichella Jordan-Honda (B) 1:30.650 11. Davidson BAR-Honda (B) 1:31.422 12. Salo Toyota (M) 1:31.860 13. Pizzonia Williams-BMW (M) 1:33.327 14. Trulli Renault (M) 1:33.476 15. De la Rosa Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:35.006 16. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:35.212 17. Button Renault (M) no time All Timing Unofficial