Test drivers impress

Anthony Davidson [1m31.488s] actually set the third fastest lap of the day for BAR - some 0.28s quicker than Michael Schumacher - and was quicker than either of his team-mates Jenson Button [1m31.879s] and Takuma Sato [1m32.680s]. Over at Toyota, meanwhile, Ricardo Zonta [1m32.335s] was 10th fastest overall and quicker than his team-mates Cristiano da Matta [1m32.761s] and Olivier Panis [1m33.049s].

The conspiracy theorists, of course, were quick to pounce. One even suggested that Davidson's was a BAR low-fuel run to put the pressure on Sato and convince Honda to think about promoting Davidson to a full race seat. Davidson, however, denied that he was on low fuel. And, at Toyota, technical director Mike Gascoyne offered a much more reasoned and logical explanation as to why the test drivers should prove quicker on Friday.

"For one thing, Ricardo uses more engine revs," he said. "The race drivers use restricted revs on Friday to conserve their engines. As well as the extra power, it means that the gear ratios, et cetera, are better for him.

"That is one reason why Ricardo should always be a couple of tenths quicker, and the other thing is that with twice as many tyres, six sets, it makes quite a big difference, here especially.

"Cristiano, for example, did 1m32.7s on one tyre and Ricardo ran a similar set on a comparison and did a 1m33.8s. He said he'd made a mistake and that it should have been a low 1m33. He ran another set and did a low 1m32, saying that there was a lot more grip. So the race drivers might come in and say that they've made a small mistake, but Ricardo gets to go out and do it again and again and again."