Valencia test, day 2: McLaren dominates

David Coulthard took over from McLaren-Mercedes test driver Alex Wurz, who was fastest yesterday (Tuesday), but the Scot had to be content with second place, for it was Mika Hakkinen who found the most pace in much drier conditions at the twisty Spanish circuit.

After the thunderstorms of Tuesday, sunny weather allowed teams to complete an almost uninterrupted day of dry running, except for a short shower at the beginning of the afternoon session.

The McLaren duo completed 123 laps between them and with both Coulthard and Hakkinen carrying out practice starts almost every time they left the pits - and again 30 metres before the garage upon their return - the Wopking team's launch and traction control development work was plain to see.

Top of the Michelin runners was unsurprisingly the Williams team with Ralf Schumacher taking third spot just ahead of team mate Juan Pablo Montoya in fourth.

After struggling with its traction control system during last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the Grove-based team continued to work on the driver aid, but plans to switch its attention to a tyre development programme once McLaren has left on Friday.

Fifth place went to Jaguar's Eddie Irvine, who moved back ahead of his new team mate Pedro de la Rosa after finishing second to last yesterday.

De la Rosa managed to complete 39 laps and finished eighth, one place behind the man he replaced at the Big Cat, Luciano Burti, who in turn set a fastest time more than a second faster than his Prost team mate Jean Alesi in ninth.

Mark Webber continued to put in respectable lap times for the Benetton team in last year's car and finished in sixth place. Mean while Jenson Button soldiered on with a shoulder injury and the ill-handling B201 and wound up last, almost a second adrift of his nearest rival.

Button is nursing a shoulder strain which could force him to miss the next Grand Prix in Austria in 10 days time. The young Brit is expected to see a specialist later this week and will relinquish testing duties to team mate Giancarlo Fisichella on Friday.


1 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes B, 1m13.49s 73
2 David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes B, 1m13.85s 50
3 Ralf Schumcaher, Williams-BMW M, 1m14.55s 80
4 Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW M, 1m14.61s 45
5 Eddie Irvine, Jaguar-Cosworth M, 1m15.43s 52
6 Mark Webber, Benetton-Renault M, 1m15.90s 49
7 Luciano Burti, Prost-Acer M, 1m16.13s 53
8 Pedro de la Rosa, Jaguar-Cosworth M, 1m16.53s 9
10 Jean Alesi, Prost-Acer M, 1m17.18s 47
11 Jenson Button, Benetton-Renault M, 1m18.09s 29