On the first day of Barcelona testing, it was Aussie Red Bull driver Mark Webber who set the pace, with a 1:21.487 from 109 laps. Nico Hulkenberg was 2nd in the Williams, with a 1:22.407.

Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg was 3rd, on what he described as a ‘productive’ day:

“We had a productive day today and we were able to learn a great deal from doing so many laps. We’re making good use of the testing time that we have and I’m feeling quite confident and comfortable in the car. Aerodynamically the car will change quite significantly for the first race in Bahrain so we’re not focusing on the details but on general set-up work and seeing how the car behaves over long runs. Working through the race weekend procedures and pit stops is also very useful in our preparations for Bahrain.”

Nico Rosberg

Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa was 4th, ahead of Jenson Button, who set a 1:23.452 from his 101 Laps in the McLaren MP4-25. McLaren concentrated primarily on mechanical and aerodynamic set-up work, declaring themselves pleased with progress, gaining a greater understanding of the behaviour of the Bridgestone tyre over a long run.

Force India’s Tonio Liuzzi was 6th in front of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, on a day which the Maranello-based team described as “difficult”. Alonso had to stop on the track during his first series of laps, due to a problem with the car’s electronics. The Spaniard ended up with a 1:24.170 from 74 laps.

Vitaly Petrov clocked a 1:24.173 from 74 laps in the Renault R30, ahead of Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari, who set the most laps of all the drivers – 111, with a 1:24.869 as his fastest lap.

Lucas di Grassi and Fairuz Fauzy were bringing up the rear, with di Grassi’s Virgin setting a 1:27.057, and Fauzy’s Lotus a 1:28.002.

Results

1. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:21.487, 109 Laps
2. Nico Hulkenberg, Williams, 1:22.407, 82 Laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:22.514, 107 Laps
4. Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber, 1:23.144, 73 Laps
5. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:23.452, 101 Laps
6. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India, 1:24.064, 65 Laps
7. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:24.170, 74 Laps
8. Vitaly Petrov, Renault, 1:24.173, 74 Laps
9. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso, 1:24.869, 111 Laps
10. Lucas di Grassi, Virgin, 1:27.057, 31 Laps
11. Fairuz Fauzy, Lotus, 1:28.002, 76 Laps

Gallery