By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
September 19 2006

Ricardo Zonta was second and Toyota debutant Franck Montagny for 2nd and 3rd fastest respectivley for Toyota on day 1 of testing at the Silverstone circuit in Great Britain.

Out-going test driver Zonta is leaving the team to become Renault's test driver at the end of the year and he was second to Fernando Alonso's replacement in the race team next season; Heikki Kovalinen.

Meanwhile Franck Montagny was making his debut for Toyota amid specualtion he will sign for team in the testing role vacated by Zonta for 2007 and beyond. It is expected that Montagny will be announced within the next few weeks and the Frenchman made an impressive 'debut' finishing 3rd behind Kovalinen and Zonta.

It was a day of debuts today. GP2 Rivals Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jr both debuted for Mclaren and Renault respectivley. 2006 GP2 Champion Hamilton is widely tipped to get the number 2 race seat for Mclaren in 2007 alongside regining World Champion Fernando Alonso at the Woking based team while Piquet (who was runner up to Hamilton) drove for Renault alonsgisde Kovalinen. Piquet already has a drive for 2007 alongdied Zonta at the Renault test team for 2007.

Williams debuted Toyota power in the back of their cars for the first time today with Indian test driver Narain Karthikeyan having the driving duties. Karthikeyan managed six laps of the Northamptonshire track before teething troubles set in, nomally assosiated with putting a different engine in the back of a car for the first time. The teams 3rd driver Alex Wurz joins Karthikeyan on track tommorow.

Also today Sypker MF1-Racing debuted their ne colour scheme since taking over the Midland group as the owners of the team at Monza 2 weeks ago. The car is a stunning orange and silver normally seen on Sypker's sportscars, and it certianly stood out, challenging Mclaren for livery of the year! The team also gave GP2 driver and 2005 Renault World Series runner-up Adrian Valles his Formula 1 debut alonsgside race driver Christijan Albers.

Also on track today for Super-Aguri Honda was Japanesse driver Sakon Yamamoto.

1. H. Kovalainen (FIN) Renault 1:19.125   91 laps
2. R.Zonta (BRA) Toyota 1:19.381  46 laps
3. F.Montagny (FRA) Toyota 1:19.657 38 laps
4. N. Piquet JR. (BRA) Renault 1:19.723 71 laps
5. C.Albers (NED) Spyker MF1 1:21.115 48 laps
6. S.Yamamoto (JPN) Super Aguri  1:24.361 50 laps
7. A.Valles (ESP) Spyker MF1 1:25.401      56 laps
8. N.Karthikeyan (IND) Williams 1:28.284  6 laps