By Nick Sparkes
April 7 2005

Whilst B.A.R Honda got their season back on track with Jenson Button's surprise pace – breaking the lap record – Toyota’s Jarno Trulli kept up their form with another top 2 finish at the Barcelona test.

On an overcast day, with the air temperature reaching twenty degrees centigrade, Britain’s Jenson Button put the dog of the season behind him and set a new lap record beating previous holder Takuma Sato.

 

Jarno Trulli set the pace for Toyota, completing around 111 laps in his 2005 spec car; he managed the second quickest time. B.A.R’s Takuma Sato was only a nose behind in third, showing signs that maybe B.A.R’s season is starting to turn around. Alex Wurz in his McLaren still frustrated at being left on the sidelines for the Bahrain Grand Prix set the fourth fastest time. The other McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen finished way down in ninth, half a second behind his team mate.

 

Ferrari’s new baby was only fifth in the hands of Rubens Barrichello, taking the new machine to 116 laps. And Ferrari’s inter-trim 2005 racer finished a tenth of a second behind with Luca Badoer.

 

Championship leaders Renault finished down in sixth with Fernando Alonso whereas teammate Fisichella crashed early on, failing to make any great impression on the timing stand. Red Bull Racing superstar David Coulthard was the only RB1 on track today, the Scottish driver finishing eleventh behind Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Williams. The second Williams of tester Antonio Pizzonia only managed a lonely thirteenth, a few tenths of Heidfeld’s times. Even worse was Mark Webber whose season hasn’t had the blistering beginning he was hoping, he finished just behind Pizzonia.

 

Sauber had a game of musical chairs drafting in Felipe Massa after Jacques Villeneuve’s problems the day before. This still left the Sauber bottom from last with fifteenth.

 

Again Michelin collected masses more mileage than Bridgestone. The Japanese tyre manufacturer collected 1124km between the two Ferraris while the remaining twelve Michelin-shod cars racked up 5923km between them.