Honda back on the pace as Barrichello leads the way

HONDA continued to underline their recent improvement as Rubens Barrichello led the way on the second day of testing in Barcelona.

However, his lap of one minute 18.928 seconds was set on slick tyres as teams this week use some of the time to evaluate the Bridgestone rubber ahead of their use from the start of the 2009 season.

The time was 0.6secs slower than that set by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on slicks on the opening day of the four-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya yesterday.

It is clear that the reintroduction of slicks will startlingly reduce lap times as Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella was second-fastest of the nine drivers on track yesterday.

Another new regulation for in-season testing is that the teams are only allowed to run one car, thus limiting overall evaluation.

But of those drivers on grooved tyres, Massa set the best time — and was third overall — with a lap of 1:20.283.

The Brazilian, back in the world title hunt following his win in Bahrain nine days ago, was 0.169secs quicker than Lewis Hamilton, who also ran the day on grooved tyres.

Red Bull’s David Coulthard split the duo with a time set on slick tyres.

Hamilton was behind the wheel of his McLaren for the first time since the race in the Middle East which he ended in 13th, the lowest finish of his career.

The 23-year-old endured a miserable weekend as he crashed into a wall in practice and drove into the back of Fernando Alonso’s Renault in the race.

The Briton at least completed 96 trouble-free laps ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix at the same track later this month.

Hamilton will again be behind the wheel today and up against retired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as Ferrari evaluate the new slick-tyre option.

Of the remaining drivers yesterday, Alonso was sixth, followed by the Williams of Nico Rosberg, Timo Glock for Toyota and BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld.

Up-for-sale Toro Rosso and financially-troubled Super Aguri are the only teams yet to test this week.