F1: Pizzonia passes test

Williams-BMW test driver Antonio Pizzonia set the pace on the season’s first day of Formula One testing in Barcelona.

After the winter testing ban ended it was former British Formula Three champion Pizzonia, of Brazil, who set the pace as he put Ralf Schumacher in the shade.

Pizzonia clocked a best time of one minute 20.033 seconds after 66 laps in Spain, just clear of McLaren tester Alex Wurz but over half a second faster than Scotsman David Coulthard, last year’s championship runner-up.

The Williams pair of Schumacher and Marc Gene ended the session fourth and fifth respectively.

Jaguar’s Eddie Irvine - now the oldest man of the grid - was more than a second down on Pizzonia in sixth, ahead of fellow Briton Anthony Davidson in a BAR.

Olivier Panis and Pedro de la Rosa were seventh and eight for BAR and Jaguar respectively.

Testing continues tomorrow with Kimi Raikkonen set for his first run in a McLaren while Toyota will finally get their first chance to evaluate their progress as they prepare for a maiden campaign.