Schumacher sets pace in testing

Michael Schumacher set the pace when testing resumed at Jerez today as Renault took the wraps off their 2006 car for the first time.

Schumacher, driving a 2005 Ferrari chassis fitted with a new 2.4-litre V8 engine, set a best lap of one minute 18.020 seconds.

That put him over a second clear of the Toyota pair of Ricardo Zonta and Ralf Schumacher, who were both using new-for-2006 cars.

But all eyes were on world champions Renault, who revealed their new challenger, giving Giancarlo Fisichella the honour of turning its first laps.

His fastest lap was two seconds slower than Schumacher’s but just a fraction adrift of world champion team-mate Fernando Alonso, who was driving a modified 2005 Renault.

David Coulthard gave the new Ferrari-powered Red Bull car its first serious run, clocking the seventh quickest time.