12 March,2011 07:02 AM IST | | PA Sport
Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher set the fastest time on the fourth and final day of pre-season testing here on Friday.
Michael Schumacher
Schumacher, preparing for his second season with Mercedes since coming out of retirement, clocked 1min 21.268sec, with another former champion, Fernando Alonso, in second in his Ferrari. Schumacher's teammate, Nico Rosberg, took third.
The German F1 legend endured a low-key return last season, finishing ninth behind his compatriot Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, but Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn said he was "quite encouraged" by Schumacher's performance at the Circuit de Catalunya.
"We've definitely moved forward. Whether it's enough, we won't know until Melbourne," Brawn told BBC Sport. Executing a series of one-lap qualifying runs, Schumacher posted a best of one minute 21.249secs, half a second faster than any other driver over the previous seven test days at the track.
Rosberg ended up third with a 1:21.788. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished 0.365secs of Schumacher, with the Spaniard completing an astonishing 141 laps overall. Renault continue to look strong, with Nick Heidfeld fourth on the day and just over eight tenths of a second off Schumacher, albeit the German only managing 67 laps due to reliability issues late on.
Williams' Rubens Barrichello also finished within a second of former Ferrari teammate Schumacher, with Kamui Kobayashi in his Sauber sixth quickest, a fraction over a second down, and Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari seventh.
