BAR Honda and Renault join testing

BAR Honda started their off-season testing programme this morning with Jenson Button setting the pace around the 4.627Km circuit at Barcelona. The team, along with some of its rivals, are running a restricted version of the V10 powerplant.

Button's 1:14.954s best is by far the fastest time recorded so far this week and is just 1.4s off his own lap record at the circuit recorded earlier in the season.

In very cold conditions it was a slow start to the third day of testing but by the lunch break, most had completed a good number of laps.

Franck Montagny, under contract to Renault until the end of the season, was second fastest as Renault also began their testing programme. The team also had Jose Maria Lopez on hand, the Argentinian recording the fifth best lap behind Nick Heidfeld and Jarno Trulli.

Christian Klien and David Coulthard were sixth and seventh fastest for Red Bull respectively ahead of Ricardo Zonta. Mark Webber was ninth in the Cosworth powered Williams with Anthony Davidson next in his BAR Honda.

Nico Rosberg completed just six laps in his FW27B while Vitantonio Liuzzi also only completed a handful of laps in his STR Cosworth.