F1 testing gets underway at Jerez

F1 Test, Jerez, Circuit Permanente de Jerez

Track action has commenced in the 2013 F1 season as the winter test has kicked off at Jerez, Spain this morning. All ten teams are present and running their new cars, except for Williams who have chosen to complete the first week of testing with a modified FW34.

Felipe Massa was the first to set a timed lap in 2013. While other drivers returned to the pits immediately, Massa could run the Ferrari to set a time, before returning to the box to check the systems.

The first lap for Button in the new McLaren MP4-28 was less successful, as by the time he ended up at turn 4, the fuel pump had failed on his car, bringing him to a halt and causing the first red flag of the session. The problem did not appear easy to resolve though, as Button stayed in the box for the entire morning while engineers are working on his car.

As soon as the session got going again, Nico Rosberg's Mercedes W04 was on fire, so he stopped the car in turn 11. Apparently an electrical problem caused the issue there, causing some items to catch fire and the overheating bodywork subsequently creating a lot of smoke.

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While nearly all drivers are present around the paddock, Fernando Alonso is not, as he chose to continue training and only commence testing when the teams head to Barcelona for the second and third weeks of testing ahead of the start of the season in Melbourne.