Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was the quickest man, as this week’s three-day test got underway at Silverstone. Massa clocked a best lap of 1m 20.188s around the British circuit, to finish just under three-tenths of a second quicker than McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen.
McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen did 90 laps and was second fastest in 1:20.477 with Kubica third in 1:20.995 according to unofficial timings.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen won at Silverstone last year on his way to the title and the Finn, now third in the championship, will take over from Massa for the final day of testing for the July 6 race.
“We expect to be really competitive at Silverstone,” Raikkonen said. “I like the track and I have fond memories of it.”
Nico Rosberg was fifth for Williams, followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber and Renault’s Nelson Piquet, who finally scored his first points of his debut season at Magny-Cours.
Jenson Button, desperately looking for any kind of tonic ahead of his home race, was seventh for Honda, nearly two seconds down on Massa.
Force India tester Vitantonio Liuzzi was eighth, the Italian completing 108 laps, the most of any of the 10 drivers.
Sebastian Vettel’s day was cut short by a technical issue with his Toro Rosso which allowed the German to complete only 10 laps, with his best a 1:23.853, and he brought up the rear.
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