Tuesday June 11th, 2002

McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz set the quickest time on the first day of testing at the Jerez circuit in Spain, where three Formula One teams got back to action only 48 hours after the Canadian Grand Prix.

The four-day programme at the Spanish circuit will be the first massive test for Grand Prix teams there after Ferrari and BAR had worked earlier this year. The circuit, that held a Formula One race for the last time in 1997, has been improved since then, with the track been re-surfaced and the pit complex improved.

Austrian Wurz, working at the wheel of the McLaren MP4-17, was nearly a whole second quicker than Spaniard Fernando Alonso in the Renault. The McLaren test driver, however, was far from the time set by Ferrari's Luciano Burti (1:21.774) earlier this year with the F2001.

21-year old Alonso, who two weeks ago tested for the Jaguar squad, was back with his regular team, and completed a total of 64 laps to finish ahead of compatriot Marc Gene in the only Williams on track today. The Catalan test driver concentrated on tyre testing for Michelin, also working on improving the reliability of the BMW engine.

"This is the first time this year that we are testing at the Jerez track which greeted us with an extremely hot day," said Williams test team manager Tim Newton. "We had track temperatures over 50 degrees with the ambient temperature around 35. Regardless, we have been busy today and are pleased with the set-up work we completed."

Gene suffered one of the incidents of the day, going off the track at the Peluqui corner, without any consequences. Briton Darren Turner was also in action again for the McLaren team, concentrating on aerodynamic work for the Woking-based squad. Turner was nearly four seconds off Wurz's pace.

Testing at Jerez will continue on Wednesday, when Ferrari, Toyota, BAR and Jaguar will join the session.

Today's times:

Pos  Driver        Team-Engine         Tyres  Time     Laps
 1.  Wurz          McLaren-Mercedes    (M)    1:22.330  66
 2.  Alonso        Renault             (M)    1:23.163  64
 3.  Gene          Williams-BMW        (M)    1:23.540  61
 4.  Turner        McLaren-Mercedes    (M)    1:26.028  53
 
All Timing Unofficial