By Sam Cooper
February 2 2008

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One team have completed the first day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in western Spain. Race driver Lewis Hamilton topped the days time sheets by 0.6 seconds from former team mate Fernando Alonso, the teams test driver Gary Paffett finished the day in 6th place, just behind Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber F1.08.

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton has set the fastest lap time of the first day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in western Spain. Hamilton focused on tyre evaluation, in order to collect data about the slightly altered 2008 spec tyres on a high speed circuit.

Behind his former team-mate in 2nd place was Fernando Alonso, who was busy clocking up the miles in Renaults R28. The Spaniard finished six tenths of a second adrift of Hamilton. Finishing the day in 3rd place was Robert Kubica, who was unexpectedly joined by Giancarlo Fisichella in 4th, in an updated version of Force India’s racer.

In 5th place was BMW driver Nick Heidfeld finished in 5th place, a second adrift from pacesetter Hamilton. Times are shown below.