• Barcelona Test Day Five

Hamilton clocks only time of Friday morning washout

Lewis Hamilton set a time of 1:50.280 but had nothing to compare it against © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso
• |
• Lewis Hamilton
• |
• Pastor Maldonado
• |
• Nico Rosberg
• |
• Michael Schumacher

• Teams:
• Ferrari
• |
• HRT
• |
• McLaren
• |
• Mercedes
• |
• Williams

The final morning of pre-season testing was something of a washout after heavy rain left the Circuit de Catalunya drenched.

Only four teams - Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams - are still testing at the circuit and they were reluctant to head out in the waterlogged conditions. By midday over 30 millilitres of rain had fallen since Friday and the conditions showed few signs of improving as the session stopped for lunch.

Michael Schumacher was the first to brave an installation lap, but it was not until 12:30 that the first flying lap was set by Lewis Hamilton. On a five lap run he chipped away at his lap time to set a 1:52.919 on full wet tyres, before bettering that with a 1:50.280 on a two lap run ten minutes before lunch.

McLaren perhaps has the most to lose from the poor conditions after it skipped the sunniest day of test on Thursday. What's more, the car lost out on more mileage on Friday when the team had to change the engine in Jenson Button's MP4-26 midway through the day.

Another team cursing its luck is HRT after the final parts of its 2011 car failed to clear customs in time for Saturday's test. Late on Friday evening the team cut its losses and left the circuit and by the morning there was no sign of the trucks or the hospitality tent in the paddock.

The conditions were also a huge disappointment for the local fans of Fernando Alonso, who huddled in the sheltered main grandstand in the hope of seeing a glimpse of their hero. By lunchtime the Ferrari had completed five installation laps, each to the delight of the spectators chanting his name. But with Ferrari relatively content with its week so far - Alonso completed 140 laps on Friday - there was no reason to risk an accident.

Meanwhile, Schumacher signed off from pre-season testing with just five wet installation laps. At midday the team prepared the car for team-mate Nico Rosberg, who managed one sighter lap before lunch.

The one plus side to come out of the day will be a thorough test of the full wet Pirelli tyres, which have yet to have a proper workout in winter testing. The conditions were perhaps a little too extreme for the cut rubber and the drivers had to cope with the front of the car washing wide on corner entry and then quick snaps of oversteer as they eased the power on the exit. Nevertheless, they delivered Hamilton to 14 laps without any spins, which considering the conditions is something of a success.

Times

Laurence Edmondson is the deputy editor on ESPNF1

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