Eddie Irvine completed Jaguar's first Formula One test of the year yesterday with the fastest time of a weather-hit session. Irvine, in a hybrid car which uses the rear end of the new R3 on last season's model, did a fastest lap of one minute 19.252 seconds on a damp and cold day at the Circuit de Catalunya.
"We have come here to test the new R3 in the expectation that we will have warm weather," said Irvine. "But that is far from the case. We simply haven't been able to generate a picture of where this car stands yet."
Young Finn Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren's new signing, was second fastest although times in pre-season testing are rarely meaningful with teams trying different aspects and running on various fuel loads and tyres.
"The weather hasn't been very co-operative," emphasised Jaguar technical director Steve Nichols. "Even if you are trying to collect aerodynamic data all the mist and spray and everything makes it difficult. We've also had a few little mechanical niggles. But these little problems that we are having now are all little problems that you've got to solve eventually. It's still early days."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
