7 February 2012
Last updated at
22:56 GMT
The Formula 1 2012 campaign begins in earnest, with four uninterrupted days of pre-season testing in Jerez, Spain. Six world champions are on the grid for the first time in history as well as a mixture of new drivers, new cars and new regulations
It seems like only yesterday that Sebastian Vettel was celebrating his second Formula 1 title, and he will be looking for a third Championship come 25 November when the season ends at Interlagos, Brazil
All eyes were on the new noses of the Formula 1 cars ahead of their pre-season testing in Jerez and Australian Daniel Ricciardo is the first out on the track to test drive his new Toro Rosso-Ferrari car which had a 'stepped-nose' design
Mark Webber took control of the new Red Bull Racing RB8 which was slightly different - a stepped nose with a hole in it - and Webber was pleased with its performance. He said: "We had a very productive morning and the car is very enjoyable to drive"
The nose on the Mclaren Mercedes MP-27, driven here by Jensen Button, is different to all other vehicles, with its sloping design.
Caterham (formerly Team Lotus) makes its F1 debut with Heikki Kovalainen awaiting his turn to exit the pits onto the Jerez circuit
Former McLaren man - Kimi Raikkonen - sets the first timed lap of 2012 and it's an effort of one minute, 20.992 seconds in the black and gold colours of Lotus
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher eked some pace out of the 2011 Mercedes, going round in one minute, 20.794 to put himself sixth on the timesheets
Venezuela's Pastor Maldonado takes the new Williams FW34 for a spin, but encountered some teething problems and finished 11th. He said " It feels great to be back with the team and to start putting some mileage on the FW34"
After failing to make the podium in 2011 Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was looking forward to getting back to racing and took the new Ferrari 663 for a drive during day one of pre-season testing but finished outside the top ten
Red Bull driver Mark Webber watches on his rivals take the lead - the Australian finishing in fourth in a time of one minute, 20.496
British driver Paul di Resta was looking forward to testing the new Force India VJM05 and he was not disappointed by finishing second in the testing.
Raikkonen, making his return to Formula 1, set the fastest time in the new Lotus E20 recording a lap of one minute, 19.670
After eight hours and 55 minutes at the steering wheel, day one of testing is over, but it is merely the start. The second day of pre-season testing in Jerez begins on Wednesday.
~RS~q~RS~v=~RS~z~RS~18~RS~)
Formula 1
