Schumacher fastest in old Mercedes in pre-season testing

Feb 9, 2012, 9:03 GMT

Jerez, Spain - Record world champion Michael Schumacher led the way in an old Mercedes ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber in the second day of Formula One pre-season testing.

Schumacher drove more than 130 laps in the 2011 model on the 4.42km course with 1 minute 18.561 seconds his best time.

Unlike the other teams, Mercedes won't roll out their new car for testing until the second round from February 21 in Barcelona. But they named Schumacher's best lap 'an emphatic answer' to earlier fast times via their Twitter feed.

Webber clocked 1:19.148 in the new RB8 and fellow-Australian Daniel Ricciardo had 1:19.589 in the Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso.

Returning ex-champion Kimi raikkonen, who had topped Tuesday testing, was fifth for Lotus, McLaren's Jenson Button seventh and Felipe Massa eighth for Ferrari.

'Another productive day: 85 laps and a 1m20.688s best. Lots learned today - despite the cold. Lewis already here and raring to go tomorrow!' tweeted McLaren.

Ferrari tweeted that 'the stopwatch means relatively nothing today' as the teams are only getting a first impression of their cars in racing conditions.

World champion Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and ex-champs Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) will join the action on Thursday as each team is only allowed one car.

Two further rounds of tests are scheduled ahead of the March 18 season-opener in Australia.