Ferrari's new 'interim' Grand Prix car, dubbed the F2004M, threw up its visual secrets as it joined F1 testing at Barcelona yesterday.

Friday at the 4.627km Catalunya Circuit near Barcelona, was the second day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, coming after Luca Badoer had spent Tuesday working at Fiorano, with a development F2003-GA chassis, testing new components, an event which was also watched by a number of the Italian athletes' who had won medals during last summer's Olympic Games in Athens.

In Spain, Ferrari were joined on this first day of official F1 testing by McLaren, kicking off a planned five day stint, and Sauber, who along with Ferrari, will wrap their test proceedings up on Monday. Both the English and Swiss team are running their 'full' 2005-specification new F1 cars.

On a very cold by dry morning, Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer took to the track for Ferrari. The world champion worked on the set-up of the F2004M ('M' standing for 'modificato'), while the Scuderia’s official test driver was concentrating on development testing of new Bridgestone tyre compounds.

It was the first time that the 'stop-gap' F2004 M had appeared in public, and it was showing off its '2005' regulation bodywork. Most noticeable new feature was an odd looking and rather complex multi-layered new front wing. Schumacher completed a total of 57 laps during the day, the quickest in a time of 1:16.002. Badoer completed 74, his fastest a 1:15.894, which was also turned out to be the best time of the day.
 

Schumacher's lap was the quickest of the '2005 spec' cars present and by way of comparison, the German had set a pole-winning time of 1:15.022 at this track last year, while the lap record is held by Takuma Sato who posted a 1:13.797 in his BAR-Honda during pre-season testing just under a year ago.

Testing continues today in Barcelona for all three teams, with Schumacher and Badoer both due back on track for the Scuderia.

Meanwhile the rift between Scuderia Ferrari and the other nine Grand Prix teams deepened further yesterday. Only representatives from Ferrari, including Sporting Director Jean Todt and Technical Director Ross Brawn, attended an FIA-chaired meeting in Paris scheduled to discuss longer-term F1 rule changes. Among the odder proposals up for debate yesterday was a proposal for driver salary cap's and upper age limits.

The other F1 teams, annoyed by Ferrari's unilateral signing of an extension to the 'Concorde Agreement', which reportedly came with a US$150 million 'sweetener', and the Scuderia's refusal to sign up to a proposed testing limit, boycotted the meeting. At the same time the two giant Japanese car manufacturers involved in Grand Prix racing, Toyota and Honda, swung closer the the GPWC, breathing fresh life into a proposal that was regarded last week as being dead in the water once Ferrari had agreed an extension with the FIA and FOM.

Barcelona F1 Test Day 1 (28/01, Times: 1. Luca Badoer Ferrari F2004 1:15.899 (75 laps), 2. Michael Schumacher Ferrari F2004 M 1:16.002 (57 laps), 3. Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren Mercedes MP4/20 1:16.536 (72 laps), 4. Felipe Massa Sauber Petronas C24 1:17.470 (91 laps ).

Ferrari Test Details: Circuit: Circuit de Catalunya, 4.627 km; Drivers: Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer; Car: F2004 M and F2004; Weather: air temperature -3/8°C, track temperature -2/8°C; clear skies then partially cloudy.