MotoGP star Valentino Rossi finally joined the F1 runners on track yesterday in Valencia, running more than 50 laps at the wheel of a V10-powered Ferrari F2004, and posting a fastest lap time that was just 1 second shy of team leader Michael Schumacher's best time.

The official F1 testing kicked off on Tuesday at the Spanish circuit, but the day's programme for the Scuderia was affected by adverse weather. In fact, rain meant the track was wet for the entire seven hours of testing. The team therefore concentrated on development work on the relevant Bridgestone tyres. This task fell to Michael Schumacher at the wheel of the new 248 F1 and an F2004 fitted with a V8 engine. The German completed 88 laps, 50 in the F2004 (best time 1:20.361) and 38 in the new car (best time 1:20.519.) Valentino Rossi was also in Valencia for the first of three days testing with the Scuderia. Given the conditions, he only did one installation lap in the final few minutes of the session.

Yesterday though saw the MotoGP World Champion finally get some serious running at the wheel of an F1 Ferrari, and the Italian sportsman was the focus of huge media attention all day. After three private tests for Ferrari (two at the team private test track Fiorano, and one at Mugello) over the last two years, this was Rossi's first big public test with the Scuderia, in the spotlight as he hit the track along with with fifteen other Grand Prix and test drivers. Seven other teams beside Ferrari were out on the Valencia track, these being Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Toyota, Red Bull, Honda, Williams-Cosworth and BMW Sauber.

For Ferrari the day's programme focused mainly on the development of the new V8-engined 248 F1 car, the single example present which was again in the hands of team leader Michael Schumacher. The German driver covered a total of 71 laps, the quickest in a time of 1:11.814. He was second fastest, Fernando Alonso in the new Renault R26 posting the fastest time of the day, a 1:11.219.
 

Rossi, who knows the Spanish track well as it is a regular fixture on the MotoGP calendar, completed 53 laps during the day, setting a best time of 1:12.851. Late in the day he spun in turn 4, but recovered and it did not affect his session. While all the other runners were at the wheel of the new breed of 2006-specification 2.4-litre V8 engine F1 cars, Rossi was driving last year's V10 F2004 chassis, so meaningful times were somewhat difficult to ascertain.

However his best lap was good enough for eighth fast time overall. His time was quicker than was managed yesterday by established F1 stars David Coulthard, in the Red Bull RB2 (who completed 37 laps), Mark Webber, Williams-Cosworth FW28 (72 laps) and Jarno Trulli, Toyota TF106 (108 laps), while he also lapped quicker than several team official test drivers, including McLaren-Mercedes' 2005 DTM Champion Gary Paffett, and the veteran F1 driver Austrian Alex Wurz, in the new Williams-Cosworth.

Ferrari continue testing in Valencia today, when the Scuderia's new F1 driver Felipe Massa will join Schumacher and Rossi on track.

Test details: Circuit: "Ricardo Tormo", 4.005 km - short course 3.110 km; Drivers: Michael Schumacher and Valentino Rossi; Cars: F2004 and 248 F1; Weather: Yesterday: air temperature  12/20 °C, track temperature 14/22 °C. Clear skies; Monday: Weather: air temperature 8/10 °C, track temperature 10/13 °C. Overcast with intermittent rain.