Ferrari's new signing Kimi Räikkönen got his first taste of the new Ferrari F2007, the car he will use this year to mount his first challenge for the Formula 1 title with the Maranello-based team, yesterday as the Scuderia joined eight other F1 teams on track at the Valencia circuit in Spain, for the opening day of official testing.

Räikkönen, who has switched to Ferrari from the McLaren-Mercedes team over winter, had spent four days last week on track at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome behind the wheel of last year's 248 F1 chassis as he acclimatised himself with the Italian team. However yesterday as Ferrari joined McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, Williams-Toyota, BMW Sauber, Honda, Super Aguri-Honda, Red Bull-Renault and Toyota in Valencia, it was the first opportunity for the Finn to drive the new F2007, which during last week's testing was handled exclusively by his team mate, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa.

On a day which began, just like last week's testing, with rain affecting the proceedings, Räikkönen was joined by the Scuderia's official F1 test driver Luca Badoer on the 4.005 km "Ricardo Tormo" circuit. While the Finn had his maiden outing in the F2007, Badoer used the 248 F1. The day's programme centred on development of the new car for Raikkonen, while Badoer concentrated on testing new components and on set-up. Unfortunately, the Italian's work came to a premature end because of a technical problem on his car left him in a gravel trap. During the day Räikkönen turned in 47 laps, his best time a lap of 1.13.529, while Badoer turned in 48 laps, his fastest in 1.16.388.
 

The fastest driver of the day was reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso in the new McLaren Mercedes MP4-22, the Spaniard who moved from Renault during the close season, turning in 96 laps with his quickest lap time being in 1:12.538, a circuit just under a second faster than Räikkönen's best. The third quickest time yesterday went to Renault official tester Nelson Piquet in the R27 (1:13.550) with another test driver, Frank Montagny (1:13.672), the faster of the Toyota pilots, his time just ahead of regular driver Jano Trulli's best (1:13.722). The top ten was rounded out by BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld (1:13.863), Renault's second regular driver Giancarlo Fisichella (1:13.871), Rubens Barrichello in the new Honda RA107 (1:14.018), BMW Sauber tester Sebastian Vettel (1:14.047), and the Japanese Williams-Toyota tester Kazuki Nakajima (1:14.527).

Ferrari will continue testing at this circuit today, along with the other eight teams, Räikkönen will be joined on track by team mate Felipe Massa.