15/12/2008
NEWS STORY
Just two teams, indeed, two drivers were on duty at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve today as F1 made a welcome return to Portugal.
For McLaren, Gary Paffett spent the majority of the day in the KERS-equipped 23K putting further mileage on the electrical unit and 2009-spec front wing. The Englishman also carried out some brief running in the 23A in a bid to more accurately assess the set-up required for this new circuit. Tomorrow, Pedro de la Rosa takes over for the remaining two days of this single-car test.
On a day affected by strong winds, Felipe Massa continued with the work the team had initiated last week at Jerez, which centred on an endurance test of the engine and on evaluating a few technical solutions aimed at the forthcoming season, as well as looking into the best set-up on the car, when fitted with the new slick tyres.
Testing ended ahead of schedule for the Maranello outfit, as the Brazilian was feeling unwell. Up to that point, he had completed 36 laps. The World Champions continue here tomorrow when Luca Badoer and Marc Gene will be on duty.
Honda should also have been in action this week, but, following its withdrawal from the World Championship and its ongoing search for a buyer, has suspended all testing activity.
Today's Times - All Times Unofficial
| Name | Team | Laps | Time | Gap |
| Paffett | McLaren | 63 | 1:31.788 | 114.229 mph |
| Massa | Ferrari | 36 | 1:32.926 | 1.138 |