The first day of Formula 1 four day test session in Jerez got off to a very wet start

Alonso, Webber and Button threw their million dollar babies round the track at breakneck speed in the torrential rain today, even in the rain these speeds would have terrified the most hardened motor head.

The day saw the unveiling of the Red Bull RB6 and also the Force India VJM03 and Virgin VR-01 in action for the first time. Vitantonio Liuzzi commented on the ban on refuelling in F1 this year saying that cars handle “like a bus” when their tanks are full. After driving with both heavy and low fuel loads he said the difference between the two was “like a Lotus Elise and a bus!” and he added, "When it’s full of fuel everything’s lazier – the steering, the brakes, changing direction. It was very hard to drive it in the wet with a full fuel load”.

In spite of the dreadful weather Jerez yet again didn’t fail to exhilarate the damp crowd. Tomorrow the teams are hoping for some drier weather.

Testing times and total laps