Rubens Barrichello set the fastest time of both the day and the week as testing came to an end in Jerez today. The Brazilian put the spotlight on a Williams team that had been beset by KERS-related issues for most of the test.
Cold and windy conditions made life difficult for the teams today, and there was an exciting conclusion when rain fell at the end of the day. After a restart following a red flag there was a window of less than 10 minutes for drivers to have their first ever go on Pirelli wet tyres, although only Barrichello, Alonso, Rosberg and Buemi took advantage.
With the quicker times spread over the four days the top five drivers overall were Barrichello (19.8s), Schumacher (20.3s), Heidfeld (20.3s), Massa (20.4s) and Alonso (20.4s). With Williams, Mercedes and Renault at the head of the field everyone is going to have plenty to think about before the next test in Barcelona on February 18, and it’s clear that the true picture has yet to emerge.
Second fastest today was the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, while Alonso was third for Ferrari and Buemi – who pipped the Spaniard to the fastest wet time during that brief shower – fourth.
Bruno Senna had the Renault R31 to himself and was fifth overall after a solid day in the car. The team has said he’s not a contender for the race seat, but he is at least now better prepared for the third driver job.
Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button were well down the order for RBR and McLaren respectively.
Adam Cooper F1 
Williams also confirmed they weren’t using KERS today, and Rubens’ time was part of a 10 lap stint, looks like it could be a strong year for them.