AUGUST 15, 2000

Panis tops Silverstone testing times by almost three and a half seconds

MCLAREN test driver Olivier Panis topped the first day of testing at Silverstone on Tuesday - almost three and a half seconds clear of the rest of the field.

Panis, who has confirmed he will drive for British American Racing next year, was 3.307 seconds clear of Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen as he recorded a fastest lap time of one minute and 23.945 seconds.

Dutchman Jos Verstappen was third fastest in his Arrows with a lap time of one minute and 27.380 seconds, four-tenths of a second quicker than Jaguar test driver Luciano Burti.

BMW-Williams test driver Bruno Junqueira suffered a water leak in the morning as he made his debut in a Formula One car at Silverstone. The Brazilian was fifth fastest, and nearly two seconds faster than Tomas Scheckter in a Jaguar.

It was Scheckter's debut in a Formula One car and the son of Ferrari's 1979 world champion Jody completed 40 laps with a fastest time of one minute and 29.447 seconds.

Times after testing at Silverstone on Tuesday:

POS DRIVER ENTRANT TIME
Olivier Panis McLaren 1:23.945
Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan 1:27.252
Jos Verstappen Arrows 1:27.380
Luciano Burti Jaguar 1:27.788
Bruno Junqueira BMW-Williams 1:27.846
Tomas Scheckter Jaguar 1:29.477