DECEMBER 13, 2000

Schumacher on top in Barcelona

RALF SCHUMACHER produced a scintillating display in testing at Barcelona on Wednesday as he blasted his brother Michael's pole position time for this year's Spanish Grand Prix by over half-a-second.

The German impressed in his BMW-Williams as he posted a quickest lap time of one minute and 20.46 to outpace Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella.

Jaguar's Eddie Irvine was third fastest while Juan Pablo Montoya continued his education with Williams by going fourth quickest. Jenson Button, the man Montoya replaced with the Grove-based team, was slightly slower in his Benetton in fifth.

BMW-Williams test driver Marc Gene claimed sixth while Brazilian Luciano Burti was behind him in seventh. Fernando Alonso, who has been linked with a testing role with Ferrari, was eighth fastest in a Benetton-Renault.

Prost handed a debut test to Sauber test driver Enrique Bernoldi but he could only post the tenth quickest time behind veteran Jean Alesi.

Times from Wednesday's Barcelona testing:

POS DRIVER ENTRANT TIME
Ralf Schumacher BMW-Williams 1:20.46
Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton 1:20.91
Eddie Irvine Jaguar 1:20.97
Juan Pablo Montoya BMW-Williams 1:21.11
Jenson Button Benetton 1:21.18
Marc Gene BMW-Williams 1:22.71
Luciano Burti Jaguar 1:22.79
Fernando Alonso Benetton 1:23.01
Jean Alesi Prost 1:23.33
10  Enrique Bernoldi Prost 1:23.69