MAY 29, 2001

Schumacher sets new record on opening day at Magny-Cours

RALF SCHUMACHER produced the best response to his Monaco Grand Prix retirement as he set a new lap record on the opening day of testing at Magny-Cours on Tuesday.

The Williams driver retired along with team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya in the pricipality but he set as new lap record as he went quicker than McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz in France.

His time of one minute and 15.137 seconds was than 1.5 seconds faster than his brother Michael, who could only post the eighth quickest time for Ferrari.

Jaguar's Pedro de la Rosa was third quickest with his team-mate Eddie Irvine fifth behind the Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello.

Jordan drivers Ricardo Zonta and Jarno Trulli were ahead of Michael Schumacher, who was trailed by British American Racing's Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button as nine of the 11 Formula One team's chose to run.

BAR test driver Patrick LeMarie was 11th fastest, just five-hundredths of a second slower than Button, with Luciano Burti sandwiched by Arrows drivers Enrique Bernoldi and Jos Verstappen behind them.

MAGNY-COURS TEST - TUESDAY, 29 MAY 2001

POS

DRIVER ENTRANT TIME

1.

RALF SCHUMACHER Williams-BMW 1:15.137

2.

ALEXANDER WURZ McLaren-Mercedes 1:15.435

3.

PEDRO DE LA ROSA Jaguar 1:15.443

4.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1:15.473

5.

EDDIE IRVINE Jaguar 1:15.527

6.

RICARDO ZONTA Jordan-Honda 1:16.450

7.

JARNO TRULLI Jordan-Honda 1:16.529

8.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1:16.705

9.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE BAR-Honda 1:16.728

10.

JENSON BUTTON Benetton-Renault 1:16.823

11.

PATRICK LEMARIE BAR-Honda 1:16.878

12.

ENRIQUE BERNOLDI Arrows-Asiatech 1:17.009

13.

LUCIANO BURTI Prost-Acer 1:17.031

14.

JOS VERSTAPPEN Arrows-Asiatech 1:17.213