Schumacher still fastest on return to F1 track

Michael Schumacher came out of retirement yesterday to set the fastest lap in testing for Ferrari at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. The 38-year-old German, who has no intention of returning to Formula One racing after quitting at the end of 2006,...

Michael Schumacher came out of retirement yesterday to set the fastest lap in testing for Ferrari at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

The 38-year-old German, who has no intention of returning to Formula One racing after quitting at the end of 2006, will also test today.

Champions Ferrari have described the test as "half for pleasure, half for technical reasons".

F1's rules are changing next year, with traction control and other so-called 'driver aids' being removed, and Schumacher can give useful input as a driver who has raced cars with and without the systems.

Schumacher topped the unofficial timesheets, completing 64 laps in the F2007 car with a fastest lap of one minute 21.922 seconds. The circuit website said 3,000 spectators attended the session.

Ferrari's test driver Luca Badoer was second fastest, in 1:22.129, with McLaren's Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa third in 1:22.687.

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