Red Bull in action

Mark Webber made steady progress on the first day of Formula 1 testing at Jerez even as the rain set in and threatened to wash out proceedings.

After 50 laps in RB6-01, Webber's best time on the 4.423km Spanihs circuit was 1m 26.502s. Fastest lap honours went to Mercedes' Nico Rosberg with a mark of 1m 20.927s, set before the rain started.

Following its unveiling in the pit lane at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit this morning, the RB6 completed its first day of testing today. Despite continuous rain from around 10am, the team made good progress in the morning as they began working through the new car system checks.

However, an oil leak before lunch led to a precautionary engine change for the RB6 in the afternoon.

“It was great to finally see the car in action after a long winter with no testing,” said Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering. “Everything ran very smoothly this morning and the build of the car was very structured.

"It’s frustrating that a problem with a simple component late morning forced an engine change later in the day, as it cost us quite a lot of time. However, the most disappointing thing today was the weather – it’s good to have a test in the wet, but it’s not ideal when it’s your first.

"We’re hoping for better conditions tomorrow when we will continue working through the new car system checks.”