Lewis Hamilton all smiles as Michael Schumacher says he is off the pace

By Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent, in Barcelona Published: 7:45PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

On track: Lewis Hamilton tests his new McLaren at Barcelona Photo: GETTY IMAGES

With only dual days of contrast left prior to the teams fly to the Middle East, conjecture is distracted as to the pecking sequence in between the big boys.

Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes are in all concurred to be a couple of stairs forward of the rest. However, with each group rhythmical about how most fuel they are carrying at any one time and with new extra-large fuel armoured column this deteriorate the opening pitch in between a fully-laden car and one using on dull is up to five seconds it is fiendishly formidable to decider who is heading the way.

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In actuality it was Williams"s Nico Hulkenberg who set the gait underneath the winter object at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday, only forward of Ferrari"s Fernando Alonso. However, it was the resisting reactions from dual of the big beasts approaching to contest for the universe championship this deteriorate that unequivocally set tongues wagging.

Schumacher, the seven-time universe hold up who is creation a marvellous quip at the age of 41, effectively ruled himself out of row in Bahrain.

"At the impulse we are not ideally in the on all sides we would like, probably, to be rival sufficient to win the initial races," the German said. "But we are operative hard, the deteriorate is long, and the main issue is not to be as well far off. And it is formidable to decider right right away what is the genuine picture."

Told about his rival"s state of mind, Hamilton grinned. "I am a some-more certain kind of guy," he said. "I am going for it. I cannot wait for for the initial race. Testing is one thing but racing is something else and I"m counting down the days.

"There are a little severely discerning teams out there but it is formidable to know where we all are.

"I am most happier than I was this time last year. The car does feel light years forward of how it was last year, when we were approach off the gait here. We are in a most stronger on all sides but we have still got work to do."

Hamilton"s team-mate and inheritor as universe champion, Jenson Button, takes the McLaren reins on Saturday, with Hamilton behind in the cockpit for the last day of contrast on Sunday.