Schumacher steals the limelight at F1 testing

Michael Schumacher finally returned to the racetrack yesterday as testing for the new Formula 1 season got underway at Valencia, and his presence at the track turned what is usually a low key affair into something of a media circus.

The 41-year-old German did not disappoint his fans, who turned out in their hundreds to see him back behind the wheel of a F1 car for the first time in more than three years. He kept them waiting for several hours once the session got underway, but when he did emerge in his silver Mercedes he put in the third best time of the day - almost a second faster than his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

There was even time for the old master to leave the crowd stunned as he set a lap time apparently four seconds quicker than anything else produced that day. It soon emerged that this wasn't Schumacher marking his comeback with a dramatic statement of intent, but rather cutting a corner - something that has been endorsed by Bernie Ecclestone, but remains illegal.

Schumacher seemed thrilled by his return to the cockpit. "I was shocked in the first lap and I was extremely excited in the second," he said after his 23 laps of the circuit.

The fastest time of the day was recorded by another man making his comeback, Felipe Massa. The Brazilian has been out since July with a fractured skull after a freak accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix where he was struck on the helmet by a loose spring on the track.

The Ferrari driver set a best of 1:12.574, 0.3 seconds faster than Schumacher, who admitted to finding it odd to be racing against the Ferrari rather than driving it. The German won six titles with Italian manufacturer before his retirement in 2006.

As the teams are running their cars with differing fuel loads and specifications it is impossible to attach any real significance to the times. But Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa posted the second fastest time of the day as the drivers shook off the cobwebs at the start of the season.

McLaren also sent out their new car, but with test driver Gary Paffett behind the wheel rather than Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton.

The three-day session is the first of four in February before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14. ·