F1: Raikkonen fastest in Jerez; Force India to use old car

Formula One's first pre-season test ended in Jerez on Wednesday with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen fastest, Mercedes doing more laps than anyone else and McLaren once again bottom of the timesheets.

While Raikkonen completed 106 laps in the new Ferrari SF15-T car, and ensured Ferrari-engined cars set the pace every day, champions Mercedes showed off their reliability with the most distance covered.

Double world champion Lewis Hamilton did 117 laps, taking Mercedes' tally over the four days to 516 laps and equal to 2,284km, and was not worried about the times.

"It's been pretty amazing this week to see how reliable the car has been and how much mileage we've covered," said the Briton, who won 11 of the 19 races last year.

McLaren, whose drivers managed only six laps each on the first two days at the wheel of the new Honda-powered car, managed at least to try some long runs even if technical problems again hampered them.

Sweden's Marcus Ericsson was second fastest for Sauber, who failed to score a point in 2014 in their worst ever season. Seventeen-year-old rookie Max Verstappen was fourth in his Toro Rosso ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in a Williams.

Force India likely to use old car at first Barcelona test

Force India's 2015 Formula One car now looks unlikely to make its track debut until this month's final pre-season test in Barcelona little more than two weeks before the first race in Australia.

"It's looking likely that the new car, the VJM08, will not be ready in time to make its debut at the first Barcelona test session," a team spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Everybody is still pushing hard to try and make it happen, but it's more likely to appear at the final Barcelona test. So, we are making plans to run the 2014 car at the first Barcelona test."

Force India, with Mexican Sergio Perez and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, have been absent altogether from the opening pre-season test in Jerez, southern Spain, that finished on Wednesday.

The team have dismissed continuing speculation that the Silverstone-based team, run and co-owned by Indian drinks tycoon Vijay Mallya, have been unable to test due to financial problems.

They said last month that the car would not be ready in time for Jerez, due to production delays, but had planned to run the 2014 car there.

The first Barcelona test is scheduled for February 19-22 with the second from 26 to March 1.