The 21-year-old in only his second full test as a confirmed Formula One driver did however manage to show his inexperience after running off the track and damaging the car.

It was the first time in five days of testing since the season ended in October that championship runners-up Ferrari had not led the timesheets.

Former McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen also made a surprise guest visit with Ferrari, even though he is still under contract to McLaren until the end of the year.

"He was there just to learn a bit about how the team works," a Ferrari spokesman said.

The team concentrated on engine endurance testing and experimenting with new components for the 248F1 car.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso is not taking part in the Jerez test either as he remains under contract to Renault until January, when he joins McLaren.

McLaren have asked Renault to release the Spaniard early, a move that would allow him to test in Jerez next week if granted.