JEREZ, Spain — Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel was quickest in Formula One testing on Tuesday and a mechanic was injured from an electric shock off the new hybrid engine planned for next year’s cars.
“He sustained slight injuries to his left hand and grazing on his left arm,” BMW Sauber said in a statement.
Although the mechanic returned to work after a medical checkup, the car did not as the team investigated the incident.
Vettel, who will replace the retiring David Coulthard at Red Bull next season, went around the Jerez circuit in 1 minute, 19.844 seconds.
Gary Paffet timed 1:20.179 for McLaren, for which Lewis Hamilton won his second consecutive race at the German Grand Prix last weekend. Hamilton leads Ferrari’s Felipe Massa by four points in the overall standings.
Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer was third fastest in 1:20.697.
Ferrari tested tires and introduced aerodynamic modifications with an eye toward 2009 development, though the latter addition is expected to come into play at the end of this year.
Team principal Stefano Domenicali had called these three test days “fundamental” after a disappointing German GP.
“This morning it was important to go deeply into some technical elements to understand what happened last Sunday in Hockenheim,” said test driver Badoer, who will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen on Wednesday. “We picked up a lot of data, and that will continue over the next few days when we also test some solutions for the forthcoming races.”
BMW Sauber test driver Christian Klien had driven three laps around the circuit and was stopped in pit lane waiting to be wheeled back into the garage when the accident occurred.
The team said Klien would continue testing on Wednesday, though in the team’s 2008 car.
Toyota driver Timo Glock is expected to test on Thursday, four days after his crash at Hockenheim.
Glock spent Sunday night in hospital after his rear suspension snapped through a high-speed corner and sent the car spinning across the track and backward into the opposite wall.
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