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Lewis Hamilton ended his first day's preparation for the 2010 Formula 1 season with his McLaren lagging behind Felipe Massa's Ferrari.
The Brazilian topped the times for the second day running at the major test at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit.
Hamilton was third fastest behind the Sauber of Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and 0.534 seconds adrift of Massa.
A McLaren spokesman told BBC Sport that Hamilton had said he was happy with the car and testing was going well.
The 25-year-old, world champion in 2008, is due to speak to the media later on Tuesday.
Headline lap times from testing are not necessarily an accurate indication of the pace of the cars, as fuel loads, tyres and track condition can have a dramatic effect on performance.
The Ferrari, though, has looked consistently quick throughout the two days of testing in Valencia so far.
 Massa's Ferrari has appeared to have the legs of everyone in Valencia so far
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Massa recorded a best time of one minute 11.722 seconds, with Kobayashi on 1:12.056 and Hamilton on 1:12.256.
Massa's new team-mate, the double world champion Fernando Alonso, is due to take over the car for the final day's running on Wednesday, when Hamilton will be handing the McLaren over to team-mate Jenson Button, the world champion.
This week's test is the first time the new 2010 F1 cars have run on the track, and all the major teams bar Red Bull are in Valencia.
Red Bull - who ended last season second in both the drivers' and constructors' world championships to Button's former Brawn team, who have been taken over by Mercedes - are waiting until the second test, in Jerez next week, before giving their car its debut.
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Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was fourth fastest for much of the day.
The surprise of the test so far has been the pace of the Sauber.
Spanish veteran Pedro de la Rosa was second fastest with it on Monday and his team-mate, the Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi, occupied the same position for much of Tuesday.
The team are back under the stewardship of founder Peter Sauber following the decision of former owner BMW to quit F1 at the end of last season.
More to follow.
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