Kovalainen fastest

The Finn clocked in an impressive 1:17.974s, half a second clear of Mark Webber"s Thursday pace.

The McLaren team ran two very different front wheel inserts on the final day as they pushed on with the development of the MP4-23.

Lewis Hamilton – fourth fastest - ran inserts which featured a brake cooling inlet positioned to the front edge of the tyre, while Kovalainen ran more traditional carbon devices.

The high winds that affected so many teams in testing the previous day was not a factor with a majority of the 16 runners being able to complete in excess of 100 laps on the 4.428km circuit.

Red Bull showed good pace once again and this time it was David Coulthard leading the way with a best lap of 1:18.485s, over a tenth quicker than Webber's record pace the previous day.

Kazuki Nakajima continued his impressive week with Williams Toyota but new recruit Nico Hulkenberg has yet to shine in his role as team test driver and was the 14th fastest of the 16 runners.

Robert Kubica continued a recent trend in out pacing team-mate Nick Heidfeld. The BMW Sauber duo were fifth and ninth fastest respectively as they continue to work on the balance of the F1.08.

Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Bourdais recorded the sixth and eighth fastest times with Nelson Piquet in between in his Renault as he put in an impressive 134 laps in the new R28.

Wednesday's pace setter Webber had to be content with tenth overall today in his RB4 ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella who is showing well in his new role at the Force India Ferrari team.

Jenson Button and Alex Wurz were a distant 12th and 16th for Honda with Anthony Davidson, Hulkenberg and Lucas Di Grassi in between.

1 . H. Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 - 1:17.974 (+ 0.000 ) - 96 laps

2 . D. Coulthard - Red Bull Renault RB4 - 1:18.485 (+ 0.511 ) - 107 laps

3 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW30 - 1:19.117 (+ 1.143 ) - 90 laps

4 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 - 1:19.429 (+ 1.455 ) - 83 laps

5 . R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.08 - 1:19.535 (+ 1.561 ) - 129 laps

6 . S. Vettel - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2B - 1:19.688 (+ 1.714 ) - 53 laps

7 . N. Piquet - Renault R28 - 1:19.817 (+ 1.843 ) - 134 laps

8 . S. Bourdais - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2B - 1:19.848 (+ 1.874 ) - 101 laps

9 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.08 - 1:19.934 (+ 1.960 ) - 116 laps

10 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB4 - 1:19.980 (+ 2.006 ) - 107 laps

11 . G. Fisichella - Force India Ferrari VJM01 - 1:20.669 (+ 2.695 ) - 89 laps

12 . J. Button - Honda RA108 - 1:20.988 (+ 3.014 ) - 121 laps

13 . A. Davidson - Super Aguri Honda SA07 - 1:21.010 (+ 3.036 ) - 103 laps

14 . N. Hulkenberg - Williams Toyota FW30 - 1:21.116 (+ 3.142 ) - 71 laps

15 . L. Di Grassi - Renault R28 - 1:21.286 (+ 3.312 ) - 73 laps

16 . A. Wurz - Honda RA108 - 1:21.605 (+ 3.631 ) - 103 laps.