Formula One prodigy Lewis Hamilton put last weekend’s frustrations behind him on Wednesday, posting the quickest time of the day during testing at Jerez.

The 22-year-old clocked a fastest lap of 1m 19.970 in his MP4-22, which was almost a second quicker than second-place Ralf Schumacher.

Hamilton completed 90 laps of the Spanish track, as part of his preparations for the forthcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.

Local boy Pedro de la Rosa, who achieved a podium finish with the McLaren team in 2006, took over from Hamilton on Thursday, putting the car through its paces in unenviable air temperatures of up to 37 degrees centigrade.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place on August 5th this year and Lewis Hamilton will treat the race as an opportunity to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.

Two points clear of team-mate Fernando Alonso and 11 points ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Hamilton is very much in the driving seat but he will be wary of the progress Alonso has made in the last two races.

In the drivers’ championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are 27 points clear of rivals Ferrari, who in turn are 40 points clear of third-place BMW.

Click here for more information about the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

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