Near-constant showers and incredibly high winds at the southern Spanish venue on Thursday conspired to throw the worst weather of the short pre-season upon the congregated F1 field.

"The weather forecast is better for tomorrow (Friday)," revealed Sauber's test engineer Thomas Hunsicker.

However, quite a high chance of rain both on Friday and Saturday still remains.

Optimism was further diminished late on Thursday night, when a bad omen for Friday's action was a torrential night-time downpour.

Jenson Button arrived at Jerez on Thursday night ahead of his two days in the new McLaren and exclaimed: "Wow, this place is like a lake.

"Think it's going to be wet tomorrow but hopefully dry Saturday."

Felipe Massa hands over the new Ferrari to Fernando Alonso on Friday, and the Brazilian observed: "The only positive thing (about the weather) is that it's the same for everyone."