After a hectic winter of awards ceremonies, television appearances and sponsor-related appointments, Lewis Hamilton, who lost the world championship by a whisker last year, was back doing what he does best yesterday.

On a warm early spring day at the Circuit de Catalunya, in the hills north of Barcelona, the most successful rookie in Formula One pulled on his distinctive yellow crash helmet, then eased into the gleaming new McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 race car before roaring out of the garage.

The next time we saw the young man, who carries the hopes of millions of his countrymen as he bids for a world title in his second season, Hamilton was hammering along the pit straight at 185mph. In the windows of the hospitality boxes in the main stand, the silver and orange car flickered in the sunshine as it leapt towards us and then disappeared in a crescendo of engine gutturals as Hamilton swung right-handed into turn one.

After four laps in a test session that was to last all day, the 23-year-old, who lives near Geneva, came back to the pits. As he cut the engine, and the visor came up on the yellow helmet, Hamilton raised a gloved thumb to his mechanics as they wheeled him backwards into the garage. The mood was typical McLaren; quiet, studied, professional.

This all took place in a most unusual location, garage No44 at the bottom of the pitlane - the most graphic evidence yet of McLaren's disqualification from last year's constructors' championship for cheating. Thus, instead of having their usual neighbours, Ferrari and Renault, alongside them, the McLaren test and race team are out on a limb in Spain, with only the lowly Force India (previously Spyker) team to keep them company.

Opposite the McLaren garage the grandstand was empty, the only reminder of the notorious incident three weeks ago on the team's last visit here, when Hamilton was subjected to racist abuse by Spanish race fans. There was no sign of a repeat this time, but the circuit management was taking no chances, allowing no one near the McLaren garage, all of which accentuated the sense of isolation around the operation.

This test is an important one for Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, his new team-mate, as they put their cars through their paces for the last time before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16. The three-day workout at Barcelona has attracted all but one of the 11 teams competing in Formula One this year and the circuit was busy all day as engineers and drivers made use of every minute to refine set-ups and practise race routines.

McLaren came to the test knowing that Ferrari have shown ferocious speed elsewhere in the pre-season build-up, but the signs are that there could be another close battle at the top between the two fierce rivals. Hamilton was the fastest driver of the day on Monday, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, the world champion from Ferrari, and was again quickest yesterday, ahead of Kovalainen in second and Raikkonen in third.

Tests can be misleading, however, and it will not be known for sure where the balance of power lies until the race in Melbourne next month. One man who is convinced of Ferrari's present superiority is Michael Schumacher, the seven-times world champion, who was at the wheel of the new Ferrari F2008 for a test session on Monday, finishing just behind Raikkonen, his successor at the Italian team.

Schumacher, who is not known for rash predictions, believes that the new car in the red garage is on the pace and ready to win. “This Ferrari can fight to win right from the first race,” the 39-year-old, who retired from race driving at the end of 2006, said. “The progress is very clear. In all areas it never changes, so why should it change now? It is not one thing you have to improve to go quicker, it is just everywhere. I feel we are ready and prepared to fight for victory.”