Schumacher back in harness for Barca test.

Michael Schumacher will make another of his sporadic returns to a Formula One car when he helps to kick off Ferrari's final pre-season test of 2008 at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya today [Monday].

The seven-time world champion retired from active competition at the end of the 2006 season, but has found it hard to stay away from the cockpit in the following 15 months, testing on occasion in 2007 and now lending another expert hand as the Scuderia attempts to iron out the final wrinkles on an already impressive F2008 chassis ahead of next month's season-opener in Melbourne.

Schumacher will join his predecessor, not only as Ferrari driver but as the Scuderia's world champion, Kimi Raikkonen when the Barcelona group test kicks off on Monday, and is expected to run for one day before turning his car over to Felipe Massa, who will partner Raikkonen for a second season in 2008.

"We wanted to give Felipe a rest and Michael was available to drive," a Ferrari spokesman explained to Reuters.

The 39-year old German's last outing with the team was back in December, but he showed that he had lost none of the talent that took him to seven titles in 15 seasons by lapping on the pace of the fastest drivers - as he had at previous tests - despite most teams running without the electronic systems that accompanied him throughout his career.

Monday's outing, however, will be Schumacher's first chance to try the F2008, which was launched early in January, for the first time on track. The car has already set the pace in each test its has contested, and appears to be the class of the field, despite close company from McLaren.