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Saturday August 22, 2009

Alonso delights Spanish fans with fastest time

TWO-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain delighted his home fans yesterday when he dominated the second free practice session ahead of tomorrow’s European Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Renault ace was fastest overall with a late quickest lap of 1:39.404 round the sweeping Mediterranean harbour-side street circuit.

This lap time was three seconds faster than the best set in the morning session by veteran Brazilian Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP and proved the asphalt surface was providing increasing grip as the temperature rose in hot sunshine.

Alonso set his time late in the day after being given a replacement nose section for his car following a collision earlier with German Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber, the latter failing to see the Spaniard as he approached to pass him at the final corner.

Moving ahead: Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil (right) goes ahead of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli of Italy during the first practice session at the European Grand Prix in Valencia yesterday. — Reuters

Championship leading Briton Jenson Button was second fastest ahead of his Brawn GP team-mate Barrichello as the duo proved beyond doubt that the team had rediscovered much of its early season form.

German Nico Rosberg was fourth ahead of his Williams team-mate Japanese Kazuki Nakajima with another German Adrian Sutil in sixth place for the improving Force India team.

Pole Robert Kubica was seventh for BMW Sauber ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India and the leading Red Bull driven by German Sebastian Vettel.

This left Finn Heikki Kovalainen down in 10th for McLaren Mercedes, but he was at least able to deliver decent times while his team-mate, defending champion Briton Lewis Hamilton, had a session to forget and clocked only three laps.

After seeing a quick early lap, Hamilton spun his McLaren and damaged the new front section of his car. The team decided it was too badly damaged to repair him in time for another effort.

Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber, who is second in the drivers’ title race, also struggled though he delivered 37 laps but ended up down in 14th place.

Ferrari were also facing problems in coping with the street circuit and the heat and Finn Kimi Raikkonen was 11th and his partner Italian veteran Luca Badoer, normally the test driver but promoted this weekend to replace injured Brazilian Felipe Massa, 18th in a busy session. — AFP

Free practice session: 1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:39.404, 2. Jenson Button (Bri) Brawn-Mercedes 1:40.178, 3. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn-Mercedes 1:40.209, 4. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 1:40.385, 5. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota 1:40.503,

6. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Mercedes 1:40.596, 7. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:40.643, 8. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Mercedes 1:40.681, 9. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 1:40.723, 10. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:40.738,

11. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.739, 12. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:40.770, 13. Romain Grosjean (Fra) Renault 1:40.787, 14. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 1:40.956, 15. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:40.985,

16. Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:41.156, 17. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:41.350, 18. Luca Badoer (Ita) Ferrari 1:42.017, 19. Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:42.089, 20. Lewis Hamilton (Bri) McLaren-Mercedes 1:43.214.


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