Alonso makes fine start in Spain
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-13 15:59 Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso made a
great start to his home Spanish Grand Prix on Friday despite picking up a
speeding fine.
The 24-year-old began the opening day of free practice with a $2,000 fine for
speeding in the pit lane and closed it as the quickest race driver in the second
session.
With fans chanting his name and banners draping the grandstands, Alonso gave
the crowd only a brief glimpse of his car in the morning with just two timed
installation laps.
The afternoon was a more red-blooded session, with the drivers who had been
saving their engines venturing out on to the track.
Even then the top two times were set by the unsung test drivers, with Briton
Anthony Davidson quickest for Honda in one minute 16.533 seconds ahead of Red
Bull's Dutch reserve Robert Doornbos.
Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa and seven times champion Michael Schumacher
were fastest in the morning when only three of the drivers who will race on
Sunday set times.
Massa, fresh from the first podium finish of his career after taking third
place at the Nuerburgring last weekend, claimed the quickest lap of the day in
1:15.796.
Schumacher, winner of the last two races and 13 points adrift of Alonso in
the championship after five rounds, clocked 1:16.099.
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, last year's winner in Barcelona, did not leave the
garage in the first session and was only 15th in the second.
Alonso, winner twice this season and runner-up in the other three races, will
start Sunday's grand prix with the same engine he used at the Nuerburgring.
Schumacher and Massa have fresh engines.
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