Free Practice 2: Alonso ahead of the Brawn GP, Grosjean 13th

On the occasion of the second free practice session of the 2009 European Grand Prix in Spain, Fernando Alonso set the fastest time among the 20 cars. The Renault driver was on the attack in front of his home crowd and positioned himself at Valencia ahead of the two Brawn GP drivers. Romain Grosjean, replacing Piquet Jr., was 13th, more than a second behind his new teammate. Luca Badoer, who replaced Massa at Ferrari, was 18th, nearly three seconds off the pace.

Fernando Alonso, who is at home and supported by thousands of fans, clearly states his ambitions: victory on Sunday. The Renault driver was the fastest of the day, currently holding the circuit record as the only one to go under 100 seconds per lap. However, the 90-minute session was not without its challenges. After an hour of testing, he collided in the pits with Nick Heidfeld’s BMW. With his front wing shattered, he stayed in the pits for a few minutes before returning to challenge the clock. He set his best time five minutes before the end of the session. Aiming to improve his time in the following lap, he made a mistake and spun out.

Behind the Spaniard, it is the Brawn GP that seem to be the most consistent. Button and Barrichello are second and third respectively and can enjoy a renewed level of performance under the Iberian heat. It is 29°C in the air and over 40°C on the track this afternoon.

The Williams-Toyota drivers also showcased good abilities. After 30 minutes of practice, they topped the timesheet. Rosberg and Nakajima eventually finished the session in 4th and 5th place, aided by the soft tires – it’s worth noting the small performance difference between hard and soft tires this weekend.

Even more euphoric with the return of Formula 1 after a three-week break, Force India surprises. The Indian team is now competitive thanks to a brand new aerodynamic package and places its drivers in 6th and 8th positions. Sutil and Fisichella are only distanced by Kubica’s BMW. Nick Heidfeld is 17th, more than 7 tenths behind, hindered by his collision with Alonso. He completes 29 laps, all done in the first hour of testing. The two cars crossed paths exiting the pit lane, amusing Michael Schumacher, the first witness to the incident.

The first Red Bull Renault is only 9th thanks to Sebastian Vettel’s (under-)performance. The German is more than one and three-tenths of a second behind Alonso. Mark Webber is 14th.

The first McLaren-Mercedes is only 10th with Kovalainen. Lewis Hamilton ranks only last after encountering technical problems from the start of the tests. The Briton completes only three timed laps, falling victim to a spin after 10 minutes of testing.

Even worse, the first Ferrari is only 11th. It’s Kimi Räikkönen who places his F60 a few thousandths behind the McLaren and ahead of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota. The Italian is thus 12th. He narrowly leads the new yellow nose of Romain Grosjean. Nelson Piquet Jr.’s replacement is gradually getting accustomed to the R29 and seems to be quickly adapting to his new ride despite a harmless spin at the beginning of the session. It’s more difficult to say for Luca Badoer. The Italian, who is replacing Massa at Ferrari, is struggling to find the rhythm and even hindered several drivers this afternoon. He is 18th, ahead of Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) and Hamilton (McLaren).

Free Practice 2 Results – European GP – Friday, August 21, 2009: