Motorsport: Aerodynamic Ferrari sets pace

Fernando Alonso has tetchily refused to accommodate many interviews for the Spanish press this weekend, but he has given the fans what they came to see.

Driving a revamped Ferrari with a new aerodynamic package incorporating a "blown" diffuser similar to that seen on the highly competitive Red Bull, he set the fastest time - 0.056s ahead of the duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber - to justify the optimism with which he approached his second home race of the season. The diffuser increases downforce by channelling exhaust gases in an aerodynamically efficient manner through the rear of the car.

"I think we have been improving the car every race more or less, so it is a matter of how much others improve to see a clearer step ahead, a step forward," he said.

"But we remain very calm about our expectation as other teams were not watching television in these last two weeks, so I think everybody will bring updates here. Hopefully ours is a little bit better than the others."

After Nico Rosberg had set the pace in the morning for Mercedes - from the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button - the pendulum swung in the favour of Ferrari and Red Bull in the afternoon, as the pace, but not necessarily the grip, picked up in the afternoon.

On the softer-compound prime Bridgestone tyres it was Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes (Rosberg), McLaren (Hamilton) and Renault (Robert Kubica).

But, just as they had in Canada a fortnight ago, all of the drivers struggled initially with the softer-compound tyre as they slithered their way around the still-green track in the morning.

Things were better in the afternoon, however, and the weather is more settled here than it was in Montreal. With support events for GP2, GP3 and Formula BMW, grip can be expected to get better still as the track rubbers in.

Hamilton was philosophical: "The first session looked quite good. But it was always going to be interesting to see how quickly the blown-diffuser cars could get up to speed and they looked very competitive this afternoon, particularly over a single lap. The grip they appear to have through the high-speed stuff could make them difficult for us to touch."

McLaren will have their blown diffuser ready for Silverstone in two weeks', when the car that has won the last two races will receive another serious update.

Meanwhile, Hamilton and Button may have to tread water here - although defending champion Button says Red Bull have squandered chances to make the most of their speed advantage and rivals are now closing in.

"They haven't got it together as often as I had thought they would," the McLaren driver said. "Last race (in Canada) they were quite quick considering the type of circuit but again they finished fourth and fifth and it seems one of the cars always has an issue in the race and they need to back off," added the Briton.

Button, second in the overall standings and three points behind team mate Lewis Hamilton after two successive McLaren one-two finishes, said Red Bull were blindingly quick when everything worked out.

- INDEPENDENT