France 2008: Friday Afternoon Practice

Fernando Alonso has topped the timing sheets in the second practice session for Sunday’s French Grand Prix. On Renault’s home soil, the Spaniard popped in a sterling lap towards the end of the 90 minute run and displaced the Ferrari’s of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth while Sebastian Vettel impressed with fifth. However, the Scuderia Toro Rosso’s are not consistent front-runners and I expect the German driver to slide back during qualifying.

The second session proved more exciting than the first, but Honda still aren’t on-song; Jenson Button finishing his day in seventeenth with Rubens Barrichello two places behind in nineteenth. Williams improved after lunch, but Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima are also off their regular pace. Nelson Piquet Jr ended his afternoon in ninth, an improved effort for the Brazilian after all the practice he had during the recent Barcelona test.

Several drivers took detours over the gravel and run-off areas at Magny Cours. Fernando Alonso managed to catch a lairy slide at the final chicane, and Hamilton, Trulli and Massa each skated over the gravel at the Estoril corner. Nelson Piquet and Adrian Sutil both went off at Chateau d’Eau, but in most cases the drivers were able to avoid the barriers and continue. Only Lewis Hamilton had to return to the pits for a replacement front wing.

France Friday Practice Two