Hamilton fastest in Spanish GP practice

Frustration for two-time world champion and local hero Alonso

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in Spanish Grand Prix practice on Friday as Formula One world champions Mercedes responded to the challenge of Ferrari with aerodynamic upgrades and consistently quicker times.

With the championship finely balanced after four long-haul races, Mercedes turned up at the Circuit de Catalunya with a car whose revised features drew appreciative and apprehensive murmurs around the paddock.

It appeared to be to triple champion Hamilton’s liking, with the Briton on top of the time sheets in the morn- ing with a best lap of 1 minute 21.521 seconds and then fastest again in the afternoon in 1:20.802.

His times were respectively a mere 0.029 and 0.090 quicker than those of Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was third in both sessions but cut his morning deficit of nearly a second down to 0.310 after lunch.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel was fourth on the time sheets, 0.418 off the pace in the second session, with the German also suffering an early problem that halted his Ferrari at the pitlane exit. The car was pushed back to the garage and Vettel reappeared on track just over half an hour later.

Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso endured far more frustration, with his McLaren again breaking down before he had set a time in the morning. He was also slowest in the afternoon.

McLaren blamed an oil leak from the Honda engine, evident to all with liquid spilling out of the tipping car as it was winched away by a crane. Alonso was due to head straight to Indianapolis after Sunday’s race, missing the Mo- naco Grand Prix so he can compete in the Indy 500 on the same day.

On the team’s current form, it will come as a relief – with paddock jokers already wondering what other sporting events he might want to enter to delay his return. Wimbledon, perhaps?

The driver, an active user of social media, posted a photo on Instagram of himself on a tennis court.

“The engine feels good. Much slower than before. Amazing,” he said sarcastically after the second session.