Ferrari on top in rain-hit first practice session

Fernando Alonso headed a Ferrari one-two in a rain-hit first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix.

With most teams bringing a significant batch of upgrades to test and Pirelli supplying an extra set of slick tyres to increase running a busy first practice session was in the offing.

Unfortunately the weather chose not to co-operate. Morning rain lingered at the track and the circuit was wet as the session began.

That did not discourage teams from running entirely but it wasn’t until the final quarter of an hour that the track was sufficiently dry for slicks to be used.

The session ended with a frenzy of laps which saw the lap times tumble. But Alonso was always at or near the top and his final effort secured the quickest time. Massa, despite sliding off into the gravel at turn seven on an earlier lap, backed up his effort with the second-best time.

Jean-Eric Vergne, who’d been the first driver to risk slick tyres, ended up third quickest despite going off at the chicane.

The Lotus of Romain Grosjean was fourth – he’d also gone off during the session, losing the back of the car under braking for La Caixa and arriving at the corner backwards.

A late effort from Adrian Sutil but him fifth ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas gave Williams some encouragement with seventh, followed by fellow countryman Kimi Raikkonen. Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta completed the top ten.

McLaren, who were especially in need of the dry running, left Jenson Button in the garage until the dying moments. He began his first flying lap seconds before the chequered flag came out, but aborted it and returned to the pits. Team mate Sergio Perez was 13th.

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• Ferrari join Lotus in criticising tyre revisions

Image ?é?® Ferrari/Ercole Colombo