• Italian Grand Prix - FP2

Alonso happy with progress

Fernando Alonso finished second quickest on Friday © Getty Images

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• Report:
• Vettel cranks up the heat in Monza
  

• Race:
• Italian Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Fernando Alonso confessed himself happy with the progress Ferrari made between the first two free practice sessions for the Italian Grand Prix.

After setting the eighth fastest time in the morning, Alonso changed the set-up of his car and it clearly worked, the Spaniard bouncing back to set the second quickest time of the day.

"We are pleased with what we achieved in these two free practice sessions," said Alonso. "We tried different aerodynamic configurations and now we must study the data carefully to make the right choices for tomorrow and Sunday. This track requires a low level of aerodynamic downforce, but you need to find the right compromise, especially so as not to prejudice stability under braking: it's true that top speed is important, but it is not everything.

"Between the two sessions, we made some changes on the car which seem to have moved us in the right direction, but we must keep in mind that we ran with various difference fuel levels."

Despite his early cause for optimism, Alonso is well aware of how quickly things can change after his Belgian Grand Prix weekend followed a downward spiral having topped both free practice sessions on Friday.

"We have seen before that Friday's results are very often turned on their head on Saturday, therefore I definitely don't want to make any predictions. We have to focus on ourselves and do our utmost in qualifying and especially on Sunday, in the race. It will not be easy, because once again, Red Bull is proving to be very competitive and McLaren seems to be as strong as predicted."

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