• Monaco Grand Prix - FP2

Alonso upbeat after positive Thursday

Alonso was quickest in FP1 before the red flag fell © Sutton Images

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• Report:
• Button quickest after rain interrupted session
  

• Race:
• Monaco Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Fernando Alonso confessed himself happy with his first impressions of the Ferrari car after a positive Thursday saw him finish quickest of all in FP1 and fourth fastest in FP2 for the Monaco Grand Prix.

"I would say the first impressions are quite positive: everything seems to respond as we would expect," said Alonso. "We only made a few small modifications to the set-up, trying to improve it, but it's obviously too early to draw any conclusions. Let's say the weekend has got off on the right foot for us: now we must try and keep going down this path."

Alonso was quickest of all in the morning session on the soft compound rubber and was an encouraging fourth quickest after the rain came despite not managing a clear run on the super soft compound.

"This morning, we were able to get through our planned programme without any trouble, but in the afternoon, the rain came to spoil our plans and those of the others too. We weren't able to even fit the Supersoft and only Button was able to find the right window to make the most of the Option, which is how he set the fastest time. Now, we must see what the weather will be like on Saturday morning: if it turns out to be dry then maybe we will do more laps than usual, but even if it rains we will have to do work aimed at the race."

With rain forecast for the weekend, Alonso must be quietly confident about his chances. He knows what it takes to win around Monaco, having won in 2006 and 2007, and is no stranger to winning in the wet as he proved in Malaysia.

"In fact, it's not as though we understood much more when on the Intermediates, given that the track was only damp in places and so it wasn't very representative. We can't control the weather, we can only adapt to it as it changes."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.