Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso set the fastest time in free practice for Sunday’s European Grand Prix.
The Spaniard lapped the Valencia street circuit in one minute 39.283 seconds to top the times for Ferrari.
Red Bull pairing Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were close at hand in second and third positions, followed by Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.
Englishman Lewis Hamilton was fifth fastest in his McLaren-Mercedes, with team-mate Jenson Button taking ninth.
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Formula 1: Nico Rosberg Fastest in First Practice at Valencia
Formula 1: European Grand Prix - First Practice Results
Hamilton was satisfied with his performance, after his McLaren finished up 0.466secs off Alonso’s fastest time.
“It wasn’t too bad today,” he said. “The first session looked quite good, and inevitably I felt it was going to be interesting to see how fast everyone else was.
“They are looking very very competitive - more so on the single lap than race pace I think. I think our race pace is closer, but the grip that they look like they have through the high-speed corners will make it difficult for us to touch them.” BBC Sport
Adrian Sutil, who was back behind the wheel of his Force India after tester Paul di Resta drove it in FP1, was next up in eighth, just 0.009 seconds ahead of Jenson Button’s McLaren.
Rubens Barrichello rounded out the top ten for Williams, followed by record-breaking multiple F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, Force India’s Vitantionio Liuzzi and F1 2010 rookie Vitaly Petrov.
Further down the order, Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi and Pedro de la Rosa were 14th and 15th, ahead of Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, in 16th and 18th, sandwiching the Williams of Nico Hulkenberg.
Of the new teams, Lotus were best, Heikki Kovalainen half a second up on Jarno Trulli in the sister car. Both though were more than a second off 18th – and more than 3 seconds off the ultimate pace. Yahoo! Eurosport
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