Defending drivers world champion Kimi Raikkonen bounced back to clock the fastest time for Ferrari at the end of yesterday’s opening practice for tomorrow’s European Grand Prix.
The Finn produced a best lap of 1:39.477 in the final five seconds of the afternoon to outpace local hero Fernando Alonso in a Renault.
Spaniard Alonso, the two-times world champion, had looked set to be fastest after a late run in the final minutes had lifted him clear of the Ferraris and the McLarens.
But Raikkonen managed to outpace him with the day’s fastest lap on the new street track that sprawls around the Spanish Mediterranean port in Valencia.
The 28-year-old Finn lived up to his promise to concentrate on improving his practice and qualifying performances - and did so to put a smile on the faces of the Ferrari team.
He said: “I like driving this track. It is different to other street circuits we have had and yesterday, when I walked it, I thought it would be fun - today just confirmed that impression for me.
“There are some very quick parts and almost everywhere there is a lot of room. It is maybe similar to some of the North American circuits used in the past.
“They have done a really good job. We have got off to a good start, but it is too early to say where we are in relation to the opposition. I think overtaking will be difficult, as always.
“I hope I don’t need to worry about it so I am concentrating on getting the best position for qualifying.”
Honda’s Jenson Button was third with 1:39.546, while Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and overall leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren rounded out the top five.
Several drivers struggled on the unfamiliar circuit, with Massa and Nelson Piquet Jr. among those who veered off the track. Nico Rosberg spun his Williams when going through a turn, and narrowly avoided crashing into Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
“It was slippery, yeah, but I didn’t feel the wind had any effect on the car,” Hamilton said. “It was slippery at the beginning, but the track became cleaner as the day went on. The whole track is pretty much fine.
“The two long straights give you time to cool your tyres, then there are slower corners which demand you get your braking right. It is a tricky circuit. Today I’ve taken things step by step, trying to improve the car’s balance. All the time I’m out there I learn new things about the track. It’s just a matter of finding all the pieces and putting the puzzle together.”
Hamilton’s team-mate Heikki Kovalainen and Toyota’s Timo Glock were sixth and seventh, and the only other drivers to dip below one minute 40 seconds for the 5.440km circuit.
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