Alonso: 'I enjoyed driving the circuit for the first time in a Formula 1 session'

Fernando Alonso and Alpine are the main talking point from the latter Friday session. The Spaniard and his teammate Esteban Ocon finished FP2 in fifth and sixth, ahead of both McLaren drivers and splitting the two Ferrari drivers. 

This is the first time that Alonso will be driving at Portimao in an F1 race. He explained to Sky Sports how he's starting to find his way back and felt comfortable in the Alpine.

"It was a good practice day for me and the most comfortable I’ve had this season compared to Bahrain and Imola. I was happy with the setup of the car quite early in the day, so I concentrated mostly on becoming more acclimatised to the circuit and then evaluating the tyres over the two sessions. There is still lots of data for us to analyse, but it’s a good start to the weekend."

Traffic could be an issue

"I enjoyed driving the circuit for the first time in a Formula 1 session, but I think traffic could be a challenge tomorrow in qualifying," said a happy Alonso after the session, "it’s an exciting track to drive, that’s for sure."