Twice world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso gave a meagre crowd at the French Grand Prix something to cheer Friday when he clocked the fastest time in opening practice in his Renault.
On a day when the management of the circuit launched their plans to save their hosting of the event in the future, the 26-year-old Asturian delivered a best lap of one minute and 15.778 seconds to outpace all of his rivals.
It was a great boost for Alonso's French team on a circuit where he won in 2005, but one almost certainly delivered by running with only a light fuel load and in a qualifying trim.
Brazilian Felipe Massa in a Ferrari was second fastest ahead of his team-mate and defending world drivers champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen.
Briton Lewis Hamilton wound up fourth in his McLaren-Mercedes ahead of German Sebastien Vettel in a Toro Rosso and Pole Robert Kubica, winner of the Canadian Grand Prix and the current drivers championship leader, in a Sauber BMW.
Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Finn Heikki Kovolainen was seventh, German Nick Heidfeld eighth in the second BMW, Brazilian Nelson Piquet ninth for Renault and Briton David Coulthard 10th for Red Bull.
After a cool and cloudy morning, the afternoon produced warm sunshine to greet the drivers for the day's second practice session and, after a dull opening run, they produced far more action.
Massa was fastest in the morning, a clear seven-tenths faster than Hamilton.
But in the afternoon he was eclipsed by Alonso's surprise effort after a session littered with minor incidents.
Several drivers took unscheduled excursions off the circuit's smooth surface and across the ample gravel traps.
These included Hamilton, German Adrian Sutil, twice in his Force India car, Massa, three times, and Heidfeld and Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello in his Honda.
