Alonso Fastest in Friday Testing

Renault driver Fernando Alonso topped the times in a rain-affected testing session ahead of the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours today.

Spaniard Alonso set a quickest lap time of 1:16.790 early in the two-hour session before heavy rain arrived to prevent the nine drivers on duty from making improvements.

Jaguar's Mark Webber finished second in the times, three tenths of a second slower than Alonso with Renault driver Jarno Trulli third overall six tenths off the pace. Italian Trulli had endured a difficult session after leaving the track four times in the wet - three of those errors coming within the space of five minutes.

Jaguar driver Antonio Pizzonia and Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella finished fourth and fifth in the times ahead of Frenchman Franck Montagny, who made his debut for the team.

Montagny, a member of Renault's Driver Development Programme, was given the chance to make his Formula One debut in his home race with regular tester Allan McNish stepping down for one event.

Minardi pair Jos Verstappen and Justin Wilson ended more than two seconds off Alonso's pace in seventh and eighth respectively.

Ralph Firman brought up the rear of the timesheets three-and-a-half seconds down on Alonso after parking his car at turn three and losing running time mid-way through the session.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Alonso Renault (M) 1:16.709 38 2. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:17.017 + 0.308 23 3. Trulli Renault (M) 1:17.323 + 0.614 50 4. Pizzonia Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:17.946 + 1.237 23 5. Fisichella Jordan-Ford (B) 1:18.771 + 2.062 26 6. Montagny Renault (M) 1:18.823 + 2.114 28 7. Verstappen Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:19.289 + 2.580 24 8. Wilson Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:19.636 + 2.927 16 9. Firman Jordan-Ford (B) 1:20.259 + 3.550 35 All timing unofficial