Jerez F1 test: Alonso and Ferrari fastest, Mercedes does race sim
Fernando Alonso topped the first half of the fourth and final day of the pre-season Formula 1 test at Jerez after Nico Rosberg's Mercedes dominated most of the morning


Alonso spent much of the morning fourth fastest as Ferrari conducted a different programme to its rivals, even running the wet Pirelli tyre while others were using the intermediate rubber.
But just before halfway through the day's running, Alonso recorded a 1m35.334s lap at the start of a longer run on inters.
Despite the Ferrari's pace, it was Rosberg's Mercedes that really impressed during the first half of day four.
Although there was light rain and a wet track when the session began, Rosberg went straight out. After several in/out-laps he then started more serious running.
His 1m38.957s effort in the first hour put him well clear of the pack. McLaren's Kevin Magnussen, who was quickest in the dry on day three, and Felipe Massa's Williams edged closer to that mark before Rosberg started a long run.
During an apparent race simulation, which included three pitstops, the Mercedes consistently lapped between 1m37s and 1m41s as the inters went off on the drying track. He also set a best of 1m36.951s.
The Mercedes W05 completed a total of 91 laps, around twice as many as the next best.
Behind Magnussen and Massa, Daniel Juncadella made it four Mercedes-engined cars in the top five on his first run of the test in the new Force India, although his 1m41.132s was almost two seconds down on the Williams.

The Mercedes DTM driver impressed with his consistency in tricky conditions and was well clear of F1 returnee Kamui Kobayashi in the Caterham CT05.
All three Renault teams made it out early, despite the problems they have had this week, but Toro Rosso (with Daniil Kvyat) and Red Bull (Daniel Ricciardo) only managed eight and seven laps respectively.
Adrian Sutil's Sauber split Kvyat and Ricciardo and managed 42 laps, but the Sauber was once again some way off the pace.
Jules Bianchi had his first run in the Marussia MR03, completing five laps and setting his 1m48.192s relatively early on.
After five red flags on day three, the first half of day four took place with no stoppages.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m35.334s 55 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m36.951s +1.617s 91 3. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.391s +3.057s 49 4. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m39.256s +3.922s 34 5. Daniel Juncadella Force India-Mercedes 1m41.132s +5.798s 32 6. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1m43.193s +7.859s 45 7. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m44.016s +8.682s 8 8. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.234s +8.900s 43 9. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m45.374s +10.040s 7 10. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m48.192s +12.858s 5

McLaren reshuffles its Formula 1 aero team
Red Bull ends Jerez F1 test early after troubled week

Latest news
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures