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Fernando Alonso prefers dry conditions at Melbourne despite topping times on wet track

On the first day of running in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin continued to impress as the Spaniard topped the timesheets in a rain-hampered second practice session for the Australian GP.

Starting the day by setting the fourth quickest time in the first practice session, Alonso set the fastest lap of FP2 with a time of 1m 18.887s right before the rain hit the Albert Park Circuit, leading Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, in second, by 0.445s.
Reflecting on his first day of running in Melbourne, Alonso said: "It was good. I think in FP1, we concentrated on some test items that we wanted to tick the box [on] and then in FP2... it was just a 20-minute [dry] session only. So, still some jobs to do tomorrow, especially on the tyres into the race, on long runs that we were obviously missing today. But so far, I think the car seems to behave well, so let's see tomorrow."
When asked about the forecast for the weekend, Alonso said, "I think the forecast is dry, so I think ideally we will prefer dry conditions because we've only driven this car in dry conditions in Jeddah and in Bahrain. A dry race will be welcome from our side, but I think we should be ready for all conditions."
Alonso has previously demonstrated his ability to perform well in wet conditions, but the two-time world champion expressed his preference for a dry race.
On the other side of the Aston Martin garage, Lance Stroll set the 10th fastest lap time of FP1 and finished in 16th in the second practice session, but was still pleased with the performance of his AMR23.
"It was a lot of fun," said Lance Stroll. "A great track to drive in. This morning we didn't get the laps in but then I didn't get a chance, not many people got the chance, to put the softs on with the rain. So, one of those sessions, just limited with rain. But tomorrow doesn't look like it's going to rain, but you never know here in Melbourne. The car is feeling good, so looking forward to tomorrow."
Despite the rain-hampered practice sessions, both Alonso and Stroll remain optimistic for the rest of the weekend and are looking forward to showcasing their performance in the Australian Grand Prix.
"I think we should be ready for all conditions," said Alonso. "Let's see what happens tomorrow."
"I'm feeling good," said Stroll. "Looking forward to tomorrow, hoping for a dry day."

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