F1: Alonso Fastest in FP1 as Hamilton Redeems Mercedes in FP2

Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of FP1 for the Canadian Grand Prix as he set a time of 1:17.238s and kept the two Mercedes drivers - Rosberg and Hamilton at bay. This is the third time Alonso has been fastest in the FP1 session and he looked in top form.

Alonso beat Lewis Hamilton by just 0.016s, while Hamilton's team-mate Nico Rosberg was third quickest and within 0.15s of the best time. Vettel was almost 0.9s slower than Alonso which saw him placed fourth.

Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was behind the defending world champion as he was sixth fastest. The only incident during FP1 was that involving Jules Bianchi who hit the wall exiting Turn 4, damaging the right rear of his Marussia.

As FP2 began, Mercedes looked to take back what was rightfully theirs - the top two positions. Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the second practice session as he set a time of 1:16.118 which was faster than the time Alonso set in FP1.

With the time set, Hamilton put himself in front of Rosberg who was just 0.2s slower. Vettel was third fastest and within half a second of the leading Mercedes. Kimi Raikkonen was fourth fastest while Alonso was fifth. Both the Ferraris were within 0.6s of Hamilton as a close battle emerged behind the Mercedes pair.

Marcus Ericsson suffered a mechanical issue while Kamui Kobayashi went off the track twice at Turn 2. Romain Grosjean too had a tough time and ran off-track at Turn 1 and then later saw his running ended early as a result of high gearbox temperatures.

FP3 and Qualification will be a mixed bag for sure as teams are getting their acts together and inching closer to the Mercedes pair.