Ferrari working through Alonso gremlins

Fernando Alonso was halted by no less than three reliability issues in Italy on Friday, but remains confident that Ferrari can still enjoy a productive weekend. In first practice, the Spaniard pulled off-track as the old engine he was carrying was about to expire. In the afternoon came a left-rear brake problem as well as a broken gearbox, losing him around half an hour of running time. The latter also sparked concerns of a grid penalty.

“Sometimes we just push parts to the limit on Fridays, to get some mileage and experience, but it was a bit strange with the mechanical failures today," he admitted. “We just need to take care and remember how important these things are.

“We are still more or less happy with our performance and we don’t need to change anything for tomorrow, so it’s good. The balance of the car is what we usually need to focus on, more than the performance itself. The car is consistent to drive and both of the Ferraris have been in the top seven in each of the sessions, which hasn’t always been the case – so, in terms of performances, that is the best news today."

While Alonso completed the least laps because of his gremlins, team-mate Felipe Massa completed the most. The former still only finished five hundredths away from P1.