Australian GP: Alonso fastest in second practice as rain stalls Red Bull's blistering pace

Fernando Alonso clarified his intentions as he chases his first Formula 1 victory in 10 years. The Spaniard put his Aston Martin at the top of the times in the second practice session for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, pipping Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen from Red Bull.

The session started in dry conditions, but Mercedes-AMG ace George Russell reported light drizzles at Turn 3 almost as soon as he ventured out on track for the one-hour practice session. About 20 minutes later, fans in attendance brought out their rain jackets and umbrellas as the rain intensity got worse.

Attempting a final run on the dry tyre, the drivers dipped into the pits to have their cars fitted with fresh sets of the Softs, but this was in vane as track conditions had deteriorated. Alonso's time, set before the rain came down, stood as the fastest of the session. His 1:18.887 was marginally off the 1:18.790 set by Verstappen in the first practice session.

?? FP2 CLASSIFICATION ??Friday, done! ?#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/jpgduvi5AI

Alonso for the win?

It would be premature to suggest that Alonso is in the pouncing seat for the victory. The second practice session was rather unrepresentative, given that the rain washed away 40 minutes. Verstappen, who was struggling in FP1, looked more composed in FP2. And his teammate Sergio Perez, who was blisteringly quick in FP1, failed to set a genuinely representative time in FP2.

The battle for pole position in qualifying will likely be contested between Red Bull's Verstappen and Perez, with Alonso within an outside chance of nabbing the place from his rivals. The same can be said of Sunday's race.

Like in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the podium in Sunday's race will likely comprise these