Alonso: 'El Plan' takes shape after promising Alpine test running

Fernando Alonso was left pleased with Alpine's work during the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona as 'El Plan' began to take shape for the 2022 season.

The Spaniard finished the day eighth fastest with 126 laps to his name as the striking blue and pink A522 took to the track for the first time.

Two-time champion returned to the podium last season having spent two years on sabbatical but was clear that he was returning in order to be competitive with F1's new era of machinery entering the sport this year.

After his first running of the new season, Alonso said: “It’s good to be back after such a long wait.

"We’ve spent a long time preparing for this moment at both factories and in the garage, a lot of hours have gone into this moment.

"The cars are very different to last year and we need to adjust to a lot of new characteristics.

"We still have a lot of work to do but this is why we are at testing. We completed some good mileage and our reliability has been quite strong for the first day of testing.

"Mileage and reliability is more important than performance in testing, so overall we’re quite pleased with the first day in our new car.”

Esteban Ocon takes over for day two before duties are shared by each driver on Friday.

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