Fernando Alonso claimed the top spot in the Australian GP second practice.

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Fernando Alonso claimed the top spot in the Australian GP second practice.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso clocked the fastest time and claimed the top spot in the second practice for Formula 1's 2023 Australian Grand Prix.

Championship leader Max Verstappen set the pace from Lewis Hamilton in the earlier dry running at Melbourne's Albert Park.

But it was Alonso who ended the day on top after he went fastest in his Aston Martin before heavy rain arrived 10 minutes into the one-hour session.

Alonso beat Charles Leclerc by 0.445 seconds, with Max Verstappen a further 0.170 further adrift. George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton struggled with the setup so was down in 13th place.