Fernando Alonso, double Formula One world champion, said today, during the first day of training for the Indianapolis 500, he felt that he really dominated the steering wheel of his car, unlike the first test he did earlier this month.

"It has been a great day and I have finished happier than the first day I got in the car. I feel that today I have really started to drive the car," said the Spaniard.

"I felt good, although I couldn't really compete with traffic. That's what I still have to do in the coming days. I did two or three laps behind some cars and it was fun. But enough of running alone," he added.

The Asturian emphasized that he felt comfortable despite the high temperatures and strong winds.

"I was worried when I got into the car, but inside I didn't notice any problems. The car worked perfectly. There were no problems or dramas. It has been a very positive day," said the driver, who concluded the day with good feelings, although he acknowledged that he still has "a lot to learn" and "a lot to work on".

"The hardest part will be the race itself, with all the unexpected things it has," Alonso valued.

"I have to learn the little tricks to overtake and take advantage of the car's performance at every moment. That is usually achieved with experience and races, but I don't have that time. I will be weaker in those aspects, but I have to learn as fast as I can in the coming days and also use other weapons to close that gap," he declared.

The Spaniard also pointed out that for him it is more important to prepare for the race than to achieve a prominent position in the classification.

"The priority is to get the car ready, feel comfortable and learn," he said.

Alonso, 35 years old, finished in first position in the first official training, of two hours of orientation, by running at 221.634 mph (356.67 km/h).

During the subsequent free practice sessions, the Spanish driver finished in nineteenth position, although he managed to put his car at 223.025 mph (358.92 km/h).