Former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso clocked the best time on the third day of pre-season Formula One testing at the Catalunya circuit on Thursday.

The Spaniard had sat out the first four-day session in Jerez earlier in February, but he continued to demonstrate he had lost none of his sharpness over the winter by taking his Ferrari to a best time of 1min 21.875sec off a total of 97 laps.Nico Hulkenberg, in a Sauber, was second fastest with 1min 22.160sec with French driver Romain Grosjean, in a Lotus, laying down the third best time of 1min 22.188sec off 119 laps.

Alonso, the runner-up to Red Bull s Sebastian Vettel last season, improved his time from Tuesday by a second and was just a fraction off the week s best time of 1min 21.848sec set by Sergio Perez in the McLaren on Wednesday.Germany s Adrian Sutil, competing with Frenchman Jules Bianchi for the only drive left this season -- with Force India - was eighth fastest.Sutil, out of the sport for 15 months, improved by a second the best Force India time of the week so far set by Paul di Resta.The new season opens in Melbourne, Australia on March 17.