Alonso fastest in second Imola practice

IMOLA, Italy, Apr 21 (Reuters) Renault's Fernando Alonso rose to Michael Schumacher's challenge with the fastest lap in today's second practice for the San Marino Grand Prix.

World champion Alonso, winner at Imola last year, lapped in one minute 25.043 seconds in the day's hour-long afternoon session after Ferrari's Schumacher had set the pace in the morning.

The 24-year-old Spaniard will be chasing his third win in four races on Sunday and Renault's fifth in a row. The French manufacturer has been unbeaten since Alonso won the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix season-ender.

While seven times champion Schumacher flexed Ferrari's muscles in the morning, popping in just two quick laps for a best time of 1:24.751 towards the end of the session, there were no Renaults on track to be measured against.

Championship leader Alonso, who has to use the same engine that took him to victory in the last race in Australia this month, did not complete a timed lap in the opening hour.

Schumacher, who crashed in Melbourne, has the slight advantage of a new and upgraded unit for the race at Ferrari's home circuit and can count on strong support from the passionate local fans.

Austrian test driver Alexander Wurz was second on the timesheets for Williams in the morning while BMW's Polish reserve Robert Kubica was third in both sessions.

Honda's British test driver Anthony Davidson was fourth fastest in both.

On a warm and bright day at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit, Ferrari looked to be Renault's strongest rivals with Schumacher's Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa the fifth quickest race driver in the afternoon.

Renault's Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, winner in Malaysia last month, was just behind him after setting no time in the morning.

Schumacher has won six times at Imola, more than any other Formula One driver, but was beaten by Alonso last year in a stirring nose-to-tail battle to the finish.

Ferrari have struggled in two of the season's three races and need to rein in Renault in the first race of the season in Europe.

The 37-year-old Schumacher, chasing his 85th career win this weekend, has not won a proper race since he dominated the 2004 season with Ferrari's sole success last year coming in the six-car US Grand Prix fiasco.

The German is fourth in the championship, 17 points adrift of Alonso.

REUTERS DH RAI2147