Fernando Alonso has said that he "feels great" after taking part in the second practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was forced to miss the first race of the season in Australia due to a concussion that he suffered in a pre-season testing crash in Barcelona.

"It feels great to be back in the car – I enjoyed driving so much today," Formula 1's official website quotes him as saying. "Maybe I'm not quite 100% fit after two weeks on the sofa and two weeks out of the car, but I'm fit enough to enjoy it out there.

"Today really feels like the second day of testing for me – I had one solid day's running in Barcelona during the winter, when I did 63 laps, and I managed 45 today. Plus, we ran with zero problems – so that's an important step, too.

"We are improving the aero package, gaining a greater understanding of the power unit, and we also have better interaction between everyone working on the car. Every lap is a learning curve for us. The car feels consistent and easy to drive, and it's giving me the confidence to push it to the limit. We had some issues with braking consistency today, but we should be able to resolve those overnight. I feel great – I enjoyed today so much."

Alonso came 16th in the practice session, with his McLaren teammate Jenson Button finishing just behind in 17th.