07/07/2017
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 32 degrees C, while the track temperature is 45 degrees. There was a brief shower during the break, which will have washed away some of the rubber, but it is now bright and sunny again. However, the risk of further rain during this session is 80% - around the same as Robert Kubica's chances of making a return to F1.
This morning's session was noticeable for several things, not least Lewis Hamilton's pace, the Briton's best lap the fastest ever on this iteration of the circuit.
Then there was the fact that once again it was the Mercedes, Red Bulls and Ferraris which led the way, the nearest rival, Stoffel Vandoorne in the McLaren over half-a-second slower than the slowest of the leading six (Raikkonen).
And talking of McLaren, with their 'spec 3' power units, both Woking drivers were in the top ten.
Finally there was the sheer number of incidents, and while the Red Bull Ring has the fewest number of corners of any track on the calendar, almost every single corner claimed a victim at one time of another, Turns 1 and 9 proving particularly treacherous.
Verstappen was the only driver to clout the barriers, the Red Bull driver lightly bashing the barriers at T7.
Late in the session, the youngster looked set to go quickest, having posted the fastest time in S1, but subsequently spun off at T3.
Having handed their cars over to Sergey Sirotkin and Alfonso Celis earlier, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez are back in action this afternoon.
Hulkenberg leads the way when the lights go green, the German followed by Ericsson, Magnussen, Wehrlein, Raikkonen and Vettel.
"There's a small vibration on the front axle," reports Hulkenberg.
Magnussen posts 7.891 but this is soon beaten by Raikkonen 7.722 and then Bottas who crosses the line at 6.690.
As Vettel posts 6.244 to go quickest, Bottas, despite a mistake in the final corner, retakes the top spot with a 5.869.
For a brief moment Alonso is third (7.290) only to be toppled by Raikkonen and then Hamilton who posts 5.731 to go top.
Hamilton, Bottas and Vettel are all on supers, while Raikkonen is on softs.
Ricciardo is the first driver to switch to the ultras, the Australian going fifth with a 6.513, just behind the soft-shod Ferrari of Raikkonen.
Eleven minutes into the session we've yet to see either Perez or Verstappen, the Dutchman's car being worked on in the Red Bull garage, the car thought to have a brake issue.
Ricciardo improves to fourth with a 6.267 as Grosjean runs wide at the infamous T9.
Ericsson takes a long trip through the kitty litter after making a mistake in T6.
As Vandoorne goes 8th (6.989), Raikkonen complains about a photographer he nearly hit as he entered his pit slot.
Onboard footage shows Stroll really struggling with his car, the teenager subsequently warning that he constantly feels he is about to lose the rear.
As he improves to sixth, Vandoorne is told that he's doing a good job.
Meanwhile, Bottas posts 5.700 to take the top spot, 0.031s ahead of his teammate. The Finn subsequently improves to 5.699 despite running wide in T9.
Vettel consolidates third with a 5.852, the German just 0.153s off the pace.
As Vettel goes quickest (5.630), the cameras pick up on Bottas who has spun at T6. A spin for Perez also, albeit at T3.
Twenty-five minutes into the session, Verstappen finally heads out. His first flying lap sees the teenager posts 6.584 to go sixth.
Hamilton retakes the top spot with a 5.483, surely only a matter of time before we dip into the high 1.4s.
Magnussen goes seventh with a 6.852, thereby demoting Vandoorne, who, once again, was best of the rest, and certainly the fastest supersoft runner, all the others ahead of him being on the ultras.
Verstappen improves to fourth with a 6.112.
While it's all going spiffingly for Vandoorne, all is not so good for teammate Alonso who appears to have incurred damage to his floor.
As Alonso's car is fitted with its repaired floor, Grosjean warns his team that the underside of his car took a "massive hit" after running wide in T9.
Verstappen goes off at T10.
Along with Alonso, another driver who has had limited running is Palmer, the Briton having completed just 7 laps.
Ricciardo posts 5.873s to leapfrog his teammate.
Another off for Grosjean, and again it's at T9.
At 'half-time', it's: Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Ocon and Vandoorne.
Check out our Friday gallery from Spielberg, here.
At which point, Alonso finally climbs back into his car, the Spaniard, like Palmer, having completed just 7 laps.
A big, big moment for Hamilton in T1, the Briton doing well to hold it all together when the rear suddenly snapped out.
Sainz a passenger as his car slides out of T10 on to the huge run off. As he tries to rejoin the track he runs over the damp grass and goes into another slide.
Meanwhile, fellow Spaniard Alonso has improved to 8th with a 6.732.
For most drivers, focus has now switched to longer runs of ultrasofts with high fuel, though Vettel is on supers.
As dark clouds close in, Kvyat claims there are spots of rain at T1. The Russian also reports a loss of power.
For the most part however, the track is bathed in sunshine and there is no significant drop off in times.
Verstappen improves with a 5.832 to leapfrog his teammate. However, the teenager is unhappy with traffic, wondering why some drivers don't appear to use their mirrors.
As it is revealed that Palmer's session is over, Sainz' car has a leak following his earlier encounter with the kerbs.
Due to overheating, Ericsson is told to watch for wheel-spin in Turns 1 and 3.
Ricciardo's session is over, the Australian having suffered a "turbo related issue". The Australian had completed 27 laps.
Kvyat also appears to have an issue, the Russian is told to slow his car and pit. As he returns to the pits, smoke billowing from the rear brakes, Toro Rosso confirms that Sainz' session is over also.
Alonso spins at T6 and immediately heads to the pits.
Onboard with Alonso, as he passes Wehrlein in the final corners, the German runs wide, a perfect almost hands-on experience of the 'wake' issue cars are encountering here.
On their long runs, Hamilton is currently lapping at 14.662, Vettel 14.773 and Bottas 14.491.
Successive offs at T9 for Perez and Grosjean.
"Something feels very wrong on traction," complains Stroll, "there's a very strong vibration at the rear."
The session ends, with Hamilton ahead of Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Magnussen, Alonso, Hulkenberg and Grosjean.
Ocon is eleventh, ahead of Vandoorne, Kvyat, Massa, Sainz, Stroll, Perez, Palmer, Wehrlein and Ericsson.
Check out our Friday gallery from Spielberg, here.