Spielberg bei Knittelfeld (Austria) (AFP)

Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) set the fastest time of the 2nd free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, 1st round of the Formula 1 World Championship, on Friday on the Red Bull Ring (4.318 km) in Spielberg.

Already the fastest of the first session, the reigning world champion, who can equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven crowns this year, lowered his time to 1 min 04 sec 304/1000.

He is ahead of his Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas of 197/1000 and the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Racing Point) of 641/1000.

This confirms the good shape of the pink single-seaters, very inspired by the Mercedes world champion last year, already seen during the pre-season tests in Barcelona at the end of February.

To note a few outings of track without consequence for the Dutchman Max Verstappen and the Thai Alex Albon, the Finnish Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo), the Russian Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri) or the Canadian Nicholas Latifi (Williams) his debut as a holder in F1.

Free practice 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 12 noon, before qualifying at 3 p.m., during which the teams will reveal the full extent of their game for the first of the year.

The season should have started in mid-March in Australia but was delayed by the new coronavirus pandemic. It will continue, at a minimum, by a series of eight races in Europe until early September, for the time behind closed doors and following a strict sanitary protocol.

. 2nd free practice session:

Lewis Hamilton (GBR / Mercedes) 1: 04.304 (42 laps)

Valtteri Bottas (FIN / Mercedes) 1: 04.501 (37)

Sergio Pérez (MEX / Racing Point-Mercedes) 1: 04.945 (48)

Sebastian Vettel (GER / Ferrari) 1: 04.961 (48)

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS / Renault) 1: 04.972 (36)

Lando Norris (GBR / McLaren-Renault) 1: 05.087 (38)

Lance Stroll (CAN / Racing Point-Mercedes) 1: 05.135 (49)

Max Verstappen (NED / Red Bull-Honda) 1: 05.215 (41)

Charles Leclerc (MON / Ferrari) 1: 05.298 (46)

Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP / McLaren-Renault) 1: 05.352 (37)

Esteban Ocon (FRA / Renault) 1: 05.415 (42)

Daniil Kvyat (RUS / Toro Rosso-Honda) 1: 05.443 (34)

Alexander Albon (THA / Red Bull-Honda) 1: 05.453 (47)

Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA / Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1: 05.608 (49)

Kevin Magnussen (DEN / Haas-Ferrari) 1: 05.678 (44)

Romain Grosjean (FRA / Haas-Ferrari) 1: 05.908 (50)

Pierre Gasly (FRA / Toro Rosso-Honda) 1: 06.016 (51)

George Russell (GBR / Williams-Mercedes) 1: 06.125 (40)

Kimi Räikkönen (FIN / Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1: 06.278 (44)

Nicholas Latifi (CAN / Williams-Mercedes) 1: 07.124 (45)

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© 2020 AFP