Lewis Hamilton snatched the advantage back from team mate Nico Rosberg in second practice in Austria on Friday afternoon, registering a lap time more than three-tenths quicker than the German’s best effort.
The Briton had already been quicker on the soft compound – setting a 1m 10.460s to Rosberg’s 1m 10.499s – but increased that gap as the field switched onto supersofts around the halfway mark.
Hamilton instantly dropped down to a 1m 09.542s, the first sub-1m 10s lap of the weekend, which was never headed. Rosberg outbraked himself on his first flyer with the red-marked Pirellis, but managed to pull it together to record a 1m 09.919s.
Behind the Silver Arrows pair, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was again third fastest, fractions ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa. The Spaniard, who took his F14 T round in 1m 10.470s, also looked strong on a long run, although he was told by his race engineer: “This pace is still okay, it’s competitive, except for Mercedes…”