Red Bull Ring GP2: Leal sets the pace in free practice for Carlin
Julian Leal set the fastest time in a lively GP2 free practice session at the Red Bull Ring, with times tumbling throughout the 45-minute session as the track dried
It was the first ever running for GP2 cars at this venue.
There was rain in the air for the first part of the session, but as it relented and the track surface rubbered in, there was a rash of improvements as the session unwound.
Leal set his fastest lap, a 1m15.652s, with just two minutes remaining on the clock. His time was 0.116s clear of reigning European F3 champion Raffaele Marciello in his Racing Engineering machine.
Marciello's team-mate Stefano Coletti was third fastest, and Leal's team-mate Felipe Nasr was fourth, the Williams F1 reserve driver setting his time straight after a near miss with Facu Regalia at Turn 8, which the stewards will now investigate.
Trident's Johnny Cecotto Jr was fifth quickest, ahead of Mitch Evans, Daniel Abt and Rene Binder.
Bahrain winner Stoffel Vandoorne was ninth, ahead of points dominator Jolyon Palmer, who could only manage 10th.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Julian Leal Carlin 1m15.652s 24 2. Raffaele Marciello Racing Engineering 1m15.768s +0.116s 20 3. Stefano Coletti Racing Engineering 1m15.830s +0.178s 23 4. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m15.944s +0.292s 21 5. Johnny Cecotto Jr Trident 1m16.189s +0.537s 26 6. Mitch Evans Russian Time 1m16.192s +0.540s 24 7. Daniel Abt Hilmer 1m16.300s +0.648s 25 8. Rene Binder Arden 1m16.426s +0.774s 22 9. Stoffel Vandoorne ART 1m16.463s +0.811s 22 10. Jolyon Palmer DAMS 1m16.502s +0.850s 24 11. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1m16.544s +0.892s 20 12. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m16.572s +0.920s 21 13. Sergio Canamasas Trident 1m16.620s +0.968s 24 14. Rio Haryanto Caterham 1m16.620s +0.968s 24 15. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m16.721s +1.069s 24 16. Daniel de Jong MP 1m16.865s +1.213s 22 17. Conor Daly Lazarus 1m16.888s +1.236s 21 18. Arthur Pic Campos 1m16.935s +1.283s 20 19. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Rapax 1m17.104s +1.452s 24 20. Facu Regalia Hilmer 1m17.169s +1.517s 23 21. Artem Markelov Russian Time 1m17.171s +1.519s 22 22. Andre Negrao Arden 1m17.288s +1.636s 20 23. Tio Ellinas MP 1m17.300s +1.648s 22 24. Takuya Izawa ART 1m17.370s +1.718s 22 25. Kimiya Sato Campos 1m17.605s +1.953s 22 26. Nathanael Berthon Lazarus 1m17.785s +2.133s 16
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