Verstappen FP2 performance hampered by broken wing

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Red Bull's Max Verstappen justified his under-performance in Friday's second practice session in Austria by a broken wing that hindered his speed on his fastest lap.

Verstappen clocked in P8 in FP2 at the Red Bull Ring, just under a second behind Mercedes pacesetter Lewis Hamilton.

The Dutchman is widely considered as Hamilton's biggest rival this year and a favourite to take top spoils in Austria where the 22-year-old is undefeated since 2018.

2020 Austrian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

While Friday's results offered little indication that Red Bull would be a force to be reckoned with, Verstappen downplayed the day's performance and remained confident in his car's strength.

"I think it was a good day," he told Sky F1. "The lap times didn't really say anything, because I broke my front wing on the fastest lap.

"But we are, I think, confident. There are always things you can do better, but I think overall, it was a good day, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Both Verstappen and teammate Alex Albon veered off course during Friday's sessions, fortunately without any consequences.

The British-Thai racer says the off-track excursions were a just case of pushing and sniffing out the limit.

"Just pushing," he said. "Obviously in race runs, the car gets a bit more lairy. I pushed it a little bit and had oversteer.

"There are a couple of things we need to work on, and there’s always a bit of time in your driving and set-up, so we’ll see where we are tomorrow but we know what to do.

"You’ve got to build up to the limit here as the kerbs are dangerous and some of them can be front wing killers if you hit them too hard.

"But overall the car felt good, I feel good, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.