Follow live text commentary of the final free practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix from the Red Bull Ring with F1i.

Nico Rosberg was quickest in both sessions on Friday, with the gap of 0.019s to Lewis Hamilton hiding the fact Rosberg was on a lap which was over 0.6s quicker at the end of the session before opting to pit. Hamilton himself admits he is "not quick enough" in Austria, and has one more hour to try and get comfortable with the track before qualifying.

Ferrari was second fastest in FP2 but it was a session hit by a torrential downpour which impacted on run plans and resulted in very little high fuel running for teams. At present, nobody knows how long the ultrasoft tyre will last, so many will attempt some long runs on the softest compound in final practice.

Williams is expected to be competitive on Saturday while McLaren is hopeful of making further progress to fight for a place in Q3, with Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso having been 10th and 11th respectively in FP2.

Currently the weather is hot and sunny at the Red Bull Ring, but further rain is forecast this afternoon which could hit qualifying, while there is also a high chance of rain on race day.

You can follow all the action from FP3 when the session gets underway at 1100 local time (1000 BST). We'll be bringing you all the news and information from trackside as it happens on F1i's live page.

FP2 REPORT: Rosberg edges Hamilton by 0.019s in rain-hit FP2

AS IT HAPPENED: Austrian Grand Prix - FP2

Silbermann says ... Gin is the only tonic

Exclusive Daniel Ricciardo Q&A: 'I'm also the real deal!'

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Aston Martin says performance shortfall led to Fallows exit

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has shed some light on why the team’s former…

7 hours ago

FIA clamps down on plank loophole after Red Bull complaint

The FIA has issued a pivotal Technical Directive to F1 teams ahead of this weekend’s…

8 hours ago

F1 drivers blindsided by race director Wittich’s sudden exit

The abrupt removal last week of FIA race director Niels Wittich with just three races…

9 hours ago

McLaren relaxes ‘papaya rules’: Norris and Piastri free to race

Oscar Piastri has confirmed that McLaren’s team orders—dubbed the "Papaya Rules"—have been largely relaxed, giving…

10 hours ago

Cheers to the forever young pure racer Jacques Laffite

The forever young Jacques Laffite turns 81 today, but the years haven't aged this pure…

12 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Wednesday's build-up in pictures

The neon lights of Las Vegas are set to illuminate the Formula 1 world once…

12 hours ago