Audi’s Filipe Albuquerque was the fastest driver in second practice around Austria’s Red Bull Ring for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, as Audi drivers filled four of the top five positions.
Click here for the full second practice times.
Portugese Albuquerque, who had been sixth in yesterday’s first practice, again showed strong pace in his Audi A5 DTM to post a lap time of 1:25.654. His team-mate, Italian Edoardo Mortara, ended the session as the second fastest driver, a mere 0.094 seconds further back.
American Joey Hand enjoyed his strongest practice session of the year so far in his BMW M3 DTM to post the third fastest time and seperate the Audi pilots. Mattias Ekström was fourth fastest, with Timo Scheider fifth to ensure another strong practice session for Audi.
The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer will be hoping to carry such strong form forward into qualifying – earlier this year in practice at the Lausitzring Audi held the top seven positions in practice prior to qualifying, but could only get two cars inside the top seven in qualifying.
Sixth fastest was Mercedes-Benz’s Jamie Green, just ahead of team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Mike Rockenfeller, fastest in yesterday’s first practice session, was eighth fastest, within three tenths of the best time.
Mercedes’ Roberto Merhi and BMW’s Dirk Werner completed the top ten.
Current championship leaders Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler, first and second in the standings respectively, were 11th and 16th quickest.
It was a difficult session for Brits Andy Priaulx and David Coulthard, who could only manage 21st and 22nd, the only two drivers to lap more than a second off the fastest time of the session.
Qualifying takes place at 1340 CEST (Central European Summer Time).