Carlos Sainz leads Free Practice 2 before the sprint in Austria

MADRID, 9 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was the fastest this Saturday in the second free practice of the Austrian Grand Prix, which takes place at the Red Bull Ring circuit in Spielberg, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen (Red Bull), with Fernando Alonso (Alpine) fourth.

Good feelings for the two Ferraris before the sprint race this Saturday afternoon, with Sainz snatching the best time of the session from Monegasque Leclerc by just 50 thousandths, and with the World Championship leader Verstappen almost two tenths.

In Free Practice 2 interspersed between qualifying for the sprint and the short race itself, the teams were able to test their cars in a quiet session, without accidents or bad weather, thinking about those first 8 points in the race.

Sainz flew on his fastest lap (1:08.610) and showed, after winning the race in Great Britain and debuting his record in Formula 1, that he is in great form. Although he will start third on the grid in the sprint race, best of 24 laps or 60 minutes.

The Spaniard Fernando Alonso also made some good free seconds, who placed his Alpine in fourth position, 222 thousandths behind Sainz and who, in that short race, will finally start eighth ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - who did not enjoy these free, ninth-- after the sanction to Sergio Pérez (Red Bull).