Mattias Ekström tops final practice at the Red Bull Ring
Mattias Ekström set the fastest lap time in the morning’s third and final practice session at the Red Bull Ring, where Audi were dominant, with all six cars in the top nine positions.
Halfway through the session, Edoardo Mortara suffered a fuel pressure problem with his Mercedes and was forced to stop on the main straight, with the marshals recovering his car.
With ten minutes to go, the Audi drivers mounted new tyres for a qualifying simulation, with Ekström setting a best lap of 1:22.059, with fellow Audi drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Jamie Green next, two tenths off the pace.
Gary Paffett ended the session fourth for Mercedes, with Ekström’s team-mate Nico Müller fifth. Local hero Lucas Auer was sixth, three-tenths off the pace, with Audi’s René Rast seventh.
Mercedes’ Maro Engel was eighth, followed by Audi’s Loïc Duval, with Mercedes driver Robert Wickens completing the top ten, eight-tenths off the pace.
BMW again struggled, with reigning champion Marco Wittmann the best-placed for the team in 11th, with the Bavarian manufacturer occupying the final positions on the time sheets.
Ekström said after the session: “It was nice to start the Sunday like this. The car was very good, like yesterday, and we made some small adjustments and it all felt pretty good, so we will try to keep the momentum going.”
Qualifying for Race 2 is scheduled for 12:00 CET.
