Austria F1 test: Nico Rosberg fastest for Mercedes on day two
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg set the pace on the final day of Formula 1 testing at the Red Bull Ring in Austria
The German clocked a time of 1m09.113s, 0.818s ahead of Ferrari's Esteban Gutierrez, and was one of eight drivers to complete more than 100 laps.
It was an all-round smoother day for the teams after rain played havoc on Tuesday, with a brief smattering of drizzle just before lunch the only interruption weather-wise.
Red Bull was on course for a trouble-free day when Daniel Ricciardo stopped at the pit-lane entry with a brake problem, bringing out the red flag with an hour to go.
But the team made some tweaks and got him back out for a few laps before the chequered flag. The Australian finished eighth quickest after 116 laps.
Gutierrez had a moment when he slid off the track and ran through the gravel just before lunch, but he rejoined unscathed and completed another lap before pitting.
Valtteri Bottas, whose Williams did not run the unique winglet spotted on the car on Tuesday, set the pace in the morning with a 1m10.029s.
But the Finn did not improve as he switched from doing aerodynamic testing in the morning to set-up work in the afternoon.
"Everything has worked as expected," said Bottas.
"It has been an interesting test, with the focus on collecting lots of data for the factory to have a better direction to push for."
McLaren tested various new aero components, including its shorter nose, with Fernando Alonso more than 100 laps and achieving the seventh fastest time
A number of the parts which formed the big upgrade McLaren introduced for the Austrian Grand Prix were damaged beyond repair when Alonso crashed in Sunday's race.
But the parts the team had spares for were flown to Austria in time for the start of the session, with McLaren insisting it had enough to carry out some useful evaluations of the package.
Reigning DTM champion Marco Wittmann made his debut in a Formula 1 car as he achieved the most laps of anybody with 158, setting the fourth fastest time in the Toro Rosso.
Pascal Wehrlein swapped the Mercedes, which he drove on Tuesday, for the Force India and finished fifth fastest with 132 laps on the board.
Lotus reserve driver Jolyon Palmer was sixth quickest, with Sauber's Felipe Nasr propping up the timesheets in the Sauber, 1.809s off the pace.
DAY TWO TEST TIMES
| Pos | Driver | Car | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1m09.113s | 117 |
| 2 | Esteban Gutierrez | Ferrari | 0.818s | 110 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams/Mercedes | 0.916s | 79 |
| 4 | Marco Wittmann | Toro Rosso/Renault | 0.990s | 158 |
| 5 | Pascal Wehrlein | Force India/Mercedes | 1.140s | 132 |
| 6 | Jolyon Palmer | Lotus/Mercedes | 1.260s | 110 |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren/Honda | 1.605s | 104 |
| 8 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull/Renault | 1.644s | 116 |
| 9 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber/Ferrari | 1.809s | 138 |
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