Friday Second Free Practice - Austrian GP

McLaren's David Coulthard, runner-up at the A1 Ring for the past three years, led Friday's free practice for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. The Scot, eight points behind championship leader Michael Schumacher's Ferrari, set a fastest time of 1:11.245 at the end of the afternoon session.

His Finnish team mate Mika Hakkinen, who led the last Spanish Grand Prix until his McLaren's clutch exploded on the last lap, shrugged off a dose of influenza to clock the second quickest time of 1:11.272.

The two times world champion, who has won in Austria twice in the last three years but has only four points to his credit this season, had been quickest in the morning. Ferrari's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was third fastest in 1:11.401 on a dry track. Coulthard's time compared to Hakkinen's 2000 pole position of 1:10.410.

World champion Schumacher, the winner in Barcelona, went off into a gravel trap towards the close of the first session and was fifth fastest behind the Williams of his younger brother Ralf, who now lives in Austria. Ralf, winner at last month's San Marino Grand Prix, and his Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya, runner-up in Spain, both went off in the first session.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve had a technical problem at the start of the second session while his French BAR team mate Olivier Panis skidded into the gravel later on. It was another dismal day for Benetton, whose Renault-powered cars were the slowest of the field.

Briton Jenson Button was last of all in 1:15.570 after his engine blew five minutes into the afternoon session

Pos Driver Team Times 1. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:11.245 218.592 km/h 2. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:11.272 + 0.027 3. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:11.401 + 0.156 4. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:11.555 + 0.310 5. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:11.647 + 0.402 6. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:11.776 + 0.531 7. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:11.977 + 0.732 8. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:12.189 + 0.944 9. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:12.259 + 1.014 10. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:12.290 + 1.045 11. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:12.299 + 1.054 12. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:12.346 + 1.101 13. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:12.555 + 1.310 14. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:12.705 + 1.460 15. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:12.847 + 1.602 16. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:12.853 + 1.608 17. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:13.169 + 1.924 18. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:13.288 + 2.043 19. Marques Minardi European (M) 1:14.314 + 3.069 20. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:14.523 + 3.278 21. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:14.833 + 3.588 22. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:15.570 + 4.325 All Timing Unofficial