Coulthard quickest in Austrian GP practice

McLaren's David Coulthard was fastest for the second day running in free practice for tomorrowa Austrian Formula One Grand Prix…

McLaren's David Coulthard was fastest for the second day running in free practice for tomorrowa Austrian Formula One Grand Prix.

The Scot, who has been second at every Austrian Grand Prix contested at the A1 Ring since 1997, set a fastest lap of one minute 10.010 seconds at an average speed of 222.448 kph.

Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher, who has never won in Austria, was second fastest in 1:10.039.

Coulthard's time compared to last year's pole of 1:10.410 set by McLaren team mate Mika Hakkinen.

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Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was second fastest after the first session.

But he was unable to improve his time of 1:10.391 in the second free practice and was fifth fastest, just six hundredths of a second quicker than Williams team mate Ralf Schumacher.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was third fastest in the second Ferrari, ahead of Hakkinen.

Coulthard skidded off into the gravel at the A1 Kurve leading into the main straight on a sunny morning in southern Austria and several others went wide in the second outing.

Dutch driver Jos Verstappen, in the Arrows, flew off, bouncing over the gravel and coming to rest against the barriers.

Italian Jarno Trulli, who led the race here in 1997 for Prost in his debut season, managed only five laps of the first session before the Honda engine on his Jordan blew.

He did 10 more laps later on and was eighth fastest.