Rain or shine, the Austrian Grand Prix keeps delivering close timings. After a rain shower hit the track this morning, Free Practice one started in a wet track, which was drying throughout the session and made the riders head out on slicks in the final 15 minutes. Free Practice two went on to be a full dry session, whereby the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team duo managed to improve a lot.

Darryn Binder had not just needed to learn the new chicane in sector one, but also the entire layout on the big bike today, which wasn’t easy due to the mixed conditions in FP1. Yet he went 3.497 seconds faster in FP2 compared to this morning, reducing the gap to the front significantly to 1.738 seconds.

While the weather forecast remains uncertain for Saturday and Sunday, Free Practice three is set to begin at 09:55 local time, followed by FP4 at 13:30 local time and Qualifying one and two at 14:10 and 14:35.

DARRYN BINDER

“We got a little bit of mixed conditions today. We started in the wet this morning with a drying track and we ventured out on the slicks at the end of FP1. The new chicane is pretty cool, it’s definitely a tricky corner and it adds a little bit to this track’s layout for sure. This afternoon we got lucky enough to get a full dry FP2 and I made a nice step forward from this morning. Overall, I’m feeling pretty happy with how things went today. I’m looking to make a nice step forward tomorrow and catch up to the front boys.”