PHILLIP ISLAND 500 – FRIDAY, APRIL 20 – PRACTICE
Fabian Coulthard - No. 12 Shell V-Power Racing Ford
Practice 1 – 8th (Fastest Lap: 1m31.2631s)
Practice 2 – 3rd (Fastest Lap: 1m30.2991s)
Scott McLaughlin - No. 17 Shell V-Power Racing Ford
Practice 1 – 2nd (Fastest Lap: 1m30.6765s)
Practice 2 – 2nd (Fastest Lap: 1m30.2052s)
Coulthard and McLaughlin took spots in the top three in Friday practice, ahead of Qualifying tomorrow.
McLaughlin finished second, two-tenths behind Whincup. He's aiming for his third straight pole at PI.
RECAP: Opening practice occurred in cold, overcast conditions as a fog lifted over the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. McLaughlin experienced a tyre failure in the middle of the session, forcing him to limp back to the garage for some minor damage repairs. He returned to the circuit with eight minutes remaining, and set the second fastest time of the session. Coulthard and his engineers looked to tune the balance on car 12, eventually ending the session in eighth. Practice 2 went by with no issues for either Shell V-Power Racing Team car. Both Shell V-Power Racing drivers are happy with the balance and set-up of their cars ahead of qualifying and a 250km race tomorrow.
COULTHARD QUOTE: “It’s good to finish Friday up the front, but obviously tomorrow is pay day. We’ll work hard overnight, hopefully make the cars a little bit nicer and come back harder tomorrow. It’s fun to drive around here, it’s a track that rewards a bit of bravery and has a combination of everything. It’s enjoyable to drive.”
MCLAUGHLIN QUOTE: “Overall it was a reasonable day. We focused largely on race pace for most of the day, so to bolt on a set of greens was good to see how we’ll go in qualifying tomorrow. We’ve now got a good idea of where the limits are thanks to popping that tyre in Practice 1, and then we had a good run in the final session.”
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