Friday: Williams chose not to drive much
After extensive driving during winter testing, Williams decided to save the mechanics today, already having a plethora of data. Free practice 1 saw Felipe Nasr make his official F1 debut.
Felipe Massa (No. 19) – 11th and 5th
After a good morning, Felipe Massa did not appear on track until halfway through the second free practice. But this did not disturb him, since it was all intentional. “We covered a good mileage here during the winter testing, so the purpose of the day was not to learn, but to fine-tune.”
The Brazilian is aided by a Williams that hasn’t changed much since the last tests: « Fortunately, the car hasn’t changed too much since then, but other cars have clearly caught up with us. »
That said, Felipe Massa knows there is still work to be done and hopes for a better race than in Malaysia: « The car seems good and I think we can be competitive, hopefully more than in Malaysia. We have work to do for tomorrow but we have a good feeling. »
Valtteri Bottas (No. 77) – 11th [FP2]
The Finn gave up his place in the Williams to Felipe Nasr for free practice 1: « The day was short for me, but Nasr did a good job and returned my car in one piece, all while completing his program. »
Like his teammate, Valtteri Bottas emphasizes the data already collected during winter testing: Today, we opted for short stints given that we had a considerable mileage from winter testing. The goal was to fine-tune our single-seater.
Felipe Nasr (no. 40) – 13th [FP1]
After having been able to test the single-seater during the winter tests, Felipe Nasr experienced a change by being surrounded by 21 cars this time: « It’s quite new for me to have all the cars on track at the same time. The track was improving, so we struggled with grip, but it’s something anyone else would have had; it’s quite different compared to testing. »
Even though the Brazilian was able to drive, his time on track was limited by the lack of necessity to gather a lot of data this weekend, but he is pleased with his learning: « I learned a lot about the process, how the session works, what to expect, and I was also able to experience a start as well as a pit stop, which gives me great experience. I am looking forward to the next time. »
