Friday: A lot of problems for Mercedes
Eventful day for Mercedes in Suzuka. Nico Rosberg's car encountered an engine problem at the end of the first session, which cost track time in the afternoon, while Schumacher went off the track at the end of the day. The silver cars are not yet fast enough on the Japanese track, and improvements will need to be made for tomorrow.
Michael Schumacher – 5th and 10th:
« We had two eventful sessions today with a lot of work on the car and my off in the afternoon. I had to go to the medical center as a precaution, but I am in perfect shape. I think I was already too focused on the corner and put a wheel on the grass and lost control. We were not able to collect as much data as we wanted due to brake issues and the adjustments we had to make on the car, and we will also have to improve the balance. We will now have a lot of work to do off the track, in front of the computers, and try to find the best approach for tomorrow. »
Nico Rosberg – 4th and 11th:
« We had a challenging day. At the end of the first session, the oil pressure gauge indicated that the system was low on pressure, so I shut down the engine. It was reaching the end of its life, so we had to change it during the lunch break to avoid any risk, but it cost us track time in the afternoon. We are still not where we want to be in terms of performance, and we will need to learn some things overnight to better manage our tires. »
