Friday: Hamilton and Rosberg should be vying for victory for Mercedes
Despite an in-form Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg believes that the victory will be contested between Lewis Hamilton and himself. As for the Briton, satisfaction is far from complete after a day filled with minor issues.
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44) – 8th and 1st
Even if he finishes FP2 on top, the Briton is not fully satisfied, especially due to a suspension problem that kept him in the pits for part of FP1: « Quite a difficult day today because we missed part of the morning session which set us slightly back. »
« We are not very happy with the car’s balance at the moment, so we need to work on it. The track is particularly tough on the tires, like every year, so we need to be prepared for that, » he explains.
He also notes an increase in competition and is pleased about it: « Some teams seem to have improved in terms of pace, which is great because it means we are going to have a fight. » Then, he concludes: « There is a lot of work to do and the guys are already there early and work late, but I am confident that we can improve for tomorrow ».
Nico Rosberg (No. 6) – 2nd and 3rd
For the championship leader, the characteristics of the circuit pose new challenges: « Normally, we struggle with the rear tires, but here, it seems to be with the front tires. You have so many long turns; you wait and wait and wait to finish the turns. A lot of energy is spent adapting to this situation. You have to be creative and look at the settings because graining can be very bad. »
However, even if he concedes that the competition is pushing hard, he thinks the victory will be between Hamilton and him: « We always have good performances, whether in a single lap or long stints. But the other teams are watching us and pushing hard, we’ve seen it with Fernando. I believe my main rival for victory will still be my teammate, so I look forward to the next internal battle. »
