Friday: Kobayashi returns, Marhi starts at Caterham F1
Caterham's day was relatively calm: Kamui Kobayashi, the returnee, and Roberto Merhi, the rookie, swapped their seats while Marcus Ericsson, who faced brake problems during FP1, was able to get back on track during FP2.
Kamui Kobayashi (No. 10) – 21st (FP2)
The Japanese driver was happy to be back even though the new features of the CT05 made him a bit confused: « It felt good to be back in the car […] I needed some time to get used to the car again, because we had a few upgrades at Spa and the car was different. Now, we just need to adjust the settings and get more track time tomorrow since today I only had a 90-minute session. I’m pleased with the session; we were able to complete the entire program. »
Marcus Ericsson (No. 9) – 23rd and 22nd
The Swede was not really able to take advantage of his first free practice sessions due to a technical issue: « We had a problem with the brakes [during FP1], so we couldn’t improve our times. It was a shame, because it would have been good to continue the work during the rest of the session. »
« We were able to solve those issues for FP2, so we were able to get back into the rhythm right away. It was a good session for us: we completed a lot of laps and had a good feeling with both tire compounds, » he stated.
Roberto Merhi (No. 45) – 22nd (FP1)
The Spaniard, for his first drive, is of course delighted: « It was a fantastic day today. My dream has finally come true, and I drove a Formula 1 car for the first time in my life. I am very happy, and it was an impressive experience: the car was very fast on the straights, and the first outing was exceptional when I floored the gas, a very good feeling. I am satisfied with my performance today; completing many laps without error was really the best moment of my day. I want to thank Caterham F1 for giving me the opportunity to drive the car. »
