Hamilton is ready to fight against Ferrari this weekend
Author of the two best times of the day, Lewis Hamilton seems to be dominating the start of the weekend at the wheel of his Mercedes. However, he expects a tough challenge from the Ferraris and his teammate Nico Rosberg starting tomorrow.
Somewhat disappointed to have been beaten by Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari at the last Grand Prix in Malaysia, Lewis Hamilton was keen to prove that he remains the best this season.
It’s accomplished today with his continuous presence at the top of the timesheets for the first two practice sessions of the Chinese Grand Prix, at the Shanghai circuit.
The Briton is happy to be back at the front and notes progress compared to his last race weekend: « This day certainly demonstrates an improvement compared to last Friday in Malaysia. It’s good to be leading in both sessions, which puts me in a stronger position. The team has done an incredible job finding some improvements on the car. The balance is good, much better than in the last race, and that’s generally a good sign. » he confided at the end of the first day of testing.
Although the Ferraris seem further away than in Malaysia, the double world champion expects to lead the battle against them throughout the weekend: I don’t know how long I stayed on each type of tire, but I felt comfortable on both the short and long runs. The harder tires might have been a little less good than the softer ones, but I will have to analyze the data to see where we stand compared to others. It’s quite tight between us and Ferrari. They look just as fast as they did last time and Nico has been quick too, so we will definitely be fighting with them. I still have a few improvements to make and I think we will have the pace to stay ahead.
