Hamilton on the move, Rosberg on the back foot
Track temperature played a major role on this first day. But that didn't stop Mercedes from topping the timesheets, with Lewis Hamilton just as comfortable on a fresh track with little grip as on a warmer one. Nico Rosberg, on the other hand, proved to be more of a handful on the track that saw him triumph in 2015, more than four tenths down at the end of the day.
The two Mercedes experienced no major issues and ran extensively throughout this Friday, meeting their schedule. They completed 71 and 78 laps respectively for the Briton – 1st and 2nd fastest – and the German – 7th and 3rd fastest. They focused on testing the medium and soft tires on a cool track in the morning and the super-softs in the afternoon for qualifying simulations.
The triple world champion had an overall positive Friday and seemed happy to be back in Mexico and share the fans’ passion for F1. He stated: « It was a solid day regarding our testing program for the weekend. It’s great to be back here in Mexico City. The support we’ve received so far is extraordinary. (…) There’s so much energy and enthusiasm for the sport here, which is great to see. »
The Briton continues, expressing his delight at feeling more in tune on the circuit than last year: « The track is much better than last year and I feel much more comfortable in the car than the first time we came here (…) ».
A promising start to the weekend for the current second in the championship who doesn’t intend to stop there.
A slightly different tone from Nico Rosberg, who was slightly overshadowed by the pace of his teammate and championship rival. The German wasn’t the happiest at the end of the day, even though he admitted his car was handling well: “We learned a lot today and it’s not a bad start overall, but we have a lot of work to do tonight. The car was handling well on Mediums but even there we need to improve to understand where we can find performance.”
The championship leader, not at ease on the fresh and low-grip track, also expressed concern about the pace of the Ferraris – with Vettel having set the fastest time during FP2 – and even considers them a threat for this weekend: « The Ferraris seemed really fast today, so they will be a big threat here. »
This first day of testing ends to the advantage of the English driver in performance and pace. Tomorrow will be another day. And Nico Rosberg has every interest in not losing too many tenths to his teammate if he wants to claim his first crown.
