Friday: McLarens in the Rhythm

Lewis Hamilton – 4th and 2nd

« It was very slippery today. During the second session, the grip was a bit weak because the new tire (medium) was a bit tricky to get going. But after putting on the soft tires, driving was much easier and we had a good pace. There is still a lot of improvement to be made on the car. We need to work on the balance; it’s not disastrous, but it could be better. There are a number of things we will change tonight to make the car more stable. It’s very tight at the top, but we are definitely in the fight, which is the most important. I think we can have a better pace and we will need to roll up our sleeves for the rest of the weekend ».

Jenson Button – 7th and 6th

This morning, we mainly collected data, so I spent a lot of time in the garage. This afternoon, I worked more on the race and tried both types of tires. The medium tire proved difficult to warm up, and we couldn’t find the right balance with these tires. However, I think we have a good balance with the soft tires and, because the track should gain grip over the sessions, we will be able to work in the right direction with the balance on the medium tires. I wasn’t paying attention to the times today; it was more important to work with our engineers to make sure the car is good with both types of tires. But, as I said, I think we have found the right direction.

Martin Whitmarsh

« It was a very studious test day for the team today. The morning session was mainly dedicated to data collection – not only for this weekend but for the upcoming races as well – and the results are positive and encouraging. We found it very difficult to switch to mediums today – Lewis and Jenson were unable to find a fully satisfactory balance with these tires. It is encouraging to note that our pace significantly improved once we switched to softs, and we immediately became competitive. The challenge for our engineers tonight will therefore be to find a setup that will suit both compounds ».