Manor’s rookies rack up the laps
This season, Manor has two completely novice drivers. It was therefore important to have them drive as much as possible this Friday, even in the rain.
During a second practice session where very few drivers completed at least ten laps, two notable exceptions stand out from the results table: the Manor drivers. Indeed, Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto completed 25 and 22 laps respectively.
This can be explained after winter tests that were not free from technical failures. Every kilometer covered was therefore welcome, as Pascal Wehrlein explains: “It wasn’t the best weather for my first day in my first season, but I think it was still a good start. The main objective was to do as many laps as possible, no matter the conditions. That’s what we did.”
It was all the more important for his teammate as he was discovering driving an F1 in these conditions: « It’s certain that today’s weather was something different. I had never driven an F1 in the rain. So even if these kinds of days can cause frustrations, it was very positive to have this experience so early. Another box to tick. »
But even if they were able to complete many laps, it was out of the question to push for performance at the risk of damaging their cars, which would have been very detrimental for the rest of the weekend. So we will have to wait for tomorrow’s qualifying to know how much the Mercedes engine has allowed the team to progress over the winter.
