Saturday: Hamilton on pole for Mercedes, Rosberg struggling
The German team saw the competition get closer in the rain. But a top-form Lewis Hamilton proved everyone wrong.
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44) – no time and 1st
The Englishman had fun in the rain: « It was a tough session today, but I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely the best feeling to take pole in these wet conditions because the track is very slippery and you have to look for grip to complete a full lap. »
Although he’s starting first, there’s still a small element of the unknown: « Our rivals seem closer in wet conditions, so we hope to race in the dry to take advantage of our position. We’re racing with a bit of uncertainty after the problems I encountered on Friday in practice. We’ve made a lot of changes to the car, and I wasn’t able to test them all in the dry. »
Nico Rosberg (No. 6) – no time and 4th
In delicacy with his brakes, the German made a first mistake: I was not completely satisfied with the brakes, therefore I locked the wheels and went off during my fast lap. Then a wrong indication on his steering wheel made him ruin his best lap: In my last timed lap, I was half a second faster before the last corner while my steering wheel indicated that I was two tenths behind. So I took a big risk and spun out.
He hasn’t lost hope for the race: « However, fourth place is not disastrous, I was quick on Friday when I was preparing for the race so I think anything is possible tomorrow. »
