Friday: Are the Mercedes drivers the only rivals to Red Bull in Austin?
The Mercedes drivers delivered strong performances today, competing with the Red Bulls in the afternoon. Lewis Hamilton has a new chassis and hopes that this will allow him to match his teammate's pace. The Englishman is pleased with his car, but he is especially happy with the track and the atmosphere. Nico Rosberg is also performing well. He posted the 3rd fastest time this afternoon, just behind the Red Bulls, and hopes to secure another podium finish this season.
Lewis Hamilton – 6th and 4th:
« First of all, I would like to say that I am happy to return to the USA, to such a beautiful city with such a lovely circuit and all this atmosphere. The circuit was “green” today [editor’s note: lacking grip] especially since we are using the hardest tires this weekend. Since we changed my car’s chassis yesterday, the car feels more pleasant to drive, especially in long stints where it is more consistent. This is a positive point. The hard tires seem to work well for long stints, which offers us possibilities from a strategic point of view. However, the performance was inconsistent today, and there is still work to be done to find the best setup, but the whole team is determined to do their best to end the season on the best possible foundations to start the next season well. »
Nico Rosberg – 5th and 3rd:
« It was a great start to the weekend with the fog and helicopter forcing us to stay in the pits this morning. In the afternoon, we had a very good session. The car feels like it’s on rails and I am very happy with the balance. I hope we can give the Red Bulls a run for their money, in any case, I will push 100% all weekend to get another podium. It’s very difficult to be on point this weekend with the tires selected by Pirelli. The tires will last a long time in the race, and people will try to make only one stop on Sunday. It’s a very exciting weekend here in Texas and the fans are showing up for this great event. »
