Friday: Ricciardo solo, Vettel stops at Red Bull
Red Bull has taken a step forward since Shanghai without getting closer to Mercedes. Furthermore, an electrical problem kept Sebastian Vettel in the pit and slowed down the testing of the new elements of the Austrian team's Formula 1 car.
Daniel Ricciardo (n°3) – 3rd and 3rd
Despite the changes made, the Australian driver notes that Red Bull is not closing the gap with Mercedes: « We want to close the gap with Mercedes but they don’t seem to show any signs of slowing down! »
He regrets the absence of Sebastian Vettel: « It was a shame that Seb wasn’t racing, two cars mean twice as much feedback for the team, and you don’t learn as much all at once when you’re trying new parts, but at least we have good data. Both the long and short stints were OK today. »
Sebastian Vettel (No. 1) – 20th and no time
Victim of an electrical problem, the German champion only completed four short laps throughout the day during the first free practice session. He explains: This morning, we had a simple failure on an insulating sheath which caused a short circuit and made the car stop. We had to change the entire insulating sheath of the chassis which is a big job so I couldn’t go out this afternoon.
This breakdown occurred in a part of the car that hasn’t seen any changes: « There was nothing new in that part of the car, it was something unprecedented on that side. »
The German therefore explains that he will have to be very reactive on Saturday: « Unfortunately, we lost the opportunity to prepare for Sunday with two cars, so I have to rely on what Daniel did today and be in the rhythm directly tomorrow. »
