Friday: Mercedes on the right track in Austria

Lewis Hamilton (No.44) – 2nd and 1st

The Briton adapted perfectly to this new circuit: « It wasn’t too bad today considering it was a new track for me. Even after the first few laps, I felt comfortable and seemed to constantly find time with new lines and improvements. Being as fast as I was is a great feeling when I think of the big names who have raced here. »

Not everything is perfect yet, but the Mercedes driver is confident: « There was a lot of wind today, but we did a lot of laps and we feel ready for the race on Sunday. The high-speed corners are tough on the rear tires, but it seems manageable. »

Hamilton has a simple goal, secure pole position and use it to fight for the race victory: « The goal for tomorrow will be pole position but there’s a long straight after turn 2 so anything can happen in the race. »

Nico Rosberg (No. 6) – 1st and 2nd

The German fully took advantage of this first day of testing to cover many laps but the day was not perfect: « I covered many laps today and on a new track each lap is important for the learning process, so I’m happy about that. Overall, it was a complicated day for me, so there’s still a lot of lap time to find compared to my teammate, and there’s a lot of work to do on my side tonight. »

Rosberg encountered some issues with his Mercedes but remains optimistic for the rest of the weekend: « My car moves a lot in the straights and this continues in the braking zones, so it was difficult. But I am sure we can improve. »