Abu Dhabi: Hamilton in Front, Rosberg Remains Hopeful at Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton was happy to be at the top of the timesheets in the first free practice sessions, even if it was just by a tenth in each case. Nico Rosberg is not far behind and believes he can gain time before qualifying.
When interviewed by Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton reported no issues and stated: « It was a good Friday, as reflected by the standings. I have the long runs and the entirety of the session, which is excellent, and I made good progress with the settings. But as always, there’s still time to find. »
Nothing special was done for this last Grand Prix on the English side despite the double points and the world championship title at stake: « It’s exactly the same program as the other race weekends, we’re just gradually improving and trying to get better. It’s the best car I’ve ever driven here and it’s quite spectacular. »
Hamilton remains confident in his intrinsic abilities: « I just have to drive like I’m used to driving. I just have to move forward one step at a time. »
The outsider Rosberg believed that nothing was lost: « It is going well, but not perfectly. I haven’t managed to do all my laps correctly and this is what actually makes me very optimistic. I’m sure I’ll be able to do them properly during qualifying once I’ve fine-tuned my car a bit. »
