Hamilton: I hope we have speed on a dry track

George Russell led the minutes of the second free practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton confirmed Mercedes’ speed in the rain and showed the second time. However, the team prefers not to jump to conclusions and evaluate the car on a dry track.

George Russell (1st): “It’s always a pleasure to lead the minutes of the session – a big improvement from the first practice, where we were almost at the bottom. It probably won’t rain for the rest of the weekend, so the results aren’t representative, but I got a great opportunity to learn something new. It is important to understand the transition point from wet tires to intermediate tires. Even if it’s not needed this weekend, it will come in handy in the future.

It’s great to be back in Suzuka on a legendary track, one of the best in the world. I like to fly in the first sector because it is fast and smooth. I don’t know what’s in store for us on a dry track tomorrow, but we’ll fight in the top six or even have a shot at a little more.”

Lewis Hamilton (2nd): “Very cold day! It was gray and wet – we managed to get some work done, but we expect different weather for the rest of the weekend. However, there is always the opportunity to learn something useful about the settings, tire wear and operating temperature, and to change the car’s balance between sessions. In addition, we collect information about our rivals. It’s great that we were able to work with different tires in the second practice.

It’s great to fly into Suzuka and it’s nice to see the local fans again. Going on this track for the first lap of the weekend will make you remember the legendary racers who competed here. At the last chicane or at the first corner you think of Senna and Prosta. It is a great honor for me to be able to drive on a track with such a rich history.

I don’t know what to expect on Saturday. I think Ferrari and Red Bull will be fast, but I hope we will be fast too. I count on it every weekend!”

Andrew Shovlin, Chief Race Engineer: “It’s great to be back in Suzuka and to see so many fans enjoying training despite the rain. The morning was not the best – we missed the chance to work when the track was in the best condition. In addition, there were problems with the wear of the rear tires and their temperature.

During the break we adjusted the settings, which made the car better. The results of the training do not reflect the real picture, as we showed our times on the new tires, but we have to look good against the background of Red Bull and Ferrari.

We expect a dry qualifying and very likely a dry race. Since both practices were rainy today, the rules allow the use of an extra set of slicks in the final practice. We only have an hour at our disposal during which we have a lot to do, including assessing the speed with an empty and full tank.”