Hamilton: The first training was the best this year

Mercedes is happy with Friday’s results – and hopes to build on the success this time…

George Russel (4th in the first session): “We performed better than we expected in the first training. This was a pleasant surprise, the car was a pleasure to drive and Lewis and I were pleased with the balance. But the W15 always looks better in cold weather, so don’t jump to conclusions.

Nowadays we concentrate on testing and experimenting, with the aim of improving the stability of the machine under changing conditions. Time will tell whether we have achieved the desired effect. Too bad we couldn’t test this in the second training due to the rain.

It is also a shame for the spectators who followed the progress of the training on the track and on television. I hope we can find a solution to such circumstances. This is not the first and not the last time this happens.

Qualifying promises to be interesting – Soft tires are only enough for one lap. Most riders only have three or four sets, so they have to give it their all every round.”

Lewis Hamilton (5th in the first session): “The first training was our best of the year. The car was great, I was looking forward to the second session with enthusiasm, but unfortunately I couldn’t drive much because of the rain.

Over the past two years, driving our car was not easy, the balance was constantly changing. The team has done a great job since Australia and today we looked like we could achieve success. Hopefully we can build on that.”