Hamilton: Ferrari looks as fast as at Sepang

Lewis Hamilton set the benchmark time during the first two practice sessions of the Chinese GP with a best time of 1'37"219. The pilot Mercedes leading the Championship, ahead of his closest competitor by 4 tenths.

“We have clearly evolved compared to Malaysia”, comments the double world champion. “Being in the lead in both sessions is positive for the rest of the weekend. The balance is much better than the last race. I was as comfortable on the short runs as the long relays. The medium tire was perhaps a little less efficient than the soft, but I will analyze all that. »

The Briton is particularly keeping an eye on the performance of the Team Ferrari. Kimi Räikkönen was able to set a similar pace to the Briton, proving that the Ferraris performed just as well on a flying lap as they did on long runs.

“It was quite close between us and Ferrari,” recognizes Lewis Hamilton. « They seem as fast as last time (at Sepang). Nico (Rosberg) was also performing well… But I feel like I still have room to improve and I think we have what it takes to stay ahead. »