Hamilton: maintain the current good momentum

Lewis Hamilton set the best time in the two free sessions on Friday at Suzuka, relegating his teammate Valtteri Bottas by more than four tenths each time. THE Ferrari and Red Bull are even further away: eight tenths for Sebastian Vettel and more than a second to Max Verstappen, respectively 3rd and 4th in EL2. 

Asked when he got out of the car to know if he thought he could widen such gaps from the start of the Japanese weekend, the leader of the world championship responded in the negative while sharing his positive feelings.

« I didn't know how the hierarchy was going to look, knowing in particular that the Red Bulls were very fast here last year, said a beaming Hamilton. I didn't have any specific expectations, other than I knew where I wanted to take the car. Every year, I come back with the intention of improving here and there, to really negotiate two or three crucial turns perfectly and from the first laps of the wheel, I felt much better in these portions of the track. 

Now we will have to maintain the momentum throughout the weekend. With my engineers, we work so harmoniously to refine this car that I now completely understand. I have never loved driving as much as I do now. The rest of the day was a bit mediocre in comparison but as soon as I’m behind the wheel it’s the best feeling in the world. I'm having so much fun. I've always wanted to do this and I won't be able to continue forever so I'm taking advantage of it ». 

In the second Silver Arrow, Bottas refuses to believe that the rest of the weekend Mercedes will be a walk in the park. 

« It's always difficult to draw conclusions on Friday, commented the Finn. The sensations on board were satisfactory even if I felt better in FP1. We will have to study potential setting changes this evening. 

 We finish the day comfortably ahead of the others, of course, but that doesn't mean that this will be the case later. In qualifying, the gaps tend to narrow so we don't leave the circuit thinking that we are well ahead ».