Hamilton wary of Ferrari's speed, problems for Bottas

Mercedes did not take the first places in Friday's free practice at Hockenheim (Germany), however the Silver Arrows are satisfied with the work accomplished. Lewis Hamilton signed the second best time twice, while Valtteri Bottas gained momentum (fifth then third).

“We have a good analysis of all the types of tires brought this weekend because we tried them all (medium, tender, ultra tender), indicates the Englishman. There is no negative point to remember from this Friday. Ferrari is right behind us, but that doesn't mean much. They look fast, and that will be the case again tomorrow. »

200mph life #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/3ThdTjoyOV

- Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) July 20, 2018

Lewis Hamilton is wary of the Reds after noting a notable difference in behavior among Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. “They perform especially well on the straights, which I found quite interesting to see. They don't have any new developments on their engine block, but suddenly they are better in this area. It will be interesting to see how things develop in qualifying. »

Two weeks earlier, Lewis Hamilton had drawn on his resources to beat Sebastian Vettel at home in practice. The Briton expects to face a similar challenge on Saturday, this time on the German's home turf. “It’s going to be a serious challenge. THE Red Bull and Sebastian are super fast.

IN PICTURES: Oh Hockenheim, it's good to be back…

Those snappers have been busy! Check out today's slickest shots https://t.co/vgzsp1S2yB

x Etherington/Ripke/Wilhelm #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/wl8u5K0Heb

—Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) July 20, 2018

In addition, Hockenheim is a circuit where it is difficult to negotiate everything perfectly. Turn 1 is a bit like a guessing game to see if you did it well or not compared to the others. You just have to noticeably ease off and set off again as soon as possible at full throttle. Some of the turns here are pretty crazy! »

Holder of a new contract for an additional year (with option for 2020), Valtteri Bottas arrived at Hockenheim with a lighter spirit. “This announcement took a bit of weight off my shoulders, even though I tried not to pay too much attention to it. » However, this did not help the Finn find good settings on his W09. « I had a little trouble with the front axle. We need to find more grip in medium fast and slow corners. But other than that it was OK. »

OK, but another problem still arose for the wearer of number 77. “We also had a little overheating on the rubbers, and I'm sure the opponents had them too. Either way, it should be cooler on Sunday. »