Hamilton: A Mercedes better than ever

Lewis Hamilton is used to being at the head of testing sessions this season, but his first day at Yas Marina where the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is ​​being contested this weekend has particularly satisfied him. The Championship leader achieved the best time each time, with a reference time of 1'42"113 achieved with the super soft tires which allowed him to be eight hundredths ahead of his rival Nico Rosberg. “We carried out the same program as usual but this time I was able to take advantage of all the time available (unlike in Sao Paulo) to work on the tires, the long stints, and analyzing the settings. We are still looking to progress but the car is already fantastic, it's clearly the best I've ever had here. »

The 2008 world champion appears calm in the face of the pressure of the title even though he has a 17-point lead in the Championship and a 2nd place would be enough for him to secure a second coronation. “I couldn’t wait to hit the track this weekend. You're like a kid at Christmas when you have such a competitive package. I don't feel particularly pressured this weekend. I'm just driving the way I always have and what happens will happen. Everything is moving in the right direction so far and I need to keep it that way. »