Mercedes on the right foot at Silverstone but wary of new tarmac

On his land (the factory Mercedes is located in Brackley, around fifteen miles from the Silverstone circuit), the Silver Arrows showed their potential ahead of the 2019 British Grand Prix, primarily thanks to Valtteri Bottas.

The Finn set the best time in the second session on Friday, after a second reference time in FP1 a few hours earlier. The wearer of number 77 is not in the habit of letting his emotions run high, but we feel he is satisfied with the work accomplished.

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“I had a good day, from the first lap, both in my own performance and in the car's settings. The track is less bumpy than last year, which is positive. The staff did a good job on the asphalt and it was a real pleasure to drive there, says he.

Be careful though, grip could trap the drivers this weekend. “The new surface provides quite a bit of grip, but at times you can lose control of the car very suddenly. » Attention again, the following sentence could worry the Team Ferrari. “The car has good balance, but there is room to improve its handling. »

His colleague Lewis Hamilton was (slightly) behind with the fourth and second beats; the public's favorite admits to having suffered “difficulties with the rear axle”. His goal will be to find a more stable mount for qualifying. “Valtteri seemed more comfortable, we will delve into the settings this evening to find out the problem and fix it for Saturday. »

All systems are GO!

Time for # FP2, here at @SilverstoneUK

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The Englishman then details the changes brought about by the resurfacing work at Silverstone. “It's better on the straights, especially between turns 4 and 6 (The Loop and Brooklands). Turn 7 (Luffield) is still bumpy as is the entrance to Copse, but then it's a gentle sequence between Maggotts and Becketts. The tarmac is very smooth, this makes it more difficult for the tires to operate, they enter and exit the operating window quickly. Besides, the gusts of wind don’t help anything”, he reveals.