Mercedes in difficulty in Monaco

The Mercedes were behind during the second practice session for the Monaco GP. Lewis Hamilton only signed the 8th time more than a second from the reference achieved by Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), while Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten.

“We didn't have a very good day, recognizes Lewis Hamilton. The first practice session went well as I was the fastest, but we struggled to find tire grip in the second session. I'm not sure what caused the problem with the tires, but it was like night and day between the two sessions. »

“We have work to do on Saturday, but I am sure the team will manage to improve the situation, adds Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari is fast again and Red Bull also seems competitive. There will be a fight on Saturday. »

His teammate Valtteri Bottas suffered the same problem while driving his Mercedes W08.

“The second practice session and we struggled to find rhythm over a lap, confirms Valtteri Bottas, winner of his first Grand Prix in Russia. We made changes between the two test sessions but we clearly went in the wrong direction. You can lose a lot of time in Monaco when the car doesn't work properly. »

“We tried to reverse the settings and it was better, but we had already done too many laps on the tires, adds Valtteri Bottas. At least we learned what not to do with the settings. It's a shame, but we have all day tomorrow to analyze all this. It is certain that it will still be tight at the front. »