Mercedes masters its subject at Sepang

You could call it quiet strength. With two doubles (Rosberg – Hamilton in EL1then Hamilton – Rosberg in EL2), Mercedes had a near perfect day in Malaysia. On an overheated Sepang track, the W07 Hybrids did not experience any real problems, apart from Nico Rosberg's small off-track excursion, without consequences for the championship leader.

Neither the resurfaced track nor the performance of the tires caused any problems for the members of the star team, who can move forward towards tomorrow and the qualifications with peace of mind.

“There is a lot of data to analyze tonight to make sure we have a good understanding of the tires and our position relative to the others, reports Hamilton. Overall a good base for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend. »

“The new track surface is really nice, continues Rosberg. It offers a real challenge, but the grip is good. It's difficult to get the set-up right with such an unknown element, but we're on the right track.

Looking ahead to the race, even the soft tire is performing well, so we don't expect any big surprises. Of course, in terms of strategy, we have to evolve with the hard tire, of course, but otherwise everything remains quite simple. »

The German also returned to one of the main changes made to the Sepang track in 2016, with the appearance of reverse banking at turn 15, which Rosberg believes could be of interest in the race.

“You can try several different lines if you are attacking the rider in front of you. This should be interesting for overtaking. »