Mercedes, a more complicated first day than expected in Hungary

During the second free practice session in Hungary, radio communications increased at Mercedes. When Lewis Hamilton complained about the instability of his car, George Russell for his part claimed that he could not take the first corner without locking his brakes. And obviously it showed on the timesheet. During FP1, the two Silver Arrows slipped to 5th and 7th place. But for the second session at the Hungaroring, they were further behind in 8th and 11th position.

So, on a circuit that has smiled on him many times, Lewis Hamilton expected to have a quieter first day. “ It’s going to be a tough weekend, that’s for sure. We'll give it our all and see what we get “, says Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion will leave with a slight disadvantage in Hungary. During FP2, the Briton was not able to complete the entire planned program after going twice on the curbs at turn 4. “ I couldn't do any laps at the end because I had damage, underlines the Mercedes driver. I suffered damage to my floor and lost a lot of downforce, and after that it was quite difficult for the long stints. »

Experimental sessions at Mercedes

The end of FP2 was also complicated for George Russell. The 24-year-old driver had to slow down to cool the engine of his W13. But with the rain appearing in Hungary this Saturday, Mercedes preferred to concentrate on the rest of the weekend during FP2. “ Definitely not our easiest Friday yet, says George Russell. But it's a bit strange because we think the conditions will be wet tomorrow for qualifying and Sunday will be radically different, so we tried a few things with the car. »

But under a blazing sun on Friday, Mercedes did not try to adjust for the rain. “ I wouldn't say that, but more in the sense of trying things to learn more about the car, at the expense of maximizing, or trying to get the most out of the lap time today. I'm just trying to gather information to help us in the long run “, says the Briton.

With the rain, the gaps between Mercedes, Red Bull et Ferrari should be reduced and as at Silverstone, the Silver Arrows could find themselves at the forefront. “ We were definitely a bit further than we expected, a few hiccups here and there, but I think tomorrow will be a totally different day, and Sunday will be too, so all is not lost yet », Announces George Russell. The German team will have the first answers on its abilities to fight at the forefront in Hungary from 13 p.m.

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