Nico Rosberg ups the pace in Barcelona

Mercedes showed his muscles this Friday in Barcelona. If Lotus then Williams had set the best times so far on the Catalan route, Nico Rosberg went below the 1’23 mark per lap on soft tires. In 1'22 "792, the vice-world champion dispossessed Felipe Massa (Williams) of the best performance established yesterday in 1’23″500, also on soft tires.

This Friday, it was also Williams who was closest to Mercedes, with the Finn Valtteri Bottas, second by more than a second. Felipe Nasr (Sauber) and Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) are ranked 4th and 5th, the four-time world champion having traveled the longest distance today with 143 laps.

In the clan McLaren, Jenson Button was able to complete 101 laps behind the wheel of the Honda-powered MP4-30 before stopping on the track a few minutes from the finish. Despite this stop, it is a good day for the Anglo-Japanese duo in terms of kilometers traveled, after the problems of MGU-K which had hit the car from Woking last week. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), who caused the last red flag of the day, places himself in the wake of the McLaren and ahead of the Toro Rosso de Max Verstappen who ended his day one hour before the end of the session following an electrical problem. The Dutchman, however, completed 139 laps this Friday.

Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) also experienced some problems today and finished 8th ahead of the big novelty of the day, the Force India VJM08 Nico Hulkenberg. The German sought to accumulate the kilometers and concluded with 77 laps on the clock.

Ranking Day 2 Barcelona 2:

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes): 1’22”792? 106 rounds
2. Valtteri Bottas (Williams): 1’23”995 – 90
3. Felipe Nasr (Sauber): 1’24”071? 141
4. Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari): 1’25”339 – 143
5. Jenson Button (McLaren): 1’25”590 – 101
6. Pastor Maldonado (Lotus): 1’26”705 – 140
7. Max Verstappen -(Toro Rosso): 1’26”766 – 139
8. Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull): 1’26”965? 84
9. Nico Hülkenberg (Force India): 1’28”412 – 77