A chassis evolution that works wonders on Mercedes

“Business as usual”, could have been formulated Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). The leader of the general classification established the two reference times during the free practice sessions on Friday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, even if the margin with his teammate Valtteri Bottas remains fine: 127 thousandths in EL1 then 176 thousandths in the afternoon.

The Briton especially took advantage of this day to get an opinion on the performance of the various tire components provided by Pirelli. “There is not much difference between each version. Gum (most) hard seems best for me », in this case the soft tire (yellow sidewall), version which allowed him to set the best time in EL2. The Italian manufacturer also delivered the super soft (red) and ultra soft (purple) rubber.

A short break for a radio debrief and the feedback from #LH44 is positive!

Lewis: “Libra is quite good.” #AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/3H4WHqcqcG

—Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 29th June 2018

The wearer of number 44 is also delighted with the new package released on the Red Bull ring. “It’s great to see the improvements. The guys at the factory worked so hard to bring quality to every part. The car behaves better in different places on the circuit, which is already a step forward compared to last week (French Grand Prix which he had nevertheless dominated)."

Valtteri Bottas also received the improvements designed in Brackley (Great Britain), which consist of modifications to the chassis and aerodynamics. For example, the sides of the car  now have reduced air intakes and rearward pontoons. “The developments are working well, notes the Finn. They react exactly as expected, especially the rear of the car, particularly stable.

FP2 HIGHLIGHTS

All the best bits from Friday's second practice

It was tight at the top in Spielberg#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/G3L2AuHqQb

- Formula 1 (@ F1) 29th June 2018

Last year, I suffered blistering on the left rear tire, which could still happen to me because of the heat forecast for Sunday. So it's a good thing that the rear axle is stable, he analyzes. However, there is still a little work to be done to fine-tune the balance of the car. »

With less than ten corners, the Red Bull Ring should not accept any faults during qualifying. “Qualifying is very intense here. You absolutely have to nail each turn perfectly if you want to aim for the first row. » Which will certainly be the objective of the two Silver Arrows on Saturday.