Mercedes ended the first day of activities at the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1 this Friday (11), with reasons to be satisfied with the new Madrid circuit. George Russell was the fastest in FP1, while Kimi Antonelli led FP2, despite the adaptation difficulties faced by the drivers.
Read more F1: Haas ends the day with a positive feeling in Madrid and says: «Challenging track»
“It is a real challenge for us drivers, with many high-speed corners and close walls. You need to be very precise with your lines and good on braking; it is very easy to lock the wheels, as there are many places where you brake and turn at the same time,” explained Antonelli. The Italian also drew attention to what he expects to find in the race. According to him, tire management will be complicated and overtaking should be difficult, increasing the importance of the fast lap work on Saturday.
Russell had a similar assessment regarding the tires. The Briton said that Mercedes made some setup changes for FP2, but is still not sure if they helped the car. For him, the biggest concern was degradation, especially in the long Turn 12:
“The big issue today is tire degradation. It was very high in FP1 and, although it decreased in FP2, the long Turn 12 really puts the tires under pressure, and that will be difficult to manage on Sunday,” he said.
Read more F1: Alpine believes in pace for top 10 after debut in Madrid
The driver also highlighted the importance of qualifying, as the first race simulations indicated difficulties in overtaking. Russell believes that Mercedes showed good performance in a lap, but still needs to work on getting the tires into the ideal window from the start of the lap.
Andrew Shovlin, the team’s track engineering director, considered the first contact with the new circuit positive. The engineer highlighted the preparation work done before arriving in Madrid and stated that both drivers were improving during FP1. “The front tires are suffering a lot, and it will probably be the same story on Sunday. The fight at the front looks tight, so we will have to find a bit more pace if we want to be in the fight for the front row tomorrow night,” concluded Shovlin.
Mercedes returns to the track this Saturday for FP3, before qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Read more F1: Racing Bulls highlights learning in Madring and says: «Good feeling with the car»
