FP1 & FP2 - Singapore GP report: Mercedes

Hot and sticky on the first day of running at the Marina Bay Circuit

— Nico topped the times in the first session with Lewis in P2 in very hot conditions
— A competitive second session ended with Lewis and Nico finishing P4 and P7 respectively
— Both cars ran the prime (soft) tyre in P1, the option (super soft) and prime in P2

Lewis Hamilton

“The sessions were good, we got on with our programme. It was very enjoyable and the track is very physical. The car feels good but the others are much closer this weekend. It’s always the case here. There are no problems with the car but everyone looks closer, if not a bit faster. We’ll still be fighting, we just need to work hard and find out where the time is. Qualifying is very important as overtaking looks very difficult so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Nico Rosberg

“In the first practice session I felt good in the car; I did some changes with the setup between the sessions, but I went in the wrong direction. It was good experience, as I know now what to do for tomorrow. The track is very demanding and tyre wear seems to be very high. Generally it is great to be back in Singapore as the event is really cool. But to be in the car is horrible, it’s unbelievably hot for us as we have expected.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical)

“We ran our normal programme today and there were no big issues. We worked a lot on the tyres and it seems to be a very competitive situation with Ferrari and Red Bull, who look strong this weekend. We will be looking to optimise the car for both single lap and long runs. It’s a circuit that historically produces high degradation, so that’s an important aspect. We’ll be working hard overnight to get the best out of the car.”