Mercedes admitted that changes made to the settings between the two practices resulted in some loss of speed. Nevertheless, the team hopes that they will be able to compete quite competitively in qualifying.
George Russell (5th): “Somewhat strange day: in the first training session, everything went pretty well for us, but it seems that then Ferrari and Red Bull added. In the second session, we rolled back a bit, so tonight will have to work to understand what caused this to happen.
In general, we were prevented by the fact that at the Monza track the hybrid system did not work very efficiently, and in this regard we were regarding at the level of Red Bull, while on Ferrari cars the electric part of the power plant seemed to show its best side. This suggests that Sunday’s race may take place according to an unusual scenario.
If you manage to use the slip stream effectively in qualifying in Monza, this will definitely give you an advantage, but the risks are quite high, so we do not plan to bet on this option.
In the course of qualifying, it is usually possible to get as much information as possible regarding the operation of the car and tires, but this year it is on Saturdays that we have the most difficulties. In any case, tomorrow my partner and I will try to perform as best as possible – however, as in any other qualification.
Lewis Hamilton (7th): “Between the first and second training we made a number of changes in the settings, and then either I went slower, or other riders noticeably added, but it felt like we were not so fast anymore.
I know that George had problems with the ERS system, although my car did not seem to be affected. At this stage, it was the turn of a partner to choose, he will be the first to leave the pits on the track in tomorrow’s qualifying or the second, and I guess that I will have to go first, so, of course, I will provide him with some acceleration.
Andrew Shovlin, chief race engineer: “The first session went well, and it seemed to us that everything was in order with the balance – both in one fast lap and in long series. But in the second session, the difficulties increased, both riders complained that the rear wheels lacked grip.
If we talk regarding pace, it looks like the opponents managed to add more in the second session than we did, so we need to analyze everything in detail in order to understand exactly where we are losing.
We are ready for the fact that this weekend we will have more difficulties, because the car is almost in the same configuration that was in the Spa. In addition, Lewis is penalized for replacing the power plant, so in the course of the race we will have to put in a lot of effort before he gets to the top ten.
But the goal is the same: to try to work out so that both riders can earn points. In the first training session, the car made a good impression, and it is hoped that we will be able to return to the most efficient settings once more. ”
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