George Russell felt assured together with his Mercedes W16 on the tougher compounds throughout observe for System 1’s Australian Grand Prix, however thought the automotive was struggling to get extra out of the softs throughout the qualifying simulations.
Russell positioned tenth total within the FP2 timesheets, though displayed good ranges of projected race tempo throughout the end-of-session lengthy runs, as he felt extra comfy with the C3 and C4 tyres that Pirelli dropped at Albert Park.
The Briton was finally 0.843s down on Charles Leclerc’s headline lap from FP2, notably behind the Racing Bulls duo and Lance Stroll, because the W16 regarded barely wayward on the C5.
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Russell reckoned that his crew might discover a smoking gun throughout the post-session debrief, however famous that the squad was struggling to search out the one-lap efficiency step between comfortable and medium tyres.
“It was a very up and down day as a result of each time we had the medium or the laborious tyre on, we have been proper within the prime two of the time sheets and each lap felt good, felt assured,” Russell mentioned.
“After which we put the comfortable on, we did not go a lot faster. Clearly there’s a little bit of tempo within the automotive and it is simply getting probably the most out of the tyre, so we have to perceive why that’s. Let’s examine what we will obtain in a single day.
“I imply, if the session stopped off with a tough tyre and if the session stopped after the medium tyre and FP1, I would have mentioned positively we’re there or thereabouts. However clearly you do not qualify beneath the laborious or the medium tyre, you qualify on the comfortable tyre, and we do not appear so aggressive on that one.
“I am positive we will discover some enhancements tonight.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli was solely sixteenth quickest within the FP2 order, with a handful of huge moments on his quickest lap, and the younger Italian put that all the way down to Mercedes struggling to search out the window with the C5 compound.
He added that his personal inexperience with the tyre meant that he was struggling to get the proper temperatures into the red-walled Pirellis earlier than embarking on his personal flying lap makes an attempt, however he was nonetheless constructive about his first F1 observe session as a completely minted Mercedes driver.
“It was I believe fairly a constructive day; there’s some work to do on single lap, simply getting the tyres in the proper window, however total I felt fairly good,” Antonelli reviewed.
“I did just a little mistake on the finish, however total I believe I am getting increasingly more confidence up, and I believe the long term was fairly constructive at the moment.
“The C5 is a compound I’ve by no means actually used, so positively I am studying it; particularly the warm-up is sort of tough, however we have some good knowledge forward of tomorrow.”
Images from Australian GP – Free Follow
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
System 1
George Russell
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
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