PlanetF1

Fri: Merc, Red Bull, McLaren, Sauber

Friday 20-April-2012 13:49

Nico Rosberg set the pace in Bahrain on Friday, edging the two Red Bulls and Lewisd Hamilton...

Mercedes:
Nico Rosberg: "That was a good start to the weekend, and whilst it's nice to be quickest today, we know that doesn't count. The most important thing still is to improve our race pace. For the moment, it looks reasonable but we need to analyse where we are on high fuel levels compared to our competitors and draw our conclusions. The conditions are really tough out there, so the race will be quite demanding from the tyre perspective."

Michael Schumacher: "We started well today, and our long runs are satisfying as well as our overall times. Unfortunately I could not complete my fast lap properly due to traffic. We will have to see what the outcome will be tomorrow and on Sunday as the tyres go away very quickly. You really have to stay within the limit of them, that's going to be the main issue. Let's see what we can make out of it but the start of the weekend has definitely not been too bad for us."

Red Bull:
Mark Webber: "It was quite challenging out on track, trying to get everything together. The tyres were a bit of a surprise for everybody in terms of how they are behaving, they're losing their grip pretty quick, but that's the same for everybody. There are some quick cars out there - of course we don't know which fuel loads people were running, but it looks pretty tight again. Tyres will play a big role on Sunday in the race."

Sebastian Vettel: "We did a lot of running today, so that's good. Regarding set-up, I think we got the answers in China that we were looking for and that's helped us here. We now need to see where we are against what everyone else did today. It's very hot here, so the tyres are suffering a little as a result, but it's the same for all teams. I think others are the favourites this weekend, but we are focusing on ourselves and pushing hard. We made a step forward, but we see where we are tomorrow."

McLaren:
Lewis Hamilton: "Looking after the tyres here is going to be a real challenge. The track surface is extremely hot, and the amount of energy that goes through the tyres under braking is incredible: the temperatures keep on rising until it feels just like driving on an ice-rink. Tyre degradation will be a big issue for everyone around here and the weekend will be all about who can look after the tyres the best. Wind direction also played a huge role today. On one lap, there'd be a headwind going into Turn Four, the next lap, it'd be a tailwind, then a crosswind. And that makes a big difference around the circuit. I think my fastest lap was set half an hour after Nico [Rosberg] set the fastest time of the session, and the wind was very different. In general, Mercedes looks quick. We're there or thereabouts, but we'll know more tomorrow. Overall, a tough day; a tough challenge, but we're all in the same boat."

Jenson Button: "I had an interesting day trying to find a balance on both types of tyre compound. The car's been acting very differently from how it's been in the first three races. Perhaps we've gone too far with the balance and need to take a step back - there'll be a bit of work needed tonight to get us into a better position. But I'm hopeful of resolving the issues before tomorrow. My times haven't looked great all day - over a single lap, the Mercedes and the Red Bull both look quick. There's a big margin to the front at the moment - but I don't think it will be the same in the race. However, ignoring the times, I just don't feel completely happy with the direction we've chosen. We've started talking about what we can do for tomorrow and there are already some positive comments about which direction to take. It's going to be difficult for all of us out there - it will be all about what tyre we can get to work."

Sauber:
Kamui Kobayashi: "Technically we had no incidents but we are struggling on tyre temperatures. The lap times on the soft tyres in the short run didn't look too bad, but for qualifying there is still some work to do. Even more improvement is necessary for the long runs and for me this goes for both tyre compounds, soft and medium. We will evaluate the data now and see what we can do better for tomorrow."

Sergio Perez: "To me this was a very positive day. I am happy about having had a good Friday and I am very satisfied with the work we have done. We have learnt a lot and we managed the tyre degradation on the rear, which everybody has problems with, quite well. We still need to sort out a few set-up issues for qualifying, but I am very confident for tomorrow."

Related Links
Prac Two: Rosberg makes his mark
Friday's pictures from Bahrain