Rosberg tops practice sessions in British GP
Ferrari drivers Raikkonen and Vettel follow, Hamilton fourth
Nico Rosberg posted the fastest time ahead of championship-leading teammate Lewis Hamilton. PHOTO: AFP
SILVERSTONE:
Nico Rosberg stamped his authority on Friday’s preparations for this weekend’s British Grand Prix by clocking the fastest time in both free practice sessions while Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to find any rhythm.
The 30-year-old German clocked a best time of one minute and 34.155 seconds in the afternoon to wind up three-tenths of a second ahead of the two Ferraris of Finn Kimi Raikkonen and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany.
Hamilton was a further tenth of a second adrift back in fourth after a ragged day that saw him fighting for balance and pace in a gusty wind and intermittent hot conditions in front of his home fans at Silverstone.
The series leader and defending two-time champion had struggled to match Rosberg, who overcame a loss of hydraulics during the morning, throughout the day. “The car’s all over the place — I can’t go any faster than I am right now,” a frustrated Hamilton told the
team with 15 minutes remaining.
Russian Daniil Kvyat was fifth for Red Bull ahead of his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo, Dutch teenager Jos Verstappen of Toro Rosso and German Nico Hulkenberg of Force India.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz was ninth in the second Toro Rosso and Brazilian Felipe Massa 10th for Williams while the two McLaren-Hondas of world champions Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Briton Jenson Button were 15th and 17th respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2015.
Nico Rosberg stamped his authority on Friday’s preparations for this weekend’s British Grand Prix by clocking the fastest time in both free practice sessions while Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to find any rhythm.
The 30-year-old German clocked a best time of one minute and 34.155 seconds in the afternoon to wind up three-tenths of a second ahead of the two Ferraris of Finn Kimi Raikkonen and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany.
Hamilton was a further tenth of a second adrift back in fourth after a ragged day that saw him fighting for balance and pace in a gusty wind and intermittent hot conditions in front of his home fans at Silverstone.
The series leader and defending two-time champion had struggled to match Rosberg, who overcame a loss of hydraulics during the morning, throughout the day. “The car’s all over the place — I can’t go any faster than I am right now,” a frustrated Hamilton told the
team with 15 minutes remaining.
Russian Daniil Kvyat was fifth for Red Bull ahead of his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo, Dutch teenager Jos Verstappen of Toro Rosso and German Nico Hulkenberg of Force India.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz was ninth in the second Toro Rosso and Brazilian Felipe Massa 10th for Williams while the two McLaren-Hondas of world champions Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Briton Jenson Button were 15th and 17th respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2015.