There is buzz in Spain as the first European Grand Prix for the year is about to take place. At the practice sessions, some outstanding racing from Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, and Michael Schumacher exhilarated spectators.
All of the top drivers had modifications and adjustments added to their cars, while the reaming drivers too had minor tweaks done to their cars. Hamilton’s usual risk taking and stunt pulling driving was met today by an unknowingly meticulous and exceptional drive. He was blazing on the track, clocking a brisk time of one minute and 21.134 seconds, taking the lead at first position.
Jenson Button in comparison had his usual austere and perfect driving skills on show as he clocked a time of one minute and 20.596 seconds. That made him just 0.538 seconds behind Hamilton.
There was also news from Schumacher. Schumacher has not yet showed his signature driving skills since his reappearance for Mercedes. However, today, he seemed like he was proving to outdo himself with some splendid cuts and impeccable turns. At the end, he was close on Button’s tail and finished third with a time of one minute and 20.552 seconds.
Nearly all teams have brought something new in their cars this season. Mercedes have completely overhauled their car. The team is out to get their car perfectly aligned to Schumacher's quality driving. They have made the wheelbase wider for a stronger grip and to increase the centre of stability while the new engine is designed for better balance and smoother aerodynamics. The engine cover is beautifully designed so that it pierces through at high speeds during the race. This might become one of the most important changes for the Mercedes team to give an edge to the driver.
The Mercedes team itself was very excited about the results from the changes. Their chief operating officer Nick Fry had often told about their new experiments going on. After the practice runs, he proudly stated, “It was very much experimentation. We’ve been trying out a lot of different things. There are quite a lot of changes to the car and the main thing was checking out the aero balance and weight distribution.”
Fry and the team seemed very hopeful and optimistic about the future with an ambition to win the Spanish Grand Prix. Fry later commented, “It looks promising. Things are going to plan and I expect to see continual improvement.”
The fourth and fifth positions were occupied by Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bulls drivers are continuing to produce their steady performance but at the sixth position Nico Rosberg, Schumacher's team-mate seemed a bit out of touch. In some practice runs, he seemed outstanding by beating Schumacher in the dry runs. Anyhow, he was still faster than Robert Kubica (Renault) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) who came at seventh and eighth.
Alonso along with teammate Felipe Massa, both drivers had a disappointing outing. Massa came in at twelfth position. The reason might be the lack of practice with their new adjustments. Ferrari has brought massive changes in their gearbox too. With new front covers, rear wing diffusers, barrage boards and a better aerodynamic duct, all teams have gone for massive changes. There are even changes in the engine too.
With so many improvements in the cars, it has already given the fans a thrilling start to the season.
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