Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg optimistic about their chances: Formula 1 Update
Mercedes GP’s drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher were upbeat about their chances in the Chinese Grand Prix, which will take place on Sunday, 17 April. Both drivers had a good practice session on Friday, 15 April,
finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
The younger of the two Germans stated, “Today we made a small step forward, particularly this morning where we learnt some positive things with the car compared to Malaysia. The balance was quite good today, and I really enjoy driving this track.”
He further added that it will be too early to predict anything, as all the other teams will make progress during the race weekend. However, he was certain about his team’s progress.
On the other hand, Schumacher said, “We've had a good working day here during the first outings on the Shanghai track. We have changed our working approach this weekend, and I think this has paid off. We concentrated mainly on high fuel loads, and it seems
we can find the set-up better than starting from low fuel.”
The seven-time Formula 1 champion wanted further improvement though, saying that he will look to extract the best out of his car during the qualifiers on Saturday, 16 April.
The veteran driver had some problem with his Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) and was unable to get the maximum out of his car. He still managed to post some challenging lap times, which will be quite encouraging for the team.
Team’s vice-president Norbert Haug admitted that there was some issue with Schumacher’s car, but claimed that all systems will be operational until the qualifying session tomorrow. He further added that the practice sessions may not give a clear indication
of the car’s potential, but the real picture will be revealed on the race day.
Mercedes have only scored two points in the 2011 season until now. Although it is too early to write-off the German giants, they will need to perform consistently in the remainder races of 2011. They proved to be very quick during the practice sessions of
the Malaysian GP, but failed to deliver during the qualifiers and race when it really matters.
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