2017 Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Here is a roundup of what happened during the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix Practice session with driver and team interviews following the practice session.
Mercedes – Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Lewis Hamilton
Free Practice 1 – 1:42.904
Free Practice 2 – 1:41.55
Lewis Hamilton – “We had a clean day and got through our sessions without any problems. It’s pretty hot out there, the conditions are pretty awesome to cope with but the grip on track is fairly good.”
“We were obviously close with the field today and we have still got some improvements to make with the car. Red Bull seem like they’re very strong and they’re thereabouts with Ferrari so we’ve got work to do but – nothing is out of reach!”
Valtteri Bottas
Free Practice 1 – 1:43.434
Free Practice 2 – 1:42.104
Valtteri Bottas – “This was a difficult day for us. I think we are missing some pace.”
“We were making big setup changes between the first and second session but we still didn’t find the right setting – there is plenty of work to do from what we learned today.”
“I was struggling with the overall grip and the balance of the car – I felt quite nervous and it’s not so easy to trust the car when you push.”
“That’s the main thing we need to work on so that I can build up on my level of confidence.”
Red Bull Racing – Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Daniel Ricciardo
Free Practice 1 – 1:42.489
Free Practice 2 – 1:40.852
Daniel Ricciardo – “It was a good day out there today, but I expected this, to be honest! I’m not really surprised with our performance.”
“I knew that we would come here with a good car. We made some progress from the morning and even though we were the quickest in FP1, I still wanted to get more out of the car and the set-up this afternoon.”
“We took another step forward throughout the day which was good and we now hope that there is still more room to improve for tomorrow – I’m after a dominant weekend and so far this has been a good start.”
“It’s important that we obviously keep that for tomorrow but I have faith that I can perform on this level all weekend. I know that the challenge in qualifying tomorrow will be a potentially stronger Ferrari and Mercedes but I’m confident that we can stay up there and fight with them at the top.”
Max Verstappen
Free Practice 1 – 1:42.610
Free Practice 2 – 1:41.408
Max Verstappen – “Finishing first and second in the last session means that it has been a positive Friday. The car in general performed well so we are happy with that side.”
‘The balance can always be improved and we are a bit down on top speed but nothing major to work on.”
“After such a good day, we have to believe that a very good result in Qualifying tomorrow is possible and so we will definitely be going for it.”
“Compered to our competitors we look very strong, we didn’t expect to be as competitive so of course, this is very pleasing for us. We still have to be cautious and work on all aspects because we know that in Q3, tomorrow, they will have improved and be closer. For now though, we look in a good position.”
“Qualifying will be tight but I’m confident that our race pace offers us the chance of a good result – we know that this should be on of our best tracks and so we will be doing our best to capitalise on that.”
Ferrari – Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Sebastian Vettel
Free Practice 1 – 1:42.598
Free Practice 2 – 1:43.104
Sebastian Vettel – “Today it was a mixed day and obviously not an ideal one. I lost a little bit of balance and confidence. We tried a couple of things and I am not sure they were the right things to do.”
“Now, we’ll see what we can do for tomorrow – we need to improve but I think we have enough time to find a solution.”
“Today, we were here to practice and being Friday, everything we did was for free – clearly we are not where we want to be so there’s still a lot of work ahead of us.”
Kimi Raikkonen
Free Practice 1 – 1:43.734
Free Practice 2 – 1:42.835
Kimi Raikkonen – “Overall, it was just a difficult day. It was far from ideal and for sure, we were expecting an easier start but it’s only Friday and tomorrow is another day.”
“We have tried some different things and not everything made sense in the end so we have a lot of work to do.”
“Here is no different from any other race, it is true that the tyres are a key point but first of all, you have to make sure you have everything you want and that is a good set-up.”
“I’m sure we can improve for tomorrow.”
McLaren – Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Fernando Alonso
Free Practice 1 – 1:43.759
Free Practice 2 – 1:42.788
Fernando Alonso – “Our performance today was good, basically in line with what we were expecting around here. We knew that and at this track, we were going to be more competitive than we were at Spa and Monza.”
“We got both cars into the top 10 today and I hope that we can achieve this tomorrow in qualifying and then again in Sunday’s race.”
“We need those points – we’re ninth in the Constructors’ Championship so every opportunity we get to score points, we need to grab with both hands.”
Stoffel Vandoorne
Free Practice 1 – 1:44.340
Free Practice 2 – 1:42.501
Stoffel Vandoorne – “For me, it’s been a very positive day. Finishing sixth in FP2 despite having never driven around here before.”
“I was discovering the track for the first time during FP1 and I got to grips with it quite quickly today. On paper, it looks like it’s been a good day.”
“The two Ferrari’s didn’t appear to have an ideal session and ended FP2 behind us – they probably have something more in hand for tomorrow.”
“Hopefully, we can still translate today’s pace into qualifying tomorrow.”
Sauber – Singapore Grand Prix – PRACTICE
Marcus Ericsson
Free Practice 1 – 1:47.699
Free Practice 2 – 1:45.721
Marcus Ericsson – “It was a trouble-free day for us today. We were able to go through our planned programme and run a good amount of laps.”
“However, there is a clear gap to our direct competition and we have to keep doing our best to maximise the performance of the car. In terms of the atmosphere – around here, the track in Singapore, it’s always great and I’m really enjoying driving here under the flood lights.”
Pascal Wehrlein
Free Practice 1 – 1:47.886
Free Practice 2 – 1:45.673
Pascal Wehrlein – “The weekend has been quite alright so far. The car felt better in the second free practice session than it did in the first.”
“We were also able to run through the planned programme swiftly which is positive.”
“I tested all three tyre compounds which was a good comparison. The data that was collected today will help us to prepare for tomorrow’s qualifying session and the race on Sunday.”
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