Lewis Hamilton was in a positive frame of mind after completing ninety laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday morning before he handed the W09 to team-mate Valtteri Bottas for the afternoon session.
The Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver felt the car was good to drive throughout his time on track in much better track conditions that they’ve had so far, and he felt he was able to get Pirelli’s tyres to work.
Ultimately, Hamilton’s best lap of 1:18.400s was enough to see him finish the day second fastest, behind Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo but just ahead of team-mate Bottas, and the reigning World Champion says he is proud to be driving the car created by those back in Mercedes’ factories in England and Germany.
“Today has been positive,” said Hamilton. “The car is feeling good and the tyres are working. It’s nice to have some good weather so we can really try and get in the mileage.
“The reliability has been good so far, which is a sign of all the great, hard work that the team has put in over the winter. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s definitely going in the right direction.
“The team’s working hard – both here and back at the factory – to continue to climb the upwards gradient which we’re currently on. I’m just so proud that I’m driving a creation that these guys have all worked to the bone to create.
“I’m proud to be the one who gets to go out there and try to exploit this car and bring them the results they deserve.”
