Lewis Hamilton has said his Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport team have “some work to do tonight” if they are to compete with the Scuderia Ferrari’s and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing cars at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The British driver was fifth fastest in both sessions and admitted that was where the team expected to be.
“It has been a relatively normal day. As we expected, the Ferraris and the Red Bulls were quite quick and had a little bit more pace than us, so we’ve got some work to do tonight.”
The Hungaroring is very tough on the drivers and the tyres and Hamilton believes managing the tyres will be crucial for the rest of the weekend.
“This is a tricky circuit and the tyres are overheating; looking after the rear tyres is the biggest issue.
“The temperatures today and the layout of the track – corner after corner after corner – made it really tricky for the tyres as there’s no time for them to cool down.”
The weather is unpredictable for tomorrow and Hamilton is hoping it stays dry so the team can evaluate any potential set-up changes ahead of qualifying.
“We will do our debrief now and dig deep to try and figure out what changes we make between now and tomorrow.
“I hope we’re able to find something tonight and that tomorrow is dry so we can test whatever changes we make overnight.”
