“I asked my engineers that I would like some information as soon as you know what you may or may think it is”. Our vehicle has not got slower. “It was specific for Singapore so it should go back to normal this weekend“. I thought I was in a good position.
Advertisement
“In what at the moment should be a dry race, I’d still go with Hamilton, who should be back on top”.
“For me everyone’s a threat and they (Ferrari) have been since Malaysia (in March)”. I’m fully aware you can’t win them all. Sh*t happens. I’m very fortunate with the success we’ve had, and pleased with the job I did. Again I performed how I hoped to perform, I was ahead of my team-mate in qualifying and in the race. “I am just looking at the 41 points to Lewis”. “It could have been a lot worse”.
They attributed their lacklustre display to their tyres at a track which they claim simply did not suit their package.
Commenting on his winning prospects in Japan, Hamilton said that he didn’t have any confidence to suggest that Mercedes’ sudden loss of form wouldn’t be repeated at Suzuka, the Guardian reported.
Can Ferrari really challenge Mercedes in the remaining six races?
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who won at Marina Bay, is a further eight points back.
“We’ll all be thinking of Jules and his family this weekend, of course”.
“Again, it would be a big surprise if it happened here”. They are capable of anything so we need to be careful.
However, the German doesn’t think that Mercedes will encounter similar problems this weekend.
“Suzuka is an awesome track – one of the best in motorsport and a real test of driver skill”. But as the laps were ticking down, we were starting to come alive and I was able to lean on the tyres a bit more. It was definitely an off weekend for them.
“It’s a very fast-flowing track with a lot of high-speed corners especially on the first sector up the S’s”.
Mercedes have pointed to tyre trouble for their unexpected slump, but as of Sunday night were still unable to pinpoint exactly why their hitherto dominant W06 was eating up its rubber.
“Suzuka is one of the toughest circuits of the year for the power units.” said Renault’s Remi Taffin ahead of the event. It’s not unusual to face extremes of weather in Japan: either very wet, or dramatically hot. The other teams perhaps did better than us so I don’t believe in all that conspiracy stuff.
Advertisement
As in past years, just one DRS zone will be in operation at Suzuka and as usual it will be situated on the pit straight (with a detection point 50m before the Turn 16 chicane).
