New rules, cars not slowing down Mercedes so far
Hamilton, Bottas lead dominant team in first test session.
New rules. New cars. Same result.
Mercedes dominated the first day of Formula One preseason testing Monday, sending a message that the overhaul of regulations may not derail the three-time defending champion.
While Lewis Hamliton aimed for speed, new teammate Valtteri Bottas went for distance as they shared time behind the wheel of the revamped Silver Arrow.
Hamilton took over driving in the afternoon and clocked the day’s fastest lap, bettering Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari by 0.113 seconds.
“We are still the team to beat,” Hamilton said, before adding that he loved the new, faster car. “It is a beast. It’s a much more beefed up version of the car that we had in recent years.”
In four hours of driving before lunch, Bottas outworked the rest of the field with 79 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. That total surpassed the 66 laps of the Spanish Grand Prix at the same venue.
Only Vettel and Felipe Massa ended up with more laps, but that was in double the time following the entire eight-hour session.
“It’s a great feeling,” Bottas said after his maiden run in the Mercedes. “(The engineers) did an amazing job in the winter. I only started a month ago, but what I have seen has been very impressive. For us, the main thing is to get the mileage now.”
Bottas inherited the driver’s seat at Mercedes from world champion Nico Rosberg, who retired in December after clinching the title.
The Finn said he planned to have a more constructive relationship with Hamilton than his predecessor, who openly sparred with Hamilton as they dueled for the past three driver’s titles in the absence of a real threat from other teams.
“I am sure that we are going to share every little bit to help the team go forward and I see no reason for any issues in the future,” Bottas said. “I don’t think there will be a No. 1 or a No. 2 on the team. We both will be driving for our own results, but for the team we need to work well as a good pair of teammates.”
Mercedes’ rivals are hoping the regulation changes will help them make up ground on a team that has won 51 of the last 59 races.
Other than Vettel’s showing, there was little sign of the gap closing. The opening test will run through Thursday.