Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Nico Rosberg had the top times during both practice sessions in Monaco today with Lewis Hamilton being second fastest driver this afternoon. If you are not really a Formula 1 fan but a little curious what all the fuss is about, this is the race to watch.
For those of you unfamiliar with the track, pole position is exceptionally important in Monaco, and with the way Nico has been running in the practice rounds so far, he is the clear choice for the coveted P1 grid slot. In the event that Rosberg does go on to win in Monaco like his father KeKe Rosberg did in 1983, he would be the only second-generation winner in the Principality to win. His main competition will come from Ferrari and Lotus who were also running well in Monte Carlo.
- Nico’s fastest time in the afternoon session was one second quicker than the fastest lap in P2 last year
- The drivers completed a total of 154 laps today, equivalent to almost two race distances
- The focus of the sessions was on basic set-up work, circuit familiarisation and tire evaluations
- During P2, Nico and Lewis both completed runs of over 20 laps on the super soft compound
| Drivers | Car No. | Chassis No. | Practice One | Practice Two | ||||
| Nico Rosberg | 9 | F1 W04 / 03 | 31 laps | 1:16.195 | P1 | 46 laps | 1:14.759 | P1 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 10 | F1 W04 / 04 | 28 laps | 1:16.469 | P5 | 51 laps | 1:15.077 | P2 |
| Weather | Warm and sunny | |
| Temperatures | Air: 21-24°C | Track: 30-47°C |
Nico Rosberg
A very productive day for us. We completed a lot of laps and I feel comfortable in the car. It seems that we are quick again on one lap but we have been working hard again to make improvements to our race pace. It will be interesting to see where we are compared to the others over the weekend as it’s not really representative today. It feels great to be back here driving around the streets of my home city here again and I’m very much looking forward to the weekend.
Lewis Hamilton
It’s been a positive start for us today and I’m pleased with what we have achieved here in Monaco. We did some good long run work this afternoon and the supersoft tires seem to be performing well. I need to improve my one lap pace however, partly with the balance of the car and partly from me. The car is almost there and the pace looks good so we’ll look at the data tonight and work on those areas which can still be improved before the weekend.
Ross Brawn
Today was a pretty good day for us and it’s always nice to come through the first day of the Monaco weekend cleanly. The true test will come on Sunday but I’m pleased with the technical work that we covered in the two practice sessions today. Both Nico and Lewis, along with our engineers, did a very good job working together through the programme. A pleasing start to the weekend and now we have to make the right decisions for Saturday and Sunday
Toto Wolff
It was a good solid first day for us: lots of laps, no incidents and good lap times. Nico and Lewis both looked quick and comfortable and we seemed able to keep the tires in good condition on our long runs this afternoon. Our rivals will be very strong on both Saturday and Sunday, so we will get our heads down and keep working to build on this good start.
