Mercedes AMG Petronas fired a warning shot at their rivals earlier today in Barcelona, setting a fastest lap time of 1:22.792s while using Pirelli’s soft compound for the first time this year.
This is basically what everybody (including us) was afraid of, more specifically, that Mercedes weren’t showing their true pace in previous pre-season tests, given the fact that they weren’t using soft tires. Today it was Nico Rosberg who set the fastest time, a full 1.2 seconds ahead of the second fastest driver of the day, Williams‘ Valtteri Bottas, who clocked in at 1:23.995s.
Rosberg’s time was more than 2.5 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton’s 2014 pole position time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Truly remarkable pace shown today by Mercedes.
“I’m pleased with my two laps at the end – I nailed them pretty well and they were both identical, so a good ending to the day,” said Rosberg.
Sauber’s Felipe Nasr was third fastest with a time of 1.24:071 whereas Sebastian Vettel secured the 4th fastest time with 1:25.339s.
It was a much better day for McLaren-Honda, as Jenson Button locked up the 5th fastest time with 1.25.590s, almost 1.2 seconds ahead Lotus’ Pastor Maldonado. Button also stringed together a full 101 laps.
