Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: There have been numerous changes to the circuit since last year. This has included further resurfacing, some of which has been done very recently. This, combined with the hot conditions in FP1, appeared to lead to quite low grip with most cars suffering with an oversteer balance. Both drivers did a good job of completing the programme despite the conditions and we were able to gain some useful data on the Pirelli Soft compound.
George was back in his race car for FP2 and was pleased with the set-up work that Nicholas had done during FP1. The wind and track temperature both picked-up during the afternoon making conditions more inconsistent. Both drivers enjoyed good long runs on the harder compounds. As always, we have a lot of data to look through to help us set the car up for tomorrow, but, overall, we have had a good, productive, and error-free day.
George Russell: Today was as expected and I enjoyed it. Missing FP1 wasn’t ideal but I know the track well, so I got into the rhythm pretty quickly. Circuit Paul Ricard has a nice flow to it and the car felt alright. Overall, I enjoyed the laps out there and the pace was what we expected. We must keep on improving the car balance to make the most out of the package this weekend.
Robert Kubica: It was a usual Friday, nothing stands out. There were no surprises, so it was okay. We did a lot of work and tested a few data gathering items for aerodynamic purposes. The track was not bad, FP2 it was rubbering in, so the grip increased, and it was quite good fun to drive.
Nicholas Latifi: It was good to have another FP1 session so close to my drive in Canada. I still had the rhythm of a Formula One car and I feel more comfortable. However, this morning the track conditions were tricky making it difficult to maintain consistent grip in the tyres from lap-to-lap. All in all, I was pleased with how today went, I kept it clean and got the car back to George in one piece.
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