Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, Sep 05, 2008

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton finished Friday’s second Free Practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in third and fourth positions respectively. In a session which was disrupted by light rain and a red flag half an hour before the end, Heikki completed 19 laps and set a time of 1m48.740. Lewis did 17 laps and was on a 1m48.805. In the morning session, Lewis was third fastest with a 1m47.878 (27 laps), whilst Heikki was fourth with a 1m47.932 (24 laps).


This Grand Prix also marks the 40th anniversary of the McLaren team’s first-ever Formula 1 victory, achieved by Bruce McLaren driving a McLaren M7A at Spa-Francorchamps on 9th June 1968.

Comments

Heikki Kovalainen
“In mixed conditions like this afternoon, there’s not a lot you can learn about the set-up – but there’s a lot at risk if you lose the car. In the damp, the kerbs were extremely slippery – like ice, almost – so we weren’t in a great hurry to go out this afternoon until the track dried out. It’s hard to know where everybody stands because of the rain, but our times in both sessions show we’re looking competitive.”

Lewis Hamilton
“This morning, the temperatures were quite low so the track lacked a bit of grip and made warming the tyres more difficult than normal. The wet-dry conditions we encountered are typical of Spa, but they make if difficult to change your set-up because you’re always attacking a moving target. Still, we got some good data this morning before the rain came, so we feel we’re in good shape for tomorrow.”

Ron Dennis
“The changeability of the weather, both this morning and this afternoon, influenced our decision to concentrate on race set-up and tyre selection procedures. The result was a smooth and uneventful pair of practice sessions for us today. We're now looking forward to what we believe will be improving weather conditions throughout the remainder of the weekend.”

Norbert Haug
“Typical Spa – a partly wet and partly dry practice. Nevertheless we learned a lot and found a good basis. Today’s times don’t mean a lot, but I think we should be in good shape.“


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