Valtteri Bottas says his Mercedes car feels “completely different to how it was in winter testing” after a successful Friday at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Held on the same circuit as preseason testing, the Circuit de Catalunya, Mercedes could have been forgiven for expecting a Ferrari renaissance given their dominance of those tests, but instead, it was Mercedes and championship leader Bottas who led the way.
“It's always an interesting day when you're bringing new parts to the car to get a feel for it and see if they bring the performance they should,” Bottas said. “The car felt really good today, completely different to how it was in winter testing, and it seems like our cornering performance has improved.
“The balance around the lap is also better, so it looks like we've taken the right direction since the winter. Today was good, but it's only Friday, and Ferrari are very close. It feels like we've made a good step forward, but we need to wait and see what tomorrow holds.”
Leading teammate and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton by a single point in the standings — both men have two wins to their names — the on-track battle over the course of the weekend will surely be fierce.
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