F1 | Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton: “There is still work to do”

There is already an open clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at Cota during the first day of free practice. The seven-time world champion was only second in the first session, forty-five thousandths behind teammate Valtteri Bottas. It is in the second session, however, that something happens already in the first minutes after the green light: the two title contenders compete on the track for position, already in a race atmosphere, with Verstappen probably risking the first move. Lewis doesn't fit, and on the straight he pushes the Dutchman into the grass, who indulges in colorful comments and gestures in the following corners. Despite the taste of what we will be able to see on Sunday, Hamilton finished FP2 only in third position, three tenths behind Sergio Perez: his best time, one tenth faster than the Mexican's, was canceled for having overstepped the tracks limits.

F1 | Race pace analysis in Austin: Mercedes flies, McLaren on top

"Overall it was a good day, but there is still work to do – admitted the seven-time world champion – the first session went well, but I made some changes for FP2 and I wasn't happy with the car. The pace wasn't bad, but we lost to our opponents, we need to analyze the data and understand why. The asphalt here seems rougher and for this reason it is difficult to maintain the external temperature of the tires, there is more degradation than we expected. However, it was a productive day, we have several solutions to analyze and improve for tomorrow".