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Mercedes-Benz’s F1 masters Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are all geared up and ready to rein in more points in Round Five of the 2014 Formula One World Championship.
This coming weekend brings the speed aces to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Drivers’ championship leader Nico Rosberg, who won the opening grand prix in Australia, is confident ahead of the first race of the season on European soil after four exciting races at various circuits overseas, including Bahrain.
He said: “This is where the next phase of the season begins and there is probably no other track in the world that I know as well as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“I also have some good memories of race weekends in Barcelona. Last year, for example, I started from pole position so I’m looking forward to going back there again and maybe repeating that particular feat. It’s also only now that we can slowly begin to get an idea of how the different cars stack up in terms of performance.
“Each team will have been pushing hard during the break since the last race to find some extra performance from new parts. So it will certainly be an interesting weekend and hopefully an exciting one for the fans too.”
Lewis Hamilton, winner of the last three races, said: “It’s been good to have a bit of a break between races: for us as drivers and also for the team who have been working flat out for so many weeks. But after three great weekends in Malaysia, Bahrain and China I’m obviously keen to get on to the next one and continue that positive momentum into the next leg of the season.
“Barcelona is a great place to have the first European round on the calendar. It’s a circuit we all know very well – although this is the first time in my Formula One career that I have raced there without testing at the circuit during the winter – and the Spanish crowds are really passionate about their racing.
“It’s great to see so many people in the grandstands over the weekend. I’ve never won in Barcelona but I’m in a good place right now and I’m hoping that this will be the year. The circuit is fantastic, our car has performed well so far and I’m really looking forward to a good race.”
Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, believes the first European round of the year always provides a prime opportunity for teams to arrive with improvements to their cars.
