Mercedes drivers like the bumpy surface in Hockenheim

Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton praised the old character of the Hockenheim circuit in terms of its bumpy asphalt. The duo was content with the behavior of the Mercedes car during Friday's runnings.

Mercedes dominated the opening day of the German GP which takes place after a year absence. The pair completed the day without any interruptions or technical problems.

Nico Rosberg praised the old asphalt which hasn’t lost its character after recent ‘standard’ resurfacing on many other tracks.

“A good start to the weekend. It’s great to be back here in Hockenheim at this historic track.”

“The tarmac is old, so the way the tyres work is completely different to in Hungary where the tarmac was new. Here it’s much more snappy and more of a challenge.”

The 31-year old stated that his car was working fine throughout the day.

“But in general our car was working well out there today.”

“Saying that, in Hungary we were very quick on Friday but then on Saturday and Sunday everyone was very close. So, we are warned by that to not get over-excited on a Friday. It’s a good start but we’ll see more tomorrow,” he added.

Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton agreed with his team-mate that the track was enjoyable to drive thanks to the tricky, bumpy asphalt.

“It’s been a very chilled Friday. The weather has been good and the track feels great.”

“It’s the original track surface, so it’s nice and bumpy and has lots of character.”

The Briton said that he didn’t experience any surprises on the first day of running in Germany.

“We had a fairly straightforward two sessions today. No real surprises and a good first step for the weekend. We’ll see where we are in qualifying tomorrow,“ concluded Hamilton.