Championship leader Lewis Hamilton says he is “not particularly worried” after Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg outpaced him in both Friday practice sessions for the German Grand Prix.
The Briton was over 0.3s behind his title rival in FP1 and saw the gap grow to nearly four tenths in the afternoon. Hamilton remains confident he can erase the deficit to Rosberg but admits it will be no easy feat given the German's form on home soil.
“That was just not a great lap, so I am not particularly worried,” the triple world champion said of the gap to the other Mercedes.
“I had good pace on the previous lap, it was just the one lap on the super-softs. I think overnight we should in a good position. It’s going to be close, for sure, Nico’s pretty quick here.
“FP2 didn’t feel very good. The beginning of the session felt quite good, the end of the session after FP1 felt OK. Then FP2 got worse and worse and worse with balance issue but I’ll rectify it hopefully.
“Nico’s feeling quite confident and calm in the car so it will be a good battle.”
When asked about whether it would be a special feeling to beat Rosberg at his home race on Sunday, Hamilton did not resist taking a dig at his team-mate.
“It’s going to be the same as wanting to beat him everywhere, but this is not his home really! With all due respect, he grew up in Monaco, so… That’s like if we had a race in Grenada saying it was my home, but actually I was born in England.
“But it’s the nation he claims and so it’s the one that will be most special to him, he’s got family so it will be special but I hope I stay ahead.”
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