F1: NICO TAKES FIRST BLOOD IN SHANGHAI

A problem with the highly complex ERS system – which gives Lewis’ Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 W07 an additional 160bhp by recycling heat and energy from the brakes and exhaust gasses - meant the reigning World Champion was unable to escape Q1. The 31 year old racer last started from the back of the grid at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix, but still managed to charge through to a podium finish.

“These things are sent to try us. No one wants it easy - at least I know I don`t. We might be in the mud right now - but we`ll dig our way out,” explained Lewis. “The positive news is that you can overtake here and the car is quick, so hopefully we can get it fixed for tomorrow and have a good race. I`ve been in this position before. I came from the back of the grid to the podium in Hungary two years ago, so anything is possible. The tyres don`t last as well here, so it`s perhaps not as simple as it was in that race. But, of course, I`ll give it everything I`ve got to try to get back up as far as I can. We`ll at least get into the points and then I`ll see what I can do from there. It`s never over until it`s over...”

Showing real team spirit, Nico added: “Of course, it`s not good that Lewis` car broke down and a shame that we couldn`t battle for pole. We definitely need to investigate this as a team but, in any case, I`m sure he will fight his way through the field tomorrow.

“It`s great to have my first pole of the year. It`s always best to be able to start your race from the front and I`m very happy to have that opportunity again. I made a few mistakes on my first effort in Q3 but my final lap was pretty good. Saying that, Kimi said he made a mistake on his last lap, so with that in consideration I don`t believe the gap is as big as it seemed on the timesheet today. On Friday the Ferraris were on the same level as us, so we must be prepared for a strong challenge from the red cars. In the race we could see some surprises. There will be a lot of different strategies, so there`s a long way to go yet. But I`m feeling good in the car and looking forward to a battle.”

Despite the mixed emotions in the Silver Arrows garage, the bookending positions for Nico and Lewis set things up for an epic race. Make sure you catch lights out on Sunday at 2pm CST (7am GMT / 11pm Saturday PST), and then surf back to us for exclusive reaction from the team.