Mercedes duo happy with new track

The new Korean International Circuit saw Formula One action for the first time today as the first two practice sessions got underway in Yeongam ahead of Sunday's inaugural Korean Grand Prix. After getting used to the layout in their early runs and assessing the grip levels of the newly-laid asphalt, Nico and Michael concentrated on developing the set-up of their cars over the two sessions, completing 50 laps and 51 laps respectively.

Nico Rosberg, the faster of the two men, finished the day in ninth place overall, was impressed by the new facilities and he is had no real issues top report…..

"The track is nice to drive and it should be good for racing with long straights and hairpins where you can try to overtake. The grip levels were fine after the first few laps and probably not as slippery as we expected," Nico said. “We did a good job with the set-up and the car feels pretty similar to the last few races so there are no particular issues to address. The tire graining which we have seen today could create an interesting race. We'll keep working to improve overnight and into qualifying tomorrow."

Meanwhile, teammate Michael Schumacher was also impressed….

"The track has been very good and I enjoyed driving it today. Of course a new track with totally fresh asphalt needs to rubber in but it got better and improved massively over the day," he said. “I am very pleasantly surprised with the circuit. It is very demanding, challenging and tricky which provides a challenge that I like a lot. It has been a good day for us and we have been able to do a lot of work on track. We look pretty reasonable in terms of speed and pace and my aim would be for the top ten in qualifying and to score points in the race."