Valtteri Bottas ended up 7th in Friday's second free practice as the Williams driver worked diligently towards optimising the FW37's race set-up.
The Finn enjoyed a promising run on the medium compound tyres, producing in the process a string of steady and fast lap times, but was also happy with the modifications implemented on the car for this weekend's race.
"It definitely felt more consistent than in Malaysia," commented Bottas. "And what was really positive today is that all the updates we brought here worked as expected, although we can gain a bit more speed in the corners. We also tried a new front wing which was a bit better than the old one."
Although the team's overall performance was steady on Friday, with the exception of a rear brake issue which affected Felipe Massa, Bottas remains focused on keeping tyre wear in check as a fair amount of graining has crept its way into the mix.
"Yes, there was quite a bit of graining, especially on the left front, and it's more difficult when the track is getting better. I'm sure we're not the only ones with the problem, and we can probably tweek a few things on the car to help us for the race as well as apply a few driving tricks. I think we can be strong in qualifying because we still have plenty of speed for tomorrow, but whatever we do with car's set-up, it'll be all about the race."
Click here for Friday's gallery from the Chinese Grand Prix
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The asphalt at Jerez was already sizzling on Saturday, but the temperature in the MotoGP…
On this day in 2001, the world of motorsport mourned the loss of Michele Alboreto,…
Former Grand Prix driver Jean Alesi, who famously wore his heart on his sleeve during…
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has called out Red Bull for letting Max Verstappen…
While the start of the 2026 season has been a heavy lift for Williams –…
Zak Brown has once again lit the fuse on one of the sport’s most controversial…