Russian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton refuses to get ahead of himself as Aeroscreen canopy splits opinions

Hamilton was nearly a second faster than Nico Rosberg but is wary of hitting troubles during Saturday's race and Sunday's Russian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in practice for the Russian Grand Prix (Getty)

Lewis Hamilton is not reading too much into his blistering practice lap for the Russian Grand Prix despite finishing nearly a second ahead of Mercedes teammate and championship rival Nico Rosberg, with Ferrari also experiencing further troubles during Friday practice.

Hamilton already trails Rosberg by an alarming 36 points in the drivers’ championship, with the German bidding to win his seventh consecutive grand prix in a run that dates back to the United States Grand Prix last season where Hamilton clinched his third world championship.

Giving he has suffered problems in his first three races of the season – caused by both reliability problems and on-track collisions – Hamilton is under pressure having never trailed his German team-mate by so many points, but he has reason to be optimistic as he remains the only man to win around the Sochi Autodrom and set the fastest lap once again during practice.

"The last session was better, but Nico didn't get a good lap in so you don't know where he is," Hamilton admitted, perhaps fully aware of the gremlins that can lay in wait over the weekend.

"I am definitely not getting ahead of myself right now, and I am going to keep working and chipping away at it.

"I made some improvements today as this is a weak circuit for me, but I think I have found something. Hopefully we will see the result in that tomorrow."

Despite the Russian Grand Prix moving to a much earlier slot in the F1 calendar, predicted high temperatures have not yet materialised and the tyres are struggling to grip the circuit around the Olympic resort, with Hamilton one of many to experience a spin over the course of Friday’s two sessions.

"That is what happens when you are pushing sometimes, but even with the spins I was still quickest,” Hamilton added.

"It is like driving on ice out there on these tyres. It is crazy. Hopefully it gets warmer, rubber goes down on the track, and it gets better."

While Hamilton was three-quarters of a second quicker than any other driver in the second session, Sebastian Vettel was robbed of a realistic attempt to challenge his lap time after his Ferrari ground to a halt on the start-finish straight after just 10 laps, with what was later confirmed an electrical glitch.

Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari is wheeled away after stopping on the start/finish straight (Getty)

The four-time world champion didn’t return to the track for the session, adding to the problems the Italian manufacturer has experienced in all three grand prixs so far this year that saw reliability woes in Australia and Bahrain and a collision between Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen hamper their chances of a double-podium in China.

All eyes were on Vettel’s former team Red Bull earlier in the day though, as Daniel Riccardo tested out their new Aeroscreen canopy that is being viewed as a possible safety measure for next season. Ferrari have already ran their Halo design in Bahrain, and Ricciardo echoed the words of Vettel and Raikkonen in that the initial reactions were “positive” but would take some getting used to.


 Daniel Ricciardo tested Red Bull's new Aeroscreen canopy (Getty)
 (2016 Getty Images)

"It is just a bit weird having the structure so that is something you have to get used to,” Riccardo said afterwards, having run a single lap with the canopy attached. “Still what you see, the points on track, were pretty much unaltered so I think that was positive."

Hamilton was less appreciative of the design though, as he described the design as looking “half-arsed” and “like a bloody riot shield” before Ricciardo took to the track.