Nico Hulkenberg described Friday’s practice conditions as “challenging” after a wet hampered day in Melbourne.
The German managed to cope well in the mixed weather conditions to finish the second practice session P2 behind reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Due to the unwelcoming weather, Hulkenberg only managed a very short run on the soft tyre, but felt the afternoon was not wasted after getting a feel for the VJM09 on the wet track.
“Really challenging conditions today with the wind and the rain,” he said.
“It was so gusty and the car was being moved around a lot by the wind, even on the straights. So the conditions were not the best for testing and learning.
“This morning we did a very short run on the soft tyres, but the track was very damp and so it was not really a representative dry run.
“Then, in the afternoon, we worked with the intermediates, getting a feel for the car in the wet conditions in case the rain comes back again tomorrow.
“So it was one of those slow days where you just had to make the best of it. Tomorrow is a new day so let’s see what the weather brings.”
Teammate Sergio Perez struggled to match Hulkenberg’s pace in the mixed track conditions, finishing ninth in both sessions.
Although the five-time podium finisher was frustrated at not being able to run the normal test plan, he felt the Silverstone based outfit had made the most of the wet conditions and felt they looked competitive.
“It has been a difficult day for everyone because of the changing weather,” the Mexican said.
“Just when it looked as though the track was starting to dry, the rain started again. So it was quite frustrating and we could not carry out all the testing we had planned.
“We made the most of the conditions and we looked quite competitive on the intermediates, but you can’t read too much into the times because it depended on when you were out on track.
“We are still not sure what the weather will do tomorrow, but if it’s dry then we will start from zero again and it will be a very busy day.
“If it does rain again, the set-up work we have done on the intermediates will be very useful.”
