The Mercedes GP team admitted they were disappointed with their pace in the opening round of the 2011 season, but for this second Grand Prix, things are looking better. With Free Practice Friday complete in Sepang, Mercedes have improved their pace and look to be competitive at this early stage.

Michael Schumacher finished the day fifth, with Nico Rosberg behind him in seventh, and the seven times champion was happy with the times he'd put in: "We definitely made a step in the right direction, we were closer to our level of performance from Barcelona than in Melbourne, and I am hopeful there will be more to come. We had two typical Friday sessions, trying out a lot of things for future developments, and it looks we can make further improvements."