|
Spanish Grand Prix Saturday - team and driver quotes |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FIA post-qualifying press conference - Spain |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Drivers: 1. Jenson Button (Brawn GP), 1m 20.527s; 2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1m 20.660s; 3. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP), 1m 20.762s Q: Jenson, out in the very last minute of Q3 and what a lap it was. Jenson Button: It could have gone very, very wrong. We timed it quite well I think. But then I had (Robert) Kubica who I thought was on an out lap and I had to let him past when he caught me up. The guys said you have got four seconds in the last sector. Four seconds is slower than a proper lap time to get across the finish line, so I had to get a gap as I didn’t know if he was going to continue and I only got across the line with a couple of seconds to spare. So yeah, more luck than judgement in getting out at the end and by far the best lap I have had this weekend. All weekend this guy has been tremendous and all the way through qualifying and I found it very difficult to sort of hang on to him on the low fuel. But I got the lap on the high fuel, so yeah, very happy. This was a bit of a surprise in a way, so when I heard I was on pole when I crossed the finish line it felt pretty good. Q: Sebastian, back again. Every race in the top three. A fantastic record you are now sustaining and the Red Bull Renault again looking very competitive. Sebastian Vettel: Yes, it’s true. We have a very strong car and also this weekend it seems to work pretty well, so I am very pleased for that. When I had the first run in Q2 I felt very comfortable in the car. On the second run I think the lap time was good, unfortunately not good enough to beat Jenson today. I would have wished to have the pole but at the last minute he took it away but yeah, second position is great, the front row. I think we had a very good recovery from yesterday where we were struggling a little bit with the balance of the car as in winter it was quite different from when we were here two months ago for testing to now. But we fixed it and again from this morning to qualifying we did another adjustment to the car which seemed to work, so I am very happy, I am very pleased for that. We only needed one run in Q1 on the hard tyre and one run in Q2 on the soft tyre which should have been a bit quicker but I made a mistake in the last sector. But nevertheless, a great job. And also compliments to the whole crew as some of the parts arrived at the last minute and they had to trim it to mould it to the car, so it was all a bit tight. Long nights, not a lot of sleep but they will have more today. Q: Rubens, a great team performance. And that lap time in Q2, the fastest lap time of the weekend, was absolutely brilliant. Rubens Barrichello: Once again I was very happy with the car in Q2 and to be honest it came to me as a surprise. I think it was a great effort from Jenson and he is doing a really good job and he deserves to be there. But it came as a surprise in Q3. I had a good lap to be honest but I may have been too early on the track and that is the only missed opportunity because the rest went quite well. The lap was good and I was within the limits, so I am very happy. I think we have a good car for the race and I am still fighting. I think that Jenson is really doing well at this minute and I just have to try harder and harder to try to get him. Q: Jenson, we have seen some progress from some of the bigger named teams, if that is the right word, behind you but at the moment it looks as if you still have that amazing advantage. JB: I am not sure it’s an amazing advantage being on pole by was it half-a-tenth or something. Q: I refer to the team’s performance. JB: Yeah, I think as a team we have done a great job and this package is a step forward. I think we still need to work with it a bit more. I don’t think we have got the maximum out of it yet. I hope we haven’t anyway. But everyone at Brackley has done a fantastic job and I am sure they are all watching this now, feeling very happy with themselves as they should do. Both of us in the top three and I think over the weekend we have been trying lots of different things and we have found the right direction. I am very happy with our performance but it is very, very close and I don’t know what lap Sebastian is stopping on. SV: Lap 27. JB: Lap 27, we are okay then as we are 32. So it is all fine, bring on tomorrow. It is a nice feeling to be back here. I am on pole and the last two races I was not even near the press conference, so it is nice to be back here. It’s a great position to start from tomorrow but obviously the Ferrari is very quick. Surprisingly quick in Q2 and they have got KERS, so it is going to be a tough race tomorrow but I am excited. I didn’t think I would be sat in this position at the moment. PRESS CONFERENCE Q: Jenson, yesterday you were quoted as saying you weren’t particularly happy with the balance of the car, with the new parts, so what changed from yesterday to today? JB: Well, some of it was because we were looking at how quick Rubens was, so obviously we looked at his set-up, took some parts from it which I think helped us quite a bit. In a way I’m very happy that Rubens was quick all through the weekend, it helped me in a way. So this morning the car was already a bit better but coming into qualifying, I knew that we had made improvements but I didn’t how much of an improvement. Qualifying was a bit of a strange one because in Q2 I couldn’t get anywhere near Rubens’s times. My laps weren’t bad. I had a bit of rear movement which is never my favourite but when we put the fuel on board, the car felt as it had done this morning, so I was much happier with the balance. So yeah, a little bit of a surprise to be on pole. I knew it was a good lap when I crossed the line but I didn’t know what other people had done, so when I heard my engineer on the radio saying I was on pole, it was a pretty amazing feeling because it was also a shock to the system. Great to be here and hopefully we’ve got the pace tomorrow. Q: Given all the modifications that are on all the cars here, it must be quite a relief that you’re still right up there. JB: Yeah, I don’t know that anyone’s really gone that much quicker except for the Ferrari. They’ve been competitive today and in Q2 Felipe was within two tenths of Rubens’s lap which was obviously pretty exceptional, so they’re quick. I think we have the legs on them at the moment but they’re closing very, very quickly and I’m surprised, so they’re one to watch over the next few races, for sure. Our package is an improvement; personally I don’t think we’ve got the maximum out of it over this weekend but it’s a definite step forward and everybody at the factory should be very happy with what they’ve achieved but we can’t stand still, we need to keep moving forward. I know they’re working very hard on improvements for the next few races. Q: Sebastian, you must be equally pleased that the update has kept you ahead as well. SV: Yeah, it was tight. We’ve got some parts, nothing big, but you put the parts together and you have a big effect. They all seem to work. The boys didn’t have an easy time because some of the parts arrived last minute but we were able to do it. Yesterday it was a bit difficult with the car. We were struggling a little bit for balance and this morning it was already much better but we were not yet strong enough with the soft tyres but going into qualifying, we changed the car again slightly and it seemed to work very, very well. In Q1 I only needed one run on the hard tyre and Q2 only one run on the soft tyre. The lap should have been below the 1m 20s bracket but I made a mistake in the last corner. I may have been able to match Rubens’s lap time - it was a good lap for sure. Anyway, then, going to Q3, I think the car was working very well, I was very pleased, very happy. After the last lap my engineer came on the radio and said ‘you are currently on pole but there are cars to come’ and then unfortunately he said ‘you are P2.’ Yeah, I was waiting for a long time and hoping, ‘OK, now no-one else is coming’ but then at the last minute I got the call I was in second place but nevertheless it’s front row, first row, so that’s good for us. It will be difficult tomorrow for the start because we all have the KERS car behind us. It will be a threat; the way down to turn one is quite long but I’m very pleased, very happy with the result. It should be a good race tomorrow. I think we have a very competitive car and we are getting stronger. Q: Rubens, you’ve got your compatriot, Felipe Massa, with KERS right behind you. How much is that a threat and what’s the feeling like that he’s got an extra 80bhp after he reaches 100kph? RB: I’m thinking I might start on the second red light! Maybe I can get into the first corner ahead of him. It’s not just the KERS, it’s that they have a good car here. As Jenson said, I think it’s the best&ldots; if you had the classification of the improvements probably Ferrari would be at the top of the list because they have done a good job. It’s not just the KERS at the start, it’s how well prepared they are. They seem to be good on long runs as well. We have to have that in mind for sure. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Q: Are you a little bit disappointed not to be on pole? RB: Yes, I am. From what I achieved in Q2 I really thought that this time I was able to beat everyone in Q3. I probably went out on the track a little bit too early because I wanted two laps in case I also had traffic on one lap and that could have been a factor but nevertheless it was a good lap. It’s very close. I just have to keep on fighting. I think I am quite happy on low fuel as I have shown. I just need to improve a little bit more on heavy fuel. It’s something that if you think about, last year we were on low fuel all the time and that’s how we compared, myself and Jenson, because we never got into Q3 and this year we have to set up the car differently in a way and I’ve been suffering a little bit. So yes, I’m a little bit disappointed; happy with the first and third places for the team but I was hoping for more. Q: Jenson, you nearly didn’t get that last lap; you just made it by two seconds. What was the team telling you? JB: Well, they wanted me to go out as late as possible and I agreed with that because I needed everything to really get a good lap. Shov (Andrew Shovlin, race engineer) told me that Kubica was on an out lap, so when he was coming down the pit straight I guessed he was just starting his timed lap and then they said ‘you’ve got to let him past, let him past.’ I did and then they came on the radio and said ‘no, stay in front of him, he’s on an in lap.’ So I was screwed then. I was stuck behind with four seconds to spare in the last sector but I had to get a gap, so I had to take the risk of dropping back, getting a gap, else it was pointless anyway. I crossed the line with two seconds to spare and obviously got the job done. I’m very happy and this is by far the best pole I’ve had because it was unexpected, it was very unexpected. As you probably know, my old boy, as we call him, Papa Smurf is always at the races but my mum has come to this one, so I’m glad that she’s here on Saturday when we’ve qualified on pole. QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR Q: (Ian Parkes - PA) Jenson, well done, are you aware of just how crucial pole is here bearing in mind that the last eight winners and the last thirteen of the fourteen winners have started from pole? JB: No, I didn’t, didn’t know the stat. We don’t normally concentrate on who’s on pole, we haven’t for the last couple of years anyway. I know it’s important because it’s difficult to overtake here. All of the cars around us have been very quick on long runs, so I wouldn’t say we have an advantage on a long run. P1 for sure is an advantage. I’ve just got to hope that I can stay there into turn one. As you know, we’ve both had some difficulties at the start this year but the starts that we have made properly have been very good, so I’m hoping for one of those starts tomorrow. Q: (James Allen - Financial Times) To all three of you: I’m really interested in the mental side of the step from your first run in Q3 to your final run because Rubens and Sebastian both improved by seven tenths but Jenson found a second on that final run, which is what made the difference, so mentally what are you thinking to yourselves, where are you finding that extra time and how did you find a second within yourself? JB: For me it was the weirdest qualifying because with Rubens, for example, I thought I had the edge in Q1 and then in Q2 he set a blistering pace and I don’t really know where that came from. My laps weren’t exactly bad but I was surprised that he had so much more pace. In Q3 I changed the balance of the front wing a little bit because I was struggling with the rear end coming round in Q2 and that was costing me time on entry and as you all probably know, that’s not my favourite thing. The rear calmed down in my first run in Q3, so I thought I could probably add the front wing back on for my new tyres and I could and it all came together. It was the right balance for that moment in time on the circuit. I knew I had to go hell for leather because Rubens was doing a very good job and it was very close at the front. I wasn’t thinking about where I was going to qualify, I was just trying to get the best out of it and you could say it looked like a messy lap on TV but it’s a very strange circuit here in qualifying and there’s very low grip and you do have to throw the car around a bit and I had to do that which is unusual for me. SV: First of all, if I observe correctly, I think Jenson did his first run on used tyres and Rubens and I both did ours on new tyres. JB: No, he was on used. SV: But then I did a bad job because both times I had new tyres. Yeah, not much to add. As Jenson said, this is quite a tricky circuit to get one lap out of the car. In general I’m very happy. We made quite a step forward with the car because we were struggling really to get the first lap out of the soft tyres but we managed well this afternoon. Other than that&ldots; how do you approach it mentally? You know what to do, so you just try to get the best out of the car and obviously you’ve experienced runs before, what happens, how is the balance, as Jenson said, you might play with the front wing a little bit and then you just try again, try to get it right everywhere. JB: I think a lot of it does come naturally, the feelings and everything, because if you think about it too much, it doesn’t work for sure. RB: Well, it’s the same as them really. I’ve been told by Jocky (Jock Clear, race engineer) that I had old tyres and Sebastian had new tyres, so I was worried about him in a way, and I really thought that having new tyres I wouldn’t have the edge, so having new tyres I was pretty sure I could edge Sebastian because I was in front of Jenson. You always have to consider everyone but at that time I just wanted to do a good lap and I think a factor for me, not mentally on your question, but it was just the fact that I probably went onto the track too soon. That was my limitation because the lap was good. So yeah, mentally I was quite strong because I had a new tyre on the back and so I knew I could have gone faster. Q: (Laurentzi Garmendia - Berria) Jenson, the first eleven drivers in Q2 were faster than last year’s best time by Felipe Massa in Q2, on an aero circuit where cars are supposed to have less grip this year. What do you think about cars getting faster and faster? Is that what the FIA was looking for? JB: For me, aerodynamically we have less downforce and we have more drag, that’s the way that it was supposed to be and that’s the way it is. But we’ve picked up a lot of time with the slick tyres. I would say that the slicks are probably two to two and a half seconds quicker than the grooved tyres, so we’ve picked up there but obviously we’ve lost a lot in downforce. Some of the reasons were because the cars were getting too fast through corners but also some of the reasons for the change was to help the racing. Some drivers might say that it doesn’t help the racing but I think watching the races this year there’s been a lot of overtaking manoeuvres and if you look at the cars this year they look a lot more difficult to drive. We’ve had the quickest car for a few of the races this year and it’s not an easy car to drive. It’s very, very twitchy and if you watch them on TV they are twitching around all the time which makes it easier to make a mistake and other drivers can capitalise on that. For me the regulation changes are positive for many reasons: first, the racing for me has been fantastic and that’s not because I’m leading the championship; watching the overtaking moves on TV&ldots; Q: (Paulo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport) As you said, Ferrari looks to have made the biggest step forward. Do you think they might be a threat tomorrow for the podium? Or looking at the long runs and everything do you still feel confident that you still have some advantage? JB: Well, I’ve heard that KERS gives you ten meters from the start to the first corner, so that’s quite a lot - just to let you know - so that’s a problem, for sure, starting from pole. If he (Massa) gets a very good start as well it could be a problem for me. I think it’s just going to make it a bit crazy into turn one more than anything because when one car is coming into the first corner a lot quicker than the others in front of him, it could cause mayhem, especially with quite a high speed corner like this one. So it’s about keeping your nose clean at turn one and that’s going to be difficult for all of us. But as you say, the Ferrari has been quick and they are going to be quick in the race also, I think. They’ve made a big improvement, as you would expect really. Q: (Walter Koster - Saarbrücker Zeitung) The FIA has decided on a point system for next year. I can imagine that Jenson might prefer a medal system; can I have an answer from you three about the FIA decision? JB: For me, yeah, I would love the medal system this year. I think any driver would who has won three races. For me, I would rather it was more 10-6 points for first and second, rather than medals. Points have been the way for many decades in Formula One and to change that is the wrong thing to do, personally, so I think the points system is a good thing but I’ve never been in this position before where I’ve won three races and I’m (only) getting two points more than second place. I understand why people have found it frustrating in the past, since we’ve had this 10-8-6 system. For me it would be nice if it was 10-6 but next year it might be a very different situation, so I might not be sat here on pole position in Barcelona, so we’ve got to wait and see. SV: I think the points system is good as it is and I think in general the points system is morechallenging and it rewards also the most consistent driver, so you may face some Grand Prix weekends where you are struggling with the balance of the car, you don’t get it right but in the end it separates the good from the very good if you still manage to get the best out of it and score some points, so getting fourth, fifth, sixth position and collecting some points for the championship. On the other hand, if you won the first seven or eight races then there’s no point in continuing really, so I think the points system is still the way to go. RB: I think it all depends on where you are in the championship really. I could change my mind quite quickly, you see. If I was in Jenson’s position I would love to have the medals right now but I think it’s a fair point he made that the points system is the system that should remain because you have to fight for the points. I was racing when the points were 10-6 and it was different. But again, it depends where you are because sometimes you’re winning, sometimes you’re not, so you can change your mind quite quickly on that. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ferrari |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Felipe Massa (4th, Q3 - 1m 20.934s): "We demonstrated that the car has improved and is much more competitive than at the other races. I am happy to be back at the front end in qualifying and the credit for that goes to everyone at the Scuderia, who have worked day and night these past weeks to get so many new elements on track so quickly. There is still a long way to go, but we are working in the right direction which is a good sign for the future. From fourth on the grid, my aim is to fight for a podium finish. At the start, the KERS could be very handy in helping me make up some places and then we know we can count on running a good race pace. I feel more comfortable at the wheel: the car is more stable and doesn't slide so much everywhere as it did in the past." Kimi Raikkonen (16th, Q1 - 1m 21.291s): "We made a stupid mistake. It's a real shame because the car was much better than the one we had in the previous races and we had every chance of getting a good result. I didn't get any particularly good laps on my only run in Q1, but we thought my best time would be enough to make it to Q2 and so I stayed in the garage. There's no point in saying whose fault it was, because we can't do anything about it now. I certainly wasn't keen on doing another run as I was thinking of saving a set of new soft tyres for Q3 and the team reckoned we could make it. Tomorrow's race will be tough and we will try and make the best of the situation. The F60 has improved, maybe not yet to the level of the best, but we're definitely getting closer." Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari team principal: "A day of varying fortunes. On the one hand there's the satisfaction of Felipe's result and on the other, disappointment for Kimi's. Felipe's showing in qualifying confirms that all the work of the past few weeks aimed at improving the car's performance is going in the right direction. However, that can only add to the disappointment of how things went in terms of managing his team-mate's session. We had the potential to get both cars into the top three rows and we only got it half right. Tomorrow, we can expect a long and difficult race, as usual in fact. Felipe has a chance to do well, while Kimi will have to try and climb up the order in the hope of making it into the points." Chris Dyer, Ferrari chief engineer: "We have worked so hard to bring new components here for the F60 and the result of those efforts was confirmed today by Felipe's performance. Unfortunately, we were unable to fully exploit this improvement, because we made a serious mistake in our evaluation of Q1, believing that Kimi's time would have been good enough to get him through to the next stage. It was a serious error which is really regrettable. We will try to make up for it tomorrow in a race which he will start from way down the order. Felipe is on a good strategy and although we wait to see the fuel levels of the other drivers, we can aspire to a podium finish. As usual, reliability will be the number one priority." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Brawn GP |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Brawn GP’s Jenson Button secured his third pole position of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona today in qualifying for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello put his Brawn-Mercedes car on the second row of the grid after a closely-fought qualifying hour and will start from third place. Jenson and Rubens both used the Bridgestone Potenza prime tyre for their first run in Q1 before switching to the softer option tyre for the remainder of the hour. The pair were closely matched throughout qualifying with Rubens having the advantage over the low fuel runs in Q1 and Q2, posting the fastest lap of the day at the end of Q2. After crossing the line for his final flying lap in Q3 with just two seconds to spare, Jenson put in a fantastic lap on his race fuel load to snatch pole position from Sebastian Vettel. Rubens rounded off a great result for the team with his third place. RESULTS Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3 Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P3 P3 01:20.707 P5 01:20.192 P1 01:20.527 Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-01 P4 P6 01:20.808 P1 01:19.954 P3 01:20.762 Weather Warm and sunny Temperatures Air: 23-24°C Track: 35-41°C JENSON BUTTON “An unexpected but very pleasing pole position today and it is probably my most satisfying pole of the season. Rubens been really quick all weekend and I was able to benefit from that by looking at his set-up to overcome some of the issues that we faced in practice yesterday. My final lap in Q3 was by far the best lap that I’ve had this weekend but it was a bit close crossing the line with just two seconds to spare. The upgrades that we have on the car here are performing well and it is certainly a good step forward for us although we haven’t got the most out of the package yet. The team has done a great job with the developments and I hope that everyone at the factory in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth enjoyed the pole today. It’s really important to start from the front here as overtaking can be difficult but we do have Felipe behind us with KERS so a good start will be crucial tomorrow.” RUBENS BARRICHELLO “We have had a really good weekend so far here in Spain and I’m happy to be starting from third position on the grid tomorrow. Of course it is a little disappointing not to be on pole after a great Q2 however my final lap in Q3 was good. We may have gone out slightly too early for the final run and missed an opportunity there. However I’m happy with our strategy and we are well placed for the race. We will need to get off the line cleanly and stay ahead of the Ferrari down to the first corner to make the most of our potential.” ROSS BRAWN “Congratulations to Jenson for his third pole position of the season and another great job from Rubens to secure third place. After some hard work from the team overnight, we were able to resolve the issues which Jenson encountered with our upgrade package yesterday and were greatly helped in that process by the input from Rubens. The developments on the car have enabled us to make good progress over the weekend and whilst we are still to fully maximise their impact on performance, the signs are encouraging. Rubens was very quick in the first two sessions on low fuel today with Jenson having the edge on the heavier fuel loads in Q3. Today’s result puts us in a good position and we look forward to a very exciting race.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Renault |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Fernando Alonso (8th, Q3 - 1m 21.392s): “I think that we did our maximum this afternoon. We were quick and have closed the gap with the leaders, although it was a bit close in Q2 where we were 10th. For the race tomorrow we know that the seven cars in front are quicker and the ones behind us are quite heavy on fuel and could jump ahead of us during the pit stops, so it might be difficult to keep our position. Nonetheless we need to score points and that will be our aim in tomorrow’s race.” Nelson Piquet (12th, Q2 - 1m 20.604s): “It was another really close session and all the cars were very competitive, especially in Q1. I was happy with the car as we had improved the balance this morning, but I just missed out on the top ten which is a bit disappointing. Still, starting 12th is not too bad and we have been free to choose our fuel load and have a strategy that we hope will help us move forward during the race.” Pat Symonds, Renault executive director of engineering: “Everyone was looking forward to Barcelona to see how the teams’ updates might change the relative positions. We can see that Ferrari have made a step forward, but overall the status quo has remained. Fernando has done a great job once again and he has a good grid position for his home Grand Prix. Nelson is also well placed and although he just missed out on the top 10, he is extremely close to Fernando’s performance and has the ability to have a very successful race tomorrow.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Red Bull |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sebastian Vettel - 2nd: "I felt very comfortable in the car today. The lap time in Q3 was good, unfortunately not good enough to beat Jenson - last minute he took the pole position away! But second on the grid, on front row is great, especially as we were struggling a little bit with the car yesterday. The conditions different to when we were testing here during the winter, but we fixed it and made a good recovery today. We also made an adjustment following this morning's practice, before qualifying, which seemed to work – so I'm very happy. We only needed one run on the hard tyre in Q1 and one on the soft tyre in Q2. It was a great job and compliments to the whole crew for their hard work. Some parts arrived quite late, which has meant some long nights for the boys, but they will have some rest later today." Mark Webber - 5th: "That was a bit disappointing. I would like to have done a slightly better job in Q3 and I could have done it. Q2 was good, but that's not the most important session. We're fifth, so let's see what we can do from there tomorrow. Thanks to the guys at Red Bull, they've done another good job this weekend." Christian Horner, Team Principal: "A very exciting qualifying session – ultimately it was really tight between Jenson (Button) and Sebastian. We believe we have a good strategy for tomorrow so we wait with interest for the fuel levels, but the performance in Q1 and Q2 was extremely impressive. Mark's performance in particular in Q2 was very strong, which is also encouraging for tomorrow." Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: "It's a good result today and the car was very quick in Q1 and Q2. Now, we need to wait to get the weights of the cars to see if we are very happy or just happy! Tomorrow's race will be tough I think. There was a question mark over where the car would be with all the updates that we bought here, but we are still at the front so we can be positive for the rest of the season." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bridgestone |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development What was significant about today's running? "Today we had an exciting qualifying session and we have an interesting grid for tomorrow's race. Lap times are extremely close here and tyre strategy was crucial in qualifying. The soft compound is around half a second faster than the hard which meant this tyre was used extensively through all the qualifying sessions, although some of the faster competitors used the hard compound for Q1. Many teams have new aerodynamic packages here and we have been able to see how effective these developments have been." How are the two compounds working here in Spain? "The two compounds are working very much as expected and there have been no surprises for teams. The soft tyre will be the preferred tyre for the race as it is faster but without significant wear or degradation issues. This should make strategy decisions easy for the race tomorrow. However, we have seen forecasts of rain, so everyone will be looking to the skies for the best indicator for the best tyre strategy." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Force India |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Adrian Sutil (19th, Q1 - 1m 21.742s): “We knew that this would be a tight session and it was. The balance of my car was OK and I don't think missing the free practice session yesterday put us at a disadvantage, it was just really close out there again. Track conditions were quite good for us, and the grip of the car improved from this morning but we just didn't have enough speed at the end of the day to do any more. But it could be a good race with the people we have around us.” Giancarlo Fisichella (20th, Q1 - 1m 22.204s): “I had some problems with traffic on my last lap and felt I could have improved the time. The car felt quite good though, more consistent than in the free practice this morning, and our race pace is always better than in qualifying. With Kovalainen and Raikkonen not far away from us I think the race will be a tough one, but let's see what we can do with the strategy and try and gain some positions.” Dominic Harlow, Force India chief race engineer: “Both drivers found it difficult to get the best from the car in today's qualifying. Adrian drove two good laps at the end of the session and unfortunately Giancarlo found some traffic. Clearly we've some work to do still to improve our qualifying pace on circuits like this. We'll look to be creative with our race tomorrow and make the best of any opportunities that come our way.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Toro Rosso |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sebastien Buemi (15th, Q2 - 1m 21.067s): "We were hoping for better than that. Apart from going off the track, I also encountered some traffic in Q2 and I think without that I could have been two or three tenths quicker and been a couple of places higher. Now, we will work hard to be well prepared for tomorrow when they say it might rain, which could be good for us. It is hard to overtake here, so it will be tough to get up into the points places, but you never know what might happen on the first lap. I have not given up on the idea of having a good weekend." Sebastien Bourdais (17th, Q1 - 1m 21.300s): “The car is definitely quicker in this specification, but the times are so close that, as soon as you make the slightest mistake, you are not forgiven. My first run was okay, but I felt I had less grip in the second one. Doing two runs of two laps was the right decision. I had a bit too much oversteer in the slow corners, so I couldn't carry enough speed and for a fraction I didn't make the cut, and unfortunately it wasn't good enough again today." Giorgio Ascanelli, Toro Rosso technical director: "Here in Spain, we have benefited from the introduction of the "Melbourne" specification package, as used by Red Bull Racing from the first race. We could and should have got both cars into Q2. Everyone else has also made a step forwards, but compared to the others, I think we have made a bigger step, which should have moved us up the scale of values. Unfortunately, this afternoon, we didn't get it right." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
BMW Sauber |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Robert Kubica (10th, Q3 - 1m 22.685s): “Qualifying started really well for me. I did two solid runs in Q1 and then an excellent one in Q2. The time was even good enough to take a little gamble. I only did one outing to save a set of tyres. This worked out, and it is a clear indication we have made progress with the performance of the car. But then in Q3 the car understeered heavily right from the beginning of the decisive lap. It was clear that something was wrong and I came back to the pits. It’s disappointing that this problem hindered me in getting the full potential out of the car.” Nick Heidfeld (13th, Q2 - 1m 20.676s): “It is good news that our car has obviously improved with the new aero package, so it is even more regrettable that I couldn’t get the most out of it. After I went off in turn twelve in this morning’s free practice and hit a tyre barrier I couldn’t do anymore running to prepare for qualifying. Predictions for the race are difficult and overtaking isn’t easy in Barcelona, but I still hope for points.” Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director: “Today the performance of the car showed the upwards trend which we hoped for. Robert only had to do one run in Q2 to make it into the top ten. Then, however, in preparation for the decisive run in Q3 the team made a mistake while fitting the tyres. Nick missed Q3 by just a fraction. Obviously, the fact that he went off in the morning and lost some valuable time to set up the car also played a role.” Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering: “The new aero package definitely proved to be a step forward. How big it is in comparison to the competition is something we now need to look at in detail. With Robert we were able to take a risk in Q2 when we left him in the garage after just one run in order to save a set of tyres, and it worked. But in Q3 he had to interrupt his final attempt because we made a mistake when fitting the tyres. Nick unfortunately just missed getting into the top ten. In tomorrow's race we should be able to score some points." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Toyota |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Timo Glock (6th, Q3 - 1m 21.247s): "I am reasonably satisfied to be starting in the top six, especially as the practice sessions didn't go completely to plan. I struggled a bit in practice with car stability but we worked hard to improve that and qualifying sixth is not a bad result so we have to be happy with it. Obviously we hoped to be a bit closer to the front but other teams have made a step forward this weekend and the competition is really close. I've scored points in all the races so far this season and starting from the third row gives me a good opportunity to keep up that run. Finishing on the podium will not be easy but of course I'll be pushing as hard as possible and we'll see what happens in the race tomorrow." Jarno Trulli (7th, Q3 - 1m 21.254s): "It was an interesting and tough qualifying session for me today, particularly Q1 and Q2 when I struggled a little on a low fuel load but we made it into Q3 which is the main thing. In Q3 the grip was much better with more fuel on board and the car reacted well so I was able to push hard. At the end of the session I managed to put in a very good lap so I am pleased with my performance and I think seventh on the grid is pretty good considering the fuel I have on board. I believe my strategy is a good one so today's result was positive and I am optimistic for a good result in the race." Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis: "All in all our qualifying performance went well and we are reasonably satisfied to have both cars in the top eight. It has been a busy weekend for us because we had several new aerodynamic items to evaluate in practice and we have done a lot of laps in preparation for the race. Prior to qualifying the practice results didn't look fantastic for us but we have worked well to be competitive again when it mattered. In terms of track and tyre characteristics here, we are in a situation which clearly opens a window for two or three pit stops so the race will be very interesting and we will probably see some different strategies. We believe we are in good shape so I am feeling positive." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Williams |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Nico Rosberg (9th, Q3 - 1m 22.558s): “I must say I am very pleased with today’s result because we weren’t looking good this morning. In qualifying, we struggled to get the tyres to work because the temperatures were only just about right. The tyres weren’t perfect on the first lap, but then they came together on the second. I managed to hook up a strong lap in Q2 which put me as high as P7, but I then didn’t have any tyres left for Q3. We did the best we could and we can be happy with the fifth row. We have a strong strategy so we have a good chance for the race tomorrow.” Kazuki Nakajima (11th, Q2 - 1m 20.531s): “My effort is a little bit disappointing. I felt comfortable throughout the session but I then lost time towards the end of my quick lap. The car felt really good too so I need to look over my data and see why I was losing that time. I think we can still have a decent race; in fact, I need to after the last few that haven’t gone well for me. Points will definitely be a target for me tomorrow.” Patrick Head, Williams director of engineering: “We had a difficult morning in practice, mainly caused by traffic problems, but we also struggled with the tyres. In qualifying, Nico secured a good time in Q2 to enter Q3 and then take ninth. Kazuki unfortunately just missed out on Q3 but P11 is a good position to start from. Because we’d used all of our new tyres, we decided to take a more conservative direction with race strategy so we won’t be threatening the front runners in the early laps of the race.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
McLaren |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Lewis Hamilton (14th, Q2 - 1m 20.805s): “We had a much better feeling on the softer tyre this morning, but it is still difficult to stop the car understeering through the longer corners like Turns Three and Nine. It wasn’t a bad lap, but there was still too much understeer through Three and Nine. We did the best we could today. My lap was not fantastic but the car was not fast enough either - I didn’t have the grip to go any faster. However, it will be quite a long and tough race for everyone tomorrow and we’ll try and make up as many places as possible and hope to score some points. We’ll learn from this, keep pushing and do better in the future.” Heikki Kovalainen (18th, Q1 - 1m 21.675s): “This was the first time this year that I didn’t reach Q2. Into the last sector, Nick was a little bit ahead of me but I don’t think he lost me a lot of time. It’s been quite a difficult weekend: I just couldn’t find any grip today - that’s why the lap time was too slow.” Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal “We knew in advance that this was going to be a particularly difficult circuit for us and today proved that. Let’s not forget that only eight weeks ago we were more than 2.5s off the pace - during qualifying today, Lewis was only three tenths off second place in Q1 and eight tenths off the front in Q2. While that’s still disappointing, it’s nonetheless a significant step up from where we were back in early March - and at a track that we knew would challenge the deficiencies in our car. However, the first four races have demonstrated that we have two very determined racing drivers in our team: they have battled against the odds in the first four races and we have every faith that they will make the most of tomorrow as well.” Norbert Haug, vice-president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport “Lewis in 14th and Heikki in 18th place is obviously a very disappointing result today. On the positive side, we closed the gap to the quickest car from 2.5s per lap at the last test two months ago before the season stared when we were dead last, to a little less than one second today. We knew that the fast corners of this circuit would highlight the shortcomings of MP4-24, which is mainly a lack of overall downforce. It took us two months to cut our deficit in half - our aim now has to be to be fighting for race wins within the next two months.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|