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1 - Mark WEBBER (Red
Bull)
2 - Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull)
3 – Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)
Q: Mark, you won here last year, pole position today, what is it about you
and this Silverstone circuit?
Mark WEBBER: Oh, not sure. I think I always enjoy driving here. You have
still got to put it all together. You don't get these results without
applying yourself. It was a very mixed session for all of us. Even the
build-up, obviously, with yesterday's rain and things like that. It was
important to make sure every lap counted as you never knew if it was the one
that would count for your main grid position. So even in Q2 and things like
that you wanted to make sure you weren't caught out and having to scramble
around on inters to try and do a time. In the end very happy with the job we
did. It is easy to slip up in conditions like that from an organisational
and logistical point of view, but also from a driver's perspective, so very
good job from the team and we are in a very good position for tomorrow's
race..
Q: Sebastian, there was a lot going on in the run-up to qualifying.
Difficult conditions during qualifying. Was that the most pressure you have
felt under during qualifying during a season.
Sebastian VETTEL: I wouldn't say most pressure, but I think it was a
difficult session with the conditions changing. When it starts to rain here
it can vary on different parts of the circuit and it is quite difficult to
see where it is wet or damp or if it's fine. You really rely on the out lap
or the lap before as if you arrive flat out and it is still damp it is very
easy to go off track. All in all that wasn't easy, but in the end it was
dry. Shame that we couldn't get the second run. I would have loved to
challenge Mark again but I think he had a good lap and it was a very good
result for us today, especially with the amount of talk going into that
qualifying or into the race here, so good to see we are still on top of our
game and still can produce reasonably quick lap times. We are quite happy.
Tomorrow, anything can happen. I think this circuit is quite tough on tyres,
so we see what we get tomorrow.
Q: Fernando, you were off track in the first part of qualifying, really
flirting with disaster. But you came through in the end to be only a tenth
off pole. You must be pleased with that?
Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, very happy. I think it is the best qualifying in
terms of the gap to pole position of the year. We have been more or less, on
average, one second or seven-tenths in the last couple of races, and here in
Silverstone, on a circuit that normally is not our preference in terms of
lay-out and characteristics, with these high speed corners, being one-tenth
off the pole is good news for us. The new parts we brought here are working
well and (I'm) pleased with qualifying. But the job is tomorrow when the
points are given, so hopefully in the race we can still perform well, be
close to these guys and put some pressure to be on the podium in the end.
Q: Mark, how big a distraction has all the row over the blown diffusers been
in the run-up to the qualifying session this weekend and what are your
prospects for the race tomorrow do you think?
MW: Well, I think the team has handled it pretty well. Seb and I have
concentrated on the driving, otherwise it gets very, very boring. But it is
not new for our team. Adjustable front ride height controllers, front wings,
whatever. Every year we have a new thing to talk about. This last few weeks
it has been about this. Let's hope everyone can find a common ground. It is
incredibly boring also for the fans. I think they cannot understand 0.1 per
cent of what's going on. Even for us it is sometimes difficult, so let's get
on with the racing. Keep the rules as simple as possible from the start of
the year maybe and go from there. But from my perspective for tomorrow I am
in great shape. I have prepared well and ready to challenge for the win for
sure.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Mark, which side is pole and are you quite happy whichever side it is? Is
it on the left side?
MW: Definitely on the left. If it's not, we will change it tonight.
Q: Your second pole after Spain and you were a winner here last year. The
eighth pole position of your career. Do you derive a lot of satisfaction
from this?
MW: Yes, it is always rewarding when you get the maximum out of the
situation. I couldn't have done any better today apart from obviously being
on pole by a bigger margin but that's not always possible with these guys
around. I did my best and it was enough to be the quickest car when it
counted. Hasn't always been the case this year, but today it worked out
well. Tricky session. Very easy to look stupid when you make a mistake. Rain
and different tyres and what do you do and when do you go and all that sort
of stuff. It adds a bit more intensity to the logistical side for the team
but also inside the cockpit for us. Particularly in our garage we can't see
much. It's like being in an underground car park down there. We can't see
the track, we can't see too much of the conditions so we have got to go
purely on the television so engineers did a good job.
Q: Looking at what's happened over the last couple of days, you could say
last couple of weeks, is this Red Bull's reply perhaps?
MW: No, it's not. We are not looking to reply to anything. What has to be
re-iterated is that the last three years our team has virtually turned up
very, very early and left very, very late. Every team in this pit-lane works
hard but our team works incredibly hard as well. We worked with the RB5,
RB6, RB7, whatever, to concentrate on that and that's what we have done for
the last few years. What is happening in the last few months is not what
we've done in the last few months, it's years of hard work to put ourselves
in this position technically. It is a subject at the moment that is topical,
which we have had each year, but not maybe as heavy as this one, and we have
seen today that we are still going okay. But irrespective of lap times it is
all about interpretation of rules and regulations and principles and how you
go forward as competing under the right guidelines. Whether we are pole or
10th the team will still continue to have its stance on what they think is
correct so it is not a comeback what we did today at all.
Q: Did the car feel any different? Has it felt any different say from
Valencia given the regulation change?
MW: It is always difficult from track to track unless we do proper
back-to-backs. We had not a bad chance this weekend because the rules
changed, especially every session, so we had a little bit of a chance. But
the weather was on top of that as well. It is not going to turn the car 180
degrees, the car is still going pretty well and that's it.
Q: Sebastian, front row again as for every race so far this year. At least
you have that satisfaction.
SV: Well I am happy with the result. I think it is important to qualify on
the front and it wasn't an easy session as Mark touched on. With the
conditions changing it was very easy to go wide or go into the gravel like
Fernando. All in all it was tight. Not much between cars. I am sure if you
get the chance to try again maybe you could find a sniff here and there. But
it was a good step today. We kept our heads cool. There was a lot of talk.
Still might be a lot of talk. We are happy as soon as we jump into the car
because then we are allowed to work and focus on what is really important.
Tomorrow will be a long way, long race. I think tyres will be incredibly
important. Looking after them, et cetera, this is a tough track for those
plus we had no experience on Friday as it was wet so it's a bit driving into
the unknown tomorrow right from the start and then we will see.
Q: How well prepared is the team?
SV: As prepared as you arrive on Friday morning I would say. We know a
little bit more now, but no one really was able to do a proper run. You
cannot catch up the time you lose on the whole of Friday by a little bit of
running this morning and then through qualifying. In qualifying, it's a
different approach. It's a one timed lap that counts and not the whole
distance so we will see and I think we will learn along the way.
Q: A lot of people were saying it is going to be a pretty lively race
tomorrow. There are going to be a lot of place changes. Is that your view?
SV: We will see. I think overtaking is not easy around here. Never has been.
There is one DRS zone. We will see whether that works or not. I think it is
really tricky. It is not an easy job to get things right because distance
based on one track, then it is too easy on the other track, it doesn't
really help. I think we will know a lot more after we have raced and take
that experience into next year, which will help but for this year every
circuit is different. The corners before the DRS zone are very decisive so
we will see. I think we will see some overtaking, definitely more than last
year or in the last years.
Q: Fernando, your second best grid position of the year, obviously some
satisfaction and encouragement from your aerodynamic improvements?
FA: Yeah, definitely. I think I was second in Canada but this third feels
much better because we are only one tenth off pole position. This is
completely new for us this year and a little bit of a good surprise because
you normally bring new parts to the races, you always test them on Fridays
and then you see which ones are working, which ones need more time before
you put them on the car but it seems that this weekend everything we put on
the car seems to have worked OK and we've got some downforce back.
Especially here at Silverstone, with these high speed corners, being one
tenth off Red Bull is fantastic news for us so far this weekend. But we are
only happy if, on Sunday, we score points and this is only Saturday. We have
a good grid position but tomorrow is when we have to deliver.
Q: Does it make you a challenger for victory tomorrow?
FA: Let's see. I think we are definitely closer than ever, usually being one
second behind and sometimes finishing second or third in the race is a
little bit closer to Red Bull as in Turkey where we finished third, but we
fought with Mark until the end. Last race we finished second, also fighting
with the Red Bulls. As I said, having been seven or eight tenths off the
pace in qualifying so today when we are a little bit quicker, I'm sure that
tomorrow we can put some more pressure on them.
Q: We saw you going off the circuit; you seemed to be heading in the
direction of a rather better surface than what you were on and actually
discovered one that was worse!
FA: Yeah. Obviously I lost the car in turn six, on the exit, so I knew that
I was going onto the gravel. I didn't know whether to try to slow the car
and get back quickly onto the asphalt or take the long way. I thought the
gravel was a little bit more compact, but that was not the case, so it was a
big risk to stop the car there but luckily I was helped.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Mathias Brunner - Speedweek) Seb, you mentioned yesterday that the pit
entry will be an issue in the drivers' briefing, so what was the outcome of
that?
SV: Some drivers felt that it is unnecessary to do 100 km/h. We had the
chance now and I have to see it's possible but it's not really comfortably,
particularly with some drops (of rain) it was quite scary. But the majority
said nothing so we stick with 100 km/h.
Q: (Niki Takeda – Formula PA) What we used to see, until now, was you
negotiating Copse and then a mad dash to Stowe and now we are in a
completely different part of the circuit, you have a completely different
layout ahead of you. How different is the start dynamics for all of you?
SV: In a way, it's a different circuit. Traditionally, I think you were used
to starting a lap and then you had a massive corner straight away into Copse
and then the first sector – after that it wasÉ you know, to get your head
straight again. Now it's different, now you have a quick corner initially
but then a rather slow start into the lap and it just feels wrong when you
arrive at Copse and it's halfway round the lap, so you exit onto the Hangar
Straight, then after the fast section and your lap is nearly over. In the
end, you get used to it I guess but I think there was a lot of tradition on
the old layout, the old track. I really liked it. I still like it because I
think the character is still there but of course you give away some parts to
get some new bits.
MW: I think it's a good question, actually, because it has changed and Seb
explains it well, but Copse, Becketts, the first sector was very, very
quick, not too dissimilar to Suzuka but at Suzuka you have a bit more of a
tighter corner in turn two but the flow is different, but turn three here
you obviously have heavy braking not long after the start. It's a different
track on the first lap but that's it.
FA: For me it changes nothing, very similar to last year. Only the start
will maybe change a little bit. Instead of having the first corner flat out,
now we will have the first two corners and then heavy braking, so we will
have different lines there, probably more action so it will be better for
the show.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, you said that you
are just one tenth away from Red Bull at this Grand Prix. Do you feel that
is just because of the new parts on the car or also because of the new
regulations?
FA: Difficult question to answer. I'm not a technician but I guess it's just
because of the new parts that we have on the car. About the exhaust and
diffuser and all this talk, we repeat a hundred times: we all lose
performance with the new rules and we all lose more or less the same
performance, maybe from three tenths to five tenths but I don't think that
one team can lose 1.5s, one team can lose a tenth. This is not possible so I
guess because we are third and fourth now means that the whole team did a
very good job, bringing the new parts here and we are more competitive, not
because of the thing.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Sebastian and Mark, you were
0.117s fastest in qualifying on a circuit very favourable to your team. Do
you think this is an indication for the rest of the season, because
qualifying was mainly your big advantage in comparison to your competitors?
MW: I think we are still very, very, very good but the red cars might have
done a little bit, to come closer today so the rest of the competition – if
you look at just today, not tomorrow, but just today – we look like we're
still performing at a very, very high level. Ferrari haven't been slow today
so there might be a bit of form card starting to build for the future, but
we obviously need more events to see if that's possible, but it's completely
fair for you to ask that. Normally we are here – Barcelona, Silverstone,
whatever - then you expect us to be down the road but we are, on most
people. Obviously these guys (Ferrari) are a bit closer. The cars are very
sensitive to lap time at the moment, the tyres, all that sort of stuff, and
it wasn't a normal preparation for qualifying in some ways so let's see how
we are in the next two events to see if your question is right.
SV: As Mark said, in the end, we can't let go, we have to keep on pushing.
That's what the other teams do to catch up and that's what we have to do to
maintain our position, otherwise it will change. Sure it varies from circuit
to circuit but we have to keep on working hard.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Mark, you haven't led a single lap this
season. How likely is it that you will do so tomorrow?
MW: Well, it's incredible, isn't it, that I haven't but yeah, good chance
tomorrow. If I lead one lap, but it's the right one, then that would be nice
but if you lead all the rest, of course it gives you a few more options to
control the race and whatnot. It's not the best statistic for me so far this
year but I still have a few points so I need to get some more points by
doing what you just said.
Q: (Sean McGreedy – CSMA Magazine) To all of you: a lot has been said about
Lewis Hamilton's driving style. If you were being criticised in the same
way, how would you deal with it, how would you react?
MW: Look, when you're a professional sportsman you're going to get
criticised at some point in your career. All of us have been, we will be
again and it comes with the territory. You've got to deal with it.
SV: First of all, it's always individual. I think it depends how you take
it. If people criticise you, sometimes they're wrong, sometimes they're
right. It depends on what they criticise you for. As Mark said, in the end
it's something you have to learn to deal with. I'm sure Lewis is aware and
Lewis has dealt with some situations in the past as well. In the end, he was
always quick on the track, so I think that to us, that's the most important
thing.
FA: Same!
Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Fernando, as you've said,
you've caught up a lot, in particular in comparison to Barcelona which was a
similar type of track in terms of lap time. Does the same apply for the hard
tyres which were the biggest problem in Barcelona?
FA: That's something we need to find out tomorrow. Obviously we haven't had
enough laps in dry conditions: yesterday none and today only I think five or
six laps so no real reference at the moment, but what we felt in free
practice three and first qualifying was a very good feeling with hard tyres
this weekend, so we are quite confident that tomorrow we will not have the
problems that we had in Barcelona, where we lost a complete lap in the last
forty laps of the race. Maybe we still prefer the soft tyres but with the
hard – fingers crossed – that we have no problems tomorrow. |
