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1 – Sebastian VETTEL
(Red Bull Racing)
2 – Felipe MASSA (Ferrari)
3 – Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)
Sebastian, a late call for a second set of intermediate tyres in Q3 and it
worked out well for you.
Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, I think generally an interesting qualifying session.
We knew that rain was the on the way and then… to be honest we expected
already some [rain] at the beginning of qualifying but it didn’t come, so
going out on dry [tyres]. Obviously I think we had a bit of a different
approach to other people. Q2 was quite on edge I would say, so probably the
rain helped us a little bit. Otherwise I think we would have had to go out
again. But in that case it was just enough to go through to Q3. Then in Q3
with the circuit drying, it was clear it was better to change tyres. We
confirmed that pretty early. I think we did the right thing. Very tricky
because you don’t know if there’s more rain coming or not, but we took the
decision. Bit surprised by the gap but a decent lap and I was very happy
obviously. It was quite tricky because some parts of the track were still
wet and others were dry but overall a very good session for us. We managed
to save some tyres, which could be crucial tomorrow, so we’ll see what we
can do.
Felipe, ahead of Fernando on the grid once again, as in Melbourne. Ferrari
[look] good in the wet, did the rain help you?
Felipe MASSA: Well, I would day maybe yes. I don’t know if we were able to
be second and third in the dry as [there were] some other quick cars, like
Webber, Kimi, maybe Mercedes as well. So I think it was a good qualifying
for us. We took the right decision at the start to change tyres and managed
to put a good lap together as well. I think maybe the rain helped a bit.
Fernando, in third. You won here last year obviously and you’re in the top
three on the grid now. What’s your approach to the race tomorrow?
Fernando ALONSO: Try to do a good race and try to score as many points as
possible. We are not sure about the performance, the car in race pace.
Obviously every long run we do is a little bit inconsistent – sometimes we
are OK, sometimes not – and we need to see tomorrow how the race goes. We
did not have big problems in the long runs on Friday. In Melbourne the race
pace was OK, so no reason not to be optimistic for tomorrow. But we’ll see
what we can do.
Sebastian, back to you. You went from pole to third in Melbourne, what’s the
story going to be tomorrow?
SV: Well, I think if you start in the front you always want to finish there
as well. Obviously as Fernando touched on, it will be a long race and
difficult to know the true pace. We confirmed more or less what we saw in
Melbourne. I was very happy with the balance of the car once again. I think
also considering where we were last year here, a big step forward. But these
days racing is a little bit different. Hopefully we’ll find the right amount
of percentage less than 100 per cent to start the race tomorrow. Managing
the tyres will be crucial and then we go from there. We know the pace is
there so hopefully we get to the chequered flag in the same position.
Q: Sebastian, in Q1 it looked like you were trying to not take too much out
of that set of tyres, so that you could use them again in Q2, and you ended
up 15th. So, were you living a little dangerously? Was your heart beating a
little faster than normal?
SV: Yeah, obviously it’s difficult to know how quick you go if you don’t try
to go 100 per cent – which I think it’s fair to say that we tried that.
Yeah, was quite tight in qualifying, I think, in dry conditions. And across
the line I knew that maybe it’s not quick enough but it turned out to be
just OK. Obviously we were running quite late and we could see if other
people… well I couldn’t but the team could see if other people are going
quicker. And once it was enough we obviously came in to save the tyres
because we used them again in Q2 and it was just enough to get to Q3.
Obviously there was a bit of rain on the way and I had a little bit of rain
on the track as well. I don’t think it really slowed me down, for cars that
came after me I think it was a little bit more tricky up to a point where it
was just too wet for dries. So once it was clear the rain got worse, it was
also clear to us that our plan worked out with a little bit of help from the
rain. Good to save the maximum amount of tyres possible.
Q: A number of teams had problems with weather radar during the course of
the session. Can you confirm whether you at Red Bull have some extra set-up,
some individuals that are placed around the circumference of the circuit
that are giving information, or do you have any additional information.
SV: Well, I think we use what everyone is using, so mostly referring to the
radar – which we know sometimes is very accurate and sometimes is not. To be
fair, in this place, I think it’s very tricky to be very precise because the
weather changes so quickly. Also, considering the amount of rain that comes
down and the circuit not really changing, it’s quite impressive, which I
think is related to just this place, high temperatures etc. We saw it
yesterday during practice. The rain came down and there was steam on the
track. I didn’t have an effect for a long time, until it rained hard and
then obviously you have to come in and change tyres. So it was similar in
that regard but in terms of what we do, I think it’s more or less what other
people are doing as well.
Felipe, in terms of the information you were getting about the weather, can
you track your thoughts through the course of that qualifying session and
how you thought it was progressing for you?
FM: I think it was pretty good. Even on the… we go out, I did one timed lap
and it was a pretty good lap straight away with the conditions, which was
more water on the track. And then I stop, I change the tyres, looking at
many people stopping as well. I go out with a new set, track was already
quicker because already the dry line starts to appear. The rain was a bit
less, so even in one lap you find a completely different track, so the track
was much quicker. I managed to put a good lap together. Even if already I
have a bit of graining in my first timed lap because the track was too dry
maybe for the Inters. So, maybe I was suffering a little bit on the second
and the third sector – but I mean maybe everybody was having similar
problems. Anyway, the lap was good, so it was a good start for both of us. I
think maybe since a long time we don’t start both cars with a good pace as
well in the top three. I think it’s a good job for the team as well. For the
team that was preparing this car in the winter as well. So, I’m really
looking forward for the race tomorrow. It will be a difficult long race.
Anything can happen with degradation, with strategy, with rain. But let’s
concentrate to do the best we can tomorrow.
Q: From what we’ve seen so far in the practice sessions, obviously the tyre
degradation different for some teams from others, how decisive is the
strategy for tomorrow and what are your thoughts on what we’re likely to
see?
FM: Very important. I mean, we know how these tyres behave with the high
temperature. For sure you have teams which suffer a little bit more than the
other teams. So, we need to concentrate on doing the right job. For sure, if
I do the right job it can also be many positions at the end of the race.
Q: What about from your perspective Fernando? What have you learnt so far
from the practice running that will help you in the grand prix tomorrow?
FA: Well, I think we need to use all the information we have from yesterday
in the long run pace and also in this morning a little bit. Also, in
qualifying, I think all the laps you do in this race track are important due
to the changes that constantly you have: the temperature, the weather
conditions, etcetera. So for tomorrow I think we expect some rain around –
like all the afternoons here, so if it arrives before the race, at the start
of the race, in the middle of the race, at the end of the race, we don’t
know, so we need to be ready for any change. The only good thing, the only
positive thing that we have is that the car performed really well in both
conditions: in rain and in dry conditions. So, we are not afraid of what is
coming from the sky. Whatever arrives, we will take it and hopefully we will
be competitive.
Q: Talk a little bit about the timing as well of decision-making. Obviously
today it was important to get the timing right. Wet conditions like we had
here last year when you won the race, it was really important – because it’s
a long lap here – to make the timings right. How important is that within
the team to get the decisions clear?
FA: It’s very important. I think here the characteristics of the circuit are
quite… extreme let’s say, in terms of tyre stress, so to do a extra lap with
the wrong tyre can cause you a lot of time – or more than at other circuits.
So we need to be spot-on the decisions tomorrow. We need to be very
concentrated because there is no room for mistakes tomorrow in the race.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Fernando, you are experiencing
something new at Ferrari now and maybe also in your Formula One career: your
teammate is as fast as you, maybe even faster. Does it stimulate you?
FA: I think I’ve been racing 27 years now in motor racing - I’m getting old
– so it’s not the first time that we have very close competition. It was
very close the last three years as well, but I know that for you it was not
that close in terms of results because I think Felipe had some bad luck,
some incidents sometimes, some mechanical problems other times but the last
three years was much closer than I think that it looked in the points at the
end. So this year it is again very close, no big difference, maybe a little
bit closer and for sure the last two races we are behind on the grid but so
far on Saturday there are no points so we need to keep working for Sunday.
It’s the best news for the team, because we need to have a competition
between the two drivers in the team, we need to share information between
the drivers in the team and now I think all the data that we have from free
practice, from qualifying for everything is very useful to compare and to
analyse to make ourselves better, so this is only good news for the team and
we will push each other to our own limits and this is good news for the
team.
Q: Felipe, do you want to respond to that? Do you feel completely
re-energised?
FM: Yes, sure, I feel very happy, very automatically driving the car. I like
the car that we have this year much more compared to the car we had last
year. I think I understand a lot more the direction for the set-up and
everything - we even understood that last year, from August to the end of
the year. I feel really happy driving the car. When you try to do something
you don’t feel comfortable with you maybe cannot do the perfect lap with the
car so I think that’s really important for me, for the team. The best thing
for the team is always to have the best drivers finishing in the best
positions, so that’s really a positive point for the team and for myself as
well, for Fernando, so I think it’s a good direction.
Q: (Abhishek Takle - Midday) Sebastian, you mentioned that the rain helped
you a little bit in the end, but looking at your pace in the dry, do you
think you might have been able to take pole had the rain stayed away?
SV: It’s difficult to say now. What I meant obviously was that I think the
timing helped in that regard, not getting to Q3 – I think we had the pace to
do that on our own. It more helped in regards to saving a set of tyres for
tomorrow, depending on the conditions and in general - it’s difficult to say
– but we were looking quite competitive all weekend. I was feeling happy in
the car so there’s nothing that speaks against that but would/could/should –
we don’t know so I think the pace set in Q2 by Nico, I think, who was
fastest, was a pretty good lap. We had a strong car but whether it was
enough to beat that time or not I don’t know.
Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Felipe, you’ve now outqualified Fernando
for the last four Grands Prix; after all you went through last season, do
you feel that your performances now are a response to all those critics who
wrote you off last season when your future was so up in the air?
FM: Well, I feel comfortable in the car. I think whenever you feel
comfortable you can do a good lap and you can use the car to the maximum,
it’s possible. It was really clear that I was not comfortable last year and
the year before, so many things around the car, bad luck, around myself as
well, so there were so many things that were not working in the proper
direction, but now they are and I know how quick I can be, I’ve showed that
many times in the past. If everything works well, we can be competitive,
it’s pretty sure about that. I believe in myself and I think it can be
really important for the team, for Fernando as well, for everybody. We need
a stronger team, a strong position and fighting for the best position in
every race so I’m happy, that’s a good direction.
Q: (Carlos Miguel – La Gaceta) Fernando, are you looking to pass these guys
in the first corner or are you confident of the car in race conditions and
you must wait during the race?
FA: Well, I think the start will be the first opportunity. I think if
everything goes normally I will have a very good start so we should be able
to at least maintain the position, if not attack, so we will see how are the
first meters tomorrow. I think that in this Formula One that we are
experiencing today, the start is very low priority. I think that 56 laps is
a very long race, a lot of strategy calls to make, a lot of tyre issues that
everybody needs to get through during the race. Some people maybe look
better in the first part, some people maybe look a little bit better in the
second part or approaching the stints. I think the start, as I said, these
days is of less importance than in the past but for sure tomorrow we will
try to do a good start, similar to Melbourne – hopefully – and try to be
first and second in the first part of the race.
Q: (Cristobal Rosaleny - Car and Driver) Fernando, do you think having Kimi
in seventh place on the grid is good news for you, because maybe Sebastian
has been struggling more with the tyres this weekend?
FA: As I said, I don’t think the (grid) positions are very important these
days or the first lap positions. If you have a good race pace, as I think
Kimi has or Lotus has, I think they will arrive sooner or later in the race
and will put some pressure on us, so I think we need to be very calm. Kimi
started fantastically well in Melbourne, winning the race, he’s very strong
this weekend here but the race and the championships are both very long and
it’s not only Kimi fighting for the championship, so we will see. I think at
the moment it’s very close, Red Bull is strong, Mercedes very strong, again
today, as Seb said now, in Q2 Nico’s time was quite impressive so there are
four or five teams that at the moment are on top of everybody. We also need
to be competitive in the race to develop the car if we want to win the
championship.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) Felipe, we heard Fernando’s
evaluation concerning the race pace. Is it the same for you or is it
different?
FM: Well, yesterday we didn’t have so much time to do a long run on both
tyres, so we don’t know. I don’t know. I think it’s difficult to be sure how
it’s going to be with the car on race pace, because yesterday I did a long
run on the medium tyres but not many laps and then it started raining. So I
don’t know. I think maybe it can be that our car is better in the race
compared to qualifying, compared to normal conditions in the dry, but we
need to wait and see tomorrow.
Q: (Leonid Novozhilov – F1Live) Sebastian, what is more interesting for you,
rain or dry and why?
SV: Well, if it’s dry we obviously saved some tyres today that could help.
If it’s wet, I’m not sure we have enough. It doesn’t make a big difference.
I think we have to go with the conditions, fortunately they’re not in our
hands, so obviously it’s good for you but also it’s very exciting for us, as
Fernando touched on, finding the right lap to make the call to come in or
stay out. We’ve seen in the past that sometimes you are just on the spot,
sometimes you are not, so it can make a big difference to the race but if
that happens, it’s very exciting for us inside the car as well. In wet
conditions generally, I think you drive the car with much more feeling. It
allows you a little bit more to overcome a lack of pace or something like
that during the race or overtake someone. Nevertheless, I think we need to
be focused every single lap and go from there. |
