|
1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
2 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
3 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)
TV UNILATERAL
Lewis, to say the least a dramatic session and obviously all about timing at
the end, but your first lap on the intermediate tyres – did that just push
the bar too high for everyone else?
Lewis HAMILTON: I don’t know. I think the first lap was quite good. It’s
always quote good because you go out and none of us have driven this weekend
in the wet, so the first lap is always kind of just the unknown. You don’t
want to take too much risk so that you don’t get the lap but you need a
banker. My lap was feeling pretty good. I was pushing. And then the next one
was up at one stage but just lost a little bit on the lap but generally a
fantastic job for the team to have us both up here again.
Very well done. Coming to you Sebastian, first time for 10 races I believe
that we haven’t had a Mercedes front-row lockout. The timing again was
everything for you but what can you do from here?
Sebastian VETTEL: You never know, just look outside. Obviously when it
starts to rain to here, which there is always a high chance, then it can mix
up things, so… I think it was an interesting qualifying session. The car
felt good in both dry and in damp or wet conditions at the end, so
reasonably happy. Also, the long runs looked good on practice day so we
should be in good shape. But we know they are difficult to beat but
ultimately that’s why everyone turns up, trying to win and we’ll see what we
can do tomorrow. Maybe it looks like we are a little bit closer here but we
will have to wait and see I guess.
Very well done. Coming to you Nico, you had a go right at the very end on
the intermediate tyres but it wasn’t to be. Where do you think it got away
from you today?
Nico ROSBERG: I just didn’t drive well enough, so that’s why. I’m annoyed by
that. Third place is not good for tomorrow, but that’s the way it is. It was
quite interesting conditions out there, because there was so much grip it
was unbelievable. I’ve seldom had so much grip in wet conditions, so it was
very unusual. It was good to drive but not quick enough. For tomorrow, third
place, it’s on the clean side of the grid, so maybe… or that should
definitely help me to get by Sebastian tomorrow in the start.
Coming back to you Lewis, on your final run you caught up with Nico at a
slightly awkward place on the turn-in to a corner. Did that cause you any
problems?
LH: I don’t really remember, so obviously not.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lewis, interesting strategy by both of you in Q1: you went out on the
medium tyre whereas a lot of your competitors including Sebastian went with
the harder tyres. Obviously you were thinking about tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
Do you see it being quite an interesting race, an open race from a strategic
point of view?
LH: It generally always is here. Last year we had a three stop, it’s very
very tough on the tyres here, so particularly with these hot temperatures
plus the race has come earlier so it’s even earlier if it is dry. Yeah, it’s
going to be a real challenge for everyone including the car but also with
the tyres and the strategy.
Q: Sebastian, obviously one of the big changes for Ferrari this year is the
straightline speed which has been very strong. You’re losing time to these
guys in the middle sector which is the kind of thing you used to do in your
Red Bull days and sacrifice a bit of speed on the straights, but how do you
see it from that point of view, driving the Ferrari tomorrow?
SV: Well, we should have a good car anyway. I think we had a decent Friday,
I think we should have done our homework. Obviously now we see what we can
do to prepare the race. Obviously we can’t touch the cars but the balance
was pretty good in qualifying and as I said, on Friday it was pretty solid.
We seem to be looking after the tyres. I know that this race can be a
difficult one just as mentioned before, on tyres plus you never know with
the rain, there’s always a chance so it could mix things around. Starting
where we do, I think we have a decent chance to do well tomorrow and could
be up for anything.
Q: Nico, I think it’s the second longest run of the whole season down to
turn one and obviously the way it goes right and then left, we often see
quite a big shift in field position as a result. That’s one opportunity for
you, strategy the other. What is your thinking about the Grand Prix
tomorrow?
NR: Well, definitely looking forward to it because we have such a great car.
I had a good run on Friday so race pace is good. Starting on the clean side
so hopefully I can attack Sebastian and get behind Lewis and then race Lewis
from there.
QUESTION FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Nico, could you clarify
please the radio message at the end, when you were talking about the lines
on the track? Who were you referring to, please?
NR: Because it was an unusual condition out there which we haven’t
practised, I was just interested to hear what the guy who was first did in
terms of lines and I didn’t know it was Lewis, so I just asked what lines
was he doing. Was he doing normal dry lines or more towards wet, but that
information is banned, so I got a reply ‘can’t tell you. |
