Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2007 Qualifying - 1st, 2007 Race - DNF
“Sometimes I’ve been on YouTube and seen a video clip or a picture of me in the gravel last year and thought, ‘Damn! That shouldn’t have happened.’ But it was a learning mistake. I can still move forwards from it; things like that happen for a reason and it taught me a lot. Last year, the last couple of races taught me a lot about my personality and my life. And I’m stronger for it.
“I wouldn’t call Shanghai a technical circuit. Some of the slower turns require a more precise approach, but you’ve got to really attack some of the corners. It’s technical in the sense that you can’t make a slow or poorly-balanced car go quickly around it, but finding a good set-up is one of the jobs of a racing driver and, for that reason, I like it.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2007 Qualifying - 2nd, 2007 Race - 1st
“Now we’re going to China. Let’s see what we can do there, where I won last year. Shanghai is a very demanding track and I really like it. Our goal is a one-two win. I’ll give it all to help Felipe and the team to gain the results we want.”
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2007 Qualifying - 3rd, 2007 Race - 3rd
“Last year, in Shanghai, I finished third in a race that began in the wet. The track itself is quite interesting and everything there is on a very big scale, although the journey to and from the circuit can be a bit painful at times with the heavy traffic. I had quite a good race last year and hope to do even better this time. I like the circuit and I think it will suit the F2008, so of course we will be aiming to get a one-two finish.”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2007 Qualifying - 4th, 2007 Race - 2nd
“Formula One is still a relatively new sport in China but the fans are very enthusiastic and very welcoming, just as they are in Japan. It’s a real change of surroundings and the infrastructure here is enormous. I can’t wait to get back in the car this weekend as it’s an interesting place to drive a Formula One car. I think the circuit provides several interesting challenges for both the drivers and the engineers. It’s made up of long straights, high-speed corners, but also some slow corners. So again it will be a case of compromising with the set-up to find the right balance with a car that is stable in the corners with plenty of downforce and which still has enough straight-line speed to be able to defend or overtake on the straights. That is what we will concentrate on during Friday practice. We saw in Fuji that our level of performance was reasonable compared to Ferrari and McLaren, so you have to feel that once again anything is possible this weekend - a podium or a victory. The whole team is very motivated after our two wins in Singapore and Fuji and we will do everything possible to have another strong race.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 9th, 2007 Race - DNF
“Shanghai is an interesting circuit with a very long straight, and here there’s a good chance to overtake. The track offers a mixture of very different corners; there are some slow areas but also several fast sections. The first corner is particularly challenging. You stay on the brakes for a long time, and then it quickly switches into a left-hander. I haven’t had much luck at this circuit so far. I hope that changes this time and I can pick up some important points for the world championship.”
Jenson Button, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 10th, 2007 Race - 5th
“I like the layout of the Shanghai International Circuit as it is quite demanding and technical for the drivers but also fun to drive. There are a lot of high-speed sections which I enjoy and you need good straight-line speed for the pit straight and the long straight which stretches for over a kilometre between Turns 13 and 14. It’s very different from many of the circuits which we race on and the fact that there are a few good overtaking opportunities, particularly going into Turn 1 and then at the banked entry onto the back straight, make it more exciting. Our focus in practice will be on achieving the right downforce level for the car which will be a compromise set-up to accommodate the different types of corner and the straights.”
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