Chinese Grand Prix – Pre Race Quotes
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Oct 18, 2008
Team Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren (1st, Q3 - 1m 36.303s):
“I got a bit out of shape during my first run in Q3; I ran a bit wide at Turn Eight and oversteered onto the marbles, which put me on the wrong line for Turn Nine and left me cleaning my tyres for the rest of the lap. But I pulled it all together for my final attempt - and it was as close as I could get to a perfect lap. Our whole weekend has gone well, I can really feel the support from the team and my family and we’ll give it our best shot in the race tomorrow.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (2nd, Q3 - 1m 36.645s):
“Finally, things seemed to go right for me in qualifying. It’s too late for the title, but we definitely learnt a lesson which will be useful for next year. All weekend we’ve struggled to find the right settings on the car, but then all the work we put in finally came good in Q3, when the car was pretty good. Certainly, even putting aside what the choices have been in terms of fuel loads, today it would have been difficult to beat the McLaren, but I am happy with the overall result for the team. We can count as usual on being more competitive in the race than in qualifying, so we can look to tomorrow with confidence, as we try to get the best possible result for both championships. The weather could be very changeable so we have to be ready to deal with every eventuality.”
Felipe Massa, Ferrari (3rd, Q3 - 1m 36.889s):
“I can’t deny I’m a bit disappointed with this qualifying: starting from the front is always important even if the race is very long, but I will do my utmost to get a great result. Today, it was hard to find the right balance for the car, especially in Q3. Tomorrow, things could change as the car has shown it is good over a long run. We will have to attack to make up positions and we believe we have a good race strategy. Sure, our competitors went well and will be very competitive: let’s hope we are more competitive than they are!”
Fernando Alonso, Renault (4th, Q3 - 1m 36.927s):
“I’m very happy with my qualifying session. We had a few problems with the balance of the car this morning, but everything went well this afternoon and the car was much easier to drive. I know it will be very difficult to fight for the victory tomorrow, but my grid position means that I can hope for a great race and I will be ready to make the most of any chances that come our way.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren (5th, Q3 - 1m 36.930s):
“Q1 and Q2 went very well for me and I started Q3 feeling optimistic. But, unfortunately, on my last run, my tyres didn’t seem to deliver the grip levels I’d expected. It’s a pity, because I was hopeful I could get a better grid position than P5. But I’m still very encouraged by the progress we’ve made since yesterday, particularly with the balance, and I’m confident I’ll be even more competitive in the race tomorrow.”
Mark Webber, Red Bull (6th, Q3 - 1m 37.083s):
“Unfortunately a penalty for an engine change drops you five rows back - and it’s difficult enough anyway these days with the field being so tight. In Fuji I would have had a chance to make up some places during the race, as it’s easier to pass there, but there are some really quick corners here making it more difficult. Let’s hope for some rain tomorrow.”
