Sebastian Vettel (1st, Q3 - 1m 34.558s)
“It was tough today. I was not happy yesterday and this morning, as Mark was quite a bit quicker than me. We made some changes to the car in Mark’s direction, but it was still extremely difficult. I was struggling in the first sector, but then I got a purple (fastest) time in sector one on my last lap, so I think we made a good step forward! I found a better line that worked, remembering things from last year. I lost my way a little bit in free practice this morning, but I had two very good runs in Q3. I think the first would have already been a good time, but I was too wide in the last corner. The second run was better - it was a fantastic lap. We got a fourth consecutive pole position for Red Bull. We’re proving that we have a very good car, no matter what the circuit. I’m very pleased with today. Thanks to the mechanics, as they had zero lunch due to all the changes that were required between free practice and qualifying.”
Mark Webber (2nd, Q3 - 1m 34.806s)
“In P3, things came a little bit my way on some of the settings and it was a good battle again between me and Seb. He did a good job in Q3. I’m on the front row - which is not a bad position to start from. It’s a big credit to the team that we’ve locked out the front row again, after doing the same in Melbourne - it’s very positive. Thanks to the mechanics too. There was stuff coming out last night for our cars that should never have got here with the volcano exploding in Europe. It wasn’t easy for the team to arrange, so it was a great team effort. We’re set for an interesting Grand Prix tomorrow - I’m looking forward to it.”
Fernando Alonso (3rd, Q3 - 1m 34.913s)
“At the moment, I’d say this result is an accurate reflection of our qualifying potential. The Red Bulls seem unbeatable, but it’s definitely not a surprise, because they are always strong on Saturday. I am happy with the way things went: third is a good place to start such a long race. We can do well and aim for a podium finish. Today, I was more comfortable on the hard tyres, as the soft ones were trickier to use. I am pleased with the benefits of the new aerodynamic package in terms of performance and it is thanks to these parts that I was able to take part in the press conference for the top three drivers. The team is working well, with a clear philosophy that it’s in the race that the points are given out, not in qualifying. If it rains, a lot will depend on when the tyres will need to be changed: getting it right, along with making the best tyre choice, can bring you the win, but if you get it wrong, you could lose everything. It’s hard to say where we are in terms of being competitive in the wet, because during winter testing, we were never all out on track under the same conditions and on the same fuel loads. However, in Australia, it went pretty well…”
Nico Rosberg (4th, Q3 - 1m 34.923s)
“Fourth place is quite a nice surprise and I’m very pleased that we seem to have made a step forward this weekend. We really got the most out of the car in qualifying and I’ve worked well with my engineer Jock and the team to improve the car and get the set-up right this weekend. We didn’t think we would be this far up the grid today as we were struggling in practice this morning compared to the McLarens but to be level with the quickest Ferrari and a bit closer to the Red Bulls is very satisfying. It’s a good step for us and we’re well placed to have a good race tomorrow.”
Jenson Button (5th, Q3 - 1m 34.979s)
“I was struggling a little with the car in the first two sessions. By Q3, though, it was much better, but it was a little bit too late by then: the car felt quite different, balance-wise, and I had to play around with the diff and the front wing to find a good feeling in the car. So it wasn’t a bad lap; it’s just a bit frustrating that it took us that long in qualifying to get the balance right. But fifth is just about okay, and I think we’ll have a good car for the race tomorrow. It’s probably going to rain tomorrow anyway, so the set-up we have may well be pretty good in the wet conditions.”
Lewis Hamilton (6th, Q3 - 1m 35.034s)
“I’m a little disappointed - we wanted to get pole today, and thought we could - and I don’t really know where the time went in Q3. The tyres felt fine - pretty much exactly the same as in Q1 and Q2, when the car felt great - but in Q3 the car started moving around a lot more, and it felt like the front was bottoming. We’d been quick all weekend, but sixth was the best I could do in Q3. I think we ought to have been further up the grid - but we’ll fight our way as far up the field as we can tomorrow. I’m sure it will be a good race.”
Felipe Massa (7th, Q3 - 1m 35.180s)
“I’m a bit disappointed because I wasn’t able to do a clean lap on my last run in Q3. Unfortunately, I made a mistake at the final corner which lost me at least a few tenths. Up to that point, I was in line for a lap that would have seen me into the top five, but when everyone is so close, it takes very little to find yourself dropping down the grid. It might rain tomorrow, so there’s a chance it could shake up the order, but it is clear that starting seventh, it will be hard to fight for the top positions. In terms of race pace, we can hold our own, as was the case in yesterday’s free practice: the soft tyres seem to degrade more than the hard but maybe with a bit more rubber on the track, the situation could improve. It will be very important to get a good start and make up some places immediately.”
Robert Kubica (8th, Q3 - 1m 35.364s)
“It was good qualifying session for me - probably my best performance this year from a driving point of view, and I was particularly pleased with my laps in Q3. If you had said to me yesterday I would start the race from eighth, I would have been happy, so it’s a good result and puts us in a good position to score points in the race.”
Click Here to Read More:
Jenson Button Fastest in First Practice at Shanghai
Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix - First Practice Results
Lewis Hamilton Fastest in Second Practice at Shanghai
Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix - Second Practice Results
Mark Webber Fastest in Final Practice at Shanghai
Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix - Final Practice Results
Sebastian Vettel Beats Mark Webber to Pole Position at Shanghai
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