Question: Please sum up the team’s performance over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Sam Michael: Nico secured a point for the team but we really need to be getting both cars in the points more regularly than we are if we’re going to improve upon our position in the Constructors’ standings. There were some positives from this weekend in that it was encouraging to be only 0.3seconds off the quickest time during Q2 in qualifying, particularly on a track where aerodynamics are the key, and the upgrade package which we brought to the race worked as expected.
Question: What upgrades were there on the FW31, and how did they perform?
Sam Michael: We brought various aerodynamic upgrades to Spain for both cars as part of our planned development programme. Our base performance step was good and we verified that in practice.
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Question: In the race, how much damage was there to Kazuki’s car after the crash at Turn 2?
Sam Michael: That incident caused damage to Kazuki’s front wing end plate so we had to pit him for a new front wing assembly. Because the safety car was deployed, it fortunately didn’t cost him as much time as it could have done.
Question: Nico’s lap times were a bit erratic during the race. Was there a reason for this?
Sam Michael: Nico’s lap times were somewhat inconsistent, yes, and we are now looking carefully through all of the data and bodywork parts to determine what caused that.
Question: Where in the overall pecking order do you now see the pace of the FW31?
Sam Michael: Team order is always clear by your position in the Constructors’ standings. Even if we think we have a faster car than how we currently stand in that table, the Constructors’ order is what the overall performance of our team is measured by.
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Question: What changes will there be to the car in Monaco, and what are your hopes for that race?
Sam Michael: We will be bringing more upgrades to the car for Monaco, as will all of the other teams. Our target is obviously to score more points as we haven’t had the conversion rates we would have liked in recent races. We are typically fast on street circuits, so we are looking forward to getting the best out of the FW31 at Monte Carlo.
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