Hamilton snatches pole from Ricciardo in Australia
 |
| Lewis Hamilton |
At the end of a sensational first qualifying session for Formula One racing’s new 1.6-litre turbo era, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ruined a fairy tale for Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo and Australia by snatching pole at a wet Albert Park on Saturday afternoon. The Briton’s gamble to stay on wet tires enabled him to deny the intermediate-shod Ricciardo what would have been a sensational maiden pole position, and in doing so equal compatriot Nigel Mansell’s tally of 32 P1 starts.
Rain was imminent when Q1 began, and soon after Ricciardo had displaced McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen for the fastest time with 1m 30.775s, rain spots quickly turned into a sharp downpour which sent everyone scurrying back to the pits and the Lotus of Pastor Maldonado off track three times on his out lap.
Kamui Kobayashi had smacked in a lap of 1m 34.274s for Caterham, and that put him into Q2, leaving Marussia’s Max Chilton on 1m 34.293s – the quickest of those who failed to get through. Chilton’s team mate Jules Bianchi did 1m 34.794s to finish ahead of Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber on 1m 35.117s and Marcus Ericsson’s Caterham on 1m 35.157s. Romain Grosjean was still deeply unhappy in his Lotus with 1m 36.993s, as team mate Maldonado joined him at the back. Having failed to set a time, the Venezuelan will start the race at the stewards' discretion.
Q2 began wet enough for Pirelli’s intermediates and became something of a lottery as the track surface started to dry. In the end Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was fastest from the impressive Ricciardo, with 1m 42.264s to 1m 42.295s, while a late improvement for Magnussen, which came while double yellows were out for Kimi Raikkonen who had crashed his Ferrari, saw the Dane’s team mate Jenson Button pushed down to 11th. The Englishman had lapped his McLaren in 1m 44.437s ahead of Raikkonen on 1m 44.494s. The big surprise was the man in 13th place – world champion Sebastian Vettel. He could only manage 1m 44.668s in yet another troubled session for Red Bull.
Behind the disgruntled German, Adrian Sutil took 14th for Sauber with 1m 45.655s ahead of Kobayashi who beat Force India's Sergio Perez, 1m 45.867s to 1m 47.293s.
It was wet enough for full wets in Q3 and Rosberg set the early pace before Hamilton displaced him. But once they switched to intermediates, it was Ricciardo who went back ahead, only to be beaten in turn by Hamilton (who opted to stay on wets) and then Rosberg. The German seemed to have it sewn up with 1m 44.762s but there were huge cheers from the grandstands as local favorite Ricciardo beat that with 1m 44.595s. But Red Bull’s celebrations were cut short as Hamilton reset the ante with 1m 44.231s.
Behind them, there was joy for rookie Magnussen as he took an excellent fourth for McLaren with 1m 45.745s, and for Toro Rosso with Jean-Eric Vergne sixth on 1m 45.864s and rookie Daniil Kvyat eighth on 1m 47.368s despite a late tangle with the barriers. Nico Hulkenberg split them in seventh with 1m 46.030s in the lead Force India.
Less happy was Fernando Alonso in fifth for Ferrari on 1m 45.819s, and Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas in ninth and 10th on 1m 48.079s and 1m 48.147s respectively.
Both Bottas and Gutierrez have five-place grid penalties for gearbox changes, so the provisional starting order will be: Hamilton and Ricciardo; Rosberg and Magnussen; Alonso and Vergne; Hulkenberg and Kvyat; Massa and Button; Raikkonen and Vettel; Sutil and Kobayashi; Bottas and Perez; Chilton and Bianchi; Ericsson and Grosjean; Gutierrez and Maldonado.
Lewis Hamilton
It's been an interesting weekend so far here in Melbourne. Qualifying was a lot harder for everyone with the tricky conditions and it was a real challenge out there today. We were on the edge with the tires and it was difficult to know which way to go at times. It's the first time I've driven the car on the limit in the wet, but it felt great and I'm so happy with the job the team has done. To be on pole here today is a fantastic result for us. It was great fun and I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. It's going to be tough, but we'll do our best and see what happens. I am very proud to have scored pole number 100 for Mercedes-Benz in Formula One. I have only driven with Mercedes power since my debut in 2007 and the whole Mercedes team has done an incredible job meeting the challenge of these new rules. It's just as special to equal Nigel's record of pole positions for a British driver. I owe it to the great people I've worked with throughout my career.
Nico Rosberg
That was a really tricky qualifying session out there this evening. Starting from third place on the grid is not the optimum but okay for me. I know that I have a good race car and that makes me quite confident. With a good start, I should have a nice chance of scoring a strong result. It will be a very interesting race because fuel consumption and tire wear will be on the edge. So there might be some surprises tomorrow.
More quotes below results…..
Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:31.699 | 1:42.890 | 1:44.231 | 22 |
| 2 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:30.775 | 1:42.295 | 1:44.548 | 20 |
| 3 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:32.564 | 1:42.264 | 1:44.595 | 21 |
| 4 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:30.949 | 1:43.247 | 1:45.745 | 19 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:31.388 | 1:42.805 | 1:45.819 | 21 |
| 6 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Renault | 1:33.488 | 1:43.849 | 1:45.864 | 21 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:33.893 | 1:43.658 | 1:46.030 | 20 |
| 8 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR-Renault | 1:33.777 | 1:44.331 | 1:47.368 | 20 |
| 9 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.228 | 1:44.242 | 1:48.079 | 21 |
| 10 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.601 | 1:43.852 | 1:48.147 | 19 |
| 11 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:31.396 | 1:44.437 | – | 13 |
| 12 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1:32.439 | 1:44.494 | – | 13 |
| 13 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:31.931 | 1:44.668 | – | 13 |
| 14 | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:33.673 | 1:45.655 | – | 12 |
| 15 | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham-Renault | 1:34.274 | 1:45.867 | – | 13 |
| 16 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1:34.141 | 1:47.293 | – | 13 |
| 17 | 4 | Max Chilton | Marussia-Ferrari | 1:34.293 | – | – | 5 |
| 18 | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia-Ferrari | 1:34.794 | – | – | 5 |
| 19 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:35.117 | – | – | 7 |
| 20 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham-Renault | 1:35.157 | – | – | 5 |
| 21 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:36.993 | – | – | 6 |
| 22 | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus-Renault | No time | – | – | 3 |
QUOTES
Lotus
Romain Grosjean (21st, Q1 – 1:36.993)
The guys are working very hard and it’s a tough situation for everyone. We just have to learn everything we can every time we are out in the car on the track. Yes it's frustrating, but I'm the one who has the easiest life as I’m not working all night on the car. The whole team is here to win, so when it doesn't go to plan it's not great. It could still be made into a monster of a car if we all pull together as a team. We've been through some tough times in the past so we'll work our way out of it."
Pastor Maldonado (22nd, Q1 – no time)
“It's been quite difficult today. We're working very hard and we need to be optimistic. On the plus side, we're not the only ones with problems. We'll keep on working hard and try to work harder than the others. It was a power unit related issue which meant we were so late to the track. By that time it started to rain, and then, that's it! We just need to stay focused and keep on working and that’s exactly what we’re doing. For the race we'll just do the best we can. Our pace should be quite good; we just need to put the laps together."
Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“Today was not a reflection of all the hard work going on at Enstone and on track to get ourselves where we want to be. Qualifying at the back of the grid is not why we’re here. We had distinct and identifiable issues and we are working hard to rectify these with the full support of our partners. The determination and resolve of the race team, everyone at Enstone and everyone at Renault Sport F1 should not be underestimated. Pastor had a small issue related to his power unit which prevented him from leaving the garage at the start of the session. And then it started to rain. Romain had an issue with the mapping of his car after he left the pits which affected his braking and ability to set a faster lap. Obviously we’ll be trying everything we can to salvage something from this weekend. Any opportunity to have the cars on track is beneficial as we are learning all the time. It’s clear we have work to do. We are doing that work."
Sauber
Adrian Sutil (14th, Q2 – 1:45.655)
“We had a difficult weekend as did many others. The car is not where we want it to be yet, but I am quite satisfied we were able to run without any problems during qualifying and that we made it into Q2. The yellow flag at the end didn’t help, I think I could have pushed to get even more out of the car. But I think P14 is solid for today and I will definitely get the most out of the car tomorrow to improve that position."
Esteban Gutierrez (19th, Q1 – 1:35.117)
“It was a nightmare with the traffic. Obviously, we started a bit late into the session due to the issues we had. I want to thank my mechanics because they did a great job putting the car together for qualifying. In the first lap, we were completely out of phase to the other cars and it was not the best situation that I had to overtake around four cars on this lap. In the second lap I had traffic in the first corner and this was not ideal. Regarding the race, we just need to look into the reliability and this is the main topic at the moment. Therefore we try to focus on that. The good thing is that Adrian’s car is in good shape today and this indicates we can fight for something."
Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber team principal
“Overall it was a spectacular qualifying to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, with an outcome that might have surprised a lot of people. We knew it would be difficult for us. Esteban lost a lot of time in the first practice session yesterday and today again the whole of FP3. That was obviously not ideal, as every lap is very valuable in this early phase of the season in order to gain as much experience with the new car as possible. Adrian got everything out of the car that was possible. From where we are, tomorrow will be challenging, because we know we are not where we want to be in terms of our performance. Our aim is to maximize our opportunities in the race tomorrow."
Giampaolo Dall’Ara , Sauber head of track engineering
“A difficult qualifying for our team. Esteban lost the whole of FP3 because we had to change the gearbox on his car, and then in Q1 we let him out a little bit too late, which put him into traffic. Therefore he didn’t have a real chance to succeed. Adrian is more or less where he could be today. In the race a lot will be possible, because sheer speed is one thing, but the weather might play a role and reliability can be a big issue. For sure the possibility of points is there. We will try to get the most out of our position."
Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne (6th, Q3 – 1:45.864)
“It’s a very good feeling, a great start to the season. After so much hard work during winter testing, to get two cars into Q3 is a great result and I’m very happy. I think we have a good car for the season, I believe in the team and in myself so I can’t really say that I’m surprised. The guys did a very good job and I want to thank everybody for getting two cars in the top 10. Thinking of the race pace I still do not know if we are where we want to be, we just have to go on pushing as much as possible and hopefully we will have a good fight tomorrow. Congratulations to Daniil! It’s always positive to have a good teammate to push each other."
Daniil Kvyat (8th, Q3 – 1:47.368)
“This was a very good session for us and I really didn’t expect to be qualifying 8th at my first Grand Prix 2 months ago! This is definitely a big step forward and I’m very happy for the team, who did a fantastic job also from the strategy side. The conditions were very tricky, but the car felt good and in the end we were able to put everything together. Now our focus is on tomorrow, which should be interesting also because of the weather forecast."
James Key, Toro Rosso technical director
“Obviously it’s an important weekend for everyone with the new regulations so it was very difficult to tell yesterday where everyone was. It was always going to be today when we would have really begun to understand things. We went well in FP3 in dry conditions and we felt like we made some progress, although we couldn’t get the most out of the soft tires. We had a plan for our qualifying session which we quickly had to change so we still do not know as much as we would like about the dry conditions. Clearly in the wet it was about being reliable, the drivers keeping it together and having the right calls on the pit wall. I have to say that all of this worked very well and the drivers did a fantastic job. Congratulations to both of them, particularly to Daniil who had his first qualifying in very difficult conditions. Well done also to all the engineers for getting the tire selection right in the changing weather conditions. We’ve had a long road to come to this point after winter testing and to start the first race with both cars in Q3 is a very positive way to start the new season."
Ricardo Penteado, Renault Sport F1 track support leader
“An incredible Qualifying result. This morning we had some issues with the cooling on JEV’s car but we could correct with the information from Daniil to come out very strongly in the afternoon. The changing conditions were challenging for the new Power Units and it would have been very easy to make a mistake with the settings, but we managed the state of charge and energy management really well. Having two cars in the top 10 in our first ever race together is a fantastic start for the partnership, but we know that tomorrow is the main event."
Marussia
Max Chilton (17th, Q1 – 1:34.293)
“I was really pleased with my lap on the opening run and felt that a few issues from FP3 had really come together. Bar one small mistake it was a clean lap. There was more to come of course but I’m reasonably happy given all the factors that we’ve experienced. It would have been nice to improve as we were close to Q2 but the weather intervened, so this is where we will start the race and that is what we have to focus on now. I think tomorrow is going to be a really exciting day for Formula One and the fans, and I can’t wait to see who will end up where – especially our team!"
Jules Bianchi (18th, Q1 – 1:34.794)
“After all the hard work from everybody this weekend, it is disappointing that we experienced an issue in qualifying which meant that I could not get the most from the car. Unfortunately we have experienced a few electronics problems again today and we thought we were on top of these, but they appeared again just as I was starting my first quick lap and that was occupied by the need to change some settings to ensure the car stayed reliable and then I had a problem with the gearbox. Then the rain came, which was really bad timing and we couldn’t get out again to try to improve. Still, I think there will be a lot of opportunities in the race tomorrow and we have to be focused to make the best of them."
John Booth, Marussia team principal
“We knew this would be a challenging day but it would have been nice to see and show more of our performance level. On Max’s side he had a trouble-free first run and got a good clean lap. For Jules, a continuation of an electronics issue which compromised his run. We were lucky to escape a rain shower at the start of the session but it caught up with us eventually and we were unable to get out again and improve. We’re not too disheartened though. We are still a long way from optimizing the car and there are more positive times to come. As for tomorrow, there’s a definite sense that we just don’t know what the race will bring, so we remain optimistic and we will see what opportunities present themselves."
Williams
Felipe Massa (9th, Q3 – 1:48.079)
“Getting both cars into Q3 is a step forward for the team compared to last season, but we definitely had a car capable of finishing higher up the grid today. The car was feeling good in the dry in FP3 and Q1, but on the wet track we were struggling with downforce in the rear of the car and these conditions probably hurt us more than others. The race could be very unpredictable tomorrow with reliability important, so we need to work hard to make sure that we have no problems with the car and use our stronger dry pace to make up some good positions."
Valtteri Bottas (10th, Q3 – 1:48.147)
“The changeable conditions were very tricky for everyone today and on the whole I am a bit disappointed with finishing P10 in Q3. We had the raw pace to finish further up, but struggled to get the intermediate and wet tires to work properly. But we should take a positive from getting both cars through to Q3 as it has been a while since that has happened. It's a shame that we have had to change my gearbox as our reliability has looked so good in testing, but our dry pace has looked quite strong so if the weather is good then we will have a good chance of finishing in the points tomorrow."
Rod Nelson, Williams chief test and support engineer
“It was a very up and down qualifying session with changeable weather conditions which ended up hurting us. We had a reasonably straightforward Q1 and Q2, but did not make the most out of our intermediate tires towards the end of Q3 and so didn't get the sort of times on our final runs that we would have expected. On the whole this has been a promising start though and we have looked on the pace, especially in the dry. We don't expect rain tomorrow so that should help Felipe and Valtteri gain positions and we will be looking to get both cars home in the points."
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (1st, Q3 – 1:44.231)
“It's been an interesting weekend so far here in Melbourne. Qualifying was a lot harder for everyone with the tricky conditions and it was a real challenge out there today. We were on the edge with the tires and it was difficult to know which way to go at times. It's the first time I've driven the car on the limit in the wet, but it felt great and I'm so happy with the job the team has done. To be on pole here today is a fantastic result for us. It was great fun and I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. It's going to be tough, but we'll do our best and see what happens. I am very proud to have scored pole number 100 for Mercedes-Benz in Formula One. I have only driven with Mercedes power since my debut in 2007 and the whole Mercedes team has done an incredible job meeting the challenge of these new rules. It's just as special to equal Nigel's record of pole positions for a British driver. I owe it to the great people I've worked with throughout my career."
Nico Rosberg (3rd, Q3 – 1:44.595)
“That was a really tricky qualifying session out there this evening. Starting from third place on the grid is not the optimum but okay for me. I know that I have a good race car and that makes me quite confident. With a good start, I should have a nice chance of scoring a strong result. It will be a very interesting race because fuel consumption and tire wear will be on the edge. So there might be some surprises tomorrow."
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“That was the kind of qualifying session where mistakes are so easy to make – and the team delivered. We got the cars on track at the right time and coped well with the changing weather conditions. For the final run in Q3, both drivers chose to run full wet tires as we were not sure how quickly the circuit was drying. Lewis did a great job to claim pole position with his final lap, while Nico was also P1 when he crossed the line at the end of his last run, although he finished up P3. After so much hard work to reach this point, it's good that we have come through a tricky session safely and in strong starting positions. We are also proud to have taken the 100th pole for Mercedes-Benz power in Formula One, which is a nice milestone. But the points are won on Sunday and we know that it will be a tough race in terms of fuel consumption and reliability. We will leave no stone unturned overnight to make sure we are in the best possible situation for tomorrow."
Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo (2nd, Q3 – 1:44.548)
“It was exciting out there – the weather definitely added to the mix and the whole session went well. Q1 looked like it was going okay for us and then, when the rain fell, it’s the first time we’ve driven these cars on the limit in wet conditions. It was tricky, but at the same time a lot of fun and it was nice to always be up there. The engineer was always on the radio saying the pace was good and that we were P1, P2 P3 and in the battle for the pole position, so it was definitely a really nice first qualifying session with the team. I’m happy for us to have a front row start – it wasn’t looking like this a few weeks ago, so I’m pretty pleased right now."
Sebastian Vettel (13th, Q2 – 1:44.668)
“I think we have made a big step forward with the car, but of course I’m not happy that we didn’t make it to Q3. I think the car is quick, but we struggled this afternoon with drivability which, in these conditions, made it even worse. The car seems good and Daniel did a very good job to be on the front row, so congratulations to him. It’s going to be a long race tomorrow and reliability will be the most important thing to make it to the flag, but I think there will be lots of opportunities for us."
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal
“It was unbelievable for Dan today. He’s been so relaxed all weekend. He was on fire though all three qualifying sessions and all credit to him starting his home race and his debut race for us on the front row of the grid. It was unlucky for Seb. His engine software meant he was down on power with extremely poor drivability and we need to understand that, as it compromised his qualifying, but we’re really pleased for Dan. The car’s good – our weakness is on the straights and in the wet you can’t go so fast on the straights, so we’ve got to work on that. To start on the front row tomorrow is unexpected, it was a tremendous performance."
Thierry Salvi, Renault F1 track support leader
“After a very difficult winter we did not expect to be on the front row, so this is a great result for the entire team at Milton Keynes and Viry. Managing the Power Units, the state of charge and energy management in pressured and changing weather conditions is no mean feat, and everyone did a great job today. Unfortunately Sebastian was down on power, as we got a faulty sensor reading. This ultimately did not reflect the improved performance of the car, but we’ll do our best in the race tomorrow."
Force India
Nico Hulkenberg (7th, Q3 – 1:46.030)
“The first qualifying session of the new season and we finished P7, which is good news! Everything went well today and it was an entertaining session, which I really enjoyed. It was the first time I’ve driven the new car in the wet, but right away I felt comfortable and confident with a nice balance on the intermediates and the wets. There was a good harmony between me and the car, and the team did a great job helping me manage the traffic. Looking ahead to tomorrow, it really is a step into the unknown for everyone. I think we are well prepared and I’m really looking forward to the race where points will be our target."
Sergio Perez (16th, Q2 – 1:47.293)
“It was not an easy session, especially Q2, and unfortunately we didn’t manage to get a good lap in the wet conditions. It was hard to find clear space with the traffic and I had to pit for new tires when the track was probably at its best. When I left the pits for my final attempt I locked the rear tires going into turn three, lost control and could not recover. So it was not the qualifying result we were expecting, but we know tomorrow is another opportunity. We will fight back and try to score some points."
Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
“It is very promising to see Nico qualify seventh under these difficult conditions. He always excels in the wet and today he looked very comfortable whatever the weather. Sergio had a more difficult session and unfortunately the weather changed for the worse as he was pitting for new tires, which made it very difficult for him to improve. I think he will fare better in the race and improve his position because our pace in practice suggests we can be in the fight for points. The weather will surely play a big role, with the chance of more rain showers tomorrow, so we will need to plan for all possible conditions."
Caterham
Kamui Kobayashi (15th, Q2 – 1:45.867)
“That’s a good way to come back, not only for me in my first qualifying session of the year, but also for the whole team after such a difficult day yesterday. The guys worked very hard until just before the curfew this morning and fixed the car after all the issues we had yesterday – that meant we could do 19 laps in FP3 and give ourselves a chance of fighting in qualifying. Honestly though, with so few laps, I still didn’t have the car set up at all as I’d have liked and there would definitely have been a lot more to come if we’d had a normal Friday. In qualifying we timed it just right and my fastest lap was set just as it started to rain. It was a good lap but not really close to what we could have done with more running on Friday but going into Q2 was a good reward for how hard the team has worked, and I could see just what it meant to the whole team to go into Q2 in our first race of the year. Tomorrow it looks like it could be another day of rain and sun and if we can maintain the improved reliability we’ve had today, I think it could be one of the most interesting races for a long time!"
Marcus Ericsson (20th, Q1 – 1:35.157)
“I am very pleased with how my first ever F1 qualifying session went, especially after how Friday went! Finishing within eight-tenths of Kamui is exactly what I’d aimed for today and to do that with such little running in FP1 and FP2 means a lot to me and the team who’ve worked so hard to get us here. In FP3 we managed to work a bit on setup but I was having issues with the engine mapping which meant I was struggling quite a lot with drivability, something that’s really important with these new power units. We made a few changes for qualifying and it worked well – it’s still not really how I’d like it, but it was a good improvement and that means tomorrow will be a lot better than maybe it had looked last night! Now it’s all about the race and I can’t wait for it all to start. It could be a bit crazy but I know what I have to do and I’m fully prepared – it’s going to be a very proud moment for me to represent my country on the F1 grid and I’m really pleased it’s with Caterham. They’re a great team who work incredibly hard and I think we deserve more days like we had today. Let’s hope that comes tomorrow!"
Cedrik Staudohar, Renault Sport F1 track support leader
“After the difficulties of yesterday we came out much stronger this morning. We had to change the battery on Kamui’s car overnight but had no more serious issues today, allowing us to focus fully on extracting the performance from the car. Marcus did a good job in his first-ever qualifying in very difficult conditions, and Kamui was a real star, getting into Q2 and P15 on pace. It shows that the potential is there and is something to build on now we are more on top of the reliability issues with the Power Unit."
McLaren
Kevin Magnussen (4th, Q3 – 1:45.745)
“I’m really happy. Those were difficult conditions, especially as I’ve never driven this track in the wet – it was quite tricky to get the lines and the braking points right. It was much trickier than anything I’ve ever done! But I don’t think I could have asked for any more today. I made a mistake and went off on my last lap, so I might have been able to go quicker, but I’m still happy. The car was really good, and the team did a fantastic job of preparing me for this. I’m proud of myself, but also proud of the whole team for doing such a massively good job of preparing me over the winter. I always knew what was going on, and I knew the procedures, so it’s clear that they taught me really well. The race is tomorrow, and so are the points – so we need a good Sunday. I’ll try to enjoy tomorrow and do the best I can – getting onto the podium won’t be easy, especially if it’s dry. But if it’s wet, anything could happen – so I guess a wet grand prix is what I’ll be hoping for."
Jenson Button (11th, Q2 – 1:44.437)
“The rain this afternoon was initially good for me – I got the tires in pretty good shape for my lap, and I was pleased with my first run in Q2. The car felt pretty good, too – I was quickest when I did my lap, and I was in the top 10 until the end. But, unfortunately, I didn’t get my final run on new tires in because I was caught out by the yellow flags in Turn Three. In the wet conditions, I think we had a very good chance of qualifying closer to the front, because our car isn’t quite so quick in the dry. Not getting into the top 10 was sheer bad luck – but, hopefully, I won’t be so unlucky tomorrow. I love this place, the car is working well, and, but for the yellow flags, we could have qualified much better than we did. Hopefully we’ll be quick in the race – there’s one team that’s clear of the rest, but I think we can fight the others."
Eric Boullier, McLaren racing director
“A rookie’s first ever qualifying session is always a daunting occasion for him, all the more so when rain has made the track surface both tricky and treacherous. Nonetheless, Kevin coped brilliantly with exactly those conditions, combining speed with circumspection to end up a sensational P4. Kimi’s [Raikkonen] ‘off’ was poorly timed as far as Jenson was concerned, for it prevented him from being able to put in his final quick lap. As a result he narrowly failed to make it through to Q3. However, with the weather expected to be equally changeable tomorrow, he’ll be aiming to bring all his skill and experience to bear in an effort to score as many points as possible. As for Kevin, he’s well placed to drive a memorable first grand prix tomorrow."
Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (5th, Q3 – 1:45.819)
“I think fifth is a good result in such a difficult qualifying session, especially as it’s the first time we’ve run in the wet with the new car and because from this position, a podium finish is possible, which is worth a lot of points. We were lucky in Q1, when the rain came just after I’d done my quick lap and in Q2 we were also able to run when the track was at its best. I knew that the results of free practice did not reflect the reality of the situation and that the hierarchy would only become clear today, with Mercedes a step ahead of the rest. It would also give a clearer picture than the one we had from testing, when we couldn’t be sure what the other teams were testing. Now we have seen in which areas we need to improve and the aim is to do so in the next few races. I don't think the consumption factor will change things too much, because when saving fuel, all the cars lose half a second. On top of that, the weather will come into play tomorrow as the forecast isn’t clear. The priority is to finish the race and to do better than the others in the coming months. I am sure that with practice, we will learn how to get the most out of the car and simplify all the procedures."
Kimi Raikkonen (12th, Q2 – 1:44.494)
“Qualifying wasn’t straightforward today, especially because of traffic. When I was on a quick lap, I had a car in front of me at every corner. That stopped me getting a clean lap and at the end of Q2, I spun off damaging the front wing. I don't think I’d have gone quicker anyway, as I had already reduced my speed at this point, because I knew already I wouldn’t make it to Q3. It’s a shame, because compared to yesterday we have made some steps forward. In the wet we were quick and I had more feeling for the car. We know we have a lot of work to do in every area, especially on car set-up, but at the same time, we are sure we are going in the right direction. Tomorrow’s race will be tough, the weather forecast is unclear and on top of that, with the new rules, it’s hard to predict how things will go. But it’s only the first race of the year and we will do our best to get a good result."
Pat Fry, Ferrari chassis director
“Qualifying in the wet in Melbourne is nothing new, but today, added to the wet track, the drivers also had to deal with all the new technologies introduced in the regulations. We are not satisfied with the final result, even if the F14 T is still at the development stage and I believe the team is working in the right direction to make up ground to our rivals, especially Mercedes, who today confirmed the form they’d shown in winter testing. Our grid positions would suggest an uphill battle in the race, especially for Kimi and we can expect unknown factors linked to reliability and fuel consumption to count for a lot. As for the former factor, we are paying close attention to every little detail. At this point, we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted, because with such complicated systems, the unpredictable could come into play. In terms of race pace, we’ve seen some teams are faster than us, but I think the first race of the year could throw up some surprises, hopefully in our favor."
Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
“Today we finally got to see the relative pace of all the cars but the complicating factor was the rain. This was the first time that the intermediate and wet tires had run since one brief session of testing in Jerez and from the forecasts it looks like we will be seeing more of them this weekend. We’ll wait to hear the precise feedback from the teams, but from what we can see so far, we’re satisfied with the levels of performance of the intermediates and wets on the 2014 cars. Despite the complexity of these revolutionary new machines, the teams have run reliably and strongly in qualifying. But today’s conditions won’t be representative of the rest of the season, so it’s still hard to draw any firm conclusions because actual race pace will be a defining factor this season. We saw a number of different approaches in Q3, with both intermediates and full wets used by the top 10. In particular, the development work we have completed on the wet tire and tested on previous generation cars would appear to have transferred improvements through to the 2014 Formula One."