Fahrerstimmen – Tag 2

“I’m really happy to be in Q3,” said Lewis. “It’s a big difference for us this year, and the team has done a fantastic job. The conditions were up and down and they did brilliantly to make sure we were on the track with the right tyres at the right time. Also, the guys back at the factory have all worked extremely hard to get the parts to the track and they have made a big difference. Unfortunately, the track got a bit better after I set my fastest lap, when it was a bit greasy, but for Heikki and me to line up sixth and fifth tomorrow is a great result for us. We’re definitely in a position to fight for a podium, but trying to beat the Brawns and the Red Bulls will be difficult. The car is still a work-in-progress and there’s a way to go – but this is really encouraging. I don’t mind if it rains tomorrow but I’d just like a nice, smooth race!”

At the start of qualifying we were quite optimistic. We were competitive in Q1 but after that Q2 became difficult for everybody as the conditions were constantly changing. Unfortunately we missed the opportunity to be in Q3, but hopefully tomorrow we can make up some positions and if it does rain that could work to our advantage. I’m quite confident for the race tomorrow.

This qualifying was a bit of a lottery: first dry, then rain then dry again. It could have gone better, but it could also have gone much worse. I’m not jumping for joy over eighth place, but it’s not so bad. We have a good strategy aimed at getting us into the points, although a podium seems hard to reach to be honest.

Today’s qualifying was a bit of a lottery – especially in Q2, as you never knew which tyres to put on. In Q3, it was back to dry tyres, but it was very tight. The circuit was getting better through the session, but my last lap wasn’t magnificent, which is why I’m not on the front row. The car was good enough to have been up there today, but I didn’t do it. Who knows what is happening tomorrow in the race, the weather is quite unpredictable around here, so we will see.

This is a very special day for me. I’ve been close to getting pole a few times in the past. Today we’re here and the team has done a great job. We’ve been quick all weekend and all the teams and drivers got really tested in that session. It was very, very chaotic and to deliver the lap time when it absolutely counted was very important to me. Getting the best time is fantastic. The car is working very well here and I was talking to my engineer Ciaran all the time, asking him what we were doing, because the track conditions were so hard; it looked quite dry, but the slicks just wouldn’t take it at all. In Q2, it was really hard to read what we needed for the last ten minutes. In the end, the key for me was three clean sectors and that’s what got me pole. I called on my experience and I have a great team of people, the guys on the pit wall making the right calls for me. They can see what the other drivers are doing. We’re the best drivers in the world and we know when people are making mistakes that it’s down to the wrong tyres. So we stick to the decisions we make and believe in them and go out and do the best we can, because we know everyone’s in a bit of trouble in those conditions. A huge thanks to all the team, both here and in the factory and I hope that it can be my first win tomorrow. We’re in a fantastic position to do it. Obviously these guys (Barrichello and Button) have had a very strong season and will push us, but we’re looking forward to a fight. I’m up for trying to take my first race win tomorrow if I can.

It was a pretty complicated session, with track conditions changing all the time. Therefore, it’s difficult to say if this result reflects the real standings down the order. Clearly, we were penalized by not having a single set of new tyres for Q3. I believe that in normal conditions we could have got a better grid position. Having said that, we are not in bad shape for the race: we have a good strategy and we will try and make the most of it.

The weather didn't help us at all today. It was very windy and cold, which generally doesn't suit our car, so unfortunately we were struggling to get the tyres up to the right temperature. We were still reasonably competitive so we got through Q1 without any great difficulty but then we had the rain. Towards the end of Q2 we were not on the right tyres at the right time so it wasn't possible to get into the top 10. Obviously it's frustrating to qualify in 14th because I am more used to fighting in the top six but we can only do our best in the race tomorrow and see what happens.

As long as it was dry it all went well. Qualifying one was comfortable and we were making good progress. If it had stayed dry, I think we would have been right up there. However, in the changing conditions in the second session we just didn’t get the best out of it and we will have to analyse why that was. The circumstances with the changing levels of rain made it massively difficult, but it looks like it may be the same tomorrow and I hope that the luck will run our way if the conditions are as variable.

It was a difficult qualifying session today, run in tricky conditions. To get it right, you needed to have perfect timing and make the right decision with the tyres. Today we just missed that a bit and that was it. The overall order in the top 10 is a bit different, so maybe this provides some possibilities for the race. Now we will just have try to use strategy to our best advantage and see what we can achieve.

Es lief nicht schlecht im freien Training, in Q1 war ich Zehnter, und auch in Q2 sah es so aus, als würde es für das Top-Ten-Qualifying reichen, aber dann hatten wir einfach Pech mit der Reifenwahl. Als die Intermediates überhitzten, brauchte ich frische Reifen für den letzten Versuch in Q2. Ich war selbst unsicher, was ich nehmen sollte: noch einen Satz Intermediates oder eben die weicheren Slicks. Ich habe die Entscheidung dem Team überlassen und bekam Slicks. Das werfe ich niemandem vor, hinterher ist es immer einfach zu wissen, was richtig gewesen wäre. Platz elf ist nicht so schlecht, und wir können jetzt die Benzinstrategie frei wählen. Ich hätte nichts einzuwenden gegen ein Regenrennen morgen.

Just getting into the final qualifying session was an achievement today so I’m really pleased to have qualified in third. It was a pretty eventful hour and Q2 in particular was madness but it was good fun. I thought it was too wet for slicks but Rubens made it work and we were able to switch tyres with just enough time to make my timed lap count. The race is going to be interesting as the forecast looks like it’s going to be a mix of wet and dry conditions. We’ve improved the car since practice yesterday but it’s still going to be tough to keep the tyres warm and you’ll need a bit of luck with the weather. Congratulations to Mark on his first pole position today. We’ll be doing everything possible to ensure that it doesn’t become his first win tomorrow!

That was definitely a disappointing result and it is not what I expected for my home Grand Prix. The weather was too cold for us because since Silverstone I have struggled to get the most out of the tyres over one lap; I don't know if it is only the temperatures or something else as well. It's not clear to me why we have this issue with the tyres in qualifying but we have to work on it. It is a real pity I went out in first qualifying because after that we had the rain and I usually do really well in wet conditions. Maybe we will have some rain again tomorrow and that might give me a chance to get a decent result. We will see.

I'm really happy, for sure one of F1's happiest guys today! It's my home race and my best qualifying position so far in F1, so it was a great qualifying for us. It was very tricky with the weather but our decisions were very good and on time, particularly in Q2 with the rain. We took a risk on the dry tyres and we did it a lap earlier than all the others and got the third fastest time. Finally, even with the fuel on board Q3 went really well and we got into seventh. I am very happy for everyone on the team. We've worked really hard in the last months. Now we just have to score some points!

I really enjoyed the excitement of qualifying today and am very happy to have come away with second and be starting from the front row tomorrow. I felt the track was just about good enough for slicks in Q2 so I radioed the team that I was coming in but didn’t hear their response so thankfully the tyres were waiting for me when I arrived in the pits! It was a great decision and gave me a much more relaxed end to Q2 than some of the others. It’s going to be a tricky race tomorrow so we’ll have to be on our toes and take advantage of whatever the weather throws at us. I’m looking forward to it.

First of all I am very pleased for the team and for Adrian to have had such a great qualifying. It was an incredible result and hopefully we'll be able to have a good race tomorrow. For me it was a bit disappointing. We went out early in the first session but unfortunately I got caught in traffic on both my fastest laps. It was a real shame as with the weather conditions I think we could have done really well. But it could be mixed weather tomorrow so you never know what's possible.

The conditions were difficult today, but I managed to deal with them well and had the right tyres at the right moments. It’s a shame that I couldn’t get any more out of Q3, but it’s good to be in the top ten and hopefully we will be in a position to score points tomorrow.

I think I could have got into Q2 if I had not got caught in traffic. Other than that, I feel we did the best we could, given we are still waiting for our car updates. We improved the car this morning and it seemed competitive in comparison with the cars we are racing against. So I must admit, I am hoping for rain tomorrow as our car should go well in wet conditions. We will just have to keep pushing and see what happens.

Wir haben einige neue Teile zum Nürburgring gebracht, und das Auto hat einen Schritt nach vorne gemacht. Leider reagiert mein Auto nicht so, wie es sollte. Es ist schwierig zu fahren. Ich habe bereits im ersten freien Training gemerkt, dass etwas nicht stimmt. Obwohl die analysierten Daten seltsam aussehen, verstehen wir nicht, was im Detail falsch läuft. Wir müssen das Problem verstehen und dann schnellstmöglich lösen.

Heikki said: “Today worked out better for me than expected: we can be very pleased with that. My tyre strategy worked really well this afternoon and I had the right tyres in Q2 when the conditions were at their trickiest. Thanks to the team for a superb job in a very tight situation. This result is very promising for everyone in the team and my car worked much better here than at previous races. The team has been working incredibly hard to make improvements to our car and, although I didn’t have the same upgrades as Lewis today, it’s really encouraging to see the step forward we’ve taken – we’re making excellent progress. Finally, it’s great to be able to produce our strongest qualifying result of the year at the home race of Mercedes-Benz – I think they’ve produced the best engine in Formula 1, and I hope they’re proud of their results today.”

We knew we weren’t quick enough this morning, when I was unhappy with the balance of the car, so this afternoon we tried something very different in terms of set-up, using those that Sebastien was happy with this morning. But it didn’t work out. It’s a shame the rain did not come sooner, as I think we would have been more competitive in those conditions. To be honest, it doesn’t make much difference if you’re seventeenth or twentieth and tomorrow, I will try my best and see what we can do.