Williams
Felipe Massa qualified 15th and Lance Stroll 16th for the British Grand Prix
Both drivers went out in Q1 on the supersoft tyre, but quickly swapped the dry tyres for a set of intermediates as the rain continued to fall
Laptimes continued to fall as the track dried throughout the session, which allowed Fernando Alonso to set a time on the supersoft tyre at the end of the session. Alonso’s time pushed Lance down to P16 and out of qualifying. Felipe was able to make it through to Q2 in P13 with a 1:41.874
In Q2 the track had dried enough for Felipe to go straight out on a set of supersoft tyres. He used three sets of supersofts during Q2, however, he was unable to make it through to the final part of qualifying with a quickest time of 1:31.482
Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer
It was a very tricky session for all the teams with the uncertain weather. We started Q1 on the supersofts, but it was immediately clear that there wasn’t enough grip and we went to the intermediates. After the session was briefly red flagged we went out on the intermediates again and Felipe set a reasonably safe time. Lance was just in, but was dramatically knocked out by Alonso’s lap on the supersofts. It was Lance’s first wet qualifying in a Formula One car, so it was a tricky learning curve for him. We ran three sets of supersofts with Felipe in Q2, as conditions became virtually dry. For some reason we weren’t able to show the pace we’ve seen throughout the weekend so far, so unfortunately, he was knocked out. We are all hugely disappointed as the strong pace of the car isn’t reflected in this grid today, but the car should be good tomorrow, and we’ll see what we can do from 15th and 16th.
Felipe Massa
I’m very disappointed with qualifying today. When you’re fighting for the top 10 in every session and then you get to qualifying and you finish 15th, it’s disappointing. I don’t know if it would have been enough to get me through to Q3, but I had a lot of traffic on my last set of tyres. We were quite tight with the time and I had to do an entire lap in the tow of a Toro Rosso. Without that traffic I could have done a clean lap at the best possible time in qualifying. I am disappointed but we’ll fight again tomorrow.
Lance Stroll
That was my first time in a Formula One car in the wet, and it was a really funny session with rain, drying conditions and intermediates. It was drying at the end and we had some graining on the tyres, so we couldn’t really go quicker. We got bumped by guys who put on slicks in the end and went quicker. I don’t really count that as a normal qualifying where our pace is where we should be. It’s just disappointing. We only just missed out on Q2. We will see tomorrow what it will be like as the car is good in the dry.
Force India
Force India delivered another strong qualifying performance as Sergio Perez ended the day in seventh place ahead of Esteban Ocon in eighth. Both cars will move up a place on the grid due to a competitor’s grid penalty.
SERGIO PEREZ
“It was a very difficult qualifying session and it was important to be on track at the right time, especially during Q1 the wet conditions. I was disappointed we didn’t finish one place higher and when the gap is so small you know you had the chance to be ahead. My final lap could have been better because I lost time running over the kerbs in the final corner so there was room to improve. On the other hand, we are still starting in a great place tomorrow. We have a strong car and if the weather conditions are similar there could be the opportunity to finish even higher up. We will keep our heads down and try to deliver the perfect race.”
ESTEBAN OCON
“It’s been a really tough qualifying session, so I am happy to finish in eighth place. We decided to have a very late pit stop in Q1 to put slicks on. It was a calculated risk and we only took the decision at the final corner. I had one lap to get the time and I got blocked by Ericsson, but I still managed to improve my time even though it was very much on the limit. In Q2 I had my brakes on fire and during my second run I lost all radio contact with the team. I was there, driving alone, and I had to look out for the pit board like in the old times. I’ll be seventh on the grid tomorrow, which is not a bad place to start, especially considering everything that happened during this session. The conditions can be very unpredictable, like today, and if the rain comes anything can happen. We have been strong today and I am confident it can be the same tomorrow.”
VIJAY MALLYA, TEAM PRINCIPAL & MANAGING DIRECTOR
“We are happy with the outcome of today’s qualifying session. With the grid penalty for Bottas, it means both cars move up a position so that we will line up in sixth and seventh places for tomorrow’s race. Both drivers did a good job in the damp conditions of Q1 and delivered tidy laps when it mattered in Q2 and Q3. Our race pace should be competitive tomorrow and we have the potential to pick up good points in our home race.”
McLaren
Stoffel Vandoorne will start tomorrow’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone from eighth – the highest starting position in his Formula 1 career. Today’s result was a real validation of the efforts of the young Belgian and his engineers, who have worked well together over the past few races to alter their preparation and approach in order to maximise performance.
A bravura effort from Fernando Alonso in Q1 saw him scrape over the line by the tiniest of margins to start one last flying lap. It was worth it: on a drying but still damp track, on slicks, he established the fastest overall time of the first session.
After setting the 13th-fastest time in Q2, he will start from the back of the grid tomorrow owing to a 30-place grid penalty for PU component changes.
FERNANDO ALONSO
“We made the right call at the end of Q1 by switching to Option tyres. We took advantage of a track that was on the limit at that moment – and it was nice to hear people cheering. It’s good for the guys in the garage as well: they deserve it as they have been working so hard these past couple of years, and, even if it’s just for one moment, to be up there at the top of the time sheets feels good.
“Not making it into Q3 allows us to choose our tyres for the race. We’ll start last, owing to the penalties; starting on used Q2 tyres wouldn’t have been ideal, so we’re relatively happy with 13th.
“Now we need to think about tomorrow. We proved today that we’re quite competitive in mixed conditions, so a wet/dry chaotic race could work in our favour. Hopefully it’ll stay like this tomorrow, weather-wise.”
STOFFEL VANDOORNE
“To take part in Q3 at Silverstone was a bit unexpected. But I’ve been working very well for the past couple of races, and we’ve clearly seen the improvements inside the team – in Azerbaijan, in Austria, and here at Silverstone this weekend, Fernando and I largely matched each other’s pace. It’s obviously a pretty good feeling to have made that extra step.
“We’d been hoping to get a rainy mixed-condition qualifying for a long time, and I think we were pretty strong in these conditions all session long. Then, when the track got drier, we maximised every chance we got.
“As usual, it’s very close in the midfield pack, and we usually see that some of the others have got a little something extra for qualifying. But I think the mixed conditions really helped us today. Every time I was on track, I managed to bank a good lap-time, and I think ninth in Q3 was really the maximum we could do today.”
ERIC BOULLIER
“Stoffel has been very quick all weekend, and it was great to see him duly get it all hooked up so well here today.
“He drove an excellent lap in Q1 on Inters, posting the eighth-fastest time on slippery asphalt and thereby splitting the two Ferraris, and then continued his fine form on slicks in Q2, as the track dried, successfully making it through to Q3 in the process. He’ll start tomorrow’s race from eighth on the grid, following Valtteri’s [Bottas] five-place grid penalty. Well done, Stoff!
“Fernando drove a stonking lap in Q1 on slicks to be quickest of all by the hefty margin of 1.3 seconds. It was almost too close for comfort – he nearly didn’t get his Q1 lap in – but, having crossed the line just in time, he made good his opportunity by totally nailing it. It was good to see – and the crowd’s cheers were great to hear, because our support here is simply fantastic. Thereafter, however, Fernando was unable to take part in Q3, but it was academic anyway, owing to his 30-place grid penalties.
“It’ll be interesting to watch our drivers tomorrow. Rain or shine, they’ll both be giving it their all. Fernando will surely make rapid progress in the early laps, while Stoffel will be striving to score his first world championship points of the season. Bonne chance!”
YUSUKE HASEGAWA
“Today’s qualifying was tricky due to the random rainy conditions. However, both drivers and the team did a great job in such a challenging situation.
“Stoffel found a good balance with his settings and he has kept strong momentum throughout the weekend. It was his second time to go to Q3 – including Monaco – and the performance he showed was very impressive.
“Although Fernando missed Q3 due to heavy traffic, his brave Q1 performance in the rain was a nice surprise not only for us but also for the fans watching from the grandstands in these chilly conditions.
“Having been able to show a good performance here in Silverstone, which is known as a power circuit, gives us some confidence regarding progress. Although we are still behind the front-runners, we are having concrete steps forward as a team.
“Tomorrow, Stoffel will start from eighth and Fernando will start from the back of the grid. But as we can expect unstable weather here in the UK, I think both drivers may have the chance to score points at our home grand prix.
“We’ll continue our best effort in order to show a good race in front of the home crowd.”
Renault F1
Renault Sport Formula One Team today secured its best-ever qualifying finish since its full return to the sport 18 months ago.
Nico Hülkenberg put the R.S.17 into a superb sixth position in the rain-affected session for the British Grand Prix, his fifth Q3 entrance and best qualifying since joining Renault Sport Formula One Team at the start of the year. After penalties further up the field, Nico will start fifth.
Rounding off a strong day for the team, which marks the 40th anniversary of its first F1 race this weekend, Jolyon Palmer qualified in 11th. The Brit advanced to Q2 for the third time this season with a lap of 1min 30.193secs round his home track.
Nico Hülkenberg
“Today we had a very successful qualifying and will start the race just behind the top teams. I had a good rhythm and we had good times. The team made the right calls for the right track conditions; there was a nice flow. I was feeling calm and confident with the car so I was able to produce a good lap. The upgrades we brought here this weekend seemed to also have played their part in our step forward. That said, tomorrow’s race is the true test. Let’s try and have a clean race. We’ll push very hard and I’ll be very happy to bring points home.” Jolyon Palmer
“I had a really good feeling with the car today and I’m happy with that result. We could maybe have made up one tenth or so, but we’re starting in a much better place than we have done in recent races so I hope we can make progress and score some points tomorrow. I’m pretty confident that we can have a good race. The atmosphere all weekend has been awesome with so many Union Jacks in the stands – I’m loving the support. It’s good motivation and driving the track with these cars is so much fun at the moment.”
Alan Permane, Sporting Director
Nico’s sixth place is the team’s best qualifying result of the season so far. How does that feel ?
We are of course very happy with the result today. The aero updates used this weekend for the first time worked well and Jolyon just missed out on Q3 by the narrowest of margins. Nico is well placed for the race and Jo has a free tyre choice so we’re looking forward to the start and converting the result today to points tomorrow.
How difficult was it with the weather out there today ?
The rain came just before the start of the session so it was not an easy one to manage. We were really pleased that we got through Q1 when it was evolving quickly, and then carried this momentum through to the next two sessions. Both drivers and the team did a great job in very changeable, difficult conditions.
Red Bull
MAX VERSTAPPEN
“It was a lonely qualifying for me and we ended up pretty much exactly where I expected. We were lacking the speed and therefore unable to get close to the Mercedes and Ferraris but the car still felt good so I had fun out there. Fifth was the best we could have done today and I achieved that. I’ll start tomorrow in fourth which of course is better but I never like to rely on penalties for other people to help, I wish I was there just on pace. We shall wait and see what the weather brings tomorrow, hopefully some rain as I think I have a better chance of challenging for a podium in the wet. At the beginning of Qualifying it looked like it could have been a nice chance to get up front but unfortunately the track dried out. I want to be realistic and not dream so I’m hoping my luck has changed and I can have a good, fun race tomorrow and bring the car home. I am not talking about podiums or winning for now. If something happens to the cars in front then we can challenge for a better result.”
DANIEL RICCIARDO
“I’m not 100 percent sure what happened yet but it is a suspected turbo failure. I lost a bit of power down the straight and heard some weird turbo noises, I thought I could nurse it back to the pits but then it all switched off and we couldn’t save it for the session. I’m just disappointed not to show more of what we could do in qualifying as these conditions should have given us a bit more of an opportunity. We were quick straight out of the box today and I was P1 before the failure, so we look pretty good on the intermediate tyre. Tomorrow is where the points are, we’ve got to work hard to get back in there but it is what it is. Mixed weather could hopefully help me out but I think in either these or dry conditions we can fight through the field and get inside the top ten.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal
“A frustrating qualifying for Daniel with what looks like suspected turbo failure, so he’ll be starting from the back of the grid together with his gearbox penalty, hopefully the race can only improve for him. Max drove a solid qualifying and I think P5 was always going to be the maximum today, which will become fourth on the grid with Bottas’ penalty. Hopefully we can make the most of any opportunity, which includes some potential wet weather conditions, and be competitive in the race from there.”
Sauber
ricky weather conditions during qualifying ahead of the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. Light rain accompanied the first qualifying session, in which Pascal Wehrlein and Marcus Ericsson finished in P18 and P19.
Marcus Ericsson
“It was a challenging qualifying due to the damp conditions. The first laps were looking good, but at the end of Q1 I had difficulties with the tyres overheating. I could not really improve on that set of tyres to make it into Q2. However, we made some progress in FP3 and closed the gap to our direct competitors. If we have similar race conditions as we did today in qualifying, we could have an interesting Grand Prix.”
Pascal Wehrlein
“The weather conditions definitely played a big part in how the day panned out. It was predominantly dry in the morning, and then started to rain lightly just before qualifying. Driving on intermediate tyres was good for the first few laps, but it became more and more difficult to improve the laptime as the track started to dry. In retrospect, it is a pity that we didn’t have enough time left in the session to switch to supersoft tyres. We may have even had a chance to make it to Q2 then. It certainly remains interesting, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Source :motorsport.nextgen-auto.com
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