Saturday: Red Bull wants to give Mercedes a hard time

Daniel Ricciardo (No. 3) – 1st and 2nd

After setting the fastest time in the morning in the absence of the Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo clinched second place in qualifying: “I couldn’t extract anything more from the car on the last lap, I really gave it my all; I’m satisfied with that and I’m rewarded with a spot on the front row tomorrow.” But the session wasn’t easy for the Australian driver: “I didn’t have the comfort or pace I wanted, but in the end, it got better.”

He now hopes to be able to have a good race tomorrow, and praises his integration into the team: « I couldn’t have settled into a team better, to be honest, they made me feel at home very quickly and that helps me. » According to him, this is reflected in the results, which satisfies him. The former Toro Rosso driver also highlights the team’s work, which is closing in on Mercedes: « The team is narrowing the gap between us and the best, and we are getting stronger with each race. »

Sebastian Vettel (No. 1) – 11th and 3rd

Having managed to squeeze between the two Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel remains realistic regarding performance compared to Mercedes: « In these wet conditions, we are a bit closer to Mercedes than on a dry track. » Despite dry weather being forecasted for tomorrow, the four-time world champion still wants to give the Silver Arrows a hard time: « I think we are in a position to try and give them a tough time in the race, so we’ll see. »

The German is satisfied with his team’s work: “We improved the car this weekend and I think the tests in Bahrain helped, but we still have work to do.” Despite his disappointment at qualifying only in third position, Sebastian Vettel remains optimistic: “We have a good position to start the race. Well done to Daniel today, he put in a great performance I must say.”