Sunday: Zero Points for Mercedes at Suzuka
The Mercedes team hoped to score points despite starting from rather distant positions, but the race did not go as planned. Nico Rosberg had to retire quickly, and although Michael Schumacher made a very strong comeback from the 23rd position on the grid, he ultimately finished in 11th place, just outside the points.
Michael Schumacher – 11th:
« I have mixed feelings after this race here in Japan because it’s obviously unfortunate to be so close to scoring points and not manage to do so, after a race that went much better than expected. In the final laps, I had a nice and interesting fight with Ricciardo, but in the end, I couldn’t get past him because the Toro Rosso was too fast in a straight line. That’s why we have to say that we couldn’t have done better today. We will see how things turn out in Korea now. »
Nico Rosberg – Retirement:
I got off to a good start but unfortunately my race ended very quickly. In the first corner, Grosjean hit Webber and that also led to my accident. I started to brake but Senna crashed into me from behind which destroyed my rear tire and forced me to retire. It’s a shame because I was very comfortable with the car in my installation lap and I was convinced we could score good points. I hope to have a better weekend in Korea now.
