Saturday: HRT hoped for better, Ricciardo makes progress
After a difficult start, Ricciardo is on his teammate's heels in qualifying and will even outpace him on the starting grid, as the Italian had to change his gearbox. However, HRT remains at the back of the pack.
Vitantonio Liuzzi – 21st and 23rd
« We continued to work hard during this morning’s practice sessions and the car’s balance was good. I was optimistic about our chances of finishing ahead of our main rivals in qualifying. However, track conditions changed between this morning and this afternoon, and the car didn’t behave the same way anymore.
Also, with the gearbox change, we have been penalized and we will have to start from the last place tomorrow.
I remain confident that tomorrow we can rediscover the sensations we had yesterday over the race distance. The race will be tough but exciting.
Daniel Ricciardo – 24th and 24th
« I am rather happy with the qualifications. I am not overjoyed, but I have to be realistic and I think it’s a good step forward since Silverstone. This morning, I wasn’t very fast and we learned a lot. We made some changes with the engineers and they seem positive because my lap times have improved considerably. So, I think it’s a very big step forward. We will have to make another one tomorrow during the race. »
Colin Kolles, Team Principal
« Clearly, we hoped to qualify better for our 28th Grand Prix, so obviously today’s qualifying is disappointing. But the race is what counts the most. The team did a great job changing the engine yesterday after our issue, and everything is resolved now.
The low temperatures affect tire heating. I really hope that we can achieve a good result tomorrow. The risk of rain could change our strategy even though we are a bit worried about not having worked with the rain tires all weekend.
