Saturday – Ferrari sees its leader for the title born

A Massa/Hamilton battle for the title seems inevitable at this stage. The Brazilian once again got the better of his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. There’s only one line separating them, yet it’s hard to see how the Finn could turn the situation around.

In the constructors’ championship, it will be the performances of the team’s number 2 drivers that will allow either Ferrari or McLaren to claim the crown. One thing is certain, this 4th place on the grid and its 13-point deficit to Hamilton in the championship are becoming very burdensome for Räikkönen.

Felipe Massa – 5th and 2nd:

« I had a great lap but it wasn’t enough to be in pole position. Today, we were lacking a bit of speed compared to our main competitors, but the race is very long and, over long distances, we know we can be very competitive. Therefore, we are in contention for the win. »

The start? It will be difficult to do the same thing as in Budapest, especially since the straight is shorter than at the Hungaroring. Then, we will see which strategy will prevail and especially how the weather evolves. If rain makes an appearance, the race could turn into a big lottery.

Kimi Räikkönen – 7th and 4th:

« During my second run in Q3, I made a small mistake by taking turn 7 a bit wide. This cost me precious time that could have benefited me on the starting grid. Generally, I am satisfied with my car. »

« Of course, I am a bit disappointed because I would have liked to do better: fourth place is far from ideal for going for the win, but that doesn’t mean I have given up all hope. We have good potential, especially in the race. The weather will be a key factor. »

Luca Baldisserri – Technical Director:

« My compliments to Felipe Massa, who did a great lap in Q3. We knew our main competitors would be very strong, especially in qualifying. We are confident that tomorrow we will be on the pace. »

« It will be a difficult race in which it will be essential to manage all the situations that may arise. If the weather is dry, it will be important to monitor how the tires behave over a long distance given that neither yesterday nor today were we able to complete a significant number of laps. »