Saturday – Ferrari ensures without too much excess!

Räikkönen was highly anticipated for this first qualifying session on this Spanish track, but it was ultimately Felipe Massa, his teammate, who took charge.

After a third practice session marked by numerous adjustments to the cars, which explain, for example, the Finnish driver’s 15th position, everything was in place at Ferrari to take on McLaren. Massa is the first driver to achieve pole position on this circuit, and Räikkönen will cover his back from the second row.

Felipe Massa – 5th and 1st:

« It’s great to be on pole position especially after a big disappointment in Budapest but I’m well aware that tomorrow’s race will be long and full of obstacles. My first run in Q3 was very good and the second one I did was even better. Today, the track was still very slippery because of the overnight rains. »

« The team did an excellent job in preparing for this event, and I want to thank all the engineers and mechanics for providing me with such a good car. I hope we can have a great race tomorrow. »

Kimi Räikkönen – 15th and 4th:

« The fourth place is not what I was looking for, but it is not the end of the world either. I could have positioned myself better on the grid, but on my last fast lap in Q3, I locked my wheels a number of times. So I lost precious time. There is nothing dramatic, but on this circuit, a small mistake is very costly. »

« I continue to think that I can win tomorrow, especially if I make a good start. We have a good car that should be particularly competitive in the race. »

Luca Baldisserri – Technical Director:

« A good qualifying session, very close and made even more uncertain due to the weather conditions. First and fourth places are a good result, even if it could have been better. Felipe delivered two magnificent laps in Q3 while Kimi will start from the dirty side of the track. In fact, the start will be one of the key moments of the race. »

Tomorrow, it will be crucial to gather as many points as possible with our two drivers. We have a car that is competitive in the long run, and we will try to make the most of this advantage. We must pay special attention to the different possible scenarios: like all street circuits, the risk of a safety car intervention is always high.