Saturday: McLaren drivers confident for the race

Lewis Hamilton – 2nd

« It’s great to see the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team have both their cars on the first two rows – it’s a sign that this is our true pace here. Everyone in the team is doing a fantastic job, and we were brilliantly competitive today.

For a moment I was first: I had a half-tenth of a second lead. But then I went a bit wide, which gave me a big oversteer moment, and the result is that I lost that crucial little time. But the points aren’t given today, and I feel good about tomorrow.

I am really excited for the race actually, because we had a really good long run yesterday and we will work hard to maintain this pace overnight for tomorrow. We are in the battle and with a good start, we can definitely fight for the victory.

Jenson Button – 3rd

To tell you the truth, I am quite satisfied with my third place. I will start from the clean side of the track, and I have a good feeling about the race.

That being said, after a lap so close to pole like mine was today, you always find yourself thinking there was a little bit of time here and there, which would have been enough to close the gap that was barely 2 tenths this afternoon, but to be honest with myself, I actually think I did a decent qualifying lap this afternoon.

To be honest, qualifying has been a problem for me recently and, although I love attacking on any circuit to make up for the damage on Sunday afternoon, I think you always have more to catch up on if you start further back than the first two rows. So, this weekend, it’s good to be in a position that will allow me to fight for the victory from the start, and that’s certainly what I’m going to try to do tomorrow.

Martin Whitmarsh

When your two drivers qualify in 2nd and 3rd positions, you are inevitably a little disappointed not to have the pole position when it was within our reach today.

Lewis was a bit wide in the last corner of his final attempt to take pole, but it was a good lap and he will start from the front row tomorrow. Jenson also qualified well, just behind Lewis in P3, which will put him on the clean side of the track.

The team has done a professional and disciplined job both yesterday and today, and we are confident in being serious contenders for victory tomorrow. Our long stints were good yesterday, our starts have been solid in recent races, and Lewis got through qualifying with an extra set of new option tires, which could give him a slight advantage in the race.

It will only be a small advantage, but in a competition as fierce as F1 today, a small advantage is sometimes all it takes.