Saturday: Senna and Petrov offer the Top 10 to LRGP
For his return to the Grand Prix and his debut with the British team, Bruno Senna delivered a top-notch performance by securing sixth place in the qualifiers, ahead of Fernando Alonso but especially his teammate, Russian Vitaly Petrov, who also participated in Q3 and will start in 10th position tomorrow.
Bruno Senna – 9th and 7th
« I am really very satisfied with my qualification. My first race weekend with Lotus Renault GP could hardly have started better. I did not expect to reach the top 10 when I took to the track this afternoon. I was a bit nervous when I went out in Q3 with slick tires on the wet track because I hadn’t run much with them this morning or yesterday. Considering that, I am absolutely thrilled with my seventh place. Before qualifying, I had worked for a good performance in the wet and I knew that if qualifying took place under such conditions, I would be aiming for a very good position. So achieving this with dry tires is a fantastic feeling. For the race, I will take things step by step. The car was very good in qualifying, so I hope it will be the same tomorrow. The circuit has suited me well in the past and I hope it continues. The weekend is getting better and better for me! »
Vitaly Petrov – 15th and 10th
« It’s a good feeling to qualify in the top 10 again. I would obviously have preferred to finish higher in the standings. I need to sit down with my engineers to understand what happened in Q3 when I spun. But the conditions throughout qualifying were very, very difficult. It was complicated for the team to choose the right tires because the weather was constantly changing during the session, and it was a good test for us. Overall, the weekend was interesting because we saw different types of tires being used. But the most important thing is that both cars made it into the top 10. It’s good to see smiles back on the faces of the team members! »
James Allison, Technical Director
« I am delighted to see our two cars in the top 10 for tomorrow’s race. And I am particularly pleased with Bruno’s debut in qualifying under very challenging conditions.
When lap times change so quickly and you don’t know what grip you’ll find at each corner, then these are really tough conditions. This is especially the case when you haven’t had time to run the car before the weekend and when you’re on one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar.
I’m very happy for Bruno and Vitaly. After a series of disappointing races, I hope our top 10 qualifying positions will translate into strong races for our drivers tomorrow.
[i][From the Lotus Renault GP press release][/i]
