Friday: Vergne will have to attack more tomorrow
This day marked Jean-Eric Vergne's first official outing as a Formula 1 driver. The Frenchman admits that this moment gave him a special feeling but that quickly the work with the engineers takes precedence over everything else. Vergne took advantage of the weather conditions to gain experience with the rain tires and knows he will have to push harder tomorrow to secure a good position on the grid and hope to beat his teammate, who will be supported by his home crowd.
Jean-Eric Vergne: 19th and 20th
« My first day as a Formula 1 driver gave me a special feeling. Being the first driver to hit the track this morning was special, but then it was time to dive into work with the engineers. This morning, we didn’t complete our program, partly due to the rain. It complicates things, but it was really fun since I had never driven with rain tires, which means I did my best today to try these tires. I also did a long stint, which was useful to learn the circuit, and there are plenty of small details I can improve. Overall, I would say it was a positive first day, and what I need to do tomorrow is push harder. »
Daniel Ricciardo: 7th and 21st
« All the media hype made me feel like it was my first F1 race all over again. It was a great feeling to be back on track here in Australia, and I really enjoyed it. This morning went quite well, very well indeed, whereas the afternoon was mixed due to the weather. We tried most types of tires except the softs. This afternoon I did a long stint and I think we can still improve our race pace. The positive point is that I know what we need to do to achieve this. This track is very different from the circuits we raced on this winter, but it seems positive so I hope to have a good position on the grid tomorrow. We’ll see what the weather holds for us but even if it rains, I expect there to be fans supporting us. »
