Saturday: Difficult to do better for Mercedes
The Mercedes team had decided to save its tires for the race, and given the adopted strategy, it was difficult for Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher to do better than their current positions on the grid.
**Nico Rosberg – 10th and 6th [after Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification]:**
« It was a complicated qualifying session this afternoon, and 7th place was the best we could do. It was a challenge to find the right tire settings, and some managed to do better than us today. However, with a good strategy tomorrow, we should be able to gain a few places. It has been a very uncertain season so far, and it’s interesting to see new drivers (Maldonado) on the front row tomorrow. »
Michael Schumacher – 17th and 8th [after Lewis Hamilton’s demotion]:
« We wanted to save our tires this afternoon, which dictated our Q3 management. I didn’t manage a timed lap, and now I have the choice of tires for tomorrow. Moreover, I think it’s better to start 9th than 8th on the grid, to be on the clean side. It’s clear that some teams have made a step forward during these three weeks of break. And I have to say that the field is even tighter now. It’s going to be a close race tomorrow, even if it should be a bit cooler, it will be interesting to see if our choices today will pay off at the end of the race.»
