Saturday: Schumacher ahead of Rosberg at Mercedes
Promising throughout the practice sessions, the Mercedes cars did not deliver in qualifying, failing to even reach Q3, which seemed within reach for Michael Schumacher, hindered in his last flying lap. In the game of penalties, the seven-time world champion will start at the back of the grid while Nico Rosberg will gain two places.
Michael Schumacher – 4th and 13th [23rd on the grid]:
« It’s a shame that we couldn’t do better today after things didn’t seem so bad this morning, but we simply didn’t have the performance. Nonetheless, we can also say that, knowing the high speeds characteristic of this track, we didn’t necessarily expect to be in great shape here. Maybe I could have gone to Q3 because the data showed I lost two-tenths in turn 11 due to traffic, but I wasn’t sure what Hamilton was doing in front of me. I saved a lot of tire sets and, in that regard, I made the best of the situation. Now, we must wait and see what will happen tomorrow. I will definitely be looking for the best possible result, starting from the back of the grid. »
Nico Rosberg – 15th and 15th [13th on the grid]:
« It’s a difficult weekend for us. Qualifying in 15th position is not what we wanted to achieve, even though I will gain a few positions due to the penalties. The times were very close today, and it’s disappointing that we couldn’t reach Q3. Our pace seems better with a lot of fuel, so I hope everything goes well in the race and that I can gain positions. »
The positions on the grid are provisional and may change depending on the penalties imposed following the qualifying session.
