Saturday: The McLarens are not fast enough to win

Sergio Pérez – 18th and 4th (in Q1):

Well, even though we didn’t manage to finish it, it really was a dramatic qualifying session, full of suspense and excitement. But, even though this uncertainty made things difficult for all the teams, I think our guys did a fantastic job. They stayed calm and focused throughout the session, even during the gaps and delays, and as a result, Jenson and I were always sure that everything was under control.

We are going to have a very tight schedule tomorrow – with little time between qualifying and the race – and it will be hard for everyone, especially the guys in the garage. Guys, I appreciate all your hard efforts in advance!

I think the FIA stewards made the right decision in postponing Q2 and Q3. The conditions were becoming too dangerous – with poor visibility and low grip as well.

Tomorrow will be a tricky day for us because our car is not yet competitive enough, but our aim will be to score points with both cars to keep in touch with the teams that currently seem to be a bit ahead of us in terms of performance.

Jenson Button – 17th and 8th (in Q1):

A session like today’s is difficult for everyone. For us drivers, it means that we have to prepare for the qualifying challenge over and over again – it’s a bit like asking Usain Bolt to prepare for five 100m races one after another and cancel four of them.

This level of disruption creates a lot of mental and psychological stress for any athlete – but it was even worse for the fans, who eagerly waited all day for the qualifiers and then had to sit under pouring rain without any action on track to entertain them. So I feel sorry for them, because the fans are everything this sport is ultimately, but I hope we can make it up to them tomorrow by delivering a really exciting race.

I think the FIA had no choice. It was the right decision to postpone Q2 and Q3 to tomorrow for safety reasons. That being said, postponing the rest of the qualifications to Sunday morning means I won’t be able to have a coffee on the beach, which is my ritual before the race here in Melbourne. But, you know, maybe it’s not such a bad thing, because it means I can keep my Sunday morning coffee in Melbourne as a good luck charm, because I believe we’re not fast enough to win here tomorrow, so my coffee then win statistic here will remain intact.