Saturday: Vergne and Toro Rosso not satisfied despite the Top 10
New Q3 reached for Jean-Eric Vergne, in conditions that usually suit him, although this time he believes the car was not in good shape on a wet track. As for Daniil Kvyat, blocked in Q2, optimism remains the order of the day.
Jean-Eric Vergne – 12th and 9th
“I’m happy to finish 9th and in the top 10 for the second consecutive race,” the Frenchman said at the end of another Q3. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing, despite conditions that usually suit No. 25: “But it was a difficult session and the car wasn’t easy to drive. We were never really fast, but in Q2 I managed to put together a very good lap that placed me in Q3.”
The evening will be studious to prepare for a race potentially contested in the rain, but Vergne remains confident and aims for points: « We need to look at all the data now to understand why we were quite slow in the wet. I really trust the team and I can do a good job tomorrow and I hope we will finish in the points here like in Melbourne. We really have the car to do it. »
Daniil Kvyat – 11th and 11th
Even though he barely missed the last part of the qualifying session, the Russian considers it a logical situation: « It’s a shame to have been edged out of Q3 right at the end by my teammate, but JEV was faster than me today and I was too conservative on my last lap. »
Involved in a collision with Fernando Alonso, he explains that there was nothing to be done in these conditions: « Regarding the incident with Alonso, visibility was very low for everyone and I think he didn’t see me and, ultimately, he turned into me. It’s normal that he didn’t see me because there was so much spray. » No penalty was issued against either driver after the stewards’ investigation.
« Now, let’s see what happens tomorrow, because it really depends on the conditions. Q3 could have been possible today, but all in all, 11th is a good starting point, » he says positively.
