Saturday: Williams drivers secure the second row
After proving that the Williams fully benefited from its Mercedes engine, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa demonstrated that the aerodynamics of their car are far from bad.
Valtteri Bottas (No. 77) – 5th and 3rd
If having a Mercedes engine is an advantage this season, the Williams is nevertheless impressive with its level of aerodynamic downforce, as evidenced by Valtteri Bottas’s performance, which was expected: « The goal was to be 3rd and 4th behind the Mercedes: it is achieved. The gap between us is smaller than we expected, so it’s a positive point that we have closed in. »
Like the other drivers, the Finn points out that Suzuka is a difficult circuit: The chances of the typhoon appearing complicate matters further. But that does not discourage Valtteri Bottas, who wants to continue his year of good results: I think we have our chances of securing a podium regardless of the weather conditions.
Felipe Massa (No. 19) – 4th and 4th
Despite a few problems on Friday, everything returned to normal for Felipe Massa, who is alongside his teammate: « It’s a positive qualifying session for the team, with both cars on the second row. » While Felipe Massa is behind his teammate, he knows he didn’t get enough out of his car to do better: « I didn’t do well enough to take third place today, but I know we have a good pace. »
The Brazilian then turns to the race, which he wants to approach in the same way as any other: « We must focus on the work to be done tomorrow, regardless of the weather. »
