Report – Saturday – Williams Falls from Great Heights!

A very sad day for the Williams team who sees their dreams of a double after Australia disappear. Both drivers will start from the back of the grid with 16th and 22nd positions for Rosberg and Nakajima, respectively.

The Japanese driver already knew that his chances were going to be compromised since a penalty had been following him ever since the end of the race in Melbourne. Even before the qualifying session began, he had 10 places less on the grid due to an incident that occurred at Albert Park.

Only a slim consolation for the British team, the rain forecasted for tomorrow could work in their favor!

Nico Rosberg – 15th and 16th:

« Impossible to know what happened today. I arrived here with a podium in my pocket and a 3rd place, and tomorrow I’ll be starting from the 16th position. Our car doesn’t seem to like the new surface that was laid on this circuit.

« We are doing the work that needs to be done regarding the tires but the lack of grip. It will be tough tomorrow especially starting from this position, but our car should perform better in racing conditions. And maybe the rain can help us! »

Kazuki Nakajima – 13th and 22nd (18th before penalty):

« It was a difficult qualification, the intermediate times were extremely tight, and by making a very small mistake, I couldn’t reach Q2. »

« I also have a penalty for tomorrow, but I want to run a consistent race by ensuring that I finish it. Regarding performance, we will focus on our strategy to see what we can do, but it will be a tough challenge. »

Sam Michael – Technical Director:

« It was, of course, a disappointing qualification today. This morning, we had an issue with Nico’s car, with a hydraulic leak that cost us time that could have been spent on testing. »

« It was utopian to hope to enter the top ten even if our performances were improving. We are now working on our race strategy to come up with the best possible plans to place the cars in the points. »