Penalty for Webber, Coulthard blocked

It has been a good qualifying session for Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber at Shanghai today. The Aussie placed his car 6th on tomorrow's grid but due to an engine change, he will get a ten-place grid penalty. Team mate David Coulthard didn't make it into Q2 as he was blocked by BMW's Nick Heidfeld.

Mark Webber, Position 6th
(Mark will drop ten places on the grid tomorrow, due to an engine change)
"Unfortunately a penalty for an engine change drops you five rows back - and it's difficult enough anyway these days with the field being so tight. In Fuji I would have had a chance to make up some places during the race, as it's easier to pass there, but there are some really quick corners here making it more difficult. Let's hope for some rain tomorrow."

David Coulthard, Position 16th
(David will move up a place tomorrow, due to Mark's engine change penalty)
"I'm extremely disappointed with what Nick Heidfeld did at the end of Q1 on the last out lap. All the cars were bunching up on the second to last corner, as they jostled for position, but Nick suddenly passed me on the inside into the last corner, just as I was about to start my flying lap. It was very unlikely he was going to do a better lap on prime tyres and he was on the dirty side of the track, so he wouldn't have done a faster lap by squeezing through the inside at that point - and he came in
before the end of that lap anyway! He would have known he was in the top ten already, so for me it was very un-sportsman like behaviour, as all he did was screw up my last flying lap - there wasn't any intention of him doing a quicker time."

Christian Horner: "Despite losing track time with an engine failure in this morning's practice, Mark did a good job to finish P6 in today's qualifying session. Unfortunately he takes a grid penalty tomorrow due to the engine failure and subsequent engine change, but it was a good lap from him. David had the pace to go through to Q2, but an incident with Heidfeld cost him time on his last run and, with the circuit improving, unfortunately he just missed the cut."

Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer, Track Support: "We are very sorry for Mark and apologise to him for the engine failure. It's a shame as he had good pace today and easily got through in to Q3 to finish P6. David was blocked during Q1, so wasn't able to show his real pace today. It wasn't a good day, I hope Sunday will be better."