Vettel on pole, third for Webber
It was an incredible day for the Red Bull Racing F1 Team at the Shanghai International Circuit today. Sebastian Vettel scored his first pole position of the season while team mate Mark Webber will start the Chinese Grand Prix from third position.
Sebastian Vettel, Position 1st!
“I’m very, very happy – it’s unbelievable. It was a bit last minute! I only had one run in each qualifying session but, as you can see, you don’t need more! It wasn’t easy, we had a problem with the car and had to run as little as possible. The car was really quick though, Mark had two runs in each session and was always up there, so I didn’t have any concerns. Still, if you have only one lap, you can’t make any mistakes. I’m really happy – we made it to pole position in the end! This morning wasn’t ideal, but it seems the less I run in the morning, the better it is in qualifying! A big thanks to the mechanics, who have been working very, very hard, basically all night, and thanks to all the team back in Milton Keynes too. We made it! I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it’s a long race and there’s a long way to go, but we have the best starting position.”
Mark Webber, Position 3rd!
“What a result! The work that’s gone into this from the team, especially over the last few weeks, has been incredible. It would have been good to have both cars on the front row, but Fernando did a great job. I was expecting to be a little bit tighter in the end, but we’ll see how the fuel loads pan out tomorrow. We’ve done a good job. Q2 was strong for us and the car is behaving well, with a lot of grip. I’m doing what I can to give the youngster (Seb) a hard time, we’re pushing each other hard and it’s working very well!”
Christian Horner, Team Principal: “A fantastic team result and the team’s first pole position that was brilliantly executed by Sebastian. He stuck to a disciplined strategy, which paid off and now he starts tomorrow’s race with a clear track in front of him – the best place to be! Mark has also been absolutely on it all weekend. I’m delighted with the performance and the effort that has gone into this today, not only here in Shanghai, but also in Milton Keynes. The whole team has been working really hard, but now we have to convert it. Tomorrow will be a big day!”
Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: "It’s fantastic, such a good qualifying result – one and three! After all the politics that has gone on, now it’s about racing and it’s great to be in the position we are for tomorrow. We have three Renault engines in the top three, so a great day for Renault.”
