Sauber also hoping for a wet race
The final race of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship will be a challenging one for the Sauber F1 Team. After having been quite competitive when the track was damp in the beginning of Q1, the Sauber C31-Ferraris couldn’t repeat this when the track was completely dry in Q2. Sergio Pérez qualified 13th for tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Kamui Kobayashi came 15th today in Interlagos.
Both drivers however are completing their last races for Sauber F1 and hope to round off in a positive way.
Sergio Pérez, Sauber C31-Ferrari (Chassis 03/Ferrari 056)
Q: 13th in Q2 (1:14.234 min / new medium tyres)
FP3: 13th (1:14.190 min / new medium tyres / 26 laps)
“My fastest lap was really okay and, therefore, I think our position pretty much reflects what is possible with the car. When the track was damp at the beginning of qualifying we were quite competitive. But later when it was completely dry we lost positions. Nevertheless I still hope to get a good result tomorrow in what will be my final race for Sauber.”
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31-Ferrari (Chassis 04/Ferrari 056):
Q: 15th in Q2 (1:14.380 min / new medium tyres)
FP3:: 14th (1:14.192 min / new medium tyres / 21 laps)
“My fastest lap wasn’t a perfect one because the warm up of the tyres wasn’t perfect. I lost a bit of the tyres’ potential there. I think in damp conditions we would have had a chance to make Q3, but not on a dry track. I actually hope we will get some rain for tomorrow’s race and so make the right calls then.”
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
“We have made some progress since yesterday, but in the end it was not enough, although the drivers did a good job. However, there is a chance of rain tomorrow, and we made some compromises towards that direction. We now hope this will pay off in the race.”
Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering:
“Overall it was a better day than yesterday. We made some progress with the car’s balance and the grip. Based on this we expected more from qualifying, but we have to accept where we are. In dry conditions it will not be easy to make up a lot of ground in the race, but in case of rain anything can happen.”
