Red Bull hopes for rain to fight Mercedes
Red Bull Racing saw its drivers qualify 6th and 9th. Sebastian Vettel happy but aware that in dry conditions Mercedes will be difficult to beat. Daniel Ricciardo was frustrated with his unexpected qualifying struggle.
Sebastian Vettel, 6th: “I got happier with the car as qualifying progressed and we’re in a solid position to start the race tomorrow. It’s hard to beat the Mercedes and Williams from where we are, but this is Brazil and anything can happen; weather can play a big role, it was supposed to rain today and it didn’t, but that’s Interlagos for you.”
Daniel Ricciardo, 9th: ”The day was going alright up until qualifying and then we lost a lot of pace. I went out quite early in Q1 and there was a bit of stuff on the track, so I thought it would get better and better but we didn’t find the pace we were after. I was surprised to get into Q3 after my lap in Q2. I felt better in Q3, but I was only a tenth or so faster; it’s bit frustrating. We should have finished better than ninth, we hoped to be in the top five after the pace we had in practice, but hopefully the car will be better in the race.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal: “It was a totally Mercedes-dominated qualifying; I think sixth and ninth is representative of where are on this track. Daniel lost some pace from this morning and Sebastian found some pace; we’re not up as far as we’d like to be. Hopefully, with a wet race tomorrow, we can have a stronger Sunday.“
Thierry Salvi, Renault engine support: “It was good to see both cars inside the top-10, but we were hoping for a little more in terms of pace. Interlagos is a very specific circuit for the Power Unit, with the low ambient pressure requiring the eTurbo to work harder. It’s important we manage that in terms of energy usage. The changeable weather conditions and temperature fluctuations both also played their part in making for a tricky qualifying session. Hopefully strategy will be a factor tomorrow, especially if we can make the most of a long run to the first corner. Both drivers proved in Austin they have no problem overtaking other cars!
