Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying, Saturday – 06.10.07
Weather: Hot and sunny with clouds, 30°C Air, 42-46°C
Track.
Shanghai (CHN). The BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers qualified
eighth and ninth in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix. Nick
Heidfeld, who lost a lot of track time on Friday, was almost
two hundredths of a second faster than Robert Kubica. Everyone
is following the weather forecast with interest as typhoon
Krosa approaches the Chinese coast so tomorrow Shanghai could
have some heavy rain.
Nick Heidfeld: BMW Sauber F1.07-08 / BMW
P86/7 (T-Car F1.07.04) Qualifying 8th, 1.38.455 min (3rd practice:
9th, 1.37.176 min) “I don’t want to complain as
my car was okay. However, the time I lost in both Friday practice
sessions definitely influenced the result. It was only in
Q2 that I was able to drive on the limit, but this was not
in every corner. In Q3 the balance was not so good with the
fuel on board. Our weather forecast says rain for tomorrow.
There is a typhoon in the area, but perhaps it will move elsewhere
although at the moment that is not really clear.“
Robert Kubica: BMW Sauber F1.07-03 / BMW
P86/7 Qualifying 9th, 1.38,472 min (3rd Practice: 7th, 1.37.024
min) “I have to be honest and say I was expecting more
from today. This morning I was a lot happier with the car
and felt we were going in the right direction for the set-up.
However, this afternoon just didn’t go right for me.
I now have to concentrate on the race and hope the strategy
I have can help me recover from this disappointing result.“
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
“We had no problems during qualifying, and as has happened
at every race this season we got both cars into the third
qualifying session and this time we will be eighth
and ninth. With rain forecast for tomorrow we will see what
these grid positions are worth.”
Willy Rampf (Technical Director): “Nick
and Robert reached the crucial third Qualifying without any
problems. Secretly, we hoped for better positions than eight
and nine. Anyway, for the weather conditions we expect tomorrow
we are in good shape.”
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