Monaco Grand Prix – Monaco,
Qualifying session
Weather: air temperature 24/28 °C, track temperature 25/29
°C, Cloudy, with a few drops of rain.
Jean Todt: “As usual, qualifying was
very close, made even more uncertain this time by the changing
weather. On this unique track, starting from the front row
is very important for the final result and for the first time
this season, neither of our cars is there. Kimi touched the
barrier at the Swimming Pool and he had to pit with a damaged
car and so was unable to take part in the final part of the
session. He will start from sixteenth spot which will obviously
make for a very complicated race. For his part, Felipe did
a perfect final lap, to take third place. Unfortunately, despite
his best efforts he was unable to get ahead of our closest
rivals. The outcome tomorrow will be decided by the usual
factors – strategy, reliability, the start, team work
and the efforts of the drivers, as well as the performance
of the tyres. There will be a further variable, linked to
the weather which can make things even more uncertain.”
Felipe Massa: “I am happy as I did
a good lap, without traffic and I am in a good position for
tomorrow’s race. I am confident and will try for a good
result. The race here is very long and it is vital to maintain
concentration. If it were to rain, it would make it even more
of a lottery. It was very complicated today to choose the
right moment to go out on track, both in terms of traffic
and the weather, with the rain threatening to arrive at any
moment. I had seen the yellow flags for Kimi and it was a
bit of a tricky moment at Rascasse, when I found him stopped
in front of me on the track, but somehow I managed to get
by without damaging my car.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “There’s little
to say after this qualifying session. I was on my first run
with soft tyres when, coming out of the Swimming Pool Chicane,
I hit the barrier with the right front wheel. At first it
seemed that everything was alright, but when I got to Rascasse,
the car would not make the turn. I managed to get back to
the pits and the mechanics tried to fix the car but we realized
it could not be done in time. Here, the very slightest error
costs you dear and it is a real shame because I think I could
have fought for pole position. However, I will start from
the seventh row so I am expecting a very tough race, but I
will do all I can to get a good result for the team."
Luca Baldisserri: “Free practice in
the wet and qualifying in the dry: it’s the worst possible
combination for preparing as well as possible for a vital
session on a track like this. We are very disappointed for
Kimi who touched the barrier at the exit to the Swimming Pool,
breaking a steering arm on the front right wheel. We tried
to repair the damage but there was not enough time to do so
before the end of Q2. Felipe did an extraordinary lap, especially
in the final sector which helped him secure third place. Clearly,
not knowing what fuel loads our main rivals have on board
it is hard to predict what sort of result we can expect from
Felipe, while it is equally obvious that Kimi has a long climb
through the field ahead of him. We think we will be competitive
and we will do our utmost to bring home as many points as
possible.”
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