SAF1 TEAM 2007 US GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE &
QUALIFYING
TAKUMA SATO Car 22 (SA07-04)
FP3 Position 17 Fastest Lap Time 1:13.476
QUALIFYING Grid Position 18 Lap Time 1:13.477
ANTHONY DAVIDSON Car 23 (SA07-03)
FP3 Position 13 Fastest Lap Time 1:13.069
QUALIFYING Grid Position 16 Lap Time 1:13.259
T-Car SA07-02
Weather Hot and dry (28.4-36.6% humidity)
Air Temperature 29.9°C minimum, 35.2°C maximum
Track Temperature 40.7°C minimum, 59.6°C maximum
The ‘Brickyard’ produced an exciting and close
Qualifying session in Indianapolis today. SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM
experienced a difficult day in the garage having to change
Anthony to the T-car after he kissed the wall during Free
Practice 3. During Qualifying a small mistake by Takuma and
an extremely tight grid meant that he just missed out on making
it through to Q2 to join Anthony. The SAF1 Team drivers will
start the 2007 US Grand Prix in 16th and 18th positions tomorrow.
Takuma Sato
“It was a very tough day. I wasn't fully happy with
the car this morning, so we changed the set-up for the Qualifying
session. It was better but there was traffic during my first
run and in the second I went a little deep in Turn One and
locked up the front wheel so I lost a good couple of tenths
then. Sectors Two and Three were okay, but I needed another
half a tenth to get into Q2. It's a shame, but hopefully we
have a strong car and I'll have a good race tomorrow.”
Anthony Davidson
“The team did a really good job today to get me out
there into Qualifying this afternoon after I tapped the wall
in the last practice session. I had to change over to the
T-car and there was a big buzz in the garage - they did a
great job. It's brilliant to get through to Q2. It was a great
achievement today and so we're looking forward to the race
tomorrow.”
Graham Taylor, Sporting Director
“It was a tough morning. We had a lot to do to get
to a place where we were prepared for Qualifying and even
then we knew it was going to be really hard as the grid is
so tight here. During his performance run at the end of Free
Practice 3 Anthony touched the wall coming off Turn 13. Once
we looked at the data we saw that the car had taken an impact
on some of the componentry over its design criteria, so between
the two sessions we had to swap to the T-car. The boys had
an uphill struggle within an hour to change everything - engine,
set-up, the whole nine yards - and they did a fantastic job.
The first run by Anthony showed that the car was good. His
engineering crew had him on the circuit at the right time
and I think he got the best out of the car. It was unfortunate
for Taku. On his second run he just went a bit too deep into
Turn One, but the rest of the lap was fantastic and he only
just missed going through to Q2.
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