Drivers Championship
Constructors
Championship
Reports & Results
What the teams and drivers said - Friday
Jaguar
( Mark Webber - 1st, Antonio Pizzonia - 8th )
Dr. Mark Gillan: "Both drivers
worked through tyre comparisons and race set-up this morning and despite
Antonio being forced to stop with a fuel issue during the test session both
drivers were satisfied with the data collected. Heavy rain forced us to keep
the drivers in the garage for the last 15 minutes of testing however.
Warm-up continued with heavy rain and unfortunately Antonio fell foul of
corner four and aqua- planned into the side barriers causing extensive damage
to the car. As a result he was forced to use the T-Car for qualifying and he
did a sterling job in bringing the car home in 8th position. Mark was one of
the last two drivers to qualify today and he did an inspiring job. The track
conditions were difficult and although we knew we were competitive we are of
course very pleased to be on pole. The team, along with Cosworth and Michelin
have been working extremely hard since the start of the season to iron out the
gremlins that we have been suffering. This result certainly gives the team a
well deserved boost and of course we are already planning for tomorrow and
working on race strategy."
Mark Webber: "What can I say, an amazing day all-round! I
started this morning with two long runs of twelve laps and the car was
performing well. We worked on tyre comparisons and also race set-up and were
pleased with the results. The heavy rain of course hampered the number of laps
that we had hoped to complete but despite that we went into warm -up
encouraged. As a result of the session being stopped my fastest lap was not
actually recorded, however, I am pleased to say that it was in qualifying. We
were fortunate that the track had dried to some extent by the time I went out,
however, the team have done an amazing job with the car and pole position
today is just reward for the hard work that the team both here and at the
factory have carried out since the start of the season. To be last out
tomorrow is going to be interesting, lets see how it goes!"
Antonio Pizzonia: "We were
working through a normal list of tyre comparisons and race set-up when my
car suffered a fuel issue problem that forced me to stop. The rain was not
making my job any easier this morning when during warm-up I aqua-planned
into corner and did some damage to the car. The team is now hard at work
repairing what was my original race car so that I can have it as the T-car
for the rest of the weekend. I qualified in the T-car that was fortunately
set-up for me already this weekend, however, the T-car always feels
slightly different from your race car. Despite that, I am very pleased
with my 8th position here in Interlagos. Knowing the track already has
made a huge difference, as I am far more comfortable behind the wheel here
than I have been at the first two tracks of the season where the layout
was new to me. I am looking forward to tomorrow, lets hope the home-fans
are entertained."
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Ferrari
( Rubens Barrichello - 2nd, Michael Schumacher - 5th )
Jean Todt: “The rain was the main
factor today. We were not able to do many laps and so, if the track is dry
tomorrow, we will have to make the most of the ninety minutes of free
practice to prepare the cars for Sunday’s race. As for tomorrow
afternoon’s qualifying session, we can claim to be in a good position,
given that both drivers will make their runs in the final part of the
session. In theory, this is an advantage, but it all hangs on the weather.
Rubens lost first place in the very last moments, when the track was
probably a bit less wet, while Michael set the fifth fastest time despite
running when the rain was at its hardest. Today’s grid reflects the
spirit of the new regulations, which are designed to increase the level of
unpredictability.”
Ross Brawn: “Weather conditions were the
deciding factor today. Rubens did a super lap, in conditions where there
was the right amount of water for the tyres we had. I think the regulation
which says we are only allowed to have one type of wet tyre should be
reconsidered, because it compromises safety. Michael caught the shower so
he was not able to push so hard, but both drivers are in good positions
for tomorrow, so I am fairly happy with our work today.”
Rubens Barrichello: “This has been quite a
tricky day with plenty of emotions. This morning we had too much rain for
the tyres we have here. This afternoon the track was much better and I was
able to push hard with the car. I am happy, even if I was surprised that
Webber beat me. But when you are running in these conditions where the
track is drying out, you should expect this sort of thing. I enjoyed
myself out on the track and am happy with my position. Being in the top
four is good enough for tomorrow, even if the second qualifying might be a
lottery as we don’t know what conditions to expect.”
Michael Schumacher: “The rain meant that track
conditions were difficult, but not unacceptable, although it was
aquaplaning which caused me to spin on my 'out' lap. All in all, fifth
place isn’t bad. Tomorrow I will do my lap in the final part of the
session. Whether or not that will be an advantage we will only know during
qualifying, given the uncertainty over the weather. I hope we can run in
the dry tomorrow morning so that we can use free practice to prepare the
car for Sunday’s race.”
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McLaren
( Kimi Raikkonen - 3rd, David Coulthard - 4th )
Ron Dennis:
"An interesting qualifying session which reflected the variable track
conditions. We seem competitive if the conditions stay the same for
tomorrow."
Norbert Haug:
"Both Kimi and David showed consistent performances and our cars
looked good in difficult circumstances. They had to go out as first and
second and in the end they were among the front runners without having the
best track conditions. What this really means we will only find out
tomorrow as nobody knows whether the track will be better at the beginning
or the end of qualifying."
Kimi Raikkonen:
"To be third after my only timed lap of the day is not bad, but I
guess the weather made things a bit more interesting. I went out for one
lap during this morning's practice but was aqua-planing a lot and ended up
spinning but didn't hit anything. I had gone out for another run towards
the end of the session, but there was a red flag and we decided that was
it. I was the first car out on the track for qualifying which is a
disadvantage especially when it's as wet as it was today. You haven't had
a chance to see what everybody else is doing and there are no tyre tracks.
However we are close to the Ferraris so we will wait and see what happens
tomorrow when it really counts."
David Coulthard:
"You can't really say a lot about the car's performance today due to
the track conditions being as difficult as they were during both practice
and qualifying. I got a few laps under my belt this morning, but
qualifying was all about staying on the track. I did run wide at turn 10
so to end up fourth is not too bad taking into consideration that we are
in the same starting group as our main competitors for tomorrow's
qualifying."
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Toyota ( Olivier
Panis - 6th, Cristiano da Matta - 11th )
Gustav Brunner: "Well, I think
that the whole Panasonic Toyota Racing team should be very happy with
these positions, 6th and 11th. We had no opportunity this morning to set
the car up to fit these extremely wet conditions, so the boys did well. I
would say the results were also very good, considering they were really
safety runs. I want to pass on my congratulations to Mark Webber and
Jaguar for a very impressive performance today."
Olivier Panis: "I think sixth
place in qualifying is a good result for us considering the difficult
weather conditions today. The track was a little bit quicker as it dried
out towards the end of the session, but I do think we have a car that can
qualify better. The balance of the car is quite good, but we had a problem
with the traction control during the session and we need to work a bit on
the settings. Once we sort this out, I think we are going to be really
competitive, but I hope it stays dry tomorrow."
Cristiano da Matta: "I feel a
little disappointed with the qualifying result. I only had two timed laps
on the track this morning and it has been nine years since I last raced
here, so it is almost like a new track for me. We could have been in much
better shape had the weather not affected free practice this morning. The
track conditions were far from ideal and nobody really drives the same
race track, because it is drying out all the time. I just hope it is
totally dry tomorrow morning for free practice, so I can get lots of laps
done and learn the track one hundred percent."
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BAR ( Jacques Villeneuve -
7th, Jenson Button - 20th )
David Richards:
"The most significant issue today was not about the cars or the
drivers but rather the track conditions and the tyres. It does bring into
question whether it is sensible to only have one wet tyre available to us,
as determined by the new regulations. I'm sure this is something that will
have to be looked at. Nonetheless, Jacques did a great job today and made
it all look relatively easy, while Jenson escaped from what was a very
spectacular moment."
Shuhei Nakamoto:
"Jacques put in a good lap this afternoon and did well to set a
competitive time, despite the difficult track conditions. Jenson had a
tough time which is a shame because he's done a good job today as he
showed this morning by setting the third fastest time. Tomorrow should be
very interesting for us because we've got one driver going out at the
start of the session and one towards the end, and with the unpredictable
weather that's maybe not such a bad position to be in. Only time will
tell."
Geoffrey Willis:
"Today was our first wet qualifying session and while conditions were
quite variable, both our drivers went out during the wetter part of the
session. Unfortunately Jenson put a wheel on the white line, lost the car
in the wet and took out a couple of the braking markers. In doing so he
damaged the rear wing and had to come in without completing a timed lap.
We will be able to repair the car quite easily for tomorrow though.
Jacques should be pleased with his lap, which put him fifth at the time.
Unfortunately it failed to rain again and we were pushed down as the track
dried! We don't have any issues with the car and both drivers are
reasonably happy with the balance in the wet, so we'll have to see what
tomorrow brings - the weather in particular!"
Jacques Villeneuve:
"I'm very happy with the lap. This morning we didn't run when the
track was at its best because we had a problem and spent a lot of time in
the garage. The same thing happened in Melbourne but it seems to work out
for me in qualifying so maybe I should just skip Friday mornings! The
conditions were good so there was no problem there. A few of the drivers
felt it was too dangerous to run this afternoon but we're here to put on a
show and I think it was the right thing to do. After today though I'm sure
everyone will see the logic in having more than one wet tyre option."
Jenson Button:
"It was a very eventful session for me! Quite scary really! I had a
lot more oversteer than this morning and the car was quite snappy coming
onto the main straight at the start of the lap. Then I had a big moment
coming out of turn five when I put a wheel on the white line. I tried to
catch it but with such a damp track it was impossible and I took out some
trackside markers in the process. That obviously damaged the rear wing and
with that hanging off I had no option but to abandon the lap. Despite the
conditions today you still have to continue to push. The problem is that
you don't really know where the limit is. The track was drier than this
morning but there was still a lot of standing water. We definitely need
more than one set of wet tyres for these conditions."
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Renault
( Fernando Alonso - 9th, Jarno Trulli - 12th )
Pat Symonds: "I am pleased that we were able
to run this afternoon because before qualifying the weather conditions
were quite bad. As far as the session is concerned, we knew that under the
new regulations there is an amount of luck involved and we have to accept
it. Jarno's laps were run on an extremely wet track and that resulted in a
poor placement for him. But I am sure that tomorrow we will be able to
reflect in qualifying our real potential."
Denis Chevrier: "On the engine side we had a
trouble free afternoon session, which was of some use because we were able
to gather some data in wet conditions. However, due to the variable
conditions, this cannot be considered a qualifying session but rather a
continuation of this morning's testing."
Fernando Alonso: "I am quite satisfied with
today's work. This morning we were able to do some work in view of the race,
especially on set ups and tyres and this afternoon I was happy with my
lap-time. However, the track kept changing and it's difficult to say where
everybody is. I am very optimistic for tomorrow's qualifying and Sunday's
race." Jarno Trulli: "I am very happy
with the way my car feels both on dry and wet conditions. Unfortunately during
this afternoon qualifying my run was done under extremely wet conditions, but
I still managed to set a reasonable lap time. The team has done a very good
job all day and I am sure I will improve my position in tomorrow's
qualifying."
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Sauber
( Heinz Harald Frentzen - 10th, Nick Heidfeld - 16th )
Peter Sauber: "The
conditions didn't do us any favours today. First of all it began to rain
more just before Heinz-Harald went out, then later it dried so that some
rivals were able to go quicker."
Heinz Harald Frentzen:
"Generally I'd say things this morning were okay, given the
conditions and the spin I had. The track was better this afternoon, but
worse for my run than it was for some of those who ran before me. That's
life. The balance was quite good and overall I'm happy with what we
achieved today."
Nick Heidfeld:
"This morning I had a problem when my car suffered an hydraulic
failure, so I didn't get much running time. This afternoon the car felt a
lot better in the slightly improved conditions, but I was quite cautious,
especially in the last long left-hander to the start/finish line."
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Williams ( Ralf
Schumacher - 13th, Juan Pablo Montoya - 17th )
Sam Michael: "It
is difficult to say where everybody is, due to the fact the weather and
track conditions were changing during qualifying. Our positions to start
from tomorrow are disappointing, of course. We have a lot of new chassis
parts but we are not able to evaluate them under these conditions but we
hope we can achieve this tomorrow morning."
Mario Theissen: "Today's
qualifying was ruled by weather conditions. In the first 30 minutes the
track was so wet that the drivers were forced to drive as if they were
running on ice. Juan Pablo drove over the limit and lost quite a bit of
time as he went off track. Unfortunately Ralf was out on the track right
when it was soaking wet. This cost him a better position. After the break
the track conditions were better so that several drivers could qualify at
the top."
Ralf Schumacher: "It's
very difficult to rate today's times. Qualifying was a weather lottery.
Usually I don't dislike driving in wet conditions but on my fast lap the
track was extremely slippery after it had again started raining hard a few
minutes before. The balance of my car was not right in the slow and
medium-speed sectors, but this is something we are going to work on now."
Juan Pablo Montoya: "I
lost the rear of the car on the asphalt change, locked the rear tyres at
turn six and went off track losing quite a bit of time. I obviously lost
my flying lap there. The car felt quite bad on the new asphalt in the
infield, anyway. Let's hope for some dry running tomorrow."
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Jordan
( Giancarlo Fisichella - 14th, Ralph Firman - 18th )
Gary Anderson:
"I'm very disappointed. One way or another we weren't able to get on
top of it today but we are working hard to make sure we fulfil our
potential this weekend."
Giancarlo Fisichella:
"I'm not too happy with how it went. The car had a lot of oversteer
during the lap and the grip was not good - I don't know why. I'm hoping
for a better day tomorrow."
Ralph Firman: "We had quite a bit of oversteer and qualifying
was only my second timed lap in the rain. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
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Minardi
( Jos Verstappen - 15th, Justin Wilson - 19th )
Paul Stoddart: “Today
produced yet another exciting qualifying session and our hearty
congratulations go to Mark Webber and Jaguar for what was a stunning lap. Both
Justin and Jos completed a useful day's running and were able to work on their
chassis settings in the morning test session. Both drivers completed their
first qualifying runs without incident and we look forward to an interesting
final qualifying session tomorrow afternoon."
Jos Verstappen: “I
didn't drive many laps this morning because the track was just too wet for
much of the time, but that qualifying run was definitely on the limit. The
car was really sliding around in what were very difficult conditions. I'm
happy with the lap time and also with the work we have done today. We
worked on set-up this morning in the dry conditions and know pretty much
which way we need to go.”
Justin Wilson: “It was definitely
pretty tricky out there this afternoon, particularly on the new sections of
tarmac - in fact, I nearly lost it at the start-finish line on the warm-up
lap. The situation wasn't made any easier by the fact that the red flag
brought out by Pizzonia's crash in the morning practice session prevented me
from doing a lap of the circuit in the wet before this afternoon's qualifying
session. I used the 'out' lap for my qualifying run just to try and learn what
the track conditions were like. All in all, it wasn't a great result, but it
was the best we could do today given the circumstances. We'll look to improve
tomorrow.”
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