Manor squeeze in between Saubers in Abu Dhabi
The two Manor cars placed themselves between the two Sauber drivers on the final Saturday of qualifying at Yas Marina. Pascal Wehrlein even managed to get his car into Q2 in 16th position, while Esteban Ocon, struggling with tire problems, had to settle for 20th on the grid.
After a Brazilian round that was ultimately disappointing for the Manor team, overtaken by Sauber in the Constructors’ Championship, it was necessary to regroup to finish the season.
Pascal Wehrlein → Q2: 16th (1:41.995 – 14 laps)
For the fifth time this season, the German driver succeeded in reaching Q2, by climbing to 16th place.
He was delighted to finish his first F1 season in this way: « This is my fifth entry into Q2 this year and it’s a nice way to finish for the last qualifications of this season. In Q2, I only had one set of ultra-soft tires and my second flying lap was on the edge. It was impossible to improve it. But I think we can be happy with the 16th place. »
The 2015 DTM champion continues with hopes for the race: « We are ahead of Sauber and our pace seems solid. So you never know what’s possible or what’s going to happen in front of us. I think we can dream big and do everything for the points. Brazil was a tough race for us, so I’d like to bring smiles back to everyone’s faces in the team. »
To conclude, he wants to thank his team for the work accomplished and shares his feelings about this circuit: « I thank the team because together we have done a very good job so far. I appreciate this track, but I don’t think it is the most suitable for us, so we will try to push hard to end the season positively. »
Great to be in Q2 for the 5th time this year! Big thanks to my whole team for the great effort! Let’s push tomorrow! 💪🏽☺️ @ManorRacing pic.twitter.com/qICFBplWRe
— Pascal Wehrlein (@PWehrlein) 26 novembre 2016
Esteban Ocon → Q1: 20th (1:42.286 – 8 laps)
For his part, the future Force India driver, in his last Grand Prix with the English team, experienced a disastrous qualifying session according to his words: « My qualifications were a catastrophe. The free practice sessions seemed positive and we were ahead, but as soon as we put on the ultra-softs, I was like immobile while my teammate and everyone else improved. There was nothing more to gain in terms of pace for me with these tires. I lost speed and we need to look at what the problem was, because there was indeed a problem. »
To finish, the Frenchman talks about Sunday’s race: « It’s a beautiful circuit that I appreciate, and up until the qualifying moment, the signs were good in terms of performance. I will start at a disadvantage with my position on the grid, but if we have a good start – and we know we can – afterward, we can gain places and have a good race. »
👎 qualifying today, the pace was good for Q2 when we were all on Super Soft. Then an issue with the Ultra Soft made us drop… Tomorrow👊👊!! pic.twitter.com/FvKj8mXzZ5
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) 26 novembre 2016
