The two Saubers out in Q1 in Melbourne
Late arrival during pre-season meant that the C35 could hardly give great ambitions to its two drivers in Australia. Marcus Ericsson (16th) and Felipe Nasr (17th) did not perform any miracles during the Qualifications session.
While its close competitors from last season seem to have progressed (we think of Scuderia Toro Rosso and McLaren), the Swiss team has remained at a similar performance level. Therefore, it was only natural that Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr were prematurely eliminated in this new qualifying format.
However, it should still be noted that Marcus Ericsson fought until the last seconds of Q1 for the 15th place, and a place in Q2, against Jolyon Palmer. Just missing out, Ericsson reflected on his session: “It was a decent qualifying,” the Swedish driver stated. “The car was handling well and its balance was good. The team did a good job despite yesterday’s limited running. We knew it would be particularly tight in Q1. But we weren’t close enough to make it to Q2. Tomorrow, we will do everything possible to fight for points.”
On his side, Felipe Nasr experienced a less joyful Qualifying session than last year, where he managed to reach the 10th position. This time, the Brazilian driver encountered “a difficult session. The level of the grid seems competitive and we know we still have work ahead of us. For the race, I’m still confident, we can gain a few positions.”
Discussing the uncertainties of the new qualifying regulations, Nasr regretted not being able to fully express his tire potential. “It’s a shame that we didn’t try the new set of super soft tires, but it’s part of the qualifying rules now.”
There are therefore a few hours left for Felipe Nasr to find the right formula in Melbourne, where he finished fifth last year during the first Grand Prix of his young career.
