Vettel 9th, Räikkönen 14th: a qualifying to forget for Ferrari
Nothing went as planned for Ferrari this Saturday: Kimi Räikkönen had to stop his car and couldn't defend his chances in Q2, while Sebastian Vettel did no better than 9th place in Q3.
On his favorite circuit, and just when he seemed on par with his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen had the misfortune of seeing his Ferrari come to a halt in Q2. The Finn did not set a time and will start in 14th position tomorrow, between two Saubers. “I don’t exactly understand what happened,” confessed the world champion after the session. “Our car was behaving quite well throughout the weekend; unfortunately, this problem happened at the wrong time,” he regretted.
It looks like a comeback race is on the horizon for Kimi Räikkönen. The start could be decisive: “My grid position will make my race very tricky, but I hope the race turns in our favor. It’s important to negotiate the first corner well: even though it won’t be easy to pass cars with a Mercedes engine, we will continue to fight and give our best.”
Sebastian Vettel fortunately did not experience such mechanical issues, which does not mean he succeeded in his qualification either, with a strangely modest 9th place. The very tight gaps between the competitors ultimately put the German on the wrong side: « It’s very simple: in Q2 we were third and the standings were very tight if you look at the lap times. In Q3, I had the right pace. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to improve like the others did. I also lost a bit of time in the last corner, and that’s why we’re not ahead ».
The four-time world champion remains optimistic for the upcoming race: « I believe there is no reason to panic. Of course, we are not satisfied, I lost two or maybe three tenths, but tomorrow we should have a satisfactory pace and a good enough straight-line speed to turn things around. We have a good car and a good package for the race. »
