Saturday: Hamilton hopes to deliver a victory for McLaren before leaving

Lewis Hamilton – 4th and Pole Position:

« The pole! What an incredible feeling! It’s been a fantastic weekend so far. We are not yet 100% sure about tomorrow’s weather, but I hope Jenson and I will be able to fight for the win. I have usually started from fourth position on the grid at Interlagos, and it hasn’t brought me much success. Before qualifying, I told Martin [Whitmarsh] that I really didn’t want to start fourth this time. Overall, I’m very happy to have secured this pole position. »

Jenson and I are in the best possible positions for tomorrow. However, if it rains, the car in front is always the first to suffer from aquaplaning, so even if we get a good start, we’ll need to remain cautious. However, I don’t want to fall back at the start because then the visibility would be reduced due to all the spray. We haven’t secured a one-two finish for a while in a race [Canada 2010, editor’s note], so it would be really great for the team if we could do it tomorrow. It would be perfect to say goodbye, actually.

Jenson Button – 1st and 2nd:

« It’s great for us to both be on the front row, especially because it’s Lewis’s last Grand Prix for McLaren. Our car is working very well. I was just half a tenth off pole, and I acknowledge that we both set very good laps. So yes, I’m happy with this qualifying. Starting from the front row, you always hope for a calm race, but it seems it’s going to rain tomorrow, which could make things a bit less predictable. »

« This race is important for us. Obviously, we are no longer in the fight for the world championship title, but this weekend’s performances are very encouraging for next year, which will be our goal immediately after tomorrow’s race. »