Saturday: A big day for Team Lotus

Heikki Kovalainen – 15th:

It’s obviously a big day for Team Lotus and I want to thank everyone here and the guys at the factory who have worked so hard to give us this new step in our history. There is still a lot to come from the car and we performed very well today. We can see that we can continue to progress and mix it up with the cars ahead of us on merit.

With the work we did during the night and this morning, I can feel that we have found a much better balance in the fast corners, and we can work more on the handling in the slow corners, which is where we can gain time, but for now, it feels good to be in a good position for the race tomorrow.

Jarno Trulli – 18th:

«First of all, I would like to thank the whole team for getting Heikki into Q2. It’s a great result for us. As for me, the session was interrupted by what seems to be an electrical problem, which means I was stuck in second gear when I went out for my first lap, but we changed the steering wheel, and I was able to do a lap in the last seconds and get ahead of Rubens, so we will start 18th tomorrow and with the race pace of the car, I think we will have a good afternoon. »

Tony Fernandes – Team Principal:

I’m so happy. It’s almost unbelievable but it’s a great day for Team Lotus and a just reward for all the efforts of the entire team. I’m so happy for everyone associated with our team. Heikki did a fantastic lap and the whole team worked brilliantly to give him the chance to get the car into Q2. Jarno managed to do a good lap in the last seconds to get 18th under heavy pressure. We have a lot of work to do so we’re not going to get carried away, but it’s important that we enjoy this day. As I always say, these small steps will help us climb up the grid, so well done to everyone.