Saturday: Schumacher and Mercedes in the running
After a challenging 2011 season in the midfield, Mercedes seems to approach the season in much better shape: Michael Schumacher lines up on the second row, ahead of the Red Bulls, while Nico Rosberg, who made a mistake, will start behind the Red Bulls.
Michael Schumacher – 6th and 4th
The first qualifying session of the season proved that we were at the level of competition we hoped to be. I am happy with our performance, which is a gigantic step forward if we consider our position during last season’s qualifications. I can only thank the guys for the hard work they have done all winter. I also think it is important to remind that Mercedes-Benz has always supported and believed in this project, and I really hope we can deliver the results we all want. We must take it step by step because the competition is very tight, so we need to keep working hard.
Nico Rosberg – 5th and 7th
We are happy to see that we have clearly improved the car this winter. It seems that we can be strong in the race compared to what we learned during the tests this weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the best out of it today. I didn’t find the right settings because we have a lot of new things on the car and it will take a few races before everything works perfectly. I also made a small mistake on my last lap, which cost me a bit of time. Seventh place is still a good position, and I will do my best to improve this position in the race.
Ross Brawn, team principal
« Compared to where we were twelve months ago, I believe we have seen a really good step forward here in Melbourne, and we have very good foundations to build upon. We are very happy with Michael’s fourth position today, and he did an excellent job. Nico couldn’t manage a clean lap at the end, but nevertheless, he will have a good race from seventh place. We have been able to spend time running with large amounts of fuel, and I hope that will pay off tomorrow during the race. »
