Saturday: Ferrari achieves its best overall result

Fernando Alonso – 2nd and 3rd:

« I’m happy with how things have gone so far this weekend, especially because the car has proven to be competitive, even on a circuit that definitely doesn’t suit it. This is mainly thanks to the updates we’ve brought here, which have worked as expected, making me confident for the rest of the season. I clearly remember where we were in Australia, and if today we are in the battle for pole, it means we’ve done a good job over the past few months, especially since the others haven’t been idle either. I’m also happy for Felipe, who confirms the progress we’ve seen in the last few races: at the start of the championship, he was undoubtedly unlucky, but we’ve always stayed united and now, the results are coming, as they should for such a talented driver.

That said, we must not forget that two drivers were faster than us, therefore there is still ground to cover in terms of performance, although it seems that we end up fighting at the level of the best. It was a rather stressful qualifying session because here, the times are always very close and just a few tenths make the difference between the top and the bottom of the hierarchy. Third place on the grid is a good position to attack the race, especially since pole isn’t as important here as elsewhere. Tire degradation will be one of the keys on Sunday, given that temperatures will be very different from yesterday afternoon. Races here are always unpredictable, but for sure, it would be very nice to offer Canadian Ferrari fans a good result for the thirtieth anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve’s death. Italy-Spain in the Euro football? We haven’t talked about it yet in the team, but if we [Spain, editor’s note] win, maybe I won’t find enough mechanics to change my tires during the pit stop… »

Felipe Massa – 6th and 6th:

« I am happy with the progress made this weekend: starting 6th is a positive result. However, I can’t be satisfied with my last lap in Q3: in the second sector, I lost the rear, and it cost me a few tenths, probably representing a few positions on the grid. I am very disappointed because I had the potential to do better than 6th. All things considered, I remain confident because the whole team is moving forward, which is very important for the rest of the season. Tomorrow, we will have to be very careful with our strategy. I think the choice comes down to one or two stops, but a lot depends on tire behavior. We hope to gain positions and bring back a good result. On my helmet, I have the name of Gilles Villeneuve, in tribute to the memory of a driver who is part of Ferrari’s history: I am very proud to be able to honor him in the year marking the thirtieth anniversary of his death. Even though I was born after his accident, I’ve always been a big fan of him. »