Saturday Report – Ferrari lets pole position slip away

Frustrating! That is the term Ferrari must have in mind because they have dominated the tests since Friday, especially with Räikkönen. The Scuderia will therefore be present on the grid on the first and second row as the drivers secured 2nd and 3rd place with Räikkönen ahead of Massa.

But the game is just beginning because if the conditions for qualification were optimal, that may not be the case tomorrow when the influence of Cyclone Krosa, which is developing in the region, is expected to be felt as far as Shanghai.

Kimi Räikkönen – 1st and 2nd

“Naturally, it would have been better to be first on the grid tomorrow, but on reflection, second place is a good result, especially when you’re uncertain about the fuel quantities of the top ten racing alongside you.”

“I am very happy with the car this weekend: we have shown that we are competitive in all conditions and I think it should be the same if it rains, which seems likely. I am confident. We know that the situation in the championship is quite compromised but I will do my best to win.”

Felipe Massa – 4th and 3rd

“It was a very close qualifying, from start to finish. Of the four drivers dominating the top of the grid, we are all capable of securing pole, as seen from the practice sessions since yesterday. I tried to do my best on my second fast lap in Q3, but it didn’t work out. I made a small mistake which, with such close times, made the difference.”

“All the same, I think I will be competitive in the race under any conditions. If it rains, the important thing will be to stay on track and not make any mistakes. I will try to win, but clearly if asked, I am ready to help the team and keep Kimi’s chances of winning the drivers’ title alive.”

Jean Todt – Director

“Right from the start of the weekend, we saw a Scuderia Ferrari proving to be very competitive, and as of today in qualifying, we had confirmation of that. With one car on the front row and the other on the second, with Kimi ahead of Felipe.”

“The weather forecasts predict a high chance of rain, which always makes things more difficult for making forecasts, but especially for developing our race strategy.”

“We will do our best to win this race. We are racing in a country that is becoming very important for Ferrari commercially. We can count on two fantastic drivers. We want to win for our supporters, who have always supported us in good and bad times.”

Luca Baldisserri – Chief Engineer (racing and testing)

“It was a very competitive qualifying, with four drivers all capable of taking the pole. The car confirmed the good level of performance of the Scuderia on this circuit, which was already evident yesterday. Kimi and Felipe did their best to achieve the positions they obtained, even going off track at times.”

“I think we can win, whatever the weather tomorrow. At Fuji we were also performing well in wet conditions.”