Saturday: The McLaren not really in the game
Sergio Pérez struggled in qualifying and by overextending, he ended up going off the track and hitting a wall, luckily without too much damage. Jenson Button also struggled with his McLaren. Both men were eliminated in Q2 but remain optimistic for the race.
Sergio Pérez – 18th and 14th:
« It’s tough, but I think we made the right decision by driving like that in qualifying, but the car wasn’t responding properly. I think maybe we didn’t use the right tire pressures because I couldn’t find any grip.
My accident in Q2 seemed more significant than it really was – as soon as I lost the car, I ended up on the grass and hit the wall – but it was just a small impact, and the car wasn’t too damaged. It’s a shame, but I was giving it my all. I knew it was my last chance to set a time; it was raining more and more, and I was on the edge because I knew the car wasn’t responding well. I was doing my best, in other words.
In similar conditions, I think we can gain a few positions tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the race – I hope we can finish the season on a high note.
Jenson Button – 21st and 15th:
« We did not run in free practice 3 to save tires, which we thought was the right thing to do at the time, but in hindsight maybe it wasn’t the best decision. After all, we hadn’t run in the rain with intermediates before qualifying, so we weren’t prepared for the issues encountered. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.
We drove with little support, which probably doesn’t help either. We thought these settings worked for us yesterday when it wasn’t wet, but it’s costing us to put pressure in the tires. But we were still good in Q1 – where I finished 7th – but when it was raining more in Q2, I couldn’t put enough temperature in the tires.
Let’s hope it will be better tomorrow – even if Sunday’s weather is supposed to be a bit drier. Let’s also hope we will have great battles and that we won’t spend too much time behind the safety car!
