Saturday: Fernando Alonso keeps Ferrari in the race

Fernando Alonso – 11th and 6th

I am quite satisfied with the result of today’s qualifying because, after the problems we had almost the entire weekend and even in Q1, we had little hope of making it to the third part. This shows how much things can change with ten degrees more on the track: here we struggled a lot to make the tires work, especially during the morning sessions when the temperatures were lower. But looking at the pace in the afternoon, I think the bright sun forecast for tomorrow should help us have a good race. It would be great to get on the podium, but my goal is to help the team take second place in the Constructors’ Championship. To do this, we must beat the Mercedes, ideally right from the start which will determine how the race unfolds, even though it won’t be easy since the dirty side of the track here in Austin is one of the worst of the year.

Felipe Massa – 17th and 15th [13th on the grid]

It has been a difficult qualification. Since yesterday afternoon, I haven’t been able to drive the car properly. Something isn’t working, and we haven’t managed to find out why. I don’t think I have a specific problem, but there’s very little grip, both at the front and the rear. I wasn’t fast on either tire compound. It’s very strange because Fernando has managed to adapt better to the car/tire package, and I can’t understand why I can’t do the same, especially since I really like this track. I never expected to struggle this much. We now have to find a solution for tomorrow because it’s going to be a tough race. We have to do our best to move up and bring back some points that will be valuable for the constructors’ standings.