Saturday: Mercedes GP is disappointed with its qualifying

Mercedes GP, even after changing its name, remains the team that won the 2009 Formula 1 championship. The team has been riding a wave of success lately and could only be expected to be in the top 10 today for the first qualifications of the year. However, several factors have reduced the team’s performance.

First, Michael Schumacher is no longer at his best. The German, seven-time F1 world champion, needs to regain his feel for the single-seater. He thus placed his name in 7th position today in Bahrain and hopes to do better later in the year. Next, Rosberg experienced balance issues. The German had changes on his car that disrupted his ability to achieve the perfect lap. Nevertheless, he ranks 5th. Both men can aim to score big points tomorrow for the first race of 2010.

Nico Rosberg – 2nd and 5th:

« To be honest, we are a bit disappointed today after our results. We are somewhat lacking in rhythm. The qualification was complicated due to the overheating of the tires caused by the high temperatures here. A small mistake is enough to have understeer and lose grip in the next corner and so on… It will be very important to manage the tires tomorrow and always keep them in good condition. Relatively speaking, it is still a great start for me and with a bit of luck, we will be able to get on the podium for the first race of 2010.

Michael Schumacher – 4th and 7th:

« I am satisfied with the 7th place in qualifying. I haven’t been back in F1 for a very long time and, coincidence or not, I also qualified 7th at Spa in 1991 when I started my career in Formula 1. It was great to work with my new team and I appreciated the efforts they made to support me and help me get back to a good level. I feel good and am relearning step by step the competition of a Grand Prix weekend. I hope to do better next time. »

Ross Brawn – Director:

The result is not so bad today, although after this morning’s tests we were hoping to do better. The balance of the car changed between the two sessions today, probably due to the weather conditions, so we lost a bit of speed.

« Nico Rosberg drove perfectly and Michael Schumacher took part in his first qualifying session since 2006. He is gradually returning to his best form. »