Saturday: Mercedes returns to the front row
In the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors' championship, the star-branded firm gained an early advantage in qualifying. Nico Rosberg qualified second while Lewis Hamilton finished 5th.
Nico Rosberg – 19th and 2nd
« It was a very demanding qualifying session with tricky conditions and a long pause before the final session. I’m really thrilled to be second on the grid and a big thanks to the team for their work. We did everything right today. My goal was to make things difficult for Sebastian. So I was surprised that the gap was so big in these conditions. I lost time on him in the last sector, which was due to a lack of KERS power when you do two fast laps in a row. Being on the front row gives us a great opportunity for the race, but the most important thing is to be ahead of the Ferraris. »
Lewis Hamilton – 11th and 5th
« Naturally, I am a bit disappointed with my 5th place whereas Nico’s position shows that we had more potential today. Wet sessions haven’t worked too well for me this year, even though we made some changes before qualifying. I struggle to understand how the car works in these conditions. It is getting better, but there is still so much to learn. However, we have everything to gain in tomorrow’s race. I hope to be able to fight and move up in the hierarchy. Our goal is obviously to finish ahead of the Ferraris. Hopefully, we can score enough points to secure our second place. »
