Saturday: Ferrari lurking with a solid Räikkönen and an indestructible Alonso
Despite some difficulties during the qualifying rounds with Fernando Alonso's collision in Q2 and traction problems on Kimi Räikkönen's F14-T, Ferrari can be satisfied with the progress made since the Australian Grand Prix. Both world champions will start tomorrow in hunting mode, ready to take advantage of any mistake to climb onto the podium.
Fernando Alonso (No. 14) – 7th and 4th
After the incident with Kvyat in Q2, the Asturian made sure to congratulate his mechanics: This season, it takes a lot of time to change a part on the car, the guys managed to change the suspension in a few minutes, which is a real record. The team was really great in Q3 when deciding when to switch to rain tires: we did it early when the conditions were a bit better, so we immediately completed a fast lap.
For him, outside of Mercedes, anything is possible among the other teams for tomorrow: « For the race, starting fourth and sixth, I think a podium is possible. Apart from Mercedes, the pursuers are quite close to each other. This weekend, we are more focused on race pace rather than on a single lap, and we feel that’s positive. »
Kimi Räikkönen (No. 7) – 3rd and 6th
The Finn experienced numerous problems: traction, grip with the rain tires. But he puts a brave face on adversity: « Obviously, I’m not happy with sixth place but given the circumstances, it’s not a surprise. Now, I just want to try to do a good job tomorrow. »
He thinks things are moving in the right direction within the Scuderia: « It will be a difficult race tomorrow, especially with the high temperatures, but I’m quite confident because we are better here than we were in Melbourne and if we don’t have any problems, we could bring home a better result. Overall, my feelings in the car are improving, and even though there’s still work to be done, we are heading in the right direction. »
