Saturday: Both Sauber drivers eliminated in Q1!
Neither Esteban Gutiérrez nor Adrian Sutil managed to advance to Q2 during the qualifications in Monaco. The two Sauber drivers were eliminated due to a lack of performance from the C33 and the circumstances. They hope things will be better in the race, even though they know it will be complicated.
Esteban Gutiérrez (No. 21) – 19th and 17th
Faced with problems to properly operate his tires and limited performance of the Sauber C33, the Mexican saw his qualifying session end in Q1, which of course did not please him: « It was not a positive qualifying session for the team, so we cannot be happy with the outcome today. We were on the verge of being in Q2, so every minor incident affected us greatly. Today, it was a real challenge to have a clear lap. It took a few laps to get the tires up to temperature, which was not ideal. »
Even if the race will be complicated starting from so far back, Gutiérrez remains optimistic: « As far as the race is concerned, we all know that overtaking in Monaco is difficult. However, a good start can bring us closer to the front. During the race, we will have to seize all the opportunities we get. »
Adrian Sutil (No. 99) – 15th and 18th
Same observation for Adrian Sutil who struggled in Q1, notably with the yellow flags at the end of the session: « It was a disappointing qualifying. The first stint was pretty good. We simply lacked luck with the two yellow flags at the end of the first part. It’s a shame, but it happens in Monaco. We weren’t able to show what could have been possible. »
Like his teammate, he hopes to get back into the race tomorrow: « The race is long and anything can happen. I’m looking forward to it and hope to get the most out of the car. »
