Saturday: Alonso 5th, Räikkönen caught out by Ferrari’s strategy

Fernando Alonso (No. 14) – 6th and 5th

Following a qualifying session filled with twists and turns, the Spanish driver was satisfied with the result obtained. He states: « After a qualification as chaotic as today, you always think you could have done better. But if you then analyze everything that happened, finishing fifth is a good result because we made the most of all the opportunities that came our way. »

He then talks about the race: « Starting on the clean side of the track is very important as it gives you a chance to gain positions at the start and run with the leaders. The rain expected for tomorrow will clearly influence our strategy: until now, in hot and dry conditions, we were talking about a two or three-stop strategy, but tomorrow everything will change. »

Kimi Räikkönen (No.7) – 7th and 17th

The result for the Finn was even more disappointing than usual in 2014, failing to get past Q1, eliminated at the last second by Jules Bianchi’s Marussia. The blame lies with a risky decision by his team.

He explains: « I am very disappointed with the result of this qualifying, especially because I was doing well this weekend and had good feelings in the car. After the first stint on medium tires, the team said my time should be enough to get into Q2 so we decided to take a risk and not go out for a second stint on softs. Unfortunately, it didn’t pay off and I couldn’t get out of Q1. »