Saturday: Williams approaches a podium and maybe a victory!

Magnificent day for Williams, who perfectly combined aerodynamic development with luck! Indeed, the FW31 has been modified because it’s worth noting that the last two races have not been in favor of the British team, and luck is in play as Nico Rosberg benefits from the red flag in Q3 to start from 3rd place tomorrow.

Kazuki Nakajima did not underperform but missed the famous pass to the last qualifying session by a few hundredths. He will start 11th, however, with the freedom to choose his fuel strategy.

Nico Rosberg – 3rd and 3rd:

« It’s a great day because the result is the fruit of good work in modifying and adapting the car’s setup between practice and qualifying. For tonight, I did a great lap in Q2; in Q3, it wasn’t as easy because of different fuel loads. I think this good performance was made possible thanks to the development work on the car, and I am really happy for the whole team. We’ve taken another step towards the podium, and we’ll soon be able to fight for a victory. Starting in 3rd place is ideal for tomorrow, and I’ll be on the clean side of the track, which could prove important. »

Kazuki Nakajima – 11th and 11th:

« It’s frustrating to be 11th because we were so close to making it into Q3. The car would have had more potential if I had been able to heat up my tires more. That said, I think we have a good chance to score points from my position on the grid. »

Sam Michael – Technical Director:

« It was a fantastic performance in qualifying that took place this evening. Nico was great in Q2 and then the red flag gave him the 3rd position in Q3. So I’m really happy for him and we are expecting a good race from him tomorrow. Kazuki just missed Q3, but he can aim for points tomorrow with a good fuel strategy. We can see from yesterday’s practice that the upgrades on the FW31 are working very well. The entire team has contributed to this progress.