Brazilian GP Qualifying

Qualifying Notes:
• Felipe Massa qualified third and Valtteri Bottas fourth for tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
• Both drivers were pushing the Mercedes cars hard for a front row position, but neither driver was able to complete a clean final flying lap in Q3.

Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering: A really good qualifying session for us with a great job by both drivers and car crews. It’s a little disappointing not to get the final run in for both drivers in Q3 – Felipe due to traffic and Valtteri after he went wide at Turn 4. We may have been able to move up a bit but we need to be satisfied as we’re in a good position for tomorrow and the car has been performing very well since it hit the track for the first time on Friday. The race is likely to be very unpredictable, with the weather conditions playing a factor as rain is likely. We therefore need to make sure we do everything correct. The objective has not changed; we want to finish third in the Championship and tomorrow is a chance to further solidify our position.

Felipe Massa: It was a great qualifying for me today and the reaction and energy from the fans was very special and emotional for me. This track has a special place in my heart as I was born here in São Paulo and I always get a lot of support. The car has been feeling really good all weekend and although the Mercedes cars still had more raw pace than us, the gap seems to have closed. There will be a lot of variables tomorrow, especially with the weather which always changes quickly here, so we need to prepare well for that tonight. I’m going into the race in a very good position and with less pressure than the guys in front so my goal is to finish on the podium and celebrate with my home fans.