Find the reactions of the drivers after the qualifying session of the Japanese Grand Prix dominated by Max Verstappen ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Max Verstappen (PBS/Red Bull Racing) – Pole position
“It was pretty amazing to drive here again, especially in qualifying when you’re low on fuel – these cars really come to life in the first sector. Of course, I’m very happy to be on pole, but also in general super happy to be back here. It will be interesting to see what happens with the weather on race day. Some say it will be dry, others say it will rain at some point during the race. I’m pretty confident we have a good car so I’m excited for tomorrow. »
Charles Leclerc (MCO/Ferrari) – 2eme
“It’s a very tricky circuit here, because every time you’re fast in the first sector, you lose in the last sector. I tried to find that balance on the last lap, but I lost the tires a bit in the last sector and lost some time. There’s a very limited amount of data coming in, so it’s always a challenge, but the feeling was good in the car. Let’s wait and see what happens with the conditions. Looks like there’s going to be some rain somewhere in the race, so it should be fun. »
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) – 3eme
“It was a good lap, clean until the last chicane, but there I probably overcooked the tire and it cost me quite a bit of lap time. With half a tenth more, we could have done it, but yes… I’m a little tired of being half a tenth from pole! I think it’s been a few qualifying now in a row since Zandvoort, also before the summer break, where the three of us are very tight with each other, but somehow it tends to fall into the hands of Max or Charles instead of mine. Hopefully towards the end of the season I end up getting one and putting it aside. »
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine) – 5th
“Honestly, the car was going super strong from Q1, and even all weekend, let’s say. In the rain we were also fast so if there is a bit of rain tomorrow (Sunday) we should be in the game too. With the evolutions we brought to Singapore, we were able to really show their performance here. It wasn’t a perfect lap either, I could have gone under 1’30. But it’s really nice to be able to come back strong in the points like that and have a good starting position. There will surely be rain. For the moment we see that it can be at the start or just after, during the race. The problem is the intensity, we expect big intensities, a bit like we saw on Friday. So let’s see how it goes tomorrow. »
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) – 6eme
“The car felt really good today, I was really happy with the balance and with the set-up we had it was just sluggish on the straights. We had a very trailing car all year. I press the pedal as hard as I can, but we can’t go any faster. We lose at least six tenths or something on the straights compared to the other guys, but on the corners, on the turns, it was still a fun lap to ride. »
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine) – 7eme
“Yes, it felt good. I think the wet race was a bit more competitive than the dry, but also in dry conditions we felt good. And tomorrow, let’s see if we have mixed conditions, that would be ideal. I think we are ready to face all conditions. »
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) – 8eme
“The car felt good in all honesty. Not perfect but not that far. We lose a lot of lap time on the straights compared to our rivals. It’s been kind of the case all season, but I think it’s the first circuit that has a long straight where you also have high downforce. Normally when you look at the circuits with the long straights – Spa, Monza, even Silverstone – where you have low downforce and the circuits with high downforce – Monaco, Budapest, Zandvoort, Singapore – they have short straights. You don’t really see that deficit in straight-line speed, but here that weakness has really been exposed. »
Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri) – 17th
“We iced the front left (brake) disc and in the last run there was zero temperature. So as soon as I tried to brake I had the left front tire which kept locking up. So we don’t do the last run and it’s a shame because we don’t get much. I asked in the garage what to wait because I know that leaving in traffic in the exit laps you cannot brake properly and the fact of idling you cannot heat the brakes, but I was taken out. I don’t know if that would have avoided the problem, but we’re taking a risk doing that, and it wasn’t ideal. »
Sources: official Formula 1 interviews, Canal+
