Drivers in attendance Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes) and Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
Q: Lewis, many congratulations. It’s been difficult conditions and what looked like a difficult track for you for a while. How satisfying is it to turn that around into pole?
LH: Well, it was really quite a bad qualifying session all around for me. I was off Nico for three or four tenths each session and each run, each lap and I just didn’t have the confidence in the balance I had at the time, and the temperature of the tyres and the brakes. So, I’m really grateful that I at least got one decent… y’know, Q3 first run lap one and then lap three. The third one being much better. I’m grateful that I got those two laps in. And then coming to the end, I don’t know exactly what went on but obviously I locked the rears and snapped it around. A bit similar to what happened last year in Turn Two here so… yeah, I’m definitely do that quite often in this car. Not sure why. Got big feet I think.
Q: Nico, so close and yet unfortunately not quite there in the end even though your last quick lap had looked really, really good until that very final sector.
NR: Yeah, I knew the gap to Lewis was two-tenths before that. Of course there was a possibility he would improve that further and I was exactly two-tenths up, so I was equal with his lap time until, like, two corners from the end. So, that meant that I had to take a little bit more risk and just over did it. I don’t really know what happened. Maybe the tyres got wet on the Astroturf because I went too wide in the second to last corner and then a little bit of humidity on the tyres and maybe that caused the spin – not sure.
Q: Sebastian, couldn’t keep up with those Mercedes boys today but the race pace looked strong in Canada. It’s a reversal of fortunes for yourself and Kimi but looking at the race tomorrow and the short lap around here, are you feeling confident this could be your first chance of another win since Malaysia?
SV: Well we’re always ready, we always fight and obviously wait for our chances. So far it’s been quite difficult because they’ve been bloody quick but yeah, we’ll try tomorrow. Hopefully we can be a bit closer. We know that qualifying doesn’t match the race, so, yeah, we’re ready to attack and try our best.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Peter Farkas – Auto Motor) Sebastian, wouldn’t it have been better for you to do two quick laps in succession on your Q3 runs like the Mercedes did, to prepare the tyres a bit better?
SV: We were fast, we were happy on the first lap so… I think in the end you do what you feel is best for you so that seemed to be the best for us today. You didn’t do two runs?
LH: We did two runs but we never did two consecutive laps.
SV: Oh no, we didn’t either, just one.
LH: But you did three, basically.
Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and Speedsport Magazines) Seb, I saw you had your headphones on going into the garage before qualifying. What sort of music do you listen to before qualifying to get yourself psyched up there?
SV: Help! From the Beatles. I need Help! They’re too quick so if you know how to fix it, please let us know. No, I always listen to the same song that just gets me ready. It’s not the first time I’ve had the headphones on.
Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Nico, did you know that Lewis had spun on your last lap?
NR: No. Didn’t make any difference at the time because his time was two tenths quicker. And anyways it’s just a distraction if someone tells me.
Q: (Peter Farkas – Auto Motor) Lewis and Sebastian, I think you are now tied on 45 poles each. Does it means anything to you to beat the other and maybe that’s a separate race for you two?
LH: I’m very fortunate that I’ve had a great car for the last two years to have been able to get the poles and raise the amount I’ve had. I’d much rather have his World Championships than the pole positions, so I’m working towards that.
SV: I like to have both! Obviously he’s been catching up quite a lot but we’re working hard to fight back.
