ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING’S THOUGHTS ON QUALIFYING IN CANADA…
MAX VERSTAPPEN Position: 3rd 1:10.937 (Practice 3 – P1 1:11.599)
“I think we did a really good job today, the car has been performing very well and we made the most of it. In Q3 we were just lacking a little top speed but we were close and I’m happy. We have no issues, the pace was decent and we are not too far behind. The whole weekend I felt very good on the hypersofts which makes me more comfortable to attack the corners and this is always a good combination. The little engine upgrade probably pushed us a bit closer which is always nice to have. This track feels a little like a go-kart track and hitting all the kerbs is good fun. We have been fast all weekend and in the race we are usually faster than in Qualifying. We are starting on a different tyre which will make things interesting in the race but we will see, because many things can happen and if the safety car comes out that can change everything. We can definitely overtake on this track so that will give us many possibilities.”
DANIEL RICCIARDO, Position: 6th 1:11.116 (Practice 3 – P5 1:12.153)
“I think my weekend has lacked a little bit of rhythm and we’ve been one step behind due to some of the issues on Friday. In Qualifying, we actually made really good progress and I feel like we should be better than sixth with the way we performed. It’s all very close; disappointing to be at the tail end of that top pack but actually I don’t think we could have done more. Even though Max was quickest in each practice session, I think we still knew getting pole here would be tricky and for that reason we thought it would be better to start tomorrow on the hypersoft. We knew we would probably have a couple of cars to pass and it gives us a chance off the start and on the first lap with a bit more grip, afterwards we will have to manage them. This strategy sets us up to be aggressive and attack. The first few laps will dictate a lot of the race but I think we still have a chance of a podium and it should hopefully make some good TV as well.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A really exciting Qualifying today, with nothing much between the times set, which is particularly encouraging for us at this type of circuit. It was an excellent performance from Max to qualify in P3, less than two-tenths from pole position, topping a strong showing in the practice sessions here in Montreal. Having been quickest during Q2, Daniel will start tomorrow’s grand prix in P6 but in Qualifying there was not much to separate him from those further up the grid. We have elected to start on a different strategy to our immediate competitors, starting tomorrow’s race on hypersoft tyres, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out tomorrow.”