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Team Quotes - Sunday 10 October

SEASON INFORMATION
13/01/2018

2010 Japanese Grand Prix

Team Quotes - Sunday 10 October

McLaren
Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal: "The biggest positive we can take away from today's result is that both drivers clearly demonstrated significant pace against that of our rivals - and that's a motivating force that we'll take with us into the final three races of the championship.

"Obviously we played the long-game with Jenson, who was the only frontrunner to start on Primes. Ultimately, that strategy didn't come off as best we'd have liked because the others' Option tyres didn't fall away as quickly as we'd anticipated. Still, we feel it was a strategic choice worth taking. After switching to Options, Jenson showed excellent pace, and I think we had the second fastest car today.

"Lewis did a great job, consistently closing the gap to the car in front before encountering a gearbox problem towards the end of the race. Initial analysis suggests this was a dog-ring failure, that lost Lewis third gear. As a result, Lewis drove brilliantly, adapting his technique to race to the flag in fourth gear and above. We're confident it can be resolved for Korea without incurring a five-place grid penalty.

"For the final three races, we've got to make sure we have 100 per cent reliability. Lewis finished this race 28 points behind the leader in the drivers' championship, with Jenson trailing by 31. With 75 points to play for in the drivers' championship, and 129 in the constructors', our title challenge is still very much alive.

"We'll keep on pushing and developing this car. There's no reason why we can't be fighting for the championship in Abu Dhabi."

Mercedes
Michael Schumacher finished the Japanese Grand Prix in the points today after a good start from 10th position on the grid and a strong race, including an exciting battle with his team-mate, saw him finish in sixth place.

The team was on course for a double points-finish before an accident for Nico Rosberg brought his race to a premature end on lap 48 when he was in sixth position, just ahead of Michael who was then in seventh place.

Ross Brawn: "We had a strong race today with both cars and it is very disappointing and frustrating that Nico was unable to finish the race. Our prime concern was for his safety and thankfully he is absolutely fine. Prior to the incident, he was in an excellent position having taken advantage of an early stop under the safety car to make up places lost at the start. Michael also had a very good race today with a great start setting him up to make up positions. It was an entertaining few laps when Nico and Michael were fighting for sixth place and we were happy for them to battle it out. We are looking into the cause of Nico's accident now and as always there will be a thorough investigation into what happened."

Norbert Haug: "Michael finished in sixth place today and was the first car behind the five drivers fighting for the World Championship. He drove a strong race after he was handicapped with a small technical issue during qualifying. We still need to investigate what happened to Nico's car six laps before the end when he was in sixth position. It is a real shame that he could not finish and sorry to him for that. Nico drove a faultless race and it was a good strategy to bring him in under the safety car on lap one. Michael proved this weekend that he is strong when we give him the base to do so."

Red Bull
Christian Horner, Team Principal: It's been a fantastic day for the team with the added pressure of having to qualify this morning. We secured the front row and then converted that into a one-two finish this afternoon, it was a perfect performance from the team and the drivers and it's a fantastic result. We had to keep an eye on Jenson Button's strategy because of him running on a different tyre at the start of the race and he started to back things up a little bit after half-distance, but at no point were we overly concerned and both drivers did a very good job of looking after their tyres and cars. Mark's managed to extend his Championship lead over Fernando, who Sebastian is now tied on points with, while in the Constructors', we've obviously managed to open up a healthy margin.

Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: It's a perfect result for us, a one-two finish – 43 points – it's the jackpot and really great. Mark's extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship and we have pulled away in the Constructors'. We now have to try and maintain the gap on the leaderboard until the end of the season. We only have three races to go, so we really need to focus on these last races and give our best, Championship-winning chances like this do not come along very often, so we will push!

Ferrari
Another podium finish for Fernando Alonso, third in the Japanese Grand Prix, a result which sees him maintain second place in the championship standings. No points for Felipe Massa, who had to retire at the start of the opening lap after an incident in which he made contact with Liuzzi. That was the outcome of a very busy Sunday for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, with qualifying and the race condensed into less than seven hours.

Stefano Domenicali: First of all, I want once again to offer our condolences for the deaths of the soldiers yesterday in Afghanistan, which has affected us deeply. Then I want to praise the team, who worked in impeccable fashion on an unusual day, with qualifying and the race following one after the other. We knew that, at this track, Red Bull would be very strong and as we saw this morning, other teams also proved to be competitive. This third place is therefore a great result, in line with our game plan and it keeps us right in with a chance in the Drivers' championship. Unfortunately, the situation in the Constructors' took a knock because Felipe had to retire after the accident at the start. I am very disappointed for our driver, who despite a less than brilliant grid position had every chance of having a good race. There are three Grands Prix to go in this championship which is proving very hard to predict: it will be vital to concentrate all the time and give our utmost, day after day. As we have said for a while now, the maths can wait until Abu Dhabi on 14 November. Finally, I want to congratulate our customer teams, who brought home a further three Ferrari engines in the top ten.

Chris Dyer: A very tough day for the entire team, with qualifying and the race squeezed into just a few hours. The day did not get off to an easy start: Fernando did not get a perfect lap in qualifying and Felipe had problems that kept him from making it to Q3. At the start, we immediately lost Felipe and that is very disappointing as he could still have had a good race. Fernando drove a great race, obtaining the maximum we could have hoped for in a Grand Prix where we did not have the pace to beat the Red Bulls: he drove almost the entire time as if it was a qualifying session. We can claim to have limited the damage in the most effective way possible and now we hope to be more competitive in the coming races. From every point of view, the team worked very well - car preparation, pit stops and strategy - in what was definitely not an easy situation, so to all of them my heartfelt congratulations.

WilliamsF1
The AT&T Williams team achieved another points scoring race result in today's Japanese Grand Prix following Rubens Barrichello's determined drive to ninth place. Meanwhile, team mate Nico Hulkenberg was unable to capitalise on his competitive showing in qualifying when a collision off the start line put him out of contention from the outset. Rubens' two points further strengthen the team's efforts to secure sixth place in the Constructors' championship with just three races of the season remaining.

Sam Michael, Technical Director: It was good to get a couple of points with Rubens for the Constructors'. However, our race pace was disappointing, particularly compared to our qualifying performance when we were comfortably in the top ten. The team will work extra hard in order to understand and improve our position ahead of the remaining races. Unfortunately, we had a poor start on Nico's car and then he was run into by another car before Turn One.

Renault
Eric Boullier, Team Principal: After such a strong performance this morning during qualifying, it's very frustrating to come away from this race empty-handed. Our car has been competitive throughout the weekend and we were looking forward to showing that in the race. Both cars made good starts off the line, but then we had the double disappointment with both cars out of the race after just three laps. We don't know exactly what happened with Robert, but it's a real shame for him because he has been exceptional all weekend and I'm sure we could have had a strong result today. All we can do now is regroup and look forward to the next race in Korea, which will be at new experience for everybody.

Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: It was an extremely disappointing race for us and for Robert retire from second place so early on is a real shame. At the moment we don't know what happened to Robert's car. We suspect some sort of mechanical failure, but we will conduct a full investigation to find out. Vitaly's race was even shorter, although he made a good start initially before he connected with Hulkenberg on the run to the first corner when Vitaly moved left to avoid Heidfeld. It's frustrating because we had a good chance to score good points with both cars today.

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations: This was a very disappointing day for us. Robert had an excellent qualifying this morning and was up to P2 in the race so I think we could have fought easily for the podium. I'm also sure that Vitaly could have had a strong race after his great start, but unfortunately his raced ended early. The short races for both cars saw no problems with the engines and we will reuse them at the next race in Korea where we hope to come away with a better result.

Force India
An exceptional Japanese Grand Prix weekend was brought to a frustrating close today for the Force India F1 Team as it recorded its first double DNF of the 2010 season. Following yesterday's qualifying washout the grid was formed by a one hour session this morning, with Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi putting their VJM03s in 15th and 17th positions respectively as they struggled with the tyre temperatures on a cooler and slicker than expected track. The pair however made fantastic starts in the day's later race - each gaining at least five positions off the line - however Tonio's race was shortlived as he was hit by Felipe Massa going into the first corner. The impact knocked him into the wall and into instant retirement. Adrian Sutil was up to eleventh when the safety car was deployed as a result of the debris and maintained a top ten position until his pit stop on lap 18. The German had regained tenth and was chasing Rubens Barrichello for ninth when an oil leak called a halt to his race on lap 45.

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal: Obviously we are very disappointed with today's outcome. Our qualifying performance wasn't as we hoped and the double DNF is a bitter blow, particularly when we are fighting for championship position. It's clearly something we need to look into when we get back to the factory next week so we can make the most of the opportunities that come our way. We will come back stronger in Korea for sure and look to regain our step in the constructors' title race.

Toro Rosso
Franz Tost: I am pleased that Sebastien picked up a point today, because he has had a run of bad luck in the last few races and he deserved this point for tenth place. He posted some very good lap times and was surprisingly fast at times. We benefited from an element of luck as some of our direct rivals ended up in the gravel trap. Jaime also did a good job, producing competitive lap times throughout the race. Unfortunately, in the closing stages he was involved in a collision with Kobayashi which meant he had to come in to change the nose. One point might not be much, but it’s better than nothing! So, with this morale boost for the team who did a good job, let’s see what we can do when we discover Korea for the first time.
Lotus
12th and 13th places for Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli respectively are Lotus Racing's best race finishes of the 2010 season so far. Both drivers put in very strong performances throughout an action packed race, and the whole team is absolutely delighted to have taken such a significant step towards the ultimate goal of securing tenth place in the FIA Formula One™ World Championship. The morning's qualifying session had also gone very well, with Jarno lining up 19th and Heikki 20th, nearly a second ahead of the Virgin cars, and the double race finish is an excellent reward for the team's hard work, on and off track.

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A really fantastic result for the team today. 12th and 13th places are our best positions of the season so far, and I'm delighted for everyone that we had such strong performances from both cars today. Qualifying went very well this morning - we were just under a second ahead of the other new teams, and we carried that through to the afternoon. We had always planned to stop just one car if there was an early safety car, and that was the car ahead. When the safety car came out Jarno was in front so we pulled him in and put him on the primes. Unfortunately it took him a few laps to pass Yamamoto, and that really hurt his race strategy, and that, combined with the blue flags, meant Heikki stayed ahead of him on track. Despite that, it was a great race from both drivers. We had a small hydraulics issue on Jarno's car at the end, but it didn't slow him down and he was able to maintain 13th place. I want to say congratulations to the whole team for such a strong performance all weekend - this really was a job well done."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I am absolutely delighted, just so pleased for the whole team. The result today is a tremendous response to the negativity that we have been dealing with off-track over the last week or so. This is the best ever result in the as yet very short life of Lotus Racing, and 12th and 13th far exceeds any of the expectations I had at the start of the season. The future for our team is so bright, and the decisions we have been making recently are giving us an incredible platform from which to build on days like this. Thank you Mike, Heikki, Jarno, Riad and everyone - it was an amazing feeling watching them all on TV and keeping up with the race on my iPad - I actually watched the end of the race whilst doing a press conference with Fahmi, another star in the making, from Sepang in Malaysia, and it was a very special feeling to be able to share the end of the race with everyone in our other home. This is a big, big day for us - we let our actions speak louder than our words, and that is what makes us who we are. We are a team with passion and integrity, and we conduct our business in the right way. As I always say - 'believe the unbelievable' - we did that today and look at what we have achieved."

HRT
Hispania Racing, HRT F1 Team was able to cross the finish line with its two cars today for the sixth time this season. The Spanish team, who was able to fight for positions with its closest rival during the whole of the race, was able to maintain its position in the Formula 1 Championship thanks to the good work the drivers and the whole team did, also demonstrating the consistence and the reliability of the cars. It was also a special race for both Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto, who were racing at home, as they were able to achieve their best result of the season in Suzuka.

It was an unusual Grand Prix, as the qualifying session took place only some hours before the start of the race due to the heavy rain on Saturday, making it the second time in five races that the qualifying session is postponed here at Suzuka. Bruno Senna classified himself 23rd (1.37.270) and Sakon Yamamoto ended up 24th (1.37.365). The drivers from the Spanish team did a very good job during all the weekend, and were able to keep on improving their times in every session during the weekend.

Dr. Colin Kolles, Team Principal: "We are very happy with the race result today and both of our drivers could achieve their best result of the season so far. We had some good fights for positions with the other new teams and could follow their pace. Bruno Senna decided to have an early pit stop during the safety car period and changed to prime tyres. Even with fuel pressure drops, Sakon Yamamoto looked after his car and managed to finish his home race. I want to thank the team for their hard work all over the weekend and now we hope to tie in this success at the next race."

Sauber
At the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld achieved the best result for the team this season. The Japanese proved once again his fighting spirit and worked his way through from 14th on the grid to seventh at the finish. Nick Heidfeld also drove a very good race and took the chequered flag in eighth.

Monisha Kaltenborn, CEO Sauber Motorsport: "It was a fantastic performance by the whole team, which proves we are going in the right direction. Nick showed he has learned quickly. In only his second race in the C29 he gave a great performance. Kamui was simply incredible in his home race. The way he overtook several competitors was absolutely spectacular. Congratulations to the whole team."

James Key, Technical Director: "I'm delighted with the race and the result we achieved. We just missed out in qualifying, but our race performance more than makes up for that. Both drivers got a clean start and were able to avoid the problems in turn one. We decided for a split strategy with Kamui on the prime tyre and Nick on the option, and both strategies worked in the way we hoped they would. Kamui did a great job to hang on with the prime. He drove superbly to control his race, but overtook as well on a track where overtaking is very difficult. On the option tyres at the end he was absolutely spectacular. Nick also did a fantastic job. He drove exactly the race he needed to. The pace was good, and it's a great result in just his second race after coming back. The team on the pit wall did a great job as well as did the mechanics. It was a great performance from the whole team."

Virgin
After yesterday's torrential downpour, better weather greeted Suzuka for the postponed qualifying and race at today's Japanese Grand Prix. The track was mainly dry at the start of qualifying but still slightly slippery. The softer Option tyre was clearly the way to go, although as the team hadn't managed to optimise the set-up for these tyres during the only dry day of running, it was always going to be an uphill struggle. Lucas opted for three runs while Timo chose to go out only twice. At the end of the session Lucas was classified 21st on 1:36.265, Timo 22nd with 1:36.332.

Unfortunately Lucas was unable to start the race, as he had an accident at the infamous 130R corner on his reconnaissance lap to the grid and hit the barrier very hard.

Timo got a reasonable start and when the Safety Car came out as a result of the first lap carnage, he pitted twice in order to be able to complete the race on the Prime tyre. Unfortunately this left him behind Sakon Yamamoto, who used his experience of the Suzuka circuit to block Timo's attempts to pass. Once Yamamoto pitted, Timo was able to show his true pace, but by then the race was long over.

John Booth, Team Principal: "Thankfully Lucas was unhurt in his accident on the way to the grid. We have studied all the information from his car and there is no indication of a failure. We took a bit of a gamble on strategy with Timo and unfortunately it didn't work out as he was unable to get past Yamamoto. He was at least able to bring the car home reliably to achieve another classified finish. We now hope for better fortune in Korea in two weeks' time."

Bridgestone
Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel scored his third win of the season after using a soft-hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy in a fast-paced, close and exciting Japanese Grand Prix.

Pole-man Vettel led team-mate Mark Webber across the line by less than a second for Red Bull Racing's third 1-2 of the season. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's Fernando Alonso finished third.

Shoshi Arakawa - Bridgestone Chairman of the Board, CEO and President: "Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing on their victory today. It was unfortunate that qualifying was postponed however we were rewarded with a wonderful and exciting race in the sun which was enjoyed by many fans including myself. For Bridgestone it was our final home Grand Prix. I am proud that we have supported the pinnacle of motorsport for the last 14 years. I would like to thank all the teams, drivers, fans and everyone involved in Formula 1. I wish Formula 1 a prosperous future. We look forward to supporting all teams and drivers for the remaining three races."

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport: "Well done to Red Bull for their third 1-2 of the season and Ferrari and Fernando for their third place in a fantastic race here at Suzuka. I am happy that so many spectators enjoyed this race and that our Bridgestone brand was so well represented by the on track performance. Our name has been seen all around the world through our prominent track branding. I think that Formula 1 is a great asset for Bridgestone and I am looking forward to the final three races of this exciting championship battle."

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: "We enjoyed a thrilling race with different tyre strategies and very strong tyre performance from both compounds, even from the start when the track surface was still green. After half distance the track surface had improved a lot with the rubber being laid assisted by the fabulous warm weather. Even at the start of the race our soft tyre gave solid performance when the conditions were most difficult for it. We are very proud to have shown our passion for excellence with superb tyres which allowed close racing with no safety issues. I am also very happy that there is another strong Japanese presence in Formula 1 with Kamui, who made many overtaking moves today."

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