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Turkish GP: Post Qualifying press conference

NEWS STORY
29/05/2010

Mark, I am not sure what the Australian word for déjà vu is but here we go again. Third pole in a row and I suppose reward for all the reliability problems you have had this weekend.
Mark Webber: Yeah, it hasn't been the smoothest of weekends for us in terms of getting the running in. Obviously Friday was a little bit disrupted but not massively to be honest. If you could ever have a problem with the engine it is probably the right time to have it. This morning also we were not having the easiest P3 to be honest but getting ready for qualy, things started to get a bit better. I was a little bit on the back foot going into it to be honest but I knew I could dig deep, keep going and get something out of it. In the end it turned out okay. To be honest I am more comfortable with tomorrow than I am on out-and-out pace. But at least I am starting in the right place. It was a tight fight between all of us and Seb had a bit of a problem with his car but apart from that we are all very close.

You chose to come out of the garage for your final flying lap ahead of Sebastian. The previous lap you would have been behind Sebastian. Was that trying to put pressure on him at that stage?
MW: No, I don't know what happened. It should have been me second. But, anyway, I think we left too early. I don't know what happened. We need to see what happened on the pit wall. Normally I would go second this weekend.

Lewis, the McLaren might not be as quick through turn eight as the Red Bulls. But the driver makes up for quite a bit in other sections of the track and you were pushing as hard as I have ever seen you push before.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, absolutely as always. You always try to push the car that little bit further. After yesterday I wasn't 100 per cent happy with the balance that I was able to find but today I was able to fine tune it. Understanding the tyres and everything we were able to put together a good lap. I was very, very happy with that lap. I couldn't have asked anymore from it. The team have done a great job as always this weekend.

How vital is it for you that you have managed to split the Red Bulls thinking ahead to the race?
LH: It feels great. These guys have been untouchable pretty much all year in terms of just pure pace. I think it is a real boost for me and my team just knowing that we have a very good base line pace. Our race pace is even better. It puts us in an even stronger position for tomorrow and I know that we will continue to push We have got some new bits coming hopefully in the future, so hopefully we will be able to continue.

Sebastian, for three quarters of a lap on your first flying lap it looked absolutely brilliant. Then it started to go wrong. Talk us through the latter stages of qualifying?
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, Q1 and Q2 were very smooth. I was very happy with the car, no problems. Then in the last qualy, the first lap was brilliant up until turn 12. Under braking I slightly locked the front which was no issue. Then it was very weird as the inside front just kept on locking and never came back. After turn 12 going into turn 13 turning to the right then the wheel started turning again. Then the same thing going into turn 14, the last corner. I locked the inside of the wheel very easily. The car didn't seem to stop. I just went straight. I did lose a lot of time there. That was quite bad, otherwise I think it should have been easily quite a lot quicker. Then the same thing. I thought ‘ok, maybe I was just a bit late.' Then the second run I got the confirmation in the first lap, the first turn, when I hit the brakes and I just went straight, so I lost the ability to stop the car properly. Especially the inside wheel, it didn't do what it was supposed to do. I think there is no question. Q1 and Q2 we were top of the game. Then Q3 we were not anymore which was a bit frustrating. All weekend I felt pretty good, especially today. The car is back to normal, so I was able to push. Then something else turns up. We will see, but it is good to be third. I think we are quite lucky not to be fourth, just for a couple of hundredths just to Jenson. Otherwise I would have had to start from the dirty side. We are on the clean side tomorrow, so let's see, it's a long race. But with this year's regulations and no more fuel pit stops it is a bit difficult to make up places but we will see what we can do.

Mark, no pressure but the guy on pole has won four out of five races here in Turkey and you are the championship leader, so it is your race?
MW: I have had worse pressure. I think it was nine from nine in Barcelona and I made it 10 from 10. It is a nice place to start the race. Potentially it is one of the more interesting races tomorrow. It is a long race. The tyres go with different people here and there but we are optimistic that we can get a good result from there.

Press Conference

Mark, well done. This is becoming a habit. It is also Red Bull's seventh consecutive pole in seven races this year. A remarkable record.
MW: Yes, it is a great record. It shows tremendous pace in the car. We have been to a lot of different venues now but we are still a very quick team. That is a big feather in our cap from previous seasons, let's say. Particularly last year. We had a good car but it was a little bit snookered in some venues. It is a real credit to the whole team that we can come to these tracks and be strong. In Abu Dhabi we had a front row and I was also in the front row in Brazil, so I think it is quite a few races now where the team, looking at the back part of last year, we have had a good run of it of late. We need to convert on Sundays. We have done that the last few races reasonably well and that's what the team's focus will be on tomorrow.

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