12/06/2004
NEWS STORY
Team Sauber Petronas drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa will start tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix from 11th and 18th position respectively after this afternoon's qualifying sessions.
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It's been a fantastic day for me, with two perfect qualifying sessions. To take 11th place on the grid, especially with the fuel load that we were running, is really, really good. The car has been great here, with good balance and traction, and the brakes have been perfect. This has possibly been one of the most positive weekends of my season so far and I'm really looking forward to exploiting that to the full in the race and adding to our points score."
Felipe Massa: "I picked up a puncture at the start of my out lap, so that was it for me. The car felt so unstable that I knew something was wrong and had to come straight into the pits at the end of the lap. I'm disappointed because the car felt really good this morning and I'm sure I would have been able to set a competitive time this afternoon. I still believe I have the chance to salvage something in the race tomorrow, however, and will be fighting very hard."
Peter Sauber (Team Principal): "Felipe really hoped for a lot from qualifying and was ready to push hard, but he was unfortunate enough to sustain a puncture at the beginning of his out lap. Once again we are delighted with Giancarlo's great performance. He fulfilled our expectations to the full and is very well prepared for another strong race."