08/10/2005
NEWS STORY
Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya finished 17th and 18th in today's rain affected qualifying session at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. Kimi set a time of 2:02.309 whilst Juan Pablo abandoned his qualifying lap. Kimi and Juan Pablo were last out in today's session as they finished one-two in the Brazilian Grand Prix two weeks ago. However heavy rain started just before Kimi's lap.
Kimi Raikkonen: "The rain started falling heavily just a few minutes before Juan Pablo and I had to qualify, so the conditions were bad, and it was really too wet to do anything at all. It's a shame for the team that we suffered so much, but you never know what the weather will do tomorrow, and as we have seen in the races this year anything can happen. I'm obviously disappointed, but I didn't get penalised as much as I would have had to move ten places down the grid anyway. We will go out tomorrow and do the best race we can and then see where we are in the Constructors' standings afterwards."
Juan Pablo Montoya: "There is nothing to say really – the weather decided it all today. It is a nightmare as both Kimi and myself suffered despite finishing one-two in the last race, and it's important that we are at the front to fight for the Constructors' Championship. The team told me not to finish my qualifying lap as there would be more benefits from a strategic point of view by saving fuel. At least Alonso is at the back as well, but the situation from a Constructors' Championship point of view is far from ideal. However I'm sure we can finish in the points tomorrow, which is what we must aim for and I have started from 20th before and finished second."
Ron Dennis: "Initially it might look like qualifying was a disaster for us, but at the moment we are here to fight first for the Constructors' Championship and second to win the race, so with Alonso's grid position things are not as bad. We know that we have a quick package and a strong strategy, and this leads us to believe that at least if the weather stays dry we should be in a position to leave Japan with at least as many points as Renault."
Norbert Haug: "As a consequence of our one-two victory in the last race Juan Pablo and Kimi started today's qualifying session last. This meant that as a result of the intensifying rain they had the worst qualifying conditions –so it was more of a lottery than a competition. Kimi certainly suffered less than Juan Pablo as the penalty after Friday's engine change would have put him 10 places down the grid anyway. Nevertheless we will give everything in tomorrow's race in order to maintain our lead in the Constructors Championship."