17/10/2009
NEWS STORY
The Force India Formula One Team's Adrian Sutil will start tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix from third position following a dramatic wet qualifying session, which featured several stoppages and delays. Adrian's second row start is the second time he has started in the top four and his fourth top 10 start this year.
Tonio Liuzzi had graduated through to Q2 but was a victim of aquaplaning when the session eventually got underway and speared off into the barriers into turn one. The Italian was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks but was uninjured in the accident. His VJM02 sustained significant damage in the impact and will require a new gearbox, effectively dropping Tonio five places on tomorrow's starting grid.
Adrian Sutil: Being in the top three is always a great feeling, particularly after such a difficult session. On the Friday it didn't look so good in the dry so I was really hoping for rain and in the end we got too much! We had to wait so long during the session and keep focussed. Q1 was definitely extreme wets as there was so much water that you had to be careful not to spin. Then there was so much waiting until Q2. I did my fastest time in that session on the extremes but you could really only get one good lap out of them so it was a clear sign we needed to go onto the intermediates in Q3. We left it a bit until we went out and I crossed the line with just seconds to spare to start my fastest lap, which was good enough for third. I'm really happy, it's feels good to be back here at the front. I like this circuit although it hasn't been the greatest for us for results in previous years. I'm hoping for a good race tomorrow - I'm just going to give it my best.
Tonio Liuzzi: I am really disappointed and frustrated that the qualifying ended in the way it did as I was pretty convinced I could have got into Q3 and done well - as Adrian has shown today we were very much on it. The car reacted well in the wet conditions and we showed a good performance in Q1, even if we were in traffic and couldn't do the best lap time. At the start of Q2 it was very difficult conditions and it was risky to go out but once there is a green light you have to try and go out and do your best. I am sorry for the team as we could have achieved more but I was a passenger at that stage and couldn't do anything when the car caught that puddle. All the same I think we are in good shape tomorrow and if the conditions stay like this we have a well balanced car so I am optimistic for the race.
Simon Roberts, chief operating officer: We're delighted that Adrian got into the top three today. He put in a sterling performance in very difficult conditions and really got the maximum from himself and the car. It was tough to get the tyre calls right but we were pretty much spot on with the timing from wets to inters and got this fantastic result that hopefully should set us up very well for the race tomorrow. It was a real shame for Tonio that he could not have progressed much further but at the time the conditions were at their worst and there was nothing he could have done to avoid going off. We're obviously pleased he is OK and with the expected unpredictable conditions tomorrow he could still be in for a good performance in the race.