01/08/2010
NEWS STORY
In what was the 300th Grand Prix for Peter Sauber's team both drivers finished in the points for the first time this year: Pedro de la Rosa came seventh in today's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest while his team mate Kamui Kobayashi finished ninth having started from 23rd on the grid.
Pedro de la Rosa: "I am extremely happy and I am especially happy for the team who deserved a good result for all the hard work in developing the car so much further. After the start is was difficult for me but then the safety car came out at a good time and the team did a good job calling me in. My pit stop went very well and afterwards it was more or less about keeping position. My car was okay during the race although I can see several things that we can learn from. We came here and did not expect too much on this slow circuit and now we have finished with both cars in the points for the first time this year."
Kamui Kobayashi: "I think I had a good recovery from my bad qualifying. I could only try my best today. My start was good and then after the safety car period it was important that I overtook Michael Schumacher because otherwise Rubens Barrichello would have caught me before the end. I am so pleased for the team that we brought both cars into the points for the first time this season. I think we can now all be happy going into our summer holidays which is a very nice feeling."
Peter Sauber, Team Principal: "This result for the team's 300th Grand Prix is just great and a big relief. It was a fantastic effort from the drivers and the team who all did a fantastic job. Congratulations to everybody! Pedro lost two positions following the start but then drove very consistently and fast and had no problems keeping Jenson Button behind him and scored six valuable points. We knew that Kamui is a good race starter, but what he did today was simply outstanding. He gained seven places on lap one and finally finished ninth coming from 23rd. With this result in the bag the summer break will be particularly sweet."
James Key, Technical Director: "A great result for the team to get both cars in the points and very solidly too. Pedro drove very well. He lost two places at the start, but in the mêlée of the situation with the safety car he gained positions. Then he held on very well and was just part of a train behind the cars ahead of him. For Kamui to come from P23 to ninth is outstanding. He made a brilliant start where he gained seven places. This immediately put him in a position where he could do a normal strategy. He started on the soft tyres and that turned out to be the way to go. He controlled it very well. It's an excellent result and a good reflection of how hard the team is working."