21/07/2012
NEWS STORY
The Marussia F1 Team's wet weekend in Hockenheim got even wetter today in the build-up to a lively German Grand Prix qualifying session.
In this morning's mostly dry FP3 session, Timo clocked up 22 miles as he worked through his qualifying set-up programme. Charles, meanwhile, had a frustrating wait in the garage as the team fought to change his engine, a problem having surfaced before the start of the session. After an impressively swift engine change, Charles' car crew were able to get him out on track with 15 minutes of the session remaining, affording him some crucial time on the Pirelli P-Zero Yellow Soft tyre before qualifying. Those laps were short-lived - he had only three - when rain started to fall in the dying minutes of the session. Timo ended the morning in P21 ahead of Charles in P22.
In Q1 this afternoon, the tide turned for Charles and he was at one with the car from the green light. He improved throughout his two runs and his final lap was his quickest, despite a small mistake in sector 1. Good for P21, he pipped his team-mate on home turf after Timo continued to struggle with the balance of his car.
Charles Pic: "After a tough FP3 this morning, when I missed most of the session because of an engine change, I have to be very pleased with my qualifying. I only managed three practice laps on the option tyre before qualifying and with the mixed forecast for the Q1 session - we didn't know at what point it would become wet - I felt a little unprepared. I was very comfortable with the car and I think there was quite a bit more to come. For sure in my last lap of my second run - my quickest lap - I made a small mistake in sector 1, but fortunately 2 and 3 were good. I am excited to see what we can do in the race tomorrow to find even more from the package which, in the limited time I have had in the car today, is working well. My thanks to my car crew; those FP3 laps were few but very important for today's result, and only possible because the engine change was so quick."
Timo Glock: "A difficult weekend on my side since the first lap on Friday. I have just struggled a bit with the car because there is rear end instability that means I can't push with confidence right now. We have tried a few different things since yesterday to fix it, but we have run out of time a little to understand the problem. We still have the race of course and whatever possibilities that may bring. If the race is dry, then we just have to push very hard to get the maximum out of the package and bring the car home. My thanks to all the fans who have been so supportive, despite a tough weekend so far. I hope it can go better tomorrow."
John Booth, Team Principal: "Things haven't gone at all well for Timo so far at his home track and we have spent a lot of time - and will continue to do so - trying to understand the problems he is experiencing with the car. It is frustrating for him, because it is clear that there is more performance in the new package. Despite Charles' track time being impacted significantly during the Free Practice sessions, when he has been in the car he has managed to get it working well for him. Even more encouraging are the signs that there is still a lot more to come. A great job by Charles today and all credit to his car crew, who gave it everything they had to change the engine in enough time to get him out on track for the end of FP3. Those few laps ended up playing a big part in his qualifying performance. We'll have a good look at everything across the two cars this evening and see what we can do to give us the best chance for the race tomorrow. It looks to be a more straightforward forecast, which should bring some much-welcomed equilibrium in itself."
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.