10/07/2016
NEWS STORY
Pascal, bitterly disappointing day after the joy of Austria.
Pascal Wehrlein: "Yes, there was nothing I could do really. We'd just switched to the Intermediate tyre, completed a lap and then I aquaplaned into Turn 1 and lost control. I was just a passenger really."
It had stopped raining by then, but those damp to drying conditions are very tricky. If you want to maximise the race, you have to switch to Intermediates as soon as that window opens, yes?
PW: "Some parts of the track were okay and it was drying quite quickly, but in that situation there will always be parts that are still a little too wet and can catch you out. Unfortunately, that's what happened. I know it happened for a few other drivers, but it's very disappointing to end the weekend this way."
Rio, a similar story to Pascal today, just a little later in the race.
Rio Haryanto: "At the start the track was really wet, but once the rain had stopped it started to dry a little more with each new lap. In the space of just 17 laps we'd gone from full wet tyres to slicks. But it was the right call at the right time, I just hit a bit of track that was still damp and there was nothing I could do."
What can you take from a weekend that ends so disappointingly?
RH: "Although it's the race result that counts at the end of the day, the journey through practice and qualifying is important. We'd had a good weekend and in particular a really positive Saturday, so we have to focus on what went right and how we can use that to keep pushing forward for the next race. Today's result is something we can't do anything about now."
Dave Ryan, Racing Director: "A rather sobering day after the high of our points-finish last weekend. The pre-race downpour was pretty intense and even though the track was drying quite quickly there were quite a few smaller and heavier patches of standing water. Unfortunately these caught our drivers out - Pascal on the switch from full wets to intermediates and Rio when he switched to slicks. These are tricky conditions to manage at the same time as trying to maximise the race and keep pace with the cars ahead. A disappointing way to finish our home race, but we'll dust ourselves off and come back stronger for it in Hungary in two weeks' time."
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.