03/05/2024
NEWS STORY
Esteban Ocon: "It is positive that we progressed to the second part of Sprint Qualifying, but it is obviously disappointing to be so close and miss out on the top-10 by only half a tenth.
"It is also small encouraging signs that the gap is reducing. I was happy with the first lap in SQ2 and how the car felt, and the grip increased through the lap. But I pushed too hard on the second lap and struggled with the tyres towards the end. I was up in the first sector but could not hold it over the lap, which is also a good learning for Qualifying for the Grand Prix tomorrow. There are a few things we can work on and fix overnight and try to move forward in the Sprint and make that next step in Qualifying."
Pierre Gasly: "The car definitely felt better today and we were capable of progressing through SQ1. My first lap was strong but on my second attempt I lost the car through the fast changes of direction at Turns 5 and 6. That was not ideal and the lap was over from there with no way of improving. It's a pity as it felt much more together today other than that snap on the lap which counts. We'll spend some time to figure out a few things and see what we can improve tomorrow. We have the Sprint Race then Qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix in the afternoon, the one which counts the most. There's much more to come from me this weekend."
Check out our Friday gallery from Miami here.