The Sauber F1 Team will start the final Grand Prix of the 2015 Formula One season, the night race in Abu Dhabi, from 14th (Felipe Nasr) and 18th (Marcus Ericsson). While Nasr was able to make it into Q2, Ericsson had to abort his flying lap on his second run in Q1 due to an unidentified problem. The reason for this is under investigation.
Marcus Ericsson
“It’s been a difficult weekend for me. We have been struggling to find a balance for the car that I feel comfortable with. For qualifying I felt we were going in the right direction. With the first set of supersoft tyres in Q1 I made a mistake on my second lap. After that, on the next run I was not able to improve, as we seemed to have issues, so I had to abort the run at the end when the track was in its best condition. Overall, the result is for sure disappointing, but I think we made a step forward in terms of the car’s performance. This is positive for the race, and I will do my best to fight back.”
Felipe Nasr
“I think we made a good improvement compared to the practice sessions. Of course, this starting position is not ideal, but I am still satisfied with the changes we made to the car between yesterday and today. I was able to put a good lap together in Q1. In Q2 I then made a small mistake on my second lap into Turn 1, which cost me some time. Overall, I felt a difference between the tyres in Q1 and Q2, so I want to understand why we lost a bit of performance in Q2. For tomorrow, the objective is to keep the eighth position in the constructors’ championship as well as holding onto 13th in the drivers’ championship for me. I will do everything I can to achieve that.”