Doornbos Laments Brake Problems

The incorrect fitting of a brake pipe meant the Minardi driver had to come straight back into the pits before he stopped in the pitlane as the rear brakes of his car caught fire.

"It was obviously a disappointing qualifying for me," said Doornbos. "I was hoping for a very good run, because although we had a difficult tyre choice to make this morning, I think we found a good set-up for the race and things looked promising.

"As a result, there was something to look forward to in qualifying, but even on the out lap, I knew the car was not how it should be, and that there was a problem with the brakes. 

"They suggested over the radio that I just carry on and try to complete the lap, but the problem got worse and worse, and the car was very slow on the straights, just like the handbrake was still on.  I really hope I can have some better luck tomorrow and do something special in the race."

His teammate Christijan Albers had a better day and will start from 16th place.

"We did a lot of work on the car, and it was more stable in the qualifying run than we'd managed this morning, when the rear was quite nervous," said Albers. "I was happy with that and with the fact we gained some grip.  The only real issue in qualifying related to a gear-shifting problem, which cost me quite a bit of time. 

"That said, the car is definitely going in the right direction, and although it will be a tough race tomorrow, I think we'll be all right."