Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

Hamilton wants "a seat at the table" for F1 drivers in rules talks - but is it viable?

Feature
Formula 1
Miami GP
Hamilton wants "a seat at the table" for F1 drivers in rules talks - but is it viable?

Verstappen: F1 rule changes for Miami GP are "just a tickle"

Formula 1
Miami GP
Verstappen: F1 rule changes for Miami GP are "just a tickle"

Honda details "countermeasures" for Miami GP after horror start to F1 2026 with Aston Martin

Formula 1
Miami GP
Honda details "countermeasures" for Miami GP after horror start to F1 2026 with Aston Martin

Top five roles on Motorsport Jobs this week

General
Top five roles on Motorsport Jobs this week

VR46: 'Plan A' is to keep di Giannantonio for MotoGP 2027

MotoGP
Spanish GP
VR46: 'Plan A' is to keep di Giannantonio for MotoGP 2027

What Apple TV’s Miami Grand Prix coverage means for the future of F1 in the U.S.

Formula 1
Miami GP
What Apple TV’s Miami Grand Prix coverage means for the future of F1 in the U.S.

Top 10 worst follow-ups to title-winning F1 cars

Feature
Formula 1
Top 10 worst follow-ups to title-winning F1 cars

How the MotoGP 2027 rider market impacts the energy drink sponsorship landscape

MotoGP
How the MotoGP 2027 rider market impacts the energy drink sponsorship landscape

Europe Saturday quotes: Midland

Tiago Monteiro - 20th: "Considering the problems we had yesterday today was much better: we had very good performance this morning, and the car was feeling much better, actually. Then, this afternoon in qualifying, as the temperatures rose, the car was feeling even more balanced, so I was feeling extremely encouraged. But I made a big mistake in Turn 6 on my first qualifying lap and unfortunately, I wasn't able to fully capitalise on the car's improvement on that run. But I thought I would have two runs, so I was focusing on making the most of my second chance

"And then, inexplicably, we got penalised by that false red flag, which nobody seems to understand. I really hope the organisers have an explanation for that, because, in the end, it might not be a big deal for them, but it cost me my second run and a potential attempt to break into the second qualifying heat. My goal is to be in front of my team mate and as close as possible to the others, and this error cost me that opportunity, so that's a shame. But I'm still positive for the race tomorrow. At least we've sorted out the handling issues and have a pretty good balance with those tyres."

Christijan Albers - 18th: "We could have been into the second group today and maybe even higher, because the car was running really well. I mean, the first lap I did was reasonable but not great, so I knew I could do even better on the second lap. And then, on that second run, my steering display was showing that I was about six- or seven-tenths quicker through the first two sectors, so who knows?

"I might have been able to knock off a one-thirty-one. It's really a shame that it had to end that way, because I really believed that it was possible for us to show what we're capable of today. But we were hit by bad luck again, just as we were in Imola. Hopefully, we can overcome it tomorrow."

Colin Kolles, Managing Director: "We will look into what happened with that timing error, because I think it's pretty clear that we suffered the biggest disadvantage as a result of this problem. But anyway, more importantly, the time gap to the front is shrinking all the time. We're still not where we want to be, but you can be sure we will work hard to get there."

Dominic Harlow, Chief Race and Test Engineer: "This is an unusually disappointing outcome from what was looking like being a good session for us. Extremely disappointing, in fact, because we need things at this stage to go well for us to make progress and make it into the later stages of qualifying. Today, because of a split-second occurrence, it didn't happen. We would like, perhaps, everyone to give some thought to what could be done in the future to avoid that sort of unfair outcome from happening again.

"Maybe they should have allowed more cars into the second session to make up for it, or perhaps considered extending the first session - something that would have allowed us to complete the qualifying runs we'd allowed time for. But yes, obviously, we're disappointed."

Previous article Midland unhappy about timing error
Next article Raikkonen optimistic of competitive race

Top Comments