Monaco Saturday quotes: McLaren
Heikki Kovalainen - 7th: "The car definitely felt calmer and more stable over the bumps. It's a bit easier to control. I've felt really comfortable with the car throughout the whole weekend. Obviously, we wanted to be on pole but didn't manage that - let's see how the race unfolds and where we'll be after the first stops. Lewis was very unfortunate this afternoon - we are always at the limit around here and a little slip-up can put you into the barriers. I touched the guardrails three times during qualifying and I'm lucky that it didn't have any negative consequences."
Lewis Hamilton - 16th: "I made a mistake. I just braked too late - it's unfortunate, but these things happen. It's not been a good day: I had been going well all weekend and had the possibility of being on the front row. It's a shame for the team, because they have done such a fantastic job all weekend and the car has felt really strong - as Heikki's grid position shows. Starting 16th is frustrating, but I'll learn from this, drive my heart out tomorrow and see what happens."
Martin Whitmarsh - team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: "Heikki has driven with increasing commitment all weekend. Two very strong laps in Q1 and Q2 showed that he was capable of taking the fight to the leaders. And we are confident that his strategy for tomorrow will push him even closer to the front. Lewis's accident was disappointing - he knows he made a mistake - but we all know he will not give up. That's his nature - and as a result I feel sure he will approach tomorrow's race with undiminished commitment."
Norbert Haug - vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "The speed was there to be among the quickest, so it's a shame what happened to Lewis after he has been among the fastest during all previous practice sessions but such contact with the guardrails can easily happen in Monaco. Heikki was good, put in a solid performance and has a good strategy. Monaco has its own rules so we still can look good tomorrow despite starting seventh and 16th."
Share Or Save This Story
Why McLaren will deliver "an entirely new" F1 car in Miami – but expects all rivals to do the same
How every F1 2026 team has performed so far
Lambiase’s move to McLaren makes sense - but Red Bull faces another big hole to fill
WRC Canary Islands: Ogier leads, SS3 cancelled due to spectators parking illegally
Can Ferrari stalwarts win in British GT with Lamborghini?
WRC Islas Canarias: Katsuta boosted by past winner Rovanpera's guidance
WRC Islas Canarias: Katsuta leads after stadium super special opener
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments