Q&A – Kimi reflects after qualifying

Source: lotusf1team.com

After a difficult day at the Albert Park circuit, Kimi reflects on qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

Q: Kimi, not exactly what you had in mind for your first qualifying session of the year; what happened out there?

KR: I made a small mistake on my final run. Based on the first part of the lap it should have easily been enough to get us through to Q2, even though we chose to stay on the medium compound tyres. Unfortunately we had a communication issue and I didn’t realise how close we were to the end of the session. I backed off to make space for a clean lap, and ended up crossing the line too late to set another time.

Q: Do you believe you had the speed today to match or improve upon Romain’s third place?

KR: I don’t see why not. We haven’t had any clear laps all day, so it’s hard to say. The car felt good and I think that without the issues we would have easily made Q3, but that’s what happens sometimes and we have to make the best of it. I’m not surprised by Romain’s performance. He’s driving well and we already knew the E20 was quick, now it’s just a case of getting everything right so we can get the most out of the car.

Q: You’ve already mentioned that the E20 is looking good, but there are some quick cars and drivers around you on the grid. How confident are you that you can get a decent result tomorrow?

KR: I’m not making any predictions, we’ll just have to see how it goes. I feel good in the car so if everything goes according to plan we should have a decent race. Unfortunately things haven’t gone our way today, but that’s racing. Sunday is when it all counts; I managed to win the race at Suzuka in 2005 from 17th on the grid, so who knows what might happen.