Mika Hakkinen:



"It was a good qualifying session - and I really enjoyed it. However, I think I could have done better. Things on my second to last run were going exceptionally well until the second to last corner, when I arrived and found a lot of dust on the circuit. I lost three-tenths of a second at the point alone, but I am still on pole and that is the most important thing."





Heinz-Harald Frentzen:



"I have always dreamt of doing well at Hockenheim, so qualifying second is a fantastic result for me. I said earlier this week that I expected us to be more competitive here than at Zeltweg, and this has been the case."



"The team did a superb job - they helped me to find the right set-up, and they have made a lot of improvements to the car. It is great to be so close to the McLarens, and be in a position to fight for pole - the new engine from Mugen-Honda has been a big help."





David Coulthard:



"I was on the in-lap of my first run when, just between the first and second chicanes, the tread came off the tyre - which was a rather attention grabbing moment because, when the tread flies off, it makes the tyre act in a funny way. I thought I had broken the suspension, but that was not the case. It did, however, cause some damage to the car and, as a result, I used the T-car for my second run. My mechanics did a great job in fixing the [race] car, though, and I was able to use it for the remainder of the session."





Mika Salo:



"I am not surprised at my performance, as I am more comfortable with the car now, and I am happy that we made progress throughout the weekend. I did not make any mistakes, and got what I wanted, but I still have more to learn, so I think there is more to come in terms of performance. The braking is unbelievably good on this car, and our new aero package has helped the straight line speed."



"On my last run, I had backed off for yellow flags and then tried to brake very late, but it was too late and I went off!"





Eddie Irvine:



"We went the wrong way with a set-up change in the middle of the session, and there was no time to change it back again for my last two runs. I had a lot of traffic on my final run, which obviously did me no favours but, at least it is better to be fifth than fourth, as the outside of the track is a big advantage here."



"In terms of lap time, we are closer to the front than in Austria, but we did not get the best out of our car today. We must have a look at our qualifying performances for future races. Once again, the brake balance was not perfect, but we will not have that problem in race trim. If I can make a good start then I can catch the front two very quickly. The rest will depend on strategy."





Rubens Barrichello:



"My target was the second row, but I guess we didn't improve as much as our rivals in the afternoon. After this morning, I was expecting to be closer to the front, but at least I have kept up my average for the year."