Felipe Massa:
“I am very happy to have taken a third consecutive pole at this circuit. It is really motivating and it would be fantastic to do the same again tomorrow in the race.
“Driving this track is nice and fun, with turn eight being exceptional, although there are others that are also very tough. Today, the car was great and I got the most out of it. Tomorrow I will have to watch out for all those who are around me on the grid.
“It will be important to work out the best way to manage the tyres in the light of how the track will evolve and how the temperature changes. In Q2, I had a bit of traffic, but in Q3 I was able to do two completely trouble-free laps.”
Heikki Kovalainen:
“The two weeks following my accident in Spain have been a little bit like a rollercoaster ride, and I am really happy to start from the front row here in Istanbul. I have felt comfortable in the car since my first lap yesterday, and everything has been running smoothly.
“On my second run in the third part of qualifying I attacked as much as possible, and the lap was absolutely clean which was great. The tyre choice this weekend has been extremely tricky. I am starting from the dirty side of the circuit but don’t think this will be a problem, and we have a good basis for tomorrow’s race.”
Lewis Hamilton:
“I am not completely satisfied with third place today. I think I could have gone a bit faster and also didn’t make the right tyre choice, as I was on the harder
Bridgestone tyre for my final run. I did a great lap in Q1 and felt the car worked better there than in Q2 which was why I made the tyre decision I did. My final lap wasn’t that great either, so all-in-all I am a bit disappointed.
“However, looking forward we have a very good technical package and will push hard tomorrow to fight for a good result. I think we are close to
Ferrari, but it will be a tough race. As this circuit provides some overtaking opportunities, it should be a good one for the spectators and the fans as well.”
Kimi Raikkonen:
“Obviously I would have preferred to have been further up the grid, but this position is definitely not the end of the world. What matters is the race when the points are given out.
