Mark Gillan, Williams - Q&A

Mark Gillan reflects on Williams' run in the Japanese Grand Prix
06.10.2012- Qualifying, Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams F1 Team FW34
06.10.2012- Qualifying, Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams F1 Team FW34
© PHOTO 4

Q:
How satisfying was Pastor's eighth place in the Japanese Grand Prix?

Mark Gillan:
It was very pleasing to secure the four points, but as a team our goal this year is to get both cars home in the points at all races, so there is still work to be done.

Q:
Bruno's true pace was masked by incidents in qualifying and the race. How was his pace when he was running in clear air?

Mark Gillan:
Bruno had a good start but unfortunately got tangled up in an incident at the beginning of the race which led to him having to come in for an unscheduled pitstop for a new front wing and a subsequent drive-through for contact with Rosberg. Despite these two additional stops Bruno remained focused and was very quick in terms of race pace which gives us and him additional confidence going into Korea.

Q:
How easy was it to set-up the FW34 for the high-speed demands of Suzuka?

Mark Gillan:
To be honest we struggled a little in qualifying set-up but had a much better race car come Sunday.

Q:
Resurfacing work had been carried out at the track since 2011. How did the new asphalt affect performance?

Mark Gillan:
It did not really seem to affect our performance, although we did see a few other drivers making mistakes at T13.

Q:
Some teams were worried about tyre wear during the race. How much of an issue was it on the FW34?

Mark Gillan:
We suffered a number of blisters during the event and tyre wear was an issue, but it was under control and communication with the drivers and engineers during the race in terms of tyre management was excellent.

Q:
The Korean Grand Prix comes next. What are your hopes for next weekend?

Mark Gillan:
Simply, we want to get both cars home in the points.

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