Bortoleto: I wanted to reach the final, but I overdid it.
Gabriel Bortoleto beat his experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in his first Formula 1 qualifying, with 227 Grands Prix to his credit. The Brazilian Sauber driver reached the second part of qualifying, but in the fight to reach the final, he made a mistake in the decisive attempt and broke the lap. Niko finished the fight in the first session, showing 17th time.
Gabriel Bortoleto (15th): "I am quite satisfied. The team and I did a good job and made the most of the information we received in three training sessions.
The first part of qualifying went smoothly – I put the lap together and moved on. I think reaching the second part in my first qualification is not such a bad achievement.
I wanted to reach the final, but I overdid it on the fastest lap. I managed to keep the car on the track, but there was no point in continuing the attempt. Nevertheless, I think we can be satisfied with the work done today.
If we talk about tomorrow, there is a high probability of rain. Anything can happen in such conditions, especially on such a track. If I run the race cleanly and without mistakes, then I have a chance for a good result. I'm looking forward to it."
Nico Hulkenberg (17th): "The first lap turned out fine, but I still didn't feel like I was in charge of the car, so it still takes time to gain confidence. On the second fastest lap, I got into traffic in the first sector, which effectively eliminated me from the fight.
The gaps are minimal, so every little thing matters. I feel like we didn't make the most of our opportunities today, but it's not a big surprise considering I'm just starting to work with a new team and a new car.
Let's see what the conditions will be tomorrow. If it rains, then a new game awaits us. We will try to do our best."
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Bortoleto: I wanted to reach the final, but I overdid it.
Gabriel Bortoleto beat his experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in his first Formula 1 qualifying, with 227 Grands Prix to his credit.