Nico Hulkenberg: We have a good chance to compete in the race

      Sauber's best result in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix was Nico Hulkenberg's twelfth place. The German pilot called his position the maximum possible. Gabriel Bortoleto clocked the nineteenth time, ended the fight in the first session and complained about traffic.

      Nico Hulkenberg (12th): "This is probably the maximum we could have hoped for today. My final lap in the second part of qualifying was not perfect – due to a gust of wind, I made a small mistake in the first sector, which cost me entry to the finals. However, I'm quite happy with the twelfth place, as the car handled the best over the weekend.

      The team did a great job to get back in shape after a difficult sprint. We've made some adjustments to the car, and it's made it better. It's going to be a difficult race tomorrow, but we have a good chance to compete."

      Gabriel Bortoleto (19th): "My first weekend with the sprint brings important lessons. Unfortunately, I had problems with rubber degradation in the morning, so I couldn't take advantage of a good starting position.

      I was unable to keep up the pace, and at the very end of the sprint, a collision with Jack Duane caused damage to the car. We lacked grip compared to our rivals, which made it more difficult to maintain our position. Nevertheless, I enjoyed racing on this track, and I got additional information that will be useful for Sunday's race.

      Qualifying turned out to be disappointing – I got into traffic, which ruined my final attempt. It's a pity, because the car was well controlled, and we progressed – the exit to the second part was realistic. But that's the qualification – sometimes things don't work out in your favor.

      Right now, I'm focused on tomorrow. It's important to make the most of everything we've learned today and fight for every position."