14/04/2018
NEWS STORY
The qualifying session ahead of the 2018 FIA Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix was made more complicated by unfavourable weather and track conditions, with wind and low temperatures presenting an added challenge to teams driving at the Shanghai International Circuit. The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team finished qualifying with Charles Leclerc in P19 and Marcus Ericsson in P20. Although it was not possible to maximise the cars' performance on the ultrasoft tyres during qualifying, the team remains confident for tomorrow's race based on the strong pace achieved by both drivers during the long-runs completed on Friday.
Marcus Ericsson: "It was not the best qualifying session for me. We knew that it would be difficult to get into Q2 because we have been struggling quite a bit on the ultrasoft tyres this weekend. My last lap was looking quite good until I locked up towards the end and had to lift off. We had a good race pace during the two practice sessions yesterday, which is encouraging for tomorrow's race. I look forward to getting into the fight, and will do the best job possible."
Charles Leclerc: "Overall, I am quite happy with my day. Even though a small error on my fast lap cost me some time, it was the first qualifying this year in which I am satisfied with my own performance. So far, our race pace has been better than our qualifying pace this weekend, so it will be interesting to see what is possible during tomorrow's race."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Shanghai, here.