F1 Singapore - SAT - Qualifying - Second row start for Lewis and Jenson

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Singapore/Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore, Sep 25, 2010

Third and fourth on the grid - and hungry for more on Sunday

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-25A-02
- P3 programme: 3rd, 1m49.000s (+0.972s), 12 laps
- Qualifying:
- Q1: 8th, 1m48.296s (on Primes)
- Q2: 4th, 1m46.042s (on Primes)
- Q3: 3rd, 1m45.571s (on Options)

�I guess I�m pretty happy with third place on the grid. However, you can always do better, and I reckon we had a decent chance of pole today. My first lap in Q3 was a good, clean lap - but I was too close to Jenson (Button).


�I could feel his wake ahead of me, so I lost a little bit of downforce, particularly in the last sector. On my final lap, I got the gap, but I didn�t get the lap - but that�s motor racing. Still, it�s great to know we�re a real force here in Singapore.

�We didn�t know how fast we�d be this weekend - so to find out that we�re only a couple of tenths off pole is a great result for the whole team.

�Our starts have been pretty good too, so we can both hopefully jump at least one guy ahead of us tomorrow. In other words, we can fight for a win from where we are.�

JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-25A-01
- P3 programme: 13th, 1m50.060s (+2.032s), 12 laps
- Qualifying:
- Q1: 6th, 1m48.032s (on Primes)
- Q2: 5th, 1m46.490s (on Options)
- Q3: 4th, 1m45.944s (on Options)

�Q3 was very tough: I pushed very hard, because I was the first car out of the pitlane and we wanted to make sure we were able to fit two runs in; but in the first sector I damaged the rear tyres a little. After that I struggled a bit.

�So, for the second run, I thought I�d take it a bit slower on the out-lap, and drive the first sector a little easier, but I didn�t have enough tyre temperature when I got to the first sector - so I struggled. But the second and third sectors were both very good - I just didn�t nail the first sector, and that cost me a few tenths.

�But fourth isn�t too bad; we�re a lot closer to the Red Bulls than we feared we might be. The Ferrari looks quick, but I�m reasonably happy - much happier than I was after my qualifying here last year. For tomorrow, the start will be the key.

�My aim will be to pass Sebastian [Vettel]. The Red Bulls� pace off the line hasn�t been great recently, and I also think we can have a good race because our pace on high fuel has looked good around here.�

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

�Both Lewis and Jenson performed brilliantly here in Singapore tonight. We�re within a couple of tenths of the pole, we made a lot of good progress yesterday and today, and we feel we�ve got a very good race car for tomorrow.

�Bearing in mind our comparatively lacklustre pace at Monaco and the Hungaroring, two relatively slow circuits, I�m very encouraged by our performance here in Singapore, which is also a comparatively slow circuit.

�That improvement is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of very good people, and I thank them all. As for the race, we now feel we can take the fight to anyone, and that�s what we intend to do tomorrow.�





















* Official photos and details courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *

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