Italian GP Prost Saturday notes

Heinz-Harald Frentzen "This qualifying result here in Monza means even more to me than the 4th position I achieved in Belgium. It shows indeed the improvements we have made on the car since I joined the team. And especially, since yesterday, we were ...

Heinz-Harald Frentzen
"This qualifying result here in Monza means even more to me than the 4th position I achieved in Belgium. It shows indeed the improvements we have made on the car since I joined the team. And especially, since yesterday, we were able to imrpove the overall balance quite significantly. Still we have not been able to get rid of the understeer, and it is frustrating to know that the potential of the car is a lot higher than what we have shown today. But I know we are going the right way. So I am quite happy with this result and confident for the race."

Tomas Enge
"I am happy I could complete this qualifying session without any mistake despite the circumstances did not allow me to show my best. In my second run, I encountered an engine problem and had to jump in Heinz-Harald's spare. Unfortunately, another mechanical problem happened which prevented me from completing my last run. Still, it is satisfying for me to manage to qualify for my first Formula One race ever, even though 20th position is the most I could achieve in these conditions. We will put a lot of efforts into finding the best compromise for my car set-up, and I am really looking forward to the race. My target will obviously be to see the chequered flag."

Alain Prost
"Heinz-Harald has done a very good job since the start of the week-end and we are really satisfied with both his performance and his grid position. Knowing our lack of testing on this track, his progression since yesterday is all the more remarkable. Unfortunately, we had a lot of bad luck on Tomas' car today. After this morning's engine problem, we faced two mechanical problems in a row during qualifying. It is not easy for a young driver to start in such conditions on a very technical track like Monza. We feel sorry for him, but the positive point is that he has been constantly improving his performance, including when he had to jump in the T-car which was set for his team-mate. The most important thing now for Tomas is to reach the finish line in tomorrow's race in order to gather the maximum experience. Considering the overall work we have been able to do with Heinz-Harald and Tomas, we are sure our cars can be competitive tomorrow."