Malaysian GP: HRT qualifying report

Having never run its car in full wet track conditions before the start of the season, HRT F1 team today competed in the third qualifying session of its short F1 history. The team's two drivers will start from 22nd and 23rd on the grid, just behind ...

Having never run its car in full wet track conditions before the start of the season, HRT F1 team today competed in the third qualifying session of its short F1 history. The team's two drivers will start from 22nd and 23rd on the grid, just behind Alonso, Hamilton and Massa.

In the third morning free practice session they added 35 laps to yesterday's strong day of running. They posted laps in 1.39.868 - 6.3s away from Webber's pace at the front (1.33.542).

Dr. Colin Kolles:

"Having never run the car in the wet before this weekend, HRT F1 team was taking a gamble with this wet weather for both cars. Without pre-season testing it is a big challenge to go out and drive in really wet conditions like today. Let's see what the weather brings during the race tomorrow."

Bruno Senna:

"It's been a bit of a difficult day. Conditions were very tough and it was our first experience of these conditions. I covered five laps before sliding off on the very wet track and unfortunately the engine stalled. Luckily I could go out of the gravel, going back to the garage and do more laps after it."

Karun Chandhok:

"I will start tomorrow's race just behind Trulli, Alonso, Hamilton and Massa. The weather was not looking good in the afternoon before qualifying and I was not sure if it would hold until the qualifying session as well. It didn't and that gave us our first wet experience driving the car for the first time in heavy rain. I made the best of it."

Shah Rukh Khan, the leading Bollywood actor superstar watched qualifying from HRT F1 Team garage.