Qualifying report

Second and third rows for Scuderia Ferrari in Melbourne

An unusual day for Formula 1 as the starting grid line-up had to be postponed until this morning due to weather in Melbourne.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari F138

Photo by: XPB Images

Fourth and fifth places on the grid for Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso: that was the outcome at the end of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. On an unusual day for Formula 1 as the starting grid line-up had to be postponed, this result is a good basis on which Scuderia Ferrari can build for the race that starts in a few hours. Both Ferrari men ran the same tyre strategy: one set of extremes and one of intermediates in Q1, two sets of intermediates in Q2, one set of intermediates and one of Supersoft in Q3.

Fernando Alonso: “I am very pleased with this result, because if our aim for the year is to reduce the gap to our competitors and start from better positions than we have done in the past two seasons, we can claim to have managed it. After winter testing, it was difficult to draw any conclusions and that was also the case today, with a delayed qualifying and very changeable weather conditions. Once again, Red Bull demonstrated its superiority, but while it’s true that we fought with them right down to the last race, for the past two seasons, I am sure that once again this year we will be there to mix it with them, if we do everything perfectly without making mistakes. I think that starting from fifth, a podium finish is a realistic option”.

Felipe Massa: “Given the difficult conditions we encountered yesterday in the first part of qualifying and then again this morning, I’m reasonably pleased with this fourth place. In such changeable conditions, the slightest inconvenient could see you not make it through the various stages of qualifying. Now we can expect a long and difficult race where the strategy will play – like always - a key factor. Anyway, starting from a good position is a positive and encouraging sign for the start of this championship”.