The Canadian Grand Prix in quotes
Here's what the drivers had to say after the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
After three days of grey rain, the sun smiled on Montreal and the
Canadian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel got away well and built a big lead
over the chasing Lewis Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel: “I had a very good start, which was important and then I was able to really go with the car. On the supersoft we saw the tyres were falling apart but I think we were just as good as everybody else. I was able to build a gap and then kept that gap basically the whole race.”
Behind them, Valtteri Bottas tumbled away after his qualifying heroics, dropping from third to sixth on the first lap. Nico Rosberg made it through into third, Mark Webber took fourth and Alonso fifth.
Valtteri Bottas: “I didn’t get a great start which allowed a few cars to jump me on the first lap, and in the dry conditions we simply couldn’t match the level of competitiveness we showed yesterday.”
Rosberg, Webber and Alonso held position through the first round of pitstops – but under pressure Rosberg was captured and overtaken, first by Webber and then Alonso.
Nico Rosberg: “We were worried about the warm-up of the harder tyres, so we went for the Option to protect my track position against Webber and Alonso. In hindsight it would probably have been better to go the other way because I could have run a longer second stint.
Sebastian Vettel: “I had a very good start, which was important and then I was able to really go with the car. On the supersoft we saw the tyres were falling apart but I think we were just as good as everybody else. I was able to build a gap and then kept that gap basically the whole race.”
Behind them, Valtteri Bottas tumbled away after his qualifying heroics, dropping from third to sixth on the first lap. Nico Rosberg made it through into third, Mark Webber took fourth and Alonso fifth.
Valtteri Bottas: “I didn’t get a great start which allowed a few cars to jump me on the first lap, and in the dry conditions we simply couldn’t match the level of competitiveness we showed yesterday.”
Rosberg, Webber and Alonso held position through the first round of pitstops – but under pressure Rosberg was captured and overtaken, first by Webber and then Alonso.
Nico Rosberg: “We were worried about the warm-up of the harder tyres, so we went for the Option to protect my track position against Webber and Alonso. In hindsight it would probably have been better to go the other way because I could have run a longer second stint.
Webber had the fire lit and was chasing down Hamilton. He was
closing on second when backmarker Giedo van der Garde inexplicably
clattered into him at the hairpin.
Mark Webber: “I don’t know what he was doing. We had a lot of blue flags as we approached the hairpin and I rolled to the inside, giving him plenty of space so he knew I was there.”
The damage to Mark’s front wing was enough to halt his charge and allow Alonso to catch up, pass and chase down Hamilton. The Mercedes driver put up superb defence but was only prolonging the inevitable. Alonso made it into second on lap 63.
Fernando Alonso: “We are fighting with top drivers and I have a very good fight with Mark, with Nico, with Lewis at the end. And it’s not easy. Even if you have a little bit more pace, they are super-talented ones and it was difficult race.”
Vettel was long gone. In fact the only danger to his lead was Vettel himself. He came perilously close to a wall and straight-lined a chicane – but otherwise was untouchable.
Sebastian Vettel: “It’s Canada, you obviously go close to the walls here or there, sometimes a little bit closer than I wanted…”
Mark Webber: “I don’t know what he was doing. We had a lot of blue flags as we approached the hairpin and I rolled to the inside, giving him plenty of space so he knew I was there.”
The damage to Mark’s front wing was enough to halt his charge and allow Alonso to catch up, pass and chase down Hamilton. The Mercedes driver put up superb defence but was only prolonging the inevitable. Alonso made it into second on lap 63.
Fernando Alonso: “We are fighting with top drivers and I have a very good fight with Mark, with Nico, with Lewis at the end. And it’s not easy. Even if you have a little bit more pace, they are super-talented ones and it was difficult race.”
Vettel was long gone. In fact the only danger to his lead was Vettel himself. He came perilously close to a wall and straight-lined a chicane – but otherwise was untouchable.
Sebastian Vettel: “It’s Canada, you obviously go close to the walls here or there, sometimes a little bit closer than I wanted…”
For Alonso, it was definitely glass-half-full.
Fernando Alonso: “At the end I think the second place has a victory taste because we scored some good points after a very difficult weekend.”
Sebastian’s victory leaves only three current grands prix he hasn’t won. For Red Bull, the US Grand Prix at Austin is now the only unfinished business.
Sebastian Vettel: “Finally we get it off the list! Very proud of that. The sun came out today. Couldn’t get any better.”
Drive of the day, however, went to Jean-Eric Vergne. JEV moved from seventh to sixth early on, and defended the position to the chequered flag to take his best F1 result.
Jean-Eric Vergne: “It is even more satisfying, because it was a normal race in the dry, with no one going out in front of me so we achieved this position fair and square. It’s a great result for the team as we are making progress race by race and it’s very encouraging for the rest of the season.”
Fernando Alonso: “At the end I think the second place has a victory taste because we scored some good points after a very difficult weekend.”
Sebastian’s victory leaves only three current grands prix he hasn’t won. For Red Bull, the US Grand Prix at Austin is now the only unfinished business.
Sebastian Vettel: “Finally we get it off the list! Very proud of that. The sun came out today. Couldn’t get any better.”
Drive of the day, however, went to Jean-Eric Vergne. JEV moved from seventh to sixth early on, and defended the position to the chequered flag to take his best F1 result.
Jean-Eric Vergne: “It is even more satisfying, because it was a normal race in the dry, with no one going out in front of me so we achieved this position fair and square. It’s a great result for the team as we are making progress race by race and it’s very encouraging for the rest of the season.”
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