Red Bull German GP Qualifying Quotes

DANIEL RICCIARDO, Position: 3rd, 1:14.726 (Practice 3 – P3, 1:15.837)“In Q3 I knew I had to find some more time and I put a really good lap together in the first run. Then I knew there wasn’t much more for the second run so I probably tried a little bit too hard and made a few mistakes, but in the end it was a nice qualifying. Third is a good place to start. Hopefully we can look at Mercedes tomorrow and have a good battle with them and not focus on what’s happening behind us. The feeling in the team is very good at the moment. In the last three races now both Red Bulls have been in front of Ferrari and it seems like we’re getting a little bit closer to Mercedes. Everyone in the team is happy and it’s nice standing here knowing that I’m in the top three. Tomorrow I think we’ll have a good chance. The long runs yesterday looked a bit better than they did in Budapest so let’s see. I’ll start the race on slightly older tyres because I had to do two laps in Q2, which means they are not as fresh for the start but it’ll be fine. I’ll go hard and hopefully get in front and at least lead some of the race. If I can’t lead the last lap then I’ll try and lead some and be on TV. Whoo!”MAX VERSTAPPEN, Position: 4th, 1:14.834 (Practice 3 – P6 1:16.182)“I’m feeling really good, it was a smooth qualifying. Q3 was strong, it was just a bit of a shame about my last sector where I washed out and lost a few tenths. It’s quite tough to get the tyres in the right window but we still managed a good time. The main target is to be in front of the Ferraris and that is what we have done. That said, we know they will be quick in the race as we saw last week. Mercedes look pretty strong but we are not that far away so I think we can be very happy with that. It’s my first time here in a Formula 1 car and not an easy track to learn so I’m really pleased with today. We can both be satisfied to be on the second row as this track wasn’t expected to be the best for us. Race pace is looking very good for the moment. We definitely want to be challenging for a podium tomorrow, I think a win might be difficult though.”CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “For the third qualifying in succession that’s a second row lockout for the team. A strong performance by both the drivers and we are actually closer to Mercedes than we thought, but they were ultimately out of reach. It puts us in a very good position for tomorrow’s race.”We ask some of the people who make our team tick to pick out their favourite moments and machines in motorsport and on the road. This time it’s Max’s No. 1 Mechanic, Lee Stevenson.1. What was the first race you ever attended?I think the first motor race I attended was… I’m not sure if it was an RAC Rally, but it was a rally at the super special stage that is now the Porsche Centre at Silverstone. I think I was 13 or 14. That was my entry into motorsport and it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of. From an early age I just loved fast cars and wanted to work with them. My first Formula One experience was at 14, an F1 test at Silverstone – V10s and V12s.2. What’s the most beautiful road car ever made so far?Not to be a company man, but I’d have to say Aston Martin DB5, the James Bond one.3. What’s the most beautiful race car ever made so far?I used to work on the Show Car team and we worked with the RB6, RB7 and RB8 and they are just sublime. I’d have to choose one of those. Double diffusers, F-Ducts, all of that – they are phenomenal to work on.4. What was the first road car you owned and was it any good?It was a Vauxhall Nova, 1.2 Luxe (with the electric windows!) and I paid £900 for it. I did a few modifications to it – bigger wheels, lowered it, put on a front splitter from a Seat Ibiza that didn’t fit, with self-tapping screws – and it wasn’t much better really. It was an alright car; I look back on it now and think I’d like it again, but actually, probably not!5. What car do you own now and why did you buy it?I’ve got an Audi Q5 because I have a little baby girl now, so I just wanted something that was quite big, for protection – something reliable and robust. It’s just a nice car to cruise around in.6. When you were first getting into motorsport who were you a fan of?I was a big fan of Damon Hill. I just loved the way he drove. I loved his eagerness and his grittiness in winning races. It was my first impression that this was real competition. That was the mid-‘90s obviously, with Villeneuve, all those guys.7. What’s your favourite circuit, in F1 or outside the sport?I’d say Monaco. The vibe, how unique it is. Every year it baffles me how we put an F1 race on around there. It’s just amazing: you walk into the circuit every day, grab a coffee and a croissant in the bakeries. It’s great. The flood of fans coming in from Nice every day, it’s a fantastic crowd and again it baffles me how they all fit. It’s not the same vibe as say Monza or Japan, which are completely off the scale, but it has its own thing. I love it.8. Name one thing in motor sport you would like to achieve but haven’t – you're not allowed to say another title.Selfishly, I’d love to stand on the podium if Max wins. And it would be Monaco; it’s not a very tall podium though!9. What’s the one that got away across your career?A championship for Mark Webber in 2010 – so close and yet so far. It was very bittersweet because it was obviously Sebastian he was racing and you’re a team and you support him, but it was tough for our side of the garage because we were really, really close. And we didn’t really know then how big Seb’s (Vettel) potential would be, so we were trying to grab it while we could. You look at the things that happened – the crash in Korea, which was where it all started to go downhill and then Abu Dhabi. Even now I watch those races again, just trying to understand them... yeah, that was the one that got away.10. What would be your race number and why?Seven. I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s ever been lucky for me, I just like the look of the number.11. If you had an Aston Martin for a day where would you take it and who would you be with?I’d be with my fiancée Amelia and we’d go to the South of France. Maybe with our baby girl in the back – do they have Isofix in a DB9!?


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