F1 - race#3, Chinese GP: - what a crazy race - congratulations 1. Aston Martin RedBull Racing, 2. Mercedes, 3. Ferrari ! McLaren winning points, consistent and in good shape , Sahara Force India managing challenges .. - NAANII GLOBAL Luxury/Quality Family Lifestyle MAGAZINE 'en Vogue' - NAANII GLOBAL Quality & Luxury Family Lifestyle - MAGAZINE 'en Vogue'-

__________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 1rst and 4th:
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal:
“To achieve our first victory of the year here in China was the result of a fantastic team effort. A strong strategy and a great performance by the pit crew, who have done an amazing job all weekend particularly with the engine change on Daniel’s car; and Daniel drove an amazing race and fully deserved victory. His passes were exemplary and the strategy really came alive for us under the safety car. We made a late call to get both cars in and again the second double stop was clinically executed and they did an unbelievable job.
For Max the first part of the race was going very well for him, unfortunately he lost time on the outside of Lewis, dropped behind Daniel, and then, when attempting a pass on Sebastian, he made contact resulting in a 10 second penalty which he has apologised for. He still managed to bring the car home in fifth; it is a result I am sure he will be frustrated with, but performance today bodes well for the coming season.

Speaking of a team effort, any win begins with all of the guys and girls back at the factory and the dedication and hard work there, and that allows us to enjoy moments like this.”


SCUDERÍA FERRARI: 3rd and 8th
Maurizio Arrivabene:  
´ Today's result was definitely not the one we were aiming for, given that we were starting from the front row. Our race pace wasn't bad, but this was a Grand Prix in which the many variables made the difference. Kimi made it to the podium and Sebastian limited the damage in a car which, after the collision, was not in the best of conditions for a fight. Now it's important for us to maintain concentration and determination, already thinking about the next race in Baku.``    

MERCEDES AMG Petronas F1 Team: 2nd and 4th
Toto Wolff:
``I am sure that was a fantastic grand prix for the fans watching in the grandstands and back at home - but it was a very challenging one from where we were sitting.
Ultimately, the reality of today's pace is that we lacked pace in each phase - Sebastian managed the performance in the opening stint, building a good gap to Valtteri, and the Red Bulls were significantly faster on fresher tyres after the Safety Car.
The best part of our day was undoubtedly Valtteri's drive: the pit wall called an aggressive undercut, the boys delivered a perfect pit stop and he claimed first the position over Sebastian, then the lead from Kimi with a bold pass round the outside. We saw a real fighter in the car today and, while he was unfortunate with the Safety Car timing opening the door for Red Bull, he protected P2 in a perfect way.
For Lewis, it was a tougher afternoon. He could not make progress in the opening stint, pitted early for the medium tyre running a one-stop strategy and then was sitting in P3 after the Safety Car came in.
At that stage we believed that gaining track position was key as we did not see any overtaking in the first part of the race. In the end we must admit that the decision from Red Bull to pit for a fresh set of tyres under the safety car was the right call but that was not a given at that stage of the race. P2 and P4 is some good damage limitation from a tricky race but it is little comfort that this puts us in the lead of the constructors' championship as we head home.
We have seen the competitive picture change quickly over the past three races and it's clear that we still have much to understand about our car and how to get the best from the tyres. We have been in tough spots before in recent years and shown the right spirit to respond. We will do the same again this time.''

McLAREN: 7th and 13th
Eric Boullier, Racing Director
“While today was the tough race we expected, we were still able to show our fighting spirit and bring home some more valuable points.
“Fernando made a good start, and was up to P11 by the end of the third lap. He managed to maintain strong pace compared to those around him despite the Safety Car period, executed a good strategy, and made a couple of stunning overtakes in the final stages of the race to cross the line in seventh.
“On the other side of the garage, Stoffel wasn’t as lucky today. He had a slow start off the line and found himself with an uphill struggle after losing a couple of places. He responded strongly though, making some solid overtakes and managing his tyres well. In the latter stages, when his competitors were on fresher rubber, he battled hard in the midfield despite suffering from a strong vibration which made the final laps tricky to manage. He gave it everything to finish in 13th but it was a tough day for him, and we hope for better fortunes in Baku.
“We opted to run a one-stop strategy today with both drivers, knowing that our tyre management showed good potential. Unfortunately, we were a little bit unlucky with the Safety Car as many of the cars around us took advantage of the window to pit. Still, we fought hard, proved to be opportunistic and used the strengths of our package to our advantage to come home with six more points. Now, we head back to the factory after a long stint away, to regroup and work on preparing ourselves for the next race in Baku.”





SAHARA FORCE India F1 Team:  11th and 12th :
ROBERT FERNLEY, DEPUTY TEAM PRINCIPAL
“A difficult opening lap put us on the back foot and saw both cars drop down the order. Despite a pace advantage we were stuck in traffic, which forced us to pit both cars early in an attempt to undercut the cars ahead of us. Both cars were following two-stop strategies and after the Safety Car it was a case of trying to recover to the points, which we very nearly did. It was one of those afternoons where a combination of factors played against us and into the hands of others. The pace of the car was solid and that’s definitely a positive to take away we prepare for next race in  Baku.”

VIJAY MALLYA, TEAM PRINCIPAL
“It was bittersweet coming away from Bahrain with just a point. Yes, it was good to get on the scoreboard, but the potential for more was there. Apart from the race result, it was an important weekend of testing and learning about the car. There’s more to come this weekend too as the development race continues. The grid was very tight in Bahrain and we expect the same in China. With such small margins, it’s about maximising every session. A small mistake is the difference between making Q3 or dropping out in Q1. We will continue working hard this weekend to reclaim our position at the front of the midfield.”




Foto: Copyright Aston Martin Redbull Racing and Sahara Force India F1 Team, all rights reserved