Saturday doesn’t live up to its promise

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Weather: FP3: sunny 18.6-19.9°C air, 24.0-30.4°C track; Q: sunny, 20.9-21.2°C air, 35.3-35.3°C track

The Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN cars of Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi will line up on the eighth and ninth rows of the grid respectively in tomorrow’s Portuguese Grand Prix. The promise of the morning session, in which the drivers felt at ease with their C39s, blew away in the gusts of wind battering the Portuguese coast in the afternoon.

In the end, Kimi and Antonio fell short of Q2, bumped out in the dying moments of the first segment of qualifying. It’s a result that falls short of the team’s own expectations, of course, but the feeling is that more can be done tomorrow. The weather, with the threat of rain hanging over the Algarve, could play a part: so could the tricky track conditions, the asphalt still slippery despite the four sessions already run on the circuit this weekend.

We’ve had a fair share of rollercoaster races this season, not least on “new” tracks: were one to happen here in Portugal, we’ll need grit, good strategic calls and a little sprinkling of luck to get a good result out of it. It has happened before: we’ll be ready if it does again.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG: “Finding the perfect balance in these blustery conditions was never going to be easy: a good feeling in the morning can easily turn sour when the wind changes later in the day and that is what seems to have happened today. Not making it out of Q1 is a disappointment but we can harbour some hope for tomorrow: both drivers were happy with the car in the windless morning, so we can aim to make up a few places tomorrow and be in the battle for the positions that matter in the race.”

Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39 (Chassis 05/Ferrari)
3rd practice: 13th / 1:17.922 (20 laps) / Q1: 16th / 1:18.201 (12 laps)

“The car felt really good this morning after the changes we did overnight, but when the wind picked up we started to struggle. Overall, the car behaved nicely but the moment we got a tail wind it was a really painful experience. We tried to get through, we did what we could but it wasn’t enough today. In different conditions it would have been a completely different story, but in the end it’s the same for everyone. Obviously I am disappointed, but we have tomorrow to try and make up some ground.”

Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)
3rd practice: 17th / 1:18.201 (20 laps) / Q1: 17th / 1:18.323 (12 laps)

“Grip conditions were a bit better today but they were still quite a challenge. I think we did the most we could once again, but it was not enough to book a place in Q2. To start towards the back is never easy, but we can still do our race tomorrow and see what happens. We need a good start and to make the most of any opportunities, especially if the weather plays a role. The grip levels are still fairly low and everything can happen.” Media information:
Images and other digital assets are available on MediaHub: mediahub.sauber-group.com.

Über die Sauber Motorsport AG

The Sauber Group of Companies is composed of three operational entities: Sauber Motorsport AG, which operates and manages the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Formula One team; Sauber Engineering AG, which focuses on prototype development and additive manufacturing; and Sauber Aerodynamik AG, which conducts full and model-scale testing in the factory’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and creates ground-breaking innovations in the field of aerodynamics. The companies collaborate closely and share know-how to apply the expertise of more than 500 dedicated individuals at the headquarter in Hinwil, Switzerland, to all internal and external projects. Since its founding in 1970, the passion for racing has been at the heart of Sauber.

For the last 50 years, the innovative Swiss company has been setting standards in the design, development and construction of race cars for various championship series, such as Formula One, DTM, and WEC. Following its own Formula One debut in 1993, Sauber Motorsport AG has established one of the few traditional and privately held teams in the sport. After 25 years of competition in Formula One, the company launched a long-term partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2018 and enters the 2020 championship under the new team name Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.

Firmenkontakt und Herausgeber der Meldung:

Sauber Motorsport AG
Wildbachstrasse 9
CH8340 Hinwil
Telefon: +41 (44) 93790-00
Telefax: +41 (44) 93790-01
http://www.sauberf1team.com

Ansprechpartner:
Will Ponissi
Senior Communications Manager
E-Mail: william.ponissi@sauber-group.com
Katharina Rees
Communications Manager
Telefon: +41 (79) 75752-85
E-Mail: katharina.rees@sauber-group.com
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