Qualifying session - quotes

First qualifying session

 

Mikael Forsten – No.36 Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, pole: “It was a difficult session, because there were a lot of yellow flags, and there was a lot of traffic. I was patient, and waited, and finally got my chance with the session almost over. Even though I had some traffic near the end of the lap, I was still pretty lucky – no complaints. The car felt good, and we got pole, so that’s ideal. After free practice I felt comfortable with the new car, and thought that a top three position should be possible, so I’m pleased we got pole.”

 

Phil Quaife – No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar XKR, second: “Qualifying went well, although we’re a little disappointed not to have taken pole position. Still, the whole team is happy to be on the front row. The car was fantastic in free practice, and as soon as qualifying started I thought we could be quickest; we were, right until the last minute! The traffic was unbelievable, I didn’t get a single clear lap – and at the start of the session, there were four laps with yellow flags out.”

 

Ian Khan – No.20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, 12th: “The power steering wasn’t working for my session, so the steering was incredibly heavy. Without that issue, I could have been up to a second quicker. It’s a shame, but we’ll work with what we’ve got. The car has come on a lot over the winter, and Thomas showed what it’s capable of doing.”

 

Mark Thomas – No.39 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, 21st: “Qualifying was good – not too many problems with traffic, although you had to be careful because there were a few yellow flags. The car is only two weeks old, so we’re still working on developing it. For sure there is more to come from the car – these are early days.”

 

Luca Pirri – No.19 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, 24th: “Qualifying was difficult, because we only finished building the car on Friday. We had the car on wet settings – soft suspension, things like that which can’t be changed easily. It’s disappointing, because we qualified so well for the final three races of the last season. It’s difficult when you start from so far back, because then you have to take chances.”

 

Second qualifying session

 

Thomas Mutsch – No.20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, pole: “After qualifying like that, everything is fine! The car is nearly perfect, just some small things to change. I got a clear lap, which doesn’t happen often with so many cars on track. When I did catch up to other cars, their drivers were very good about getting out of my way. We just hope it stays dry for the races.”

 

Frederic Makowiecki – No.10 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9, second: “Being second is good – but it could have been better! We had a small problem with the car, which we will fix before the race. The team have done a really good job. We’re hoping for a good race because the car is very consistent.”

 

James Ruffier – No.1 Martini Callaway Racing Corvette Z.06R GT3, third: “Because the car is completely new, yesterday was spent checking it over – we didn’t go for a fast lap. So today we were still working to find the right braking points, to exploit the grip on new tyres. The car is amazing, really fast – it’s a good beginning to our first race. If it rains, it will be difficult – plus, in the first race, everybody wants to be champion! We need maximum points, but we also need to be careful.”

 

Jean-Pierre Jabouille – team principal, AutoGT Racing Morgan Aero 8: “Qualifying was pretty good, although we could have done better. We have one car fifth, which is fine – but the races are long, so we’ll see what happens.”

 

Jochen Krumbach – No.39 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, 22nd: “This is the first time I’ve driven at Silverstone, so I’m still getting to know the circuit – plus the car is new, for me. The two cars of the team are P21 and P22, so that’s not so bad. Unfortunately we’re losing time on the long straights to the other cars.”

2008-04-19
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