Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position in Monaco, beating Jenson Button and Mark Webber. Alonso was P4...
Red Bull:
Sebastian Vettel: "It's a long way around this track. Qualifying is tough, there are three segments and you have to give 100% in each one. My laps in Q1 and Q2 were not perfect, but in Q3 it was spot on, so I was happy with that. The most important thing to hear is that Sergio is okay and is conscious. We were sitting and waiting to go out, but we were watching the images on the TV screen as well and so we're all thinking of him and wish him all the best. Hopefully he will be fit again very soon. It wasn't easy to sit and wait for such a long time in the garage and not many people improved their time afterwards. It's a long race here tomorrow and lots of things can happen. We've seen this year with multiple pit stops that things can change. Pole position is very important here, so we can be happy with that, but there's no guarantee for tomorrow's race. We need to push hard and see what we can do."
Mark Webber: "The races are more mixed up this year compared to the last few years, and tomorrow is no exception. It's possible to win from P3 but, that said, qualifying is crucial here and pole is certainly a nice benefit to have. Seb did a great lap and deserved pole and JB did too. It was a messy session for all of us - you never anticipate not getting a second go, but that's the way it fell today and bigger priorities took over when one of our colleagues, Sergio, had a crash. All our thoughts are with him; he's in great hands and he's talking and is conscious, which is good news; he'll bounce back I'm sure. We can learn from this in terms of safety here and it's probably an area that we need to look at improving for the future. Jenson was lucky and Karl Wendlinger back in the nineties - so there are a few places around here we need to keep an eye on."
McLaren:
Jenson Button: "Today's result in qualifying takes a bit of a back seat after what happened to Sergio [Perez] in Q3 this afternoon. We all know this circuit can be dangerous, and I know what it feels like to go off at that particular corner, but I'm very happy to hear that he appears not to have been seriously injured. I've got no doubt that he'll already be telling the doctors that he wants to race tomorrow. As for my performance, I was very happy with my Q3 lap: I knew there was more to come from the car after my Q1 and Q2 runs, when I had a bit too much understeer. While second isn't the easiest place to get away from here, it's still nice to be up at the front. I think we'll see a different Monaco Grand Prix from what we usually see - strategy will be important, and I think it will make the race more exciting than normal because we should be able to push for victory despite not starting from pole. Our car feels good here, and that's given me a lot of confidence: I'll be pushing in the race tomorrow."
Lewis Hamilton: "I hope Sergio is well - my prayers and thoughts go out to him and his family. He was driving so well this weekend - you could see that from the onboard footage - but it was a very heavy shunt. You never want to see another driver get injured, and it's at the back of your mind when you go back out, but you need to stay professional. After the restart in Q3, I had no temperature in my tyres or my brakes, so I didn't manage to pull a great lap together. With hindsight, we probably should have put a banker in. I felt I'd been driving well all weekend and I had the pace to be on pole - I'm certain of that, in fact. I'll do my best from my grid slot - and, while it'll be tough to win from there, I won't give up. I'll keep pushing. My job will be to get as many points as I can tomorrow."
Ferrari:
Fernando Alonso: "In qualifying I did not have as good a feeling from the car as I got in free practice and we need to work out exactly why. Today, McLaren were very quick and I think Hamilton was probably favourite to get pole. I don't think the result of Q3 represents the true order because the red flag mixed up plans for many of the drivers. For Hamilton it went badly, while everything was fine for Red Bull, with us at a halfway point: we should have done two runs of two timed laps each without refuelling and therefore, we did not get the most out of the tyres. I reckon that tomorrow, overtaking will be pretty much impossible, despite the KERS, DRS and whatever else. The start will be very important and our race pace is good, so I hope I can make up some places, also making the most of any unpredictable situations and of our strategy. I expect some drivers will try for two stops and maybe others will risk doing only one. The car is handling better than a week ago at the Catalunya circuit: the balance is fine and the supersofts are working well. Perez's accident? From inside my car I had no information as to his condition. Frightening accidents like this do make for a bit of tension, but then you try and stay focussed and do your best."
Felipe Massa: "A mixture of satisfaction and regret for me after this qualifying. Along with the team, we managed to improve the handling of the car compared to free practice, reducing the oversteer, but a mistake at Rascasse in Q3 cost me one or two places. A shame, as I was on a good lap. Starting sixth is not brilliant at Monaco but here you need to use your head in the race: we will have to concentrate throughout as anything can happen. The start will be very important, but so too will be staying calm and cool-headed, lap after lap, because any mistake can cost you dear. Tyre degradation is less than we have seen before, so I don't think there will be so many pit stops. I hope Sergio is okay: it was a frightening accident and the impact was really heavy. That part of the track is very tricky and accidents are very common there."
Mercedes GP:
Michael Schumacher: "First of all, I am happy to hear that Sergio seems to be well, which is obviously the most important news. The incident reminded me a lot of what happened to Karl Wendlinger in 1994 and it shows the quality of the safety improvements the FIA have implemented since then, especially the side impact tests. As for my starting position, I benefited a little from the circumstances and probably P7 on the grid would have been more realistic. Having said that, our car looks better in race trim this weekend, so with another good start, I will try to make the most out of it. Overtaking is known to be more difficult here than at most other circuits, so it will come down to having the right strategy, especially because the tyres should last longer than in recent races and we can expect fewer stops. I think it will be an exciting race."
Nico Rosberg: "I have to say a special thank you to the team and the attitude everybody had today after my accident. This morning, I made a little mistake and lost control of the car but nobody was angry about that when I came back to the garage: the guys simply came up to me and said, let's go for it in qualifying! The circumstances in Q3 were a bit tricky because the red flag came at the worst moment for me. When we went back out, it was not possible to do a fast lap because the tyres weren't working properly, but I am still happy to have made it to Q3 after such a tough day. I also want to send my best wishes to Sergio and we are all pleased to hear that he is ok after such a big accident."
