Guanyu Zhou: I hope the weather will be the same tomorrow

In qualifying, which took place in difficult weather conditions at Silverstone, Guanyu Zhou managed to qualify for the second session and beat his Sauber teammate Valtteri Bottas for the first time this season.

Valtteri Bottas (16th): “Today we made the right decisions, so I am angry that I was already out of the fight in the first part of qualifying. Until my last attempt we stayed in the top ten, but in such weather conditions sometimes everything turns into roulette.

The rain made the track very difficult, so keeping the car on the track was very difficult, as was pushing the C44 to its limits, especially as the grip levels varied with each lap.

We were among the first to switch to slicks before the red flags and also got a good position in the queue in the pit lane before qualifying resumed.

“But the track conditions at the end of the session were better and the rivals could improve, but we didn’t succeed. We were unlucky today, but I think we can do better in tomorrow’s race. It’s difficult to predict what the conditions will be tomorrow, but we are ready for any development.”

Guanyu Zhou (14th): “It’s great that we were able to qualify for the second part of qualifying at Silverstone, on a circuit that suits us much better than the Austrian one.

In the first session there was a lot of action on the track because the weather changed, so we started with intermediate tyres and then switched to slicks. We were most satisfied when the track was wet, because in these conditions we were closer to our competitors.

The team worked well in such unpredictable conditions and I hope that tomorrow the weather will be much the same. Then we can regain a few positions and fight for the points. I am already looking forward to the race on the circuit, where there are many overtaking opportunities.

I think it will be very important to manage the tyres in the right way, then we have a chance of success.”