What the Drivers Said after Qualifying

Leo Roussel, No.29 Pegasus Racing Morgan, 6th in LMP2: "We were ahead for a good part of qualifying. I had very good tyres from the start, the set up was just right and the car great; the team did a great job.  Unfortunately, we were only sixth as a competitor went off in front of me in the last sector and I wasn’t able to improve. We worked hard for the race; I think the rain will play its part today and we can really do something here."

Oliver Pla, No. 40 Krohn Racing Ligier JS P2, 3rd in LMP2: "The problem we had yesterday has been sorted and it’s good news if the track begins to dry. Regarding qualifying, I would have preferred more rain (laughs), but I'm happy with our place (3rd) especially because at the end my tyres were going off while the Dunlops were really beginning to work well. We should perhaps have waited a little longer in the pits and only gone out for the last two or three laps on intermediates. Now, for the race, that will be a weather lottery..."

Michael Aleshin, No.21 AF Racing BR 01 5th in LMP2: "The conditions were difficult this morning. It was our first experience with these tyres in these conditions and for this reason I think that this result is not bad. The team did a good job because the car was really well balanced. It has improved a lot since our arrival in this series this year. I am confident for the race but everything depends on the weather, luck and our strategy."

Nathanaël Berthon, No.48 Murphy Prototypes ORECA 03R, 10th in LMP2:  "It didn’t go well because we are last. We’ve had issues since yesterday, we can’t find the problem and we don’t understand where it’s coming from. After the crash at Paul Ricard, the car doesn’t seem to behave as it did before.  It's as difficult for us in the dry as it is in the wet.”

Charlie Robertson, No.3 Team LNT Ginetta, 2nd in LMP3: "This qualifying was a real challenge. The conditions haven’t stopped changing. At first we were leading and it was all between the two Team LNT cars. I set another good lap time at the end of qualifying but Michael (Simpson) in the No.2 managed to go a little bit better. It is good to have the two cars on the front row in LMP3 and we’ve above all managed to create a gap to the Ligier JS P3.”

Mikkel Mac, No.60 Formula Racing Ferrari F458 Italia, 2nd in LMGTE: "It went pretty well this morning. We started with new tyres and, as each lap went by, I gained confidence. I improved my times and I missed pole by less than a tenth. At our recent races, the car was good. Although we don’t have pole this morning, the most important thing is the race. Whatever the conditions, dry or wet, the car will be good and fast."

Alessandro Pier Guidi, No. 56 AT Racing Ferrari F458 Italia, 4th in LMGTE: "We lacked a little luck. The track conditions were changing every lap. We waited until the end but there was still water on the track and not enough grip. After my first run, I was the fastest. We waited before going out again, perhaps longer than others and that, I think, was our mistake but the race will be long...Our pace is good but everything will depend on the weather conditions. If the track will be dry, I'm pretty confident."

Adam Carroll, No.86 Gulf Racing UK Porsche 911 RSR, 7th in LMGTE: "We started with used tyres yesterday, they were quite old and worn. I did a good time and the car was okay.  Then, when we went onto new tyres, we were hoping to improve our times but unfortunately we were slower and had less grip. I don’t understand why. Perhaps the track was too dry... it's a little frustrating. The race will be long this afternoon, the weather will play a big role."

Francesco Castellacci, No.62 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia GT3, 2nd in GTC: "It wasn’t easy this morning, and the track conditions were tricky, but the car is good and behaves well in the wet. We are close to the BMW and hope to win the race."

Steven Moller, No. 68 Massive Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 6th in GTC: "It was really my first experience on a damp track so I'm pretty happy with my time, I didn’t expect to do as well. I didn’t make any mistakes especially as yesterday morning I didn’t run much as conditions were too difficult. So I used qualifying as a learning session because we expect rain this afternoon.”

David Bristol/ELMS