Pole position driver quotes

Quotes below from the fastest drivers from each class in the two qualifying sessions held this afternoon for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship that will start tomorrow at 14:30 local time.

LMP1 Pole Position: Allan McNish. #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro
"First of all today has been quite a big day for Audi because it was the first qualifying for the R18 e-tron quattro and, thankfully, we were able to give it its first milestone pole position. That's something we're particularly proud of because Dindo, Tom and I did exactly the same for the R10 TDI, the first diesel engined car. So it's nice to have our names linked to that particular fact and with the R10 we were able to go on and take its first victory the following day so we're hoping we can do the same again tomorrow"

"Two laps was enough to get the best out of tyres, so beyond that I don't think we would've been able to go any quicker. There is a point for pole, which we can't forget about when you come to the end of the championship in China."

"We've seen over the course of testing that the R18 ultra and e-tron quattro have got pretty much similar performances. Obviously the main bulk of the car is exactly the same - the aerodynamics, the mechanical set up, the monocoque. There are subtlies that come with the hybrid set up in weight distribution. However if you look at the session times over the past two days it has been nip and tuck and I think the difference here is going to be whether you hook up a total lap or not."

LMP2 Pole Position John Martin #25 ADR-Delta Oreca 03-Nissan
"Very pleased. We're a brand new team so this is an amazing result to come to Spa as a new team and put it on pole. The ADR-Dleta boys have done an amazing job this week and pole at Spa doesn't really get much better than that and I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. For qualifying we took a bit of aero off to try and make us a bit quicker on the straights and make Eau Rouge a bit more exciting."

"My first lap wasn't quite good enough but on lap 3 I hooked the lap up to get pole. In Free Practice we concentrated on heavy fuel loads and hard tyres to see what it's going to be like for the race if it stays dry. Everyone says its going to be wet or snowing or something but tomorrow is another day."

LMGTE Pro Pole Position Frederic Makowiecki #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia
"AF Corse is the reference of the GTE Pro category and it is really good for us to be competitive here and at Sebring. To do a pole position is good for us as we have worked really hard to be consistent and that is why I am confident for the race tomorrow."

"Now Luxury Racing has the potential to fight against AF Corse, Felbermayr and Aston Martin Racing and this is why this championship is the best in GT and it is really good for us. We don't have a lot of information of running in wet conditions and we know the Porsche is good in the wet, especially for traction. However I think we can also be very quick in the wet on this track."

LMGTE Am Pole Position Nicolas Armindo #67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 RSR(997)
"We are hoping for rain tomorrow because for the car it is very good with the rear engine and for myself, I am very confident in the wet. It will be a long race, 6 hours, and you can make many mistakes in that time in the wet on this track. The most important thing for us is for myself, my teammates and the team to learn the most for Le Mans. WE decided to leave our run until later, this was our tactic as we had nothing to lose. We are really pleased to be here as we are a guest team in this race and it is important for use to see where we are against the teams in the WEC. we had nothing to lose so we could afford to take maximum risk and we are on pole."

Pole position is an advantage, but 6 hours is a long race and anything can happen at Spa, particularly if the weather intervenes. The action starts at 14:30 tomorrow (Saturday) for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Dave Davies

Photo: FRANCORCHAMPS (LIEGE, BELGIUM), SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS CIRCUIT, 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, QUALIFYING, Friday, 4th May, 2012. Thanks to Allan McNish, the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro starts from pole postion.