F1 | Haas, Schumacher and Mazepin close the lineup in Brazil

Last row for Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin on the starting grid of the next Brazilian Grand Prix, the fourth to last round of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. At the end of the 100 kilometer Sprint Qualifying, the Haas drivers suffered from the choice to use the C4 compounds , i.e. the softest, struggling tremendously with wear in the final laps of yesterday's race. An epilogue that did not allow them to place ahead of the Alfa Romeos and the Williams ahead of this evening's race.

“We faced the Sprint Qualifying with the C4 compound and it was a bit of a gamble”, said Nikita Mazepin. “I think the first few laps were pretty good. I had the chance to get close to Mick and at one point in the race we found ourselves fighting for position. Subsequently the rear tires slowly gave out and I lost the opportunity. In any case, on this track it is really difficult for us to fight with Williams and Alfa Romeo. We will have to be good at taking advantage of all the opportunities that come our way during the match."

Here are Mick Schumacher's assessments: “In hindsight perhaps there was a faster strategy for Sprint Qualifying, but we wanted to ensure a good start and the C4 tires served the purpose. In the end it didn't pay off, but we know we have another attempt on our hands tomorrow. Nothing is lost and today was useful for us to better understand the behavior of the soft compounds on the cars."