Schumacher: “Not lapping in Q3 was a calculated risk”

Michael Schumacher hopes his decision not to run in Q3 in qualifying for the Singapore F1 GP will pay off in tomorrow's race. The Mercedes German decided to save a set of super softs for the race and finished eighth on the grid as the Force Indias also chose not to run.

“It was a very tactical qualifying, we chose not to run in Q3 to save new tires for the race” declared Schumacher. “In theory, it's a choice that should pay off in the race, so it was a calculated risk. As we all know, many accidents can happen in racing here in Singapore, so I will certainly try to take advantage of all the opportunities. I will definitely keep my fingers crossed for Sebastian to win his second title here tomorrow."

His teammate, Nico Rosberg, qualified seventh behind Felipe Massa but, unlike Schumacher, he decided to use all the tires to try to beat the Brazilian.

“I had a good lap in Q3 and I was able to get the most out of the car so I'm quite satisfied,” said Rosberg. “Starting from seventh is the maximum we could aim for, although Massa is very close so it was worth trying to overtake him. Being on the clean side of the track puts me in a good position for the start, so I will try to gain position to collect some points. I think it will be an exciting race with all the new features such as DRS and Pirelli tyres."