UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Friday Quotes: Red Bull

Speed completes his North American run

David Coulthard (P6):

“We had a problem selecting sixth gear during the second session. There was a vibration through the banking section, which is never good when you’re not sure what it is, but the guys identified it and are working on the problem now. The spin was due to an electronic glitch. Basically, the software had a fault that meant I didn’t have electronic assistance in the car when exiting corners. What you saw out there was basically a purely mechanical car relying on old-skool technology, like they used to use in the 1970s. Nowadays, we have all sorts of electronic toys and gadgets, which give us assistance, but when you switch them off, that’s the result! We had an opportunity to stretch the upgraded engine a little during this practice and we’ll compare the data to the old specification to see how it compares. At the moment, we look like we could be more competitive here than in Canada, although the proof will be tomorrow and on Sunday. Even though we stopped the session early, I’m encouraged by today.”

Christian Klien (P12):

“There’s still work to do with the set up of the car. I’m not really happy with the overall feeling at the moment, there’s quite a lot of oversteer and we’ll need to find a solution before tomorrow’s qualifying session. The engine seems to be a real step forward and we’re definitely closer to the front-runners here than we were in Canada.”

Scott Speed (P8):

“There’s a really special atmosphere for me here and it’s so great to be back driving in America and in an F1 car. The track had more grip on the second session and with every lap I completed, I felt more comfortable. There were no mechanical problems at all and the difference I felt sitting behind the wheel here, compared to in Montreal, was quite significant – it’s all about gaining more experience.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal:

“Scott was working on a comparison between two tyre compounds today and did an excellent job for the team, setting some good times. He finished in the top ten on only his fourth F1 practice session, which is a commendable effort and he’s obviously a promising talent coming through. It’s a good solid start to the weekend, especially with the new Cosworth Series 12 engine, which will hopefully show it’s true potential over the weekend.”

Written: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 00:02:29