RAINED OFF

Disappointment on home asphalt as Pascal & Rio fall prey to tricky  wet-dry conditions

The Race, 2016 Formula 1 British Grand Prix
Sunday 10 July
Silverstone Circuit
Pascal MRT05-03 DNF (6 laps) 2:48.804
Rio MRT05-02 DNF (24 laps) 1:41.380

 
Pascal Wehrlein:
Pascal, bitterly disappointing day after the joy of Austria.
“Yes, there was nothing I could do really. We’d just switched to the Intermediate tyre,
completed a lap and then I aquaplaned into Turn 1 and lost control. I was just a
passenger really.”
It had stopped raining by then, but those damp to drying conditions are very tricky. If
you want to maximise the race, you have to switch to Intermediates as soon as that
window opens, yes?
“Some parts of the track were okay and it was drying quite quickly, but in that situation
there will always be parts that are still a little too wet and can catch you out.
Unfortunately, that’s what happened. I know it happened for a few other drivers, but
it’s very disappointing to end the weekend this way.”

 
Rio Haryanto:
Rio, a similar story to Pascal today, just a little later in the race.
“At the start the track was really wet, but once the rain had stopped it started to dry a
little more with each new lap. In the space of just 17 laps we’d gone from full wet tyres
to slicks. But it was the right call at the right time, I just hit a bit of track that was still
damp and there was nothing I could do.”
What can you take from a weekend that ends so disappointingly?
“Although it’s the race result that counts at the end of the day, the journey through
practice and qualifying is important. We’d had a good weekend and in particular a
really positive Saturday, so we have to focus on what went right and how we can use
that to keep pushing forward for the next race. Today’s result is something we can’t do
anything about now.”

 
A word with Dave Ryan, Racing Director:
“A rather sobering day after the high of our points-finish last weekend. The pre-race
downpour was pretty intense and even though the track was drying quite quickly there
were quite a few smaller and heavier patches of standing water. Unfortunately these
caught our drivers out – Pascal on the switch from full wets to intermediates and Rio
when he switched to slicks. These are tricky conditions to manage at the same time as
trying to maximise the race and keep pace with the cars ahead. A disappointing way to
finish our home race, but we’ll dust ourselves off and come back stronger for it in
Hungary in two weeks’ time.”