"It was a bit of a comedy show out there..." What was said after eight drivers were timed out of qualifying at Monza after battles for a tow backfired
Saturday 7 September 2019 19:42, UK
How the paddock reacted to one of the most extraordinary - and bizarre - finishes to a Formula 1 qualifying session in memory...
Martin Brundle: "That is one of the silliest things I've ever seen in F1."
Karun Chandhok: "It was extraordinary. Shambolic and bizarre, I've never seen anything like it."
Nico Rosberg: "You're not allowed to do that, but they were all doing it. They're all bang to rights!"
Paul Di Resta: "I looks silly when you've got professional teams with all this technology and everyone misses out."
Anthony Davidson: "You put more drag on the cars, like this year, you get a better slipstream. You get that recipe by tweaking the cars. The straights are even more important."
Nico Hulkenberg: "We're all looking for a tow because if you want to do the ultimate fastest lap time that's what you need around here. It's so much lap time and so powerful. When you drive on your own you just lose on the straights and you can't make up that time in the corners. Hence we ended up with these conditions. Of course it was a bit weird and strange for sure."
Carlos Sainz: With these draggier cars this season the tow is worth half a second and everyone wants that half a second."
Daniel Ricciardo: Everyone was just trying to get a bit too clever and it just encouraged everyone to create a mess."
Lewis Hamilton: "The tow is key to getting a good lap here and everyone was slowing right down, and also blocking the way so you couldn't really get through. It was pretty dangerous, I nearly crashed a couple of times.
"I couldn't overtake anyone, there was weaving and braking, and it was like trying to avoid carnage all the time.
Lance Stroll: "It was a bit of a comedy show out there in Q3. Everyone just underestimated the time to the chequered flag. I was at the front of the queue and Nico was playing games, he cut the chicane trying to get me out in front, and I wasn't buying it. So I was taking my time, waiting for him to get back on track. Then afterwards other cars started overtaking me and it just became a mess."
Charles Leclerc: "I kind of expected it because obviously it's been a mess from the beginning of the weekend, but especially from Q1 to Q3. I didn't expect to find myself in a situation like the exit of Turn Two where the Renault and McLaren was blocking completely the road and nobody could pass."
Christian Horner: "The Renault that went straight on all caused all the issues. Of course, nobody wants to be at the front of the queue and it's obvious he went straight-on on purpose. Then it ends up in a cluster scenario."
Toto Wolff: "The problem is that everyone is trying to get the slipstream and it's a nerve game, who exits first. Then some who have exited first felt thought they need to reduce the speed even more, going through the chicane and outside of the track is just junior class."
Cyril Abiteboul: "Everyone is talking about the fact the gap should be very low, but when that actually happens everyone is trying to take advantage of every single detail."
