Mercedes qualifying compromised with wet weather set-up for race day

Mercedes have confirmed they have opted for a wet weather set-up for tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix, a move which greatly compromised the German marque’s qualifying performance which saw Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualify 10th and 14th respectively. This could see Mercedes much more competitive during the race.

However, if the rain fails to truly materialize tomorrow, then Mercedes could well find themselves at a great disadvantage during the 71-lap race. Overnight the probability of rain dropped 40% for Sunday, which still leaves a good chance that the race will be affected by inclement weather. Either way, there was mixed emotions after the qualifying session as Nico Rosberg remained positive with 10th, whereas Michael Schumacher ended his final qualifying session 14th.

“To progress into Q3 and the top ten in qualifying today was a reasonable achievement for us.” Explained Nico Rosberg, who has failed to score a single point since Singapore. “Our car set-up was a little compromised due to the race conditions expected tomorrow so we should be in better shape then. You can’t change anything after qualifying so I hope we are well prepared and that we have chance to score some good points tomorrow.”

Michael Schumacher entered his final ever qualifying session optimistic with the rainfall prior to the start of the session, with the German legend renowned for his superlative skill in treacherous weather conditions. However, with the rain failing to return throughout the session, Schumacher was unable to spring a surprise and could only manage 14th, much to his disappointment.

“For obvious reasons, I am not particularly happy about the qualifying session today.” Admitted Michael Schumacher, who is this weekend preparing to retire from the sport once again. “We might have compromised the car too much for the rain which is expected for tomorrow and was also forecast for qualifying. When the drops came down just before, it looked even more likely. Anyway, my starting position is now quite tricky, and I will have to see what we can make out of it tomorrow.”

If the predicted rainfall plagues tomorrow’s 71-lap race, expect to see the Mercedes duo rise steadily through the order as their wet weather setup comes into its own. However, with the weather system at Interlagos as unpredictable as Spa-Francorchamps, the rain could entirely miss the circuit and present the drivers with a dry 71-lap, which would greatly disrupt Mercedes’s race plans.

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