What the teams said – Qualifying in Spain

McLaren

Lando Norris did not look rusty despite siting out FP2, winding up right in the mix in final practice along with his team mate. As such, hopes were high of a strong showing come Qualifying. Oscar Piastri had to use a second set of softs to make it out of Q2, the team exercising caution even though he would have made it anyway.

That left him with only one run on new rubber in Q3, and the Australian failed to execute his lap and was disparaging about his efforts afterwards. But Norris absolutely nailed his final run with a lap he described as one of his very best, the McLaren man grabbing his third pole of the season by the narrowest of margins.

Lando Norris, 1st, 1:31.824

"I'm incredibly proud of that lap. It was one of those moments where everything clicks and you're able to extract exactly what you set out to achieve. The car felt strong, I felt confident, and that final lap was as close to perfect as I've managed around this circuit. To secure Pole position for the first Formula 1 race at the Madring makes it even more special. A big thank you to the team for all their hard work. We've put ourselves in the best possible position for tomorrow and now the focus is on converting that into a strong result on race day."

Oscar Piastri, 7th, 1:32.294

“P7. I’m a bit disappointed with that one. Overall, it was a bit of a messy session and the car felt nicer in FP3 than it did in Qualifying. We improved it a bit through the three Quali sessions, but I didn’t have that last bit we needed in the last run. The first lap of Q3 on used tyres was okay, but my final run on new tyres wasn’t good enough. Around this track, once you’re out of rhythm it’s very hard to get it back, and needing two sets in Q1 put on the back foot a bit.

“The positives are that the car is fast and Lando’s Pole shows what’s possible when you hook it up. For tomorrow, tyre degradation is a bit of a question mark after the graining we saw in practice, and overtaking won’t be straightforward, so it’ll come down to strategy and staying out of trouble. We’ll review everything as a team tonight, keep it clean, and try to make the most of our pace in the race.”

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

“Today's Pole position is a masterpiece from Lando and a fantastic reward for the entire team's hard work. We knew the potential was in the car, but we had to work diligently all weekend to unlock our performance in the low-speed corners. Lando's lap was at the level of a World Champion, and the most incredible part is that he secured Pole despite a three-tenth mistake in the final corner, which shows just how much pace we truly had. It's a testament to his talent, especially after missing a practice session, and to the brilliant work from everyone at the track and back at the factory to give him that confidence.

"While we are thrilled with Pole, we are not entirely satisfied as we feel there was more to be achieved with Oscar, who was unfortunately just a fraction away from a much higher grid slot in this incredibly tight field. Looking to the race, there are many unknowns for everyone. We have very limited data on high fuel and tyre behaviour, which will make for an uncertain and entertaining race for the fans. Starting from the best possible position is a huge advantage, but we know we will have to master all the variables tomorrow to convert this into a strong result."

Mercedes

When Kimi Antonelli topped the disrupted FP3 session for Mercedes, the youngster looked favourite for pole. He was quick from word go in Qualifying too, and grabbed provisional pole with his last run in Q3, only to be beaten by 0.011s as Norris just snatched it. Still, second is a great starting slot at a track where overtaking might be tricky.

George Russell looked to be right there with his team mate, fastest in Q1, and matching the Italian in the first sector on his last flying run of Q3. But his lap tailed away and with such a tightly packed field, he wound up just sixth with some very fast cars between himself and his team mate – and Championship rival - tomorrow.

Kimi Antonelli, 2nd, 1:31.835

"I put together a strong lap on my final effort, and I thought it might have been good enough for pole position. Credit to Lando (Norris) though. He and McLaren did a great job and managed to snatch it away right at the last.

"It was a very intense qualifying session where it was difficult to get the balance right with the tyres with the track being so hot. It was difficult to get the out-lap preparation right but then to also make sure you had it in the right window for all of your push lap. Overall, I think we did a good job and can be pleased with our efforts.

"Tomorrow will be a big challenge for everyone with lots of unknowns. Whilst overtaking will be tough, I hope we can put Lando under pressure and see what we can do to fight for victory. Managing the tyres will be key so let’s see what we can do."

George Russell, 6th, 1:32.149

"It was a tough qualifying session for me today. The main factor we were managing throughout all the sessions was ensuring we had the tyres in the right window. I had a really good lap in Q1 and hoped that I had the same potential in my last lap of Q3. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a scrappy lap; I had a lot of understeer from turn 11 onwards and lost a couple of tenths from there. The tyres really struggle here with the heat and the long corners, so you can find yourself sliding around, losing more time, and being pushed further down the order.

"Understanding the tyres more ahead of tomorrow will be crucial as while it didn’t all come together for me today, I hope tomorrow I’ll be able to make my way through the pack. We saw high tyre degradation on Friday and if that repeats itself tomorrow, then there will definitely be opportunities for us to make good progress."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"Coming into the weekend, we didn’t expect to be in the fight for pole. As we moved towards qualifying though we had shown good pace and thought that we may have an opportunity to get P1. We came close but in the final moments, Lando (Norris) pulled out the lap of the weekend so far. Credit to him and McLaren for that; we are still relatively satisfied with our performance though as it gives us a chance to battle at the front tomorrow.

"On George’s side, he never felt completely comfortable with the car. We were trying to add more front-wing as qualifying progressed to give him more confidence but that is not the best position to be in as a driver, particularly on a circuit where you want to be hammering in the laps and getting used to the car. That said, it was very close out there and the margins at the front were very small.

"Overtaking will be tough tomorrow. It has not looked easy in any of the junior formula races but hopefully we get some good action tomorrow. There are several unknowns that could make for an interesting race too."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"We expected this weekend to be more challenging than Monza, not because the car doesn't suit the circuit necessarily, but because this is a track that rewards downforce and we've gone nearly four months without introducing a major update. Even so, our pace through practice was encouraging and, heading into qualifying, we felt we were firmly in the fight for pole position.

"Traffic management was particularly difficult in the early stages because a competitive lap here relies on having a clean out lap. Once we came through Q1, though, we were able to build some rhythm and both drivers continued to find time as track grip improved.

"Kimi put together a strong final lap but ultimately fell just short of matching Lando (Norris). George also improved on his last run but suffered front washout in Turn 11 and then experienced higher tyre temperatures through the remainder of the lap, which cost him grip and lap time.

"Making progress tomorrow will not be straightforward as overtaking looks very difficult. However, if the tyre degradation we saw earlier in the weekend remains a factor, it could create opportunities for us to be creative with strategy and put ourselves in the fight."

Red Bull

Liam Lawson was just the third driver of the weekend to sample the hard tyre in practice, but he did not get many laps on the C2 rubber before the red flags came out. Between that, and Max Verstappen coming out late in FP3, Red Bull’s form heading into Qualifying had a question mark. But both drivers made it to Q3 with ease in a solid showing.

Once there, Lawson’s first lap did not go to plan and in the end, he had to settle for eighth. Verstappen nailed his last run to beat both Ferrari cars, something that not many would have guessed yesterday. Starting P3, the Dutchman could well be challenging for his second podium in a row.

Max Verstappen, 3rd, 1:31.964

“It was a very strong Qualifying from our side, and a top-three result is something we can be quite happy with. We made some nice improvements to the setup and got the car into a good window. From Q1 through to Q3, we were able to build with each run and stay competitive at the front throughout. 

"We ended up pretty close to Pole and only really lost out in the final sector, but we'll see what we can do from the second row tomorrow. From the practice sessions, we know that tyre life is going to be crucial and something we need to stay on top of if we want to fight with our rivals. 

"Overtaking opportunities are hard to come by here and passing won't be easy, so getting the strategy right will be important. If we do that, I think we have a good car for the race.” 

Liam Lawson, 8th, 1:32.316

“We looked competitive at the start of Qualifying, so it would have been nice to be fighting a little further up the order, but unfortunately Q3 did not quite come together for us. As the session progressed, everyone around us seemed to find a bit more lap time, whereas we were not able to make the same step. 

"I am happy with the progress we have made compared to where we were earlier in the week, and I am feeling more comfortable in the car every time I get behind the wheel. There are still a few things for us to learn and take into tomorrow, but overall it has been a positive step forward. 

"It is a difficult track to overtake on and a place where pushing the limits is always a challenge, so making up positions will not be easy unless opportunities come our way. The car has looked quick all weekend, though, and I am excited for the race. Hopefully we can put ourselves in the mix and move forward tomorrow.” 

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal

"A really strong result for the whole Team today on such a challenging track, especially with the gaps at the front being so incredibly tight. Max was at the top of his game as always. He was competitive throughout Qualifying, fastest in Q2 by just a few hundredths and right in the fight for pole until the very last moment. Naturally, there is some disappointment when you miss out on the front row by such a small margin, but Max delivered another exceptional performance and it was also very encouraging to see Liam right in the mix, only a few tenths away. 

"This is an extremely demanding circuit, with a combination of low-speed and high-speed corners, aggressive kerbs and walls that leave very little room for error. To see both drivers able to push with confidence in these conditions is a good indication of the progress with the underlying pace of the car and a deserved reward for all the hard work from everyone back in Milton Keynes. 

"Tomorrow presents a different challenge. The gap between the top four teams is extremely small, so hopefully we can be right in the fight once again. Strategy will play an important role, particularly depending on how difficult overtaking proves to be, and we will need to stay flexible in what could be an unpredictable race. With two cars in the mix and every opportunity to be in the podium fight, we are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve tomorrow." 

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton was the first to bring out the red flags in final practice, after locking up and running straight into the barriers. Despite a broken front wing, he initially tried to bring the car home before being told to stop by the team. That cost him some track time, but it did not seem to hamper the Ferrari man come Qualifying.

He was right in the mix from word go, trading fast laps with team mate Charles Leclerc. Both made it through Q1 on the mediums, meaning they have a set of new softs for tomorrow if needed. In Q3, Hamilton grabbed provisional pole on the first runs, but was beaten by less than two tenths on the second runs. He did pip his team mate though, Leclerc just .006s further back in fifth.

Lewis Hamilton, 4th, 1:32.013

"Although the session didn’t quite end with the result we wanted, it was a solid performance overall. The car felt good throughout. My first lap in Q3 was strong, but it didn’t quite come together on the final run, which cost us a few positions.

"P4 isn’t where I think we could have been, but there are positives to take from the session. It’s a great circuit to drive, and tomorrow will be about consistency and tyre management. Degradation could be a key factor, so the focus will be on executing well and making the most of every opportunity in the race."

Charles Leclerc, 5th, 1:32.019

"It’s an interesting track to drive on. There may have been a bit of margin for extracting more, but all in all, it was quite a good lap. There aren’t many spots where overtaking is possible here, so we will see how the race unfolds and try to take any opportunity we have to get ahead."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

"When you are P1 after the first run in Q3, for sure you are targeting pole. I think Lewis made a small mistake at the start of his last flying lap and left around a tenth and a half in the first sector. Charles did a good lap and improved massively through Turns 5 and 6, but with such small gaps between the cars, it was not enough to do better than fifth.

"Now let’s focus on tomorrow: the data from long runs on Friday might not be fully representative, as no one really focused on this and the track is still evolving very quickly. From today’s F2 and F3 races, it’s clear that overtaking is extremely difficult on this track but we also know the race could be chaotic, so we need to be ready to take every opportunity, whether that comes from a VSC, a Safety Car or even a red flag."

Alpine

It was a mixed bag for Alpine in Qualifying, with both drivers leaving it late to set a lap time in Q2 after their initial runs were interrupted by yellow flags. Franco Colapinto had already had a hairy moment, just catching his car through La Monumental in a very impressive show of skill. He nailed his last run with the pressure on to make Q3, and grabbed ninth on the grid.

Pierre Gasly overcooked his run in Q2, hitting the wall which cost him and he exited at the second time of asking.

Pierre Gasly, 14th, 1:33.753

“We have a lot to work on and understand after today's result. I was optimistic going into Qualifying as the car felt good all the way through Practice and the pace felt like it was definitely there for the top ten. I just seemed to struggle with grip and the car was sliding around quite a lot and really a handful to drive. It feels like something is not right and I am sure the team and I will sit down and really try to understand why we were too slow in Qualifying. It is not over yet, though, and our aim is always to come away from races with points. We know it will be a challenging race starting from P14 but our pace in Free Practice 2 on high fuel was promising so we have every reason to be confident for tomorrow. We are not sure what the racing will be like at this circuit, it will likely be very tough, but I will give it my all to recover back up into the top ten.”

Franco Colapinto, 9th, 1:32.903

“I am very proud to be in Q3 today. Yesterday was tricky, I did not feel 100% in the car and we have had to work hard as a team to find improvements and build up our confidence all the way up to Qualifying. In the end, I did some of my best laps and that is good enough for P9 on the grid for tomorrow's race. It's definitely a difficult track and we know it does not suit our package too well, so we have really had to take things step by step. I was still learning a lot during Qualifying and we performed very well and I think we maximised everything. I did have a moment at Turn 12, it was very fast and I had to correct it. Tomorrow might be tricky for overtaking and we really do not know what might happen at this track. It might be quite limited on chances so our focus will be on maximising everything we can control and, of course, aiming for points at the end of the race.”

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director

“It was an exciting Qualifying session at a new track, and you could see all the drivers pushing on the limit. That's what Formula One is all about and is testament to the skill on show today. Heading into Qualifying, we were trying to get the drivers into a comfortable place with the car, and have it behave and handle the way they need it. We knew we were in a fight to get into Q3 and it would be close with Racing Bulls and Audi. Franco did a brilliant job and looking at the times, ninth place ahead of Arvid [Lindblad] was probably the best outcome. On Pierre's side, he expressed that he wasn't happy with the car, so we need to understand why that was the case and what we can do to help him for tomorrow's race. We've seen from other races and support series here, this layout can throw up a few unknowns and it could be a race of attrition tomorrow. So, we need to stay focused and be there at the end to score as many points as we can.”

Audi

Audi were the only team to run the mediums in FP3, although they did not get many laps in thanks to the red flags. On the softs both drivers finished in the top 10, so the team had decent hopes of a strong Qualifying, but they were just pipped in the end and had to settle for P11 and P12.

Nico Hulkenberg beat his team mate by just over a tenth, but they will need better starts than they managed in Monza if they want to fight forward and bag points for the fifth time in the last six Grands Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg, 11th, 1:33.223

"It was incredibly tight today, and we missed out on Q3 by just 0.019s. We knew qualifying around a brand-new circuit would be close, and that's exactly how it turned out. Tomorrow is still a bit of an unknown. It's the first race here, so nobody really knows how things will unfold. We have to be ready for whatever comes our way. The priority will be to stay out of trouble early on, and then see what we can make of the race."

Gabriel Bortoleto, 12th, 1:33.388

“I actually think today was not too bad, but it was difficult to put the perfect lap together. In all fairness, it's been a bit of an odd weekend so far: we have changed the car quite a lot from yesterday, and I did find more confidence in Qualifying, but I think there was definitely more on the table for us today.

“Looking at tomorrow, I think there is a chance for us to move forward, but it will depend a lot on our pace and how much tyre degradation will impact us. As always, we’ll give our best and see where it takes us.”

Allan McNish, Racing Director

"It was a very tight qualifying session at a circuit on which getting laps together is not easy. Despite this, both Nico and Gabi, as well as the crews, were able to deliver a good performance. Unfortunately, less than two hundredths of a second was the difference between getting into Q3 or not for Nico: it was a tiny margin, but we were just on the wrong side of that. I think that was the most we could extract for our car, so we can't be too disappointed with that. Overall, with both cars up there on the edge of the top ten, it was another strong performance by the team, especially in light of the upgrades our rivals have brought in the last few races."

Haas

Ollie Bearman lost the rear and spun into the barriers late in FP3, walking away from what looked a decent hit. Unfortunately, that ended his involvement for the day with too much car damage for the team to repair in time for Qualifying. Considering their upgrades have looked to move them up the order here, it was a double blow for the team.

Esteban Ocon made Q3 with relative ease, grabbing 13th on the grid. That is his best Qualifying performance since Japan, showing just how much improvement the team have managed to find through those aero upgrades.

Oliver Bearman, 21st, No time set in Q1

“It’s a shame as the car was quick. It was a tough day yesterday, but we made some changes overnight, and the car was feeling really good in FP3. Unfortunately, I got caught out in Turn 10 on the final lap, and it was a combination of the tyres being a bit old and I had a gust of wind not in my favor. I shouldn’t have made that mistake – it hurts a lot as the car was strong, but I’m sure there can be some opportunities tomorrow. We have to dust ourselves off and look at the positives, which is that the car was fast and we’ll be giving it everything to do the best we can tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon, 13th, 1:33.667

“I’m firstly happy that Ollie is okay, that was a big one. After that, we went into Quali with a much better feeling this weekend. We easily got into Q2 for a fourth time in a row, which is very positive, and that last lap was pretty well maximised, I’m pretty happy with it. We were still quite far from the Audis, so we need to look into that, but so far it’s a much better weekend than Monza, where the car is healthy, working how it should, and we need to keep pushing to see if we can get more out of tomorrow. We weren’t in Q3, so we have a set of new tyres over those in front, and I have a feeling it could be quite an entertaining race.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“In FP3, we were very happy with the car, the drivers were happy and performing, and we looked competitive. It’s unfortunate that Ollie shunted at the end of FP3, but he’s a great driver and a great guy, and the reason we’re still P7 in the Constructors’ Championship is because in some races, he really delivered. I have no doubt that will happen again, it’s just sadly happened in a weekend where we have a competitive car – but it happens, it’s racing. We had severe damage and couldn’t get the car ready for Qualifying.

“Esteban’s been having a really good weekend, making progress at a very difficult circuit. His performance in Qualifying was solid, and the fact that it was much hotter in Qualifying, I think we went backwards compared to FP3, but I think it’s pretty obvious why, so that’s something we’re aware of to improve later in the season. Esteban did a good job getting P13, it’s a decent place to start, right behind our direct competitors, so we’ll see what we can do tomorrow from there.”

Williams

Carlos Sainz had a moment in FP3, locking up and running straight on, just avoiding the barriers. But Alex Albon was not so fortunate, as he clipped the walls with his rear tyre and broke a track rod, ending his session early.

As such, the Thai driver was up against it in Q1 but pulled a late lap out to scrape into Q2, much to his delight. Sainz could not join him, the Spaniard exiting at the first time of asking in a disappointing afternoon at his home race.

His day later got worse, as Sainz was handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Bottas in Q1 and thus will start from P20.

Carlos Sainz, 17th, 1:35.312

“It was a good lap but a scrappy qualifying overall, with several issues that cost us precious tenths in the end. We knew we would struggle at this track but we also went out very early for the last push, losing out on track evolution, and had some deployment losses that prevented us from getting into Q2. Apologies to Valtteri for impeding his lap, I wasn’t aware he was pushing and had no time to get out of his way.

On a positive note, this track has been a lot of fun to drive at qualifying pace, and I’m enjoying being so close to the walls and always driving at the limit. It’s been incredible to feel the support of the fans throughout the weekend so far, and it’s a dream come true to be here racing in front of my home crowd. Tomorrow, overtaking will be difficult, but we will try our best to come back and give everyone something to cheer for!”

Alex Albon, 16th, 1:35.532

“I’m happy to be through to Q2 today after what’s been a tough weekend so far. I was on the back foot going into this session, having only done a handful of laps, especially at a track like Madrid where you need a lot of laps to get up to speed. We changed some parts on the car, which thankfully paid off and got us out of Q1, which is an achievement given all the issues we’ve faced. Tomorrow will be a challenge as it’s not an overtaking track, but we’ll do what we can to get a good result.”

James Vowles, Team Principal

“It's been fantastic to be in Madrid - really impressed with the track, the facilities, the environment. It is really world class. It was always predicted to be a tough weekend for us and unfortunately that's transpiring to be the case. Well done to Alex, he had almost no laps underneath his belt after a small incident in FP3 but put in a really strong lap to put that car into Q2.

“With Carlos, as you saw there was just milliseconds between the two drivers as there always is. The impeding penalty is the team's responsibility - we didn't warn Carlos of Valtteri behind him and we need to change and improve our systems to make sure we do so in future. We are not here to be fighting for 17th but we will give our all tomorrow. It is a race that I feel could present some twists and turns and we need to be ready for them when they come.”

Aston Martin

Aston Martin broke curfew after detecting an issue with Lance Stroll’s battery pack, and the team opted to change some of his PU components, meaning a grid drop for Sunday. A further issue was detected in Q1, and the Canadian did not come back out to set a lap time – with the team saying a suspected water pressure issue was the cause. Fernando Alonso did compete, but could not extract enough pace from the car to make Q2.

Fernando Alonso, 18th, 1:35.388

“The circuit was challenging and it’s a high adrenaline lap at high speeds. I think it was probably the maximum we could achieve today in Qualifying and we’ll have to see what we can do in the race. It looks like overtaking might be difficult, so we’ll have to try to maximise everything to gain positions. The fans were very enthusiastic today and it is great to see so much green and energy from the grandstands.”

Lance Stroll, 22nd, No time set in Q1

“We had a water pressure issue in Qualifying. We knew we’d be starting at the back of the grid anyway with the components we replaced overnight, but I was looking forward to getting some more laps in around here. It’s clear we still have a lot to work on. There could be some opportunities tomorrow though, so we’ll just run our own race and see how it goes.”

Cadillac

Cadillac had a solid day in terms of reliability, with both cars completing plenty of laps. Come Qualifying, they did not have the pace to fight with Williams in the end and had to settle for an intra-team battle. That was won by Sergio Perez, with Valtteri Bottas unable to set a representative lap time in the end after being impeded by Sainz. That ended a run of five Qualifying sessions where the Finnish racer has been on top.

Sergio Perez, 19th, 1:35.913

“It's an amazing track and I’m really happy to be here. The atmosphere is incredible and I'm very happy with my qualifying lap. We were very aggressive with our program. I have to say a well done to the team. We maximised our package and further closed the gap to the Williams and Aston Martin teams ahead. Although it was not enough to progress into Q2, it was a really strong lap. The team has also been strong operationally, so I’m very satisfied with that. Tomorrow should present some opportunities to us, so we need to make sure we continue executing as we have been so far this weekend and I’m sure we can have a good race.”

Valtteri Bottas, 20th, 1:38.011

“It’s been a tricky weekend for us. You always want to get the most out of the car and today we couldn’t quite get there. We know that we’re lacking in the high speed corners, and it’s a tough track as there are so many blind spots. I was the first car out in the beginning, but after that was compromised by traffic which was unlucky but sometimes that’s how it goes. We’ll go again tomorrow in the race and hopefully there will be some opportunities.”

Marcin Budkowski, Team Principal

“Madring is a great addition to the Formula 1 calendar and a big challenge for the drivers. Overall, it was a reasonable qualifying performance today. Checo did well to get the most out of the car. Valtteri struggled to adjust to the lower grip during the session and was improving although it is a shame that he was clearly impeded on his flying lap.

“We are expecting that tomorrow will be a tough, hot and demanding race. It is a track which will test the tyres and concentration. It will be important to stay out of trouble, execute cleanly and make the most of every opportunity.”

Pirelli

Dario Marrafuschi, Pirelli Motorsport Director

"Today’s sessions confirmed the strong performance level of the Soft compound. Despite the free practice sessions being affected by a lengthy interruption, the teams were able to evaluate different ways of using the C4, with some drivers managing to improve their lap times even within the same run, thanks to track evolution and increasing confidence with the circuit. For some drivers, a slight drop in performance was observed in the final sector, mainly due to overheating, but overall the red-marked tyre worked extremely well. In fact, compared to the simulations, the quickest qualifying times were around half a second faster.

"It was also interesting to see some teams choose to tackle Q1 on the Medium compound, thereby preserving a fresh set of Soft tyres for the race. The performance gap between the two compounds is clear, but not significant enough to prevent those with sufficient pace margin from progressing without immediately resorting to the softer option.

"The picture for Sunday remains very open. A one-stop strategy currently appears to be the most natural choice, given the difficulty of overtaking and the time lost in the pit lane. However, a two-stop strategy could still prove competitive if degradation remains at the levels observed on Friday.

"The most likely strategies revolve around the Medium-Hard and Medium-Hard-Hard combinations. The Soft-Hard and Soft-Hard-Hard alternatives are estimated to be around two seconds slower over race distance. The C2 is undoubtedly the most consistent compound, and the majority of drivers have preserved both sets for precisely that reason.

"Much will depend, however, on the possible deployment of the Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car, a scenario which, on a street circuit with barriers so close to the track, represents, as we have already seen during the previous sessions, a factor that must be taken very seriously."