For a long time it looked like it, as if Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim a bit faster than Sebastian Vettel, but at the crucial qualification was the German finally in the lead – albeit with a possible margin of only 0.002 seconds ahead.

“I think we have to be happy. We are now for the first time this season in the first row, which for us is definitely a step forward ‘ , the Ferrari driver, who can start the last time at the Hungarian Grand Prix last year from the first row.

“We were competitive all weekend, I have very great confidence in the car. I was the first, second and third qualifying round with the car very happy. At last we’ve managed a perfect Saturday.”

“Of course we have the pole position quite narrowly missed, but the points are not there tomorrow, Saturday. We must therefore focus on the following day. Following is a good day today, the aim is also a good day tomorrow to have. We will try to get some points tomorrow. ”

He had “not quite expect,” to be tuned as close to Red Bull: “We always expect that Red Bull in the third qualifying round is a bit more. We have already seen that it is in free practice approaching a very short, but third qualifying round, they are then far away. We were surprised that we were so close and could ultimately fight after ten races at one pole position. It took a little longer, but now we are very close. ”

And team-mate Felipe Massa was satisfied with his third place: “That was one of us a good performance. There was a very tough qualifying. In the third qualifying round, I could not get all the sectors together. I’m happy that I was back in third Qualifying round-am, and I now focus more on the race tomorrow. I hope we do well, and for the team and myself can get many points. “