Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the Qualifying Press Conference in sunny Spa. Firstly, we have Mitch Evans on pole for MW Arden, Matias Laine also from MW Arden in second and Lotus GP's Daniel Abt in third.
GP3 Series: Congratulations, a return to pole position. The best way to come back after the summer break I guess?
Mitch Evans: "Yes exactly, especially with the tough track conditions being partly damp. I am really happy to get this pole today and the four points are pretty big help fo me in the championship. I am just really happy with both how the car and the team performed and I just hope we can repeat this in the race."
GP3 Series: Was it just a case of waiting for the track to dry out and then going for the all important pole lap?
Evans: "Yeh obviously it was going to get faster as the session went on so it was all about getting your references and to keep it on the track for the second set of tyres. You have to make it count when it matters. I had some traffic with my second set and then I had some clear air and was able to put a lap together which was enough to get pole."
GP3 Series: How was the car performing in different sectors around this track?
Evans: "I was struggling a bit in sector one so that was obviously down to downforce. The middle and last sector was a lot faster for us. For the race we might have to tweak a few things. Overall I am happy with how the car was thats for sure."
GP3 Series: So talk us through your expectations for the race, make a strong start and lead from there?
Evans: "Let's see what happens. It will all be about making a good start and see what is going on for everyone after Eau Rouge. It's going to be a bit of an unknown so I just hope I can be leading when we come out of the first sector."
GP3 Series: Congratulations, great qualifying your best of the year! You left it very late!
Matias Laine: "Yes the track was drying all the time and I think I did the best I could do so P2 is very good. It's my best result of the year so often I have had a tougher qualifying but this puts me in great position for the race later today so I am feeling very confident about what I can do."
GP3 Series: You looked like you were enjoying this track? How were the tyres performing?
Laine: "This is a circuit I really enjoy racing at. I feel things are coming together nicely for me. The tyres were lasting really well. They were very consistent.
GP3 Series: It's going to very interesting at the start tomorrow, what is your plan for the race?
Laine: "I have been making pretty good starts all year long and been strong in the races so now I fight hard in both Race 1 and Race 2 to produce good results."
GP3 Series: Congratulations P3, but you held pole for a lot of the session, how do you feel with the result?
Daniel Abt: "I didn't know what to expect so in the end I think P3 is a good result. After my first run I was seven tenths ahead of P2 and I felt really comfortable. On my second attempt, I was also going quicker but I was just a little unlucky and got blocked on my last lap with traffic so I couldn't improve any further. But the good thing is here at Spa you can overtake so I think it will be a very interesting race."
GP3 Series: Were you pleased with how your set-up of the car was handling?
Abt: "I think it's good, it's a compromise you have to make. Either you are quick on the straights or you are better in the second sector, but for the race we have to keep with the same set-up which will be good as I know it works."
GP3 Series: You lost some time on your final attempt in sector two, was that due to the set-up?
Abt: "I think sector two was not that bad it was just the fact it was my third lap in a row so the times were dropping a little. In the third sector I got a really good tow and I really felt this could be the lap. But as I got towards the end of the lap, the car in front of me was braking very early and going really slow at the chicane. So that ruined my final sector and I couldn't improve."
GP3 Series: You've clearly got a fast car and have made excellent starts this year, do you think you can take the lead at the start?
Abt: "Yes I think anything can happen. My starts have been pretty strong. For sure I am going to give everything so lets see what happens.