In attendance:
Rob Huff, Sébastien Loeb Racing, DHL Pole Position
Esteban Guerrieri, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, second position
Norbert Michelisz, BRC Racing Team, third position
Thed Björk, YMR, DHL Pole Position Award winner

Q:
Starting with Rob Huff, a dramatic lap, a bit of your car remains on the track but you were in sensational form. Just how good was that lap?
 
RH:
It was more dramatic inside than outside I can assure you! It’s my girlfriend’s first time in Macau so sorry for giving you a heart attack honey! Well done to everyone here. For me this is the toughest track in the world, anyone who is sitting here who has done well and to survive the pressure of the one-lap qualifying system here, it’s intense. The lap times show we were all a bit off what we could potentially do. I just managed to survive. My engineer asked me if I wanted to know the lap times as people were doing them and of course I said yes. I knew the lap time that was currently pole was quite achievable but then the nerves and the pressure kicks in and you make a few mistakes, you take it a bit too easy in one sector and you have to push in the next as you saw. We clipped the wall and at that point it could have been over. But I’m just so pleased for my Sébastien Loeb Racing team, for Volkswagen, just brilliant. To come here to finish the season on a high after winning in Japan and coming here getting two poles. Regardless of what happens in the races Macau is Macau, it’s a huge lottery. But to come here and have the speed that we’ve had is testament to the hard work of the team so thanks.
 
Q:
Turning next to Esteban Guerrieri, it wasn’t quite the DHL Pole Position yet again but your performances over the season means you have the best qualifying average of all the WTCR OSCARO drivers so congratulations for that. But after missing out on pole is there an element of frustration perhaps?
 
EG:
Yeah, sitting on the right of Rob but congratulations to him. He’s the King of Macau and I have to improve in the next years. But it was very much fun, actually I really enjoyed driving today to the limit trying to find the edge. As Rob said sometimes you are a little bit more, sometimes a little bit less with some mistakes, it’s really difficult to put it all together. In the end to be honest I am a little bit disappointed because I haven’t a pole position the whole season and I was very much looking forward to this one, actually this one today because I celebrated a bit too early in [First Qualifying] and of course I didn’t know about [Huff’s] time. But I really wanted this one. It’s quite ironic I have the best qualifying average but without the pole. It feels a little bit sweet and sour but in the end I am happy and tomorrow this is going to be a good fight.
 
Q:
Coming next to Norbert Michelisz. Now today has been a day of mixed fortunes for the BRC Racing Team, you’re here in third position but your team-mate Gabriele Tarquini, the title leader, his car ended up in the barriers. Do you have any information about what happened to him and can you also talk us through your qualifying lap?
 
NM:
To be honest, no. At one point I just saw him not any more in the mirrors. I knew I had to go for it because I was outside the top 12. I knew I had the car to compete today but I didn’t talk to him or to the team about what happened. Maybe it was a small mistake because you know around here it’s just so easy like it happened to me. You misjudge by a few [kilometres per hour] and one small thing and you end up in the barriers. Unfortunate for him, unfortunate for the team, I’m really sorry for them. On the other hand, for me I think it was the maximum. We struggled a bit since yesterday with having the car in the window, especially the front… I’m not really confident with the front tyres, the strange feedback for me, I’m not as confident as in previous years so finishing third shows we did steps in the right way but I hope something more will come for the races tomorrow. But I really would like to says congrats to Rob and also Esteban. I was sitting like Esteban in P2 last year and I really thought, okay, this time I can have pole position. But what Rob is doing is just amazing. I don’t know if you can give some lessons, please Rob?!
 
RH:
You’re not my team-mate!
 
NM:
Anyway, congratulations guys.
 
Q:
Finally, we come to Thed Björk, the reigning World Touring Car champion. There will be more recognition of your achievement on Sunday but for now you have scored the most DHL pole positions of all this season, six in all, so congratulations. Could you comment on that but also a word about your team for what they did to repair your car in time for Second Qualifying.
 
TB:
It was really good. It’s so easy to go wrong here in Macau, it’s such a tough circuit like Rob said. The team was fighting really hard to get it back from the first qualifying but we did, we managed to go out, but it was really hard to feel the grip. I’m just really happy they put the car together, I’m fighting now because I’m 13 and Gabriele is 14 so we will have a good fight until Sunday. It feels nice to sit here. Next year I would like to be challenging Rob. What he does here is fantastic and I would like to enjoy this moment and have this as a picture for my future goals.
 
EG:
Can I have some of your pole positions please?
 
TB:
You have the best average Esteban but it’s always nice to get the pole.
 
EG:
I would exchange the average for the poles!
 
TB:
For sure I’m confirmed for next year. We have a new car coming for next year, Lynk & Co, a Chinese brand. I’m really happy with that and we’ll be coming here to fight for a Chinese brand so I’m really happy with that.