Yvan Muller, pole position: “It’s nice to claim my first pole in Macau, because I have to admit that since 2009, when I hit Gabriele (Tarquini), I never pushed at the maximum in qualifying here. But today the Honda cars behind me gave me the right motivation to push at one hundred per cent. I have to thank the team once again, because my car was fantastic since the beginning. It was tough, but I had the car to make it. Now we see what happens on Sunday, as qualifying is one thing and races are different. For sure I want to end my collaboration with RML on a high note.”

Tiago Monteiro, second: “Before today’s sessions we were concerned about having sixty kilos of ballast on board. We knew that the car is much better than last year, but we did not know if this would compensate for the sixty kilos. But we have been strong from the beginning and improved throughout the day. The interruptions for the red flag confused a bit our strategy and spoiled our concentration, however we managed to keep focused and obtained a very good result.”

Gabriele Tarquini, third: “We made some changes between Q1 and Q2; I was very confident and pushed hard on my first lap. Unfortunately at Fisherman’s bend I hit the tyre wall. It was quite a hard shock, so I came to the pits to check the damage and have a second chance. The steering wheel was a little bit bend, but the car was very good and this enabled me to set the third fastest lap. I was very happy and I have to say I was lucky not to obtain more serious damage when I crashed.”

Alex MacDowall, sixth and first in Yokohama Trophy: “I know the car could be a little faster, but then it just a matter of the experience on this track. For me this is only the second year at Macau. It was a good achievement for the team, but now for me it is very difficult to challenge James (Nash) for the Yokohama Trophy title. Of course I wish to achieve a good result and make up for last year’s disappointment, when I crashed from the lead in the second race. I hope on Sunday not to make mistakes and be able to score another overall podium.”