F1: Manor - Q3 is possible at Monza

Manor drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon believe the Manor Formula 1 team could reach Q3 in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.

Both are convinced they will make Q2, and could even push for a place in the final stage of qualifying even though the team has not made Q3 since coming into F1 in 2010 as Virgin.

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Manor has new Monza-specific aerodynamic parts for this weekend, along with an increased allocation of super-soft tires to allow them to get the best out of qualifying.

Asked by Autosport whether the car had the potential to get close to Q3, Wehrlein replied: "I think so.

"In Spa I was P9 in Q1, but then unfortunately we didn't have new [super-soft] tires left for Q2. I felt in Spa I could go into Q3, so if it's similar to Spa or even a bit better, then it could be possible.

"The problem in Spa was that we only had five sets of super-soft tires, whereas here we have seven, so we are already in a better position."

Ocon believes the circuit will suit Manor "perfectly."

"It will probably be the highlight of the season for us," said Ocon. "We definitely have a shot of getting into Q2, and maybe Q3, and if we don't have any issues like we had in Spa, then we could also be strong in the race. With the speeds we have on the straights, we could defend quite well."

Ocon suffered brake duct problems in the race at Spa that cost him a second per lap. But he did not get on top of the super-soft Pirelli tires on his F1 debut, which he needs to do at Monza.

"I need to improve my qualifying on the super-softs," said Ocon. "In FP1 [sessions while with Renault] or in testing I never used it. I always used the soft, and the differences are pretty big.

"You don't feel like it has massively more grip, but there is a way to use it which gives you more time."

Originally on Autosport.com