“I tried the hard front tire to see if it could give us something extra, thinking also about tomorrow’s longer race. It didn’t work. I really believed the heat would make the hard tire a good option — like it did in Thailand — but I just couldn’t get it to work. From Turn 4 to 5, every time I released the brakes I lost the front. The Arrabbiata corners were a nightmare, and the last turn was terrible too. I was just limping through. Even then, I tried to push, using the rear tire as much as I could. But at least now we know. If I hadn’t tried the hard tire today, I might still be thinking about it for tomorrow. Better to have that info now.”