Jeddah Corniche Circuit

SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX

Commentary: Cameras:

WATCH NOW
September 01, 2004
Dave Cummings got out of the Puma F1 car in parc ferme, and had plenty to say about qualifying in the wet when a dry race was expected on race day. However, as he talked to the waiting press it appeared that the scrutineers had found fault with the Puma F1 he had just parked up!

Dave, your soaked! How was it out there?

"No grip! Its mad I choose to commit to Eau Rouge and hope for the best but the car was bucking around everywhere"

The car looked like a go kart!

"It felt like it! I had little or no rear end grip and was fighting it all the time I saw on the out lap I had to floor t to get the rear end into the corners! I was pushing as hard as I dared and I spun on the out lap when I wasn?t even pushing!"

What kind of setup have you gone for?

"We have taken a big risk and gone for a dry setup"

You seemed to back off big time in the last sector and stop just after the pit exit why?

"We had a light warning light come on just before the bus stop chicane, then we took the chance to park the car off the racing line because the telemetry reporting system had stopped just as I started my flying lap and we didn?t want to comprise anyone?s laps by breaking down or stopping".

So you knew you have a problem from the word go? And if so why didn?t you stop?

"Yeah the light came on just before the flying lap ended so I backed off and got the car over the line, so it would mean loosing the lap and not qualifying but up until then we had no faults showing up, but this could be a engine problem, hence why I stopped on track."

Any Ideas as to the cause?

"I haven?t spoken with John yet but I think it will be a simple on board computer reset but as I said we didn?t wanna hinder anyone on a flying lap, but we will have to try and look over willys car on the grid to see if his has the same fault."

Are you happy with your time?

"If I qualify then yes".

The issue could well be that he didn't complete a slowing down lap, but with wing templates and tape measures being thrown over the Puma F1, it didn't look too good!