1. Max Verstappen (Crimson Bull), 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Performed by David Coulthard)
Q: So, Oscar Piastri, third place finisher in what was a really eventful race. Security Automobiles galore, penalties, and also you had fairly just a few moments as you had been in your individual battle. We noticed you working the wheel onerous to maintain the automotive on observe.
Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, it was a difficult race, I feel. The automobiles on the entrance appeared to have very comparable tempo to one another. And it was actually, actually robust to make the inroads to get into DRS after which far sufficient into DRS to overhaul. So a few good moments with Charles on the market. And yeah, good to finish up on the rostrum, however not fairly the end result we’re in search of.
Q: Yeah, this does imply that this championship battle effectively and actually goes right down to the ultimate Grand Prix.
OP: Yeah, I am undecided what Lando’s penalty was for, however clearly fairly an enormous one. So, yeah, going to be an thrilling finish to the 12 months. Hopefully we will be robust, however it should take all the things we have to seal the deal.
Q: A 12 months in the past, we noticed you all exhausted on the finish of this race. The Security Automobiles have damaged this one up, so bodily much more managed this 12 months?
OP: Positively. I feel simply the temperature as effectively, you recognize. The observe’s loads sooner this 12 months, so it ought to be more durable, however I feel the truth that it isn’t a sauna within the automotive this 12 months is making life a bit simpler. So, enjoyable race, a mega observe. It is in all probability essentially the most enjoyable of the entire 12 months round right here, so yeah, loved the race simply not fairly the end result.
Q: Nice to listen to you’re keen on the observe, we’ll go away you to go and benefit from the podium. So Charles Leclerc, second place ultimately. Given the occasions of that Grand Prix, I assume you will not be too disillusioned with that end result?
Charles LECLERC: I am actually completely happy. I imply, actually, I might have signed right away if I had a paper that informed me that we’ll end second after a weekend like this, particularly on a observe like this, as a result of our automotive traits will not be becoming very effectively with this observe. And we knew it was going to be a really troublesome weekend in comparison with the McLaren, however on the finish, we managed to take some factors away from them. So, yeah, the combat can be all the best way to the final race in Abu Dhabi subsequent week.
Q: We had that controversial second with a few punctures. Your team-mate picked up that puncture. Have been you effectively conscious of the particles on observe? Have been you involved together with your engineer?
CL: Actually, I do not know whether or not it was the particles or the best way the kerb are and the best way we have to experience the kerbs. On the kerbs, I simply ignored it, as a result of I knew that there was an excessive amount of efficiency in it and I used to be simply hoping to not have a puncture myself as effectively. For the particles, I used to be staying on the left within the straights hoping that it would not chew me and it did not, hopefully. It is a disgrace for Carlos as a result of clearly as a group, it might have been nice to be additional up with Carlos, however yeah, it is the best way it goes and it is nonetheless a optimistic weekend general for the group.
Q: So given that you just weren’t anticipating this circuit to be robust for you, as we go right down to the wire for the constructors, per week’s time in Abu Dhabi, the place do you see your self in efficiency phrases there?
CL: Ah, it is troublesome to know. I feel we’re all very shut, so I feel it should be very tight, however it’s thrilling. Yeah, 21 factors continues to be loads, however all the things is feasible and we’ll give all of it.
Q: OK, effectively, congratulations. Benefit from the podium. And our race winner, Max Verstappen. It has been some time in fully dry situations, however what a distinction a day makes. On the ropes within the Dash, to main this from the beginning and what was not a dominant victory when it comes to your battle with Lando, however Ultimately, it was snug.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was an excellent race. In fact, already yesterday in qualifying, the automotive was loads higher. And, yeah, immediately, that first stint was very, very quick. Lando and I had been simply inside 1.8 seconds of one another the entire time, pushing one another. And actually, it was a number of enjoyable on the market. This observe has a number of grip. And this 12 months, the tyres had been actually holding on. In order that was actually a number of enjoyable to be actually pushing the tyre. And yeah, we went actually lengthy in that first stint. After that, after all, there have been just a few Security Automobile moments that you just needed to take care. However very completely happy. It has been some time within the dry to be this aggressive and really pleased with everybody throughout the group to show it round inside a day. In order that they undoubtedly additionally deserve this victory.
Q: You talked about the Security Automobiles. It seemed the primary one. you completely aced the restart. The second, you place your self beneath a number of stress and it was some sensible wheel-to-wheel motion into Flip 1 and then you definitely acquired the ultimate one spot on. So was it prefer it seemed? You simply did not fairly get the traction within the second?
MV: On the Onerous tyres, there’s little or no grip. You realize, you simply come out of the field, so that they’re already chilly. After which instantly, after all, we had the Security Automobile. And behind the Security Automobile, you possibly can’t heat them up. After which I attempted one thing totally different out of the final nook the place I had no rear grip, principally. So I simply struggled for traction out of the nook. After which it acquired a bit spicy into Flip 1, however I feel that is nice to see. After which, yeah, after that, we drove it to the tip with good tempo. So, yeah, very completely happy to win right here.
Q: We have these three superb races. You had your World Championship in Vegas. Right here we’re per week later, you are successful. And in a single week’s time, we will be in Abu Dhabi. Have you ever any thought the place your efficiency can be? As a result of it appears so shut between the entire fundamental groups.
MV: Yeah, it is troublesome to say. In fact, the previous couple of years, we have at all times been fairly aggressive there. So I hope we will be aggressive once more. However we’ll take note of element, you recognize, to try to optimise the automotive. And hopefully, yeah, we will combat for a win there once more.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Max, what a race by you. There was a lot occurring, but you appeared untouchable out entrance. Was it as easy because it seemed?
MV: I imply, it is by no means easy. I feel within the first stint as effectively, you recognize, with Lando being there, actually, I feel the hole has been between 1.6 and 1.9 seconds, the entire stint, which you’ll be able to’t afford to make a mistake. And he did not, I did not, and we had been simply pushing flat out at one level. And it was actually actually satisfying to drive as a result of, after all, a lot of the races that we do, the tyres deg and you must handle loads. It felt like right here you could possibly push a bit more durable and the observe as effectively, the structure, I take pleasure in loads. The grip is superb on the observe. So yeah, that was an ideal stint. Then, after all, the second stint was a bit extra stop-start with the Security Automobiles concerned after which after all the temperature as effectively within the tyres was very difficult as a result of my center restart wasn’t notably nice. I attempted one thing else however the grip was… The tyres principally had been too chilly, so I simply saved on sliding and having no traction. In order that was not ideally suited. Apart from that, the tempo was good. A dry race like this for us has been a very long time, so I am very pleased with the enhancements that we made in comparison with the beginning of the weekend.
Q: You stated yesterday that you just weren’t certain how the automotive would carry out over a race distance. How a lot of a shock was it over these 57 laps?
MV: Yeah, I imply, the previous couple of races within the dry, we’ve not been notably robust on managing the tyres. And that is why I used to be a little bit bit cautious after qualifying. However yeah, it has been good. I imply, it is nonetheless not the place I would really like it to be when it comes to the behaviour of the automotive in comparison with, as an instance, final 12 months. However a minimum of now, you recognize, we’re again in a combat to win races. So if we will simply be taught from this 12 months’s automotive, take the positives, after all, from additionally final 12 months and attempt to construct a greater automotive, I am certain that we will be once more very aggressive subsequent 12 months.
Q: Max, we have seen an enormous swing in efficiency by you and Crimson Bull this weekend. In your expertise in Method 1, is that this the most important swing you’ve got witnessed in a single weekend?
MV: It is in all probability been one of many largest, yeah, the place you are preventing Haas within the dash to preventing for the win in the primary race. So, yeah, it has been fairly an enormous swing in efficiency.
Q: And the way a lot confidence… You touched on it a minute in the past, however how a lot confidence does this weekend provide you with? Not solely going into Abu Dhabi subsequent weekend, however into 2025?
MV: It isn’t about confidence. It is simply attempting to grasp this 12 months’s automotive a little bit bit extra, what it wants. As a result of we all know what the constraints are on the automotive. And it is about what we will do to make it higher for subsequent 12 months. However after all, this was once more a bit, possibly not a watch opener, however it did present us like, ‘oh, OK, effectively, that works on this automotive’ and it made it much more aggressive.
Q: Alright, Max, very effectively performed immediately. Thanks for that. Charles, let’s come to you. Very effectively performed as effectively. P5 on the grid to P2 on the flag. Did you exceed your pre-race expectations?
CL: Sure, we did. Sure, we did, as a result of to be sincere, we knew that it might be very troublesome pace-wise. We anticipated McLaren to be very robust when it comes to race tempo. We possibly didn’t anticipate Max to be that robust, however he was tremendous robust immediately. Nevertheless, ending second after such a weekend, the place the observe traits are very far off from the optimum of the observe traits we want for our automotive, is a shock. We acquired a little bit bit fortunate, clearly on my facet. A bit unfortunate with Carlos and his puncture. However as a group, it has been a optimistic weekend. So sure, we exceeded our expectations as a result of coming into the weekend, I sort of anticipated to lose a little bit of factors in comparison with McLaren right here. Nevertheless, we recovered some, in order that’s good.
Q: You speak in regards to the restoration. We have simply heard from Max about Crimson Bull’s restoration this weekend. Simply how a lot progress did you and Ferrari make over the course of the weekend?
CL: Not a lot. I felt like we optimised yesterday and immediately. We knew that it wasn’t going to be our strongest weekend, however we determined to simply give attention to ourselves and attempt to do what was the very best end result for us. And I feel we achieved that very effectively. We ought to be completely happy. Then we after all want to take a look at what we will do sooner or later to be sooner on these sort of tracks. However yeah, this weekend we did work very effectively as a group.
