1. Lando Norris (McLaren), 2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Performed by Nico Rosberg)
Q: One of the vital thrilling F1 seasons of all time has simply come to an finish, Charles. And what a race from you. I imply, lap one, you have been already eighth!
Charles LECLERC: Yeah, I knew I needed to be very aggressive. So I knew that in lap one, I needed to take all of the dangers attainable to be able to achieve as many locations as attainable, to then be in a superb place for the remainder of the race, this achieved. However then, sadly, we have been simply beginning too far again to do something higher than what we have finished as we speak. I feel we have finished the utmost. It hurts, clearly, as a result of the season was so shut till the tip. It was a tough hit on Friday once we knew we had the penalty. We nonetheless gave all of it and we simply got here wanting our objective, which is a disgrace. However on the finish, we have tried every little thing.
Q: I feel you are going to rebuild within the winter now and positively give it one other shot for the Constructors’ and possibly even for the Drivers’ title subsequent yr.
CL: Yeah, I actually hope so. I imply, if we have a look at our first a part of the yr, we have been nowhere close to being within the struggle for the Constructors’. Then the second a part of the season was actually good and the workforce has finished an unimaginable job. I feel Carlos and I’ve finished a extremely good job as nicely collectively. So, yeah, we ended robust, and I am certain that subsequent yr we’ll hopefully begin as robust as what we’ve ended this yr.
Q: Subsequent yr, your teammate is Lewis Hamilton, the best of all time. Are you enthusiastic about that?
CL: Yeah, after all. I imply, Lewis has achieved a lot within the sport and will probably be a giant motivation. However clearly for now, it is extra desirous about the previous yr and the previous years I’ve finished with Carlos. We have had an incredible relationship. We have pushed one another. I actually hoped that we may end these 4 years along with a Constructors’ title. We each gave all of it. It wasn’t sufficient. So clearly now the frustration is right here. And yeah, now I’ll have 4 or 5 days to reset and begin desirous about subsequent yr then.
Q: Thanks very a lot, Charles. Congrats however additionally for P3 within the Drivers’ Championship.
CL: Thanks very a lot.
Q: Carlos, are you happy with the P2 right here in the long run or have been you hoping for the win as we speak?
Carlos SAINZ: Clearly, a little bit of a bittersweet feeling in the long run. V2, I feel, was the utmost we may do as we speak, given the tempo of Lando within the McLaren. Yeah, I gave it every little thing, particularly the very first thing. It seemed like we may hold on to them. Then as quickly as we put the Arduous tyres, they only appeared to be that one or two tenths faster per lap, like we have seen all weekend. They usually simply received a bit out of attain. However yeah, congratulations, initially, to McLaren. They deserve this championship. They’ve been rock strong within the final two-thirds of the championship, and so they’ve been unimaginable. From our aspect. I feel we could be happy with the trouble and the championship we put collectively. It has been a tricky yr, however positively a yr the place we must be happy with and, yeah, hopefully be again right here quickly.
Q: Your time at Ferrari is coming to an finish now. Are the feelings beginning to come by? I am certain it was an unimaginable time for you.
CS: Yeah, clearly emotional on the in lap with my engineer speaking to me on the radio, Yeah, on the identical time, very grateful, you understand, to be a part of this wonderful workforce for 4 years. I feel I’ve had the chance to win my first races, do my first pole positions, my first podiums. I’ve confirmed to myself and to everybody that I could be combating for race wins and for podiums. If I’ve the appropriate automotive and my goal is from subsequent yr onwards, focus along with Williams to get again to the place we belong collectively.
Q: Thanks very a lot, Carlos. All one of the best along with your subsequent chapter.
CS: Thanks very a lot.
Q: Lando. P1 for you as we speak. Constructors’ champions with McLaren after 26 years. How does that really feel?
Lando NORRIS: Thanks. It feels unimaginable. It feels unimaginable. Not for myself, however earlier than the entire workforce. The workforce have finished an incredible job this yr to return from the place we have been firstly. I am so happy with everybody. It has been a beautiful journey, and to finish the season like that is excellent. So only a congrats and a giant thanks to everybody in McLaren, everybody in papaya, everybody who supported us this yr, as a result of it has been a tricky one, however for us to win a Constructors’ after 26 years is fairly particular.
Q: Take us into this a bit bit. How are you going to rejoice this? Like, is it going to be huge?
LN: Yeah, me and Zak already stated we’ll get completely hammered tonight, so I am excited. You recognize, we’ll rejoice. It is a historic second for the workforce. They will wish to rejoice, and I wish to rejoice with them, so it will be a superb night time.
Q: Lando, on the in-lap, you stated, subsequent yr is my yr. Are you going to be world champion subsequent yr?
LN: That is my objective. That is our objective as a workforce. We wish to win the Constructors’. We wish to win the Drivers’ subsequent yr. I made my errors this yr, however I’ve realized loads, and I’ve realized loads from Max and my rivals round me. As a lot as I am glad now, I am excited to get subsequent yr going.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lando Norris, many congratulations in your fourth win of this 2024 season. An excellent race, and most significantly, your win will get McLaren throughout the road within the Constructors’ Championship. Simply how glad are you feeling this night?
LN: Yeah, I imply, I am very, very glad. Simply as I am certain everybody within the workforce is. At the moment was a really special occasion for all of us. It was ours to lose as we speak and I am certain at sure moments folks thought that it was not far-off from being misplaced. You recognize, two Ferraris up there and Charles doing a terrific job to get again to the rostrum. Oscar was tremendous unfortunate. He received taken out in Flip 1. So for a minute, my coronary heart was like, ‘oh God, it is not trying as seemingly’. But when I simply stored my head down and stored targeted, I knew I may ship and do what I received to do. That is that, however the greater image of us profitable a championship for the primary time in 26 years, you would not have thought that whenever you say the identify McLaren. It feels incorrect to say that they’ve not received a championship in 25 years (sic). However for me to be a part of that, for Oscar to be a part of it, is one thing we’re extremely happy with. And delivering that for the workforce has put the largest smile as attainable on everybody’s face. That is the largest reward you can provide again to everybody who designs the automotive, builds the automotive, will get the companions. Everybody has performed such a giant half, so simply proud. Proud is my largest factor. In fact, I am glad I completed the season this fashion, however I am far more glad for the workforce than I’m for myself.
Q: And also you’re P2 within the Drivers’ Championship as nicely. Do you imagine in momentum? As a result of in the event you do, you’ve got received it.
LN: I do not, so… I do not imagine in plenty of issues, however I feel the one factor I’ve realized this yr might be to imagine in myself a bit extra. I’ve definitely not come out on prime as typically as I’d have appreciated in sure moments as a driver, you understand, particularly in my fights in opposition to Max. As a lot because it hurts generally, I am in all probability glad about it now that I am going to enter subsequent season realizing that I can struggle. And I do know myself, and I do know extra and higher than anybody what I would like to enhance on, the place I am not robust sufficient, the place I am robust sufficient. You recognize, I am all the time open for criticism, issues like that. However I am the one who is aware of higher than the others, proper? So not in an smug means or a egocentric means, however I do know that I’ve to enhance in plenty of areas and sure issues. And I really feel like I’ve already finished that quite a bit within the final three, 4, 5 races. I really feel like I’ve delivered some very robust outcomes. However on the entire, subsequent yr is hopefully a yr the place I can go in and resolve earlier than the primary race we’ll struggle for a championship. We have not ever considered that. We have not even had the sensation of it from a workforce perspective and in addition for me as a driver. So hopefully the following yr is that yr. And we clearly have plenty of work to do. And Ferrari are going to be pushing loads. However that is one other yr. For now, I am simply going to rejoice with my workforce tonight and rejoice what they deserve.
Q: Lando, only one fast query on the race. How uncovered did you’re feeling when Oscar was taken out of the image on the opening lap?
LN: Yeah, I used to be watching the TV screens and I noticed Charles was P8 after lap one, so I used to be a bit bit nervous! However I knew I simply needed to concentrate on myself, put my head down, and Carlos was by no means far-off. I feel the largest I received the hole was to love 4.2 seconds within the first stint, and that is not a really good hole in my view. It is a bit too near my consolation. So it was nonetheless a difficult race, and I am certain there was in all probability much more nervous folks on the pit wall and within the storage, realizing what was at stake and issues, and I’ve received the adrenaline of the automotive and targeted on that. For them, they’re simply sitting and watching the screens, and so they have much more time to consider what can go incorrect and all of that. However, yeah, a disgrace for Oscar. We actually wished to have a one-two as we speak and let McLaren be on prime as we speak as a workforce in a race, but in addition for a championship, you understand, and I felt fairly unhealthy for him at first. It wasn’t his fault. However he is had a terrific yr, so we’ll all rejoice collectively. I definitely am. And we’ll have some enjoyable.
Q: Lando, thanks for that. Very nicely finished as we speak. Carlos, let’s come to you now. Many congratulations on an excellent remaining race of 2024 for you. What does it imply to complete your time at Ferrari on the rostrum?
CS: Yeah, clearly a little bit of combined emotions, I am not going to lie. I feel all of us got here into this race making an attempt to win the Constructors’ Championship and finally we did handle to do it. McLaren have put collectively a really robust weekend. Lando hasn’t put a foot incorrect all race and all weekend. And in the long run, congratulations to them as a result of they deserve it. On my aspect, I attempted to do every little thing I may to maintain inside attain of McLaren. Earlier than the race we knew that McLaren may need one or two tenths of tempo on us and that was sufficient, you understand, to drag a little bit of a spot earlier than the pit stops or in the course of the race to have a little bit of a buffer and to not really feel an excessive amount of stress. I feel I had a really robust first stint, managed to maintain them inside attain and inside stress margins, particularly after I was informed Charles was coming in a superb comeback. Oscar had clearly that incident in lap one, I believed, we would have a little bit of an opportunity, however then little by little it began to fade. After we placed on the Arduous tyres, like we have seen in lots of circumstances this yr, the McLaren upped the tempo a bit, flip up the tempo a bit, and so they began pulling away two, three tenths per lap, and that was sufficient for them to have that security margin and produce it house. And from our aspect, I feel we did every little thing we may. Each Charles and I’ve given completely every little thing this weekend. It hasn’t been a straightforward weekend for me, clearly, realizing it was the final one. However I did one of the best I may to remain targeted and to do the utmost that the automotive may do as we speak, I feel.
Q: You say it hasn’t been a straightforward weekend. How did it really feel to step out of the SF24 for the ultimate time?
CS: Unusual. A bit emotional, I am not going to lie. In all probability, I’d say it was extra emotional the final time that I jumped within the automotive, within the grid. I knew that was clearly going to be my final race with a bunch of those who I’ve loved these final 4 years. The final time that I’d soar in a Ferrari automotive, in all probability, and I used to be simply feeling emotional. I attempted to remind myself to attempt to benefit from the race as a lot as attainable and to offer absolutely the most for this workforce. Leaping out of the automotive, I already had the bittersweet feeling of… Lando simply did the snake. A worm? a snake? I do not know what you have been there. The place have been we? That distracted me. I actually misplaced, the place have been we?
Q: You summed it up very nicely. Can we simply flip the web page to tomorrow? You are gonna be driving the Williams. Is it onerous to maneuver on so rapidly to the following chapter?
CS: Being very sincere with you, I do not assume so. I feel, I am not going to lie, my final laps, as a lot as I used to be pushing like hell for this workforce and making an attempt to, I used to be already beginning to really feel issues within the automotive and making an attempt to say, bear in mind how this feels. as a result of tomorrow and Tuesday I would like to recollect why is that this automotive fast on this nook and why does it really feel good? As a result of I do know in all probability what I’ll discover tomorrow and Tuesday wants some margin of enchancment within the corners that I used to be feeling the automotive. So this simply sums up that I am already trying additionally forward. I am extraordinarily motivated for the problem that I’ve forward of me. At the moment is a day to attempt to get pleasure from as a lot as attainable with the workforce as my final day in purple. We nonetheless have some days in Maranello arising, however clearly my aggressive thoughts is already trying ahead to Monday and Tuesday and to see how I could make that Williams automotive quicker.
Q: Carlos, thanks for that. Charles, let’s come to you now. P19 to P3, phenomenal night’s work by you. Simply how happy are you?
CL: No, probably not. I imply, once more, I am, after all, actually glad in regards to the race. However the disappointment is loads greater. You do not win or lose a chairmanship within the final race. However clearly, it is over the course of the season and after each single race. And McLaren has simply finished a greater job than us. And congratulations to them. However it clearly hurts whenever you get to the final race. You recognize there’s a possibility. It was a really tough weekend, clearly, already with the penalty on Friday. It was by no means going to be straightforward. However after such a superb first lap, the hopes have been excessive. And yeah, we simply got here wanting our dream, which was to win the Constructors’. So it hurts.
