TEAM REPRESENTATIVES: Ayao KOMATSU (Haas), Mike KRACK (Aston Martin), Christian HORNER (Purple Bull Racing)
Q: Mike, can we begin with you, to begin with? Certainly one of your drivers is celebrating a landmark event this weekend, 400 races. Can we simply begin by discussing what makes Fernando Alonso so particular?
Mike KRACK: Yeah, I feel that may be a query that we might ask many, many individuals within the F1 paddock. He has labored with plenty of groups already. I feel we’re privileged to have the ability to organise the celebration now with the social gathering, however I feel it is tribute to everyone that has labored with him for all these years within the first place. However then, clearly, the person, unbelievable profession over the past 20-plus years, 400 race begins. I want I might give him a profitable automotive on Sunday. It will be troublesome, however I feel all in all, when you look again, or when you have a look at how at a complicated stage of the profession he is nonetheless performing, it is unbelievable. So when you ask about character or adjectives, there are numerous, however I feel what you might want to actually level out is the expertise, clearly, as many individuals are having, however then the self-discipline and foremost, I feel the need, the need to compete, tremendous aggressive. So tremendous aggressive, tremendous disciplined and tremendous proficient.
Q: Can I carry within the different two on this explicit matter? Ayao, you labored with Fernando once you had been at Renault. What’s your overriding reminiscence of that point?
Ayao KOMATSU: Sure, I used to be a tyre engineer again then. So I used to be doing plenty of tyre testing with Fernando. And what struck me was simply unbelievable means to grasp. In the event you give him, ‘OK, I would like you to do a 20-lap stint on these tyres. I would like you to do these laps occasions for the ultimate 5 laps of the stint, after which fully expend the tyre on the in-lap’, he can simply try this, bang on, is aware of precisely what it may be like by lap two, lap three, how he drives. He is aware of what the tyre’s going to be like on lap 20. And he by no means underused or overused the tyres. He can actually hit that, bang on. I used to be actually amazed at that means. And in addition, like Mike mentioned, simply the need. He loves the game, would not he? And simply the need. However yeah, that was actually an eye-opener for me.
Q: Christian, I imagine you just about signed Fernando on a few events. What was it like to barter with him?
Christian HORNER: He is a formidable competitor. On the finish of his McLaren stint, the primary one in 2008, I bear in mind going to Madrid and pushing to get him within the automotive. We needed to do a two-year deal, and he was solely ready to signal for one 12 months. And we had been satisfied he had a Ferrari contract in his again pocket at that time. So we did not get to a deal. And had he come to us in 2009, perhaps issues might have appeared barely in another way. And even midway by means of the 2009 season, he was satisfied if he acquired in our automotive, he might nonetheless win the championship that 12 months. In order that was that time. We then had a dialog… I bear in mind assembly with him with Adrian at the back of a rent automotive at Spa Airport. I feel that was round 2011, ‘11 or ’12, about coming throughout from Ferrari after which at the same time as early as the start of this 12 months. So it is unbelievable the longevity that he is had, the competitiveness that he has, and the statistics for the expertise that he has and the power he has. Two World Championships do not do him justice. He ought to have received greater than that.
Q: Alright, thanks. Mike, let’s come again to you. How is Fernando, to begin with? He wasn’t on the observe yesterday as a result of he was feeling poorly. Is he OK immediately?
MK: Yeah, he got here this morning all regular. We had been in contact, clearly, on a regular basis. So he is positive and he’ll drive now the second session.
Q: Alright, let’s discuss automotive efficiency now, almost about Aston. You had the improve in Austin final weekend. Did it carry out as anticipated and can that translate right here in Mexico?
MK: Yeah, I imply, when you have a look at it, it was a Dash weekend. We determined to begin with each automobiles an identical, principally throwing all the things at it. And it was not straightforward the entire weekend. We turned the automotive up, we turned it down, we went stiff, we went mushy. However we could not actually extract the efficiency that we needed to extract from it. As I mentioned, it was powerful. And from this, we mentioned, ‘OK, we come to Mexico, after which we now have to perform a little bit extra homework’. We can have a bit extra time. You might have seen most likely each automobiles had large rakes on immediately. They ran with completely different specs and they’ll run additionally completely different specs this afternoon. So it is about understanding what we now have not understood but and do higher going ahead.
Q: It appears you are experimenting lots for the time being. How are you viewing these final 5 races of the season? Is all of it about 2025 and making ready your self as finest as doable for that?
MK: Yeah, I feel that’s the case for many of the groups. All people has his eyes on ‘25, besides when you have large ambitions for the championship or completely different championship positions. So it is about studying the utmost. However then we additionally, this isn’t solely a studying train. We’re not right here for studying solely. I feel when Saturday and Sunday begin, you need to go racing and you need to go together with the perfect automotive you’ve got, so I feel the Friday is sweet to experiment and to try to be taught for the long run, put together as a lot as you may, however then come Saturday, Sunday, I feel you need to run what you suppose is the quickest you’ve got.
Q: Thanks. A ultimate one from me, Mike. Andy Cowell, Group CEO, was at Austin. It was his first race with the crew. How was the debrief after the race weekend? What feedback did he have in regards to the crew?
MK: Properly, it was superb to have Andy round in Austin in order that he will get an outline of how we function on the observe. He was on the manufacturing facility already for a few weeks. It is clearly lots about attending to know the individuals, attending to know the way we do issues. And I’ve to say, I am very, very optimistic about how we went to this point. A really calm, very structured strategy, very factual. which could be very promising. And from the early talks, early beginnings or early conversations, I feel I get an understanding why he was so profitable within the locations the place he was earlier than.
Q: Mike, thanks for that. I am certain there will be extra questions for you in a minute. Ayao, can we come to you now? So 5 consecutive factors finishes for the crew. Simply inform us, to begin with, what’s the ambiance like inside Haas for the time being?
AK: Yeah, ambiance is actually good, so clearly scoring factors is troublesome, however we now have to place all the things collectively, so to try this in 5 consecutive occasions is nice. So, yeah, ambiance is actually optimistic.
Q: Now, let’s discuss upgrades. Clearly, it was a giant improve in Austin, it labored, however it seems that all the upgrades you are introducing this 12 months are working once you put them on the automotive. That hasn’t at all times been the case for the crew. What’s modified?
AK: Sure, so this 12 months, all of the upgrades, it isn’t like all the things labored fully completely, however not one of the upgrades made our automotive slower, so each time we put upgrades on the automotive, we truly made the automotive quicker. What’s modified, it is actually, we’ve nonetheless acquired the same individuals, identical individuals, actually, so particulars about communication, attempting to work collectively as a crew, hear to one another, give individuals freedom. so actually these are as an example easy basic issues that we actually centered on and I am actually happy that they are now seeing the results of it
Q: And also you’re in a an intense battle within the Constructors’ championship with VCARB, simply two factors the distinction and for the time being you are forward. Who do you are feeling has the quicker automotive for the time being?
AK: I feel it actually depends upon the occasion. You understand, they have upgrades right here as nicely. After which, so, like, FP1, they appeared fast. We’re not very proud of the automotive. So I feel it actually relies upon each occasion. And in addition, like, even observe temperature, that may swing issues as nicely. So it’s extremely troublesome to say who’s acquired higher hand for remaining 5 races. I feel we have to maximise all the things you have acquired every single day, each race.
Q: Okay, ultimate one from me. The technical partnership with Toyota. You introduced that earlier than the Austin weekend. You went to Japan for the announcement. It is working along with your current relationships with Dallara and Ferrari. Are you able to simply inform us just a little bit extra about the way you’re weaving all of it collectively to work in concord?
AK: Yeah, clearly, Ferrari and Dallara has been wonderful companions since day one. After which as you may see, , Ferrari, clearly, the PU associate, gearbox, suspension, hydraulics, et cetera. These areas, clearly, Toyota’s not touching. You understand, the realm that Toyota’s touching is the realm that we do not get assist from Ferrari, and that we have been doing it on our personal. So, yeah, that actually simply provides to {our capability} after which an opportunity to grasp the automotive higher in order that we are able to make our crew extra aggressive.
Q: And the way long-term is that this take care of Toyota? I imply, hypothetically, if Gene Haas had been to say someday that he needed to promote his crew, do Toyota have first refusal on shopping for it?
AK: To begin with, Gene’s not promoting the crew. Each single time he is asking me, how can we go higher? What can we do to make the automotive go quicker? He is not interested by promoting. I imagine he had so many gives, truly, however he refused each single one in every of them. So the crew’s not up on the market. After which we have not even spoken a couple of first refusal or something like that. That is not being on the subject. It’s a long run, very long run.
Q: Alright Ayao, thanks for that. I am certain there will be extra questions for you in a minute. Christian, coming to you now. Max was saying final weekend in Austin that the RB20 has taken a step ahead. Simply how large a step?
CH: I feel it was a optimistic step, I imply, to get the pole for the Dash, to win the Dash race. Arguably, we had been definitely in rivalry for the pole for the Grand Prix, certified in the end on the entrance row. The bit that we under-delivered on, I feel with the set-up adjustments maybe after the Dash race that we maybe overcompensated, was the Grand Prix itself, the place we simply had an excessive amount of understeer within the automotive. So a Dash race win, a preventing third, was a really optimistic weekend. And I feel that the engineers, design crew and manufacturing, provide chain, they have been all working tremendously laborious again within the UK and it is good to see efficiency getting by means of to the automotive.
Q: Okay, there was a slight engine drawback on Max’s automotive this morning, however have you ever seen sufficient already in FP1 to imagine that the efficiency will translate right here in Mexico?
CH: It is a completely different circuit. It is a completely different problem. Clearly, the altitude right here, issues work a bit in another way. We hit a chunk of signage that fell off the bridge within the first session, which did just a little bit of injury to the ground, however that is been repaired. The engine difficulty, fortunately, was a menial difficulty and has been rectified, hopefully, for the following session.
Q: So, let’s discuss Checo, residence race this weekend. Now within the press convention yesterday, he described 2024, and I am quoting him now, as a horrible season. How would you describe it?
CH: I feel he is summed it up completely. It has been a foul 12 months for Checo. He began strongly and clearly he is struggled for kind since just about Imola onwards and it has been sporadic. We noticed flashes of efficiency, Azerbaijan, arguably he might have received that race virtually a month in the past. So we all know what he is able to and we’re hoping that we can provide him a set-up and the arrogance within the automotive to extract the sort of performances that we all know he is very able to.
Q: What does the long run maintain for Checo?
CH: Look, Checo’s our driver. He is contracted for 2025. He is aggressive. He is hungry. He is not proud of the place he at the moment is. In order a crew, we’re doing our best possible to assist him. Clearly, the massive weekend for him right here, enormous assist. I feel he is endorsing each product from Uber Eats to rest room roll this weekend, so it is spectacular what number of endorsements he is managed to line up for himself.
Q: Christian, that is most likely a pleasant segue to speak about Liam Lawson. How impressed had been you by his comeback race in Austin?
CH: I used to be very impressed. I imply, to leap within the automotive, a circuit that he’d not been to earlier than, the stress of simply having to get in and get on with it over a Dash weekend, I assumed he acquitted himself very nicely. And I feel that to go from the again to ninth and rating factors on his seasonal debut, I assumed he did a brilliant job.
Q: What do you suppose he’d do in a Purple Bull?
CH: I imply, that is troublesome to hypothesize. I imply, he is clearly a proficient man. We all know a bit about him from the work he is been doing in tire testing and so forth. And he is a expertise that is persevering with to nurture and persevering with to develop. So it is attention-grabbing to see how he performs over these remaining 5 races.
