1. Max Verstappen (Pink 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 a number of moments as you had been in your personal battle. We noticed you working the wheel arduous to maintain the automobile on observe.
Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, it was a difficult race, I believe. The automobiles on the entrance appeared to have very comparable tempo to one another. And it was actually, actually powerful 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 on the lookout for.
Q: Yeah, this does imply that this championship battle properly and actually goes all the way down to the ultimate Grand Prix.
OP: Yeah, I am unsure what Lando’s penalty was for, however clearly fairly an enormous one. So, yeah, going to be an thrilling finish to the yr. Hopefully we could be sturdy, however it will take the whole lot we have got to seal the deal.
Q: A yr 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 yr?
OP: Positively. I believe simply the temperature as properly, you realize. The observe’s so much sooner this yr, so it must be harder, however I believe the truth that it is not a sauna within the automobile this yr is making life a bit simpler. So, enjoyable race, a mega observe. It is in all probability probably the most enjoyable of the entire yr 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 depart you to go and benefit from the podium. So Charles Leclerc, second place in the long run. Given the occasions of that Grand Prix, I assume you may not be too upset with that end result?
Charles LECLERC: I am actually glad. I imply, actually, I’d have signed immediately if I had a paper that instructed me that we’ll end second after a weekend like this, particularly on a observe like this, as a result of our automobile traits will not be becoming very properly 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 battle can be all the way in which 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. Had been you properly conscious of the particles on observe? Had been you involved together with your engineer?
CL: Truthfully, I do not know whether or not it was the particles or the way in which the kerb are and the way in which we have to trip 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 properly. 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 staff, it might have been nice to be additional up with Carlos, however yeah, it is the way in which it goes and it is nonetheless a optimistic weekend general for the staff.
Q: So given that you simply weren’t anticipating this circuit to be sturdy for you, as we go all the way down to the wire for the constructors, every 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 believe we’re all very shut, so I believe it will be very tight, nevertheless it’s thrilling. Yeah, 21 factors continues to be so much, however the whole lot is feasible and we’ll give all of it.
Q: OK, properly, congratulations. Benefit from the podium. And our race winner, Max Verstappen. It has been some time in utterly dry circumstances, 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 by way of your battle with Lando, however In the long run, it was snug.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was an excellent race. After all, already yesterday in qualifying, the automobile was so much higher. And, yeah, right this moment, 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 quite a lot of enjoyable on the market. This observe has quite a lot of grip. And this yr, the tyres had been actually holding on. In order that was actually quite a lot 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 a number of Security Automobile moments that you simply needed to take care. However very glad. It has been some time within the dry to be this aggressive and really pleased with everybody throughout the staff to show it round inside a day. So that they undoubtedly additionally deserve this victory.
Q: You talked about the Security Automobiles. It regarded the primary one. you completely aced the restart. The second, you set your self below quite a lot of strain and it was some good wheel-to-wheel motion into Flip 1 and then you definitely obtained the ultimate one spot on. So was it prefer it regarded? You simply did not fairly get the traction within the second?
MV: On the Arduous tyres, there’s little or no grip. You understand, you simply come out of the field, in order that they’re already chilly. After which instantly, after all, we had the Security Automobile. And behind the Security Automobile, you’ll be able to’t heat them up. After which I attempted one thing completely different out of the final nook the place I had no rear grip, mainly. So I simply struggled for traction out of the nook. After which it obtained a bit spicy into Flip 1, however I believe that is nice to see. After which, yeah, after that, we drove it to the tip with good tempo. So, yeah, very glad to win right here.
Q: We have got these three superb races. You had your World Championship in Vegas. Right here we’re every week later, you are successful. And in a single week’s time, we’ll be in Abu Dhabi. Have you ever any concept the place your efficiency can be? As a result of it appears so shut between the entire principal groups.
MV: Yeah, it is troublesome to say. After all, the previous couple of years, we have all the time been fairly aggressive there. So I hope we could be aggressive once more. However we’ll take note of element, you realize, to attempt to optimise the automobile. And hopefully, yeah, we are able to battle 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 simple because it regarded?
MV: I imply, it is by no means simple. I believe within the first stint as properly, you realize, with Lando being there, actually, I believe 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 pleasurable to drive as a result of, after all, a lot of the races that we do, the tyres deg and it’s important to handle so much. It felt like right here you could possibly push a bit tougher and the observe as properly, the format, I take pleasure in so much. The grip is superb on the observe. So yeah, that was an amazing 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 properly 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 mainly had been too chilly, so I simply stored on sliding and having no traction. In order that was not excellent. Apart from that, the tempo was good. A dry race like this for us has been a very long time, so I am very proud of the enhancements that we made in comparison with the beginning of the weekend.
Q: You stated yesterday that you simply weren’t positive how the automobile 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 sturdy on managing the tyres. And that is why I used to be a bit of bit cautious after qualifying. However yeah, it has been good. I imply, it is nonetheless not the place I would love it to be by way of the behaviour of the automobile in comparison with, as an instance, final yr. However at the very least now, you realize, we’re again in a battle to win races. So if we are able to simply be taught from this yr’s automobile, take the positives, after all, from additionally final yr and attempt to construct a greater automobile, I am positive that we could be once more very aggressive subsequent yr.
Q: Max, we have seen an enormous swing in efficiency by you and Pink Bull this weekend. In your expertise in Components 1, is that this the largest swing you have 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 principle 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 is not about confidence. It is simply making an attempt to grasp this yr’s automobile a bit of bit extra, what it wants. As a result of we all know what the restrictions are on the automobile. And it is about what we are able to do to make it higher for subsequent yr. However after all, this was once more a bit, possibly not a watch opener, nevertheless it did present us like, ‘oh, OK, properly, that works on this automobile’ and it made it much more aggressive.
Q: Alright, Max, very properly accomplished right this moment. Thanks for that. Charles, let’s come to you. Very properly accomplished as properly. 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 trustworthy, we knew that it might be very troublesome pace-wise. We anticipated McLaren to be very sturdy by way of race tempo. We possibly didn’t anticipate Max to be that sturdy, however he was tremendous sturdy right this moment. Nevertheless, ending second after such a weekend, the place the observe traits are very far off from the optimum of the observe traits we’d like for our automobile, is a shock. We obtained a bit of bit fortunate, clearly on my facet. A bit unfortunate with Carlos and his puncture. However as a staff, it has been a optimistic weekend. So sure, we exceeded our expectations as a result of coming into the weekend, I type 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 Pink 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 right this moment. 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 absolute best end result for us. And I believe we achieved that very properly. We must be glad. Then we after all want to have a look at what we are able to do sooner or later to be sooner on these type of tracks. However yeah, this weekend we did work very properly as a staff.
