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1 – George RUSSELL
(Mercedes)
2 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
3 – Isack HADJAR (Red
Bull Racing)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Timo Glock)
Q: George, we see
that big smile back on your face. That tells it all. I mean, it looked like
an easy Saturday drive through Baku, but it got really spicy at the end.
Talk us through those last laps.
George RUSSELL: Yeah, I mean, it was
amazing to be back on the top step of the podium. So, I do want to say a big
thanks to my team because, you know, they’ve continued to believe in me
through a tough moment, helped me come through it. I’m really proud to have
had this weekend. And then, yeah, the first half of the race felt pretty
plain sailing, getting a gap. Safety Car restart, especially when I saw Max
behind, I thought, you know, it’s not going to be easy. And he drove
incredibly at the end of the race. And then when the yellow flag came out, I
lifted off the power and when I went back, I had no turbo, so then I had no
power. Max almost got me at the line. So, yeah, that would have been a real
shame. But all in all, incredible weekend.
Q: But what is it? I mean,
it looked like you came in this weekend, from lap one on, you had this
confidence back. What changed in getting that performance out of the car?
GR: I think it’s just having more experience with this sort of new
driving style I’ve adopted. And every race since the break, I feel like I’ve
gone from strength to strength and I feel like more myself again. So that’s
really great.
Q: Well, Max, what a drive again, from P8 to P2, you
came less than two tenths short, but how satisfying is that, to be back on
the podium and having the chance of putting George under pressure?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, we had a good race. I mean, the first stint was
probably a little bit difficult with the Medium tyre, but we still worked
our way into P3 and then we had a good restart, into P2. Then it was just
like, 1 second, 1.1s. Then on the final lap, with the yellow flag, I think,
George lost a bit of boost out of one corner and that’s why I caught up
quite a bit and then to the line, I got close, but it was not enough.
Q: But Max, you threw everything at it. I mean, you brushed the walls a
couple of times. I mean, that last wall, was that a sketchy one or was it
sort of still under control?
MV: It was okay. I just tried to open
the corner probably a little bit too much, but the tyres were fine.
Q: Isack, I mean, what a comeback. Six weeks off, being on the podium. I
mean, how happy are you coming back with a podium and a double podium for
Red Bull?
Isack HADJAR: Yeah, I’m happy. You know, it’s been very
long, six weeks. You know, it’s been like six weeks since I enjoyed myself
and now, I think it was the right time to come back. I felt strong and, you
know, this weekend I really took it step by step. It’s a track you can end
up in the wall really quickly. I didn’t need that to gain the confidence, so
it was a very slow build-up, but it brought me here. So, I’m very, very
happy for an actual first proper podium on pure pace. So I’m very, very
delighted.
Q: And that tells you as well, like, the wrist is okay
after doing a whole race distance. This is something different. Must be
happy now to continue the rest of the season?
IH: Yeah, now I’m
completely satisfied. Even though it’s a bit numb, I’m happy. So, yeah, I’m
really looking forward to get racing. It’s going to be a very packed
schedule, so, yeah, I can’t wait to be in Sepang.
Q: Good. Thanks,
Isack. George, coming back quickly again, you closed the gap by 15 points
here. It’s going to be intense weeks ahead. What is the game plan of George
Russell now in that championship?
GR: Win every race. I mean, that’s
the game plan. You know, my team-mate’s had an incredible season. He’s been
pretty flawless throughout, but now we’re getting to crunch time. But I’m
just going to focus on myself. You know, if I continue delivering
performances like I’ve done this weekend, no matter what happens towards the
end of the season, I’ll be happy because it’s been a real tough period for
me but I feel like I’ve come through the other side.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: George, what a weekend for you. Pole position yesterday by eight
tenths, then victory today by one tenth. But just tell us what it all means
to you.
GR: Yeah, it feels great, to be honest. I’m very proud of the
resilience that I and my close group of engineers have shown during the
tough periods this year because there’s been a lot of hard work to overcome
some of the challenges, to adapt my driving style to suit this new car
better. And F1 is so tough, you don’t get opportunities to practice this,
and finally it’s coming to me a bit more intuitively than it once did, and
I’m gaining confidence. And especially on circuits like this, it just allows
you to eke out that little bit more on the brakes, get that little bit
closer to the walls, and it’s been a flawless weekend.
Q: You’re
gaining confidence. Do you feel rejuvenated?
GR: I think I never lost
that faith in myself, even through a tough moments I knew there was a reason
why I was off the pace. It wasn’t like I just suddenly forgot how to drive,
and I knew I would be able to find it again. I just had to be patient. So, I
feel confident. You know, it’s been four races since the break. I’ve been on
the front row in three of them, three podiums from the four races. I feel I
can fight for victory week-in, week-out now.
Q: Let’s break down the
race. It was definitely one of two halves. You looked serene out front in
the first stint. Were you happier on the Medium tyre?
GR: Well, I
think Max and myself were probably the two quickest drivers out there, and
the soft tyre looked the best tyre, so I think that was maybe not allowing
Max to get past Piastri. But, yeah, clearly that final stint, the two of us
were exceptionally fast and, you know, we were pulling a second a lap almost
to the rest of the field, which was really good fun, to be honest. It felt
like qualifying laps, one after another, and I knew I couldn’t make a single
mistake. But certainly, the last 10 laps were a bit more tense than the
first 40.
Q: Talk us through the Safety Car restarts. Did they play
out as you’d hoped?
GR: Yeah, I mean, it’s the first restart I’ve
done this season from the lead. These power units are very challenging at
restarts, getting the battery in the right place for turbo spinning at the
right speed, and I always do good preparation on what I want to do at a
restart. It needs a lot more thought into it than ever before. But, you
know, I was keeping an eye on my mirrors where Max was, and I had waited for
that moment when the gap was just slightly larger and managed to break him
because I knew if he saw half a chance, he would have been sending it down
the inside. So, I was pleased with it.
Q: You’re happy with the car
here, you’re happy with your performance. Are you confident that it’ll be
the same next weekend at a permanent racetrack like Sepang?
GR: I’m
really excited. We’ve got the upgrades coming soon. That’s going to be a
good step forward. Our car has been working exceptionally well on the
low-drag circuits. We’ve got a really efficient car, so here at Monza we’ve
been exceptionally fast. But I think from next week onwards, we’re hoping to
make a bigger step to the rest of the field. But nothing’s sure until we see
how it pans out in reality.
Q: Alright, very well done. Thank you
very much for that, George. Max, let’s come to you. Great race by you, very
well done. Given how close you were at the line, does today feel like a
“what if” race for you? What if you’d started a little bit higher up the
grid?
MV: Yeah, I mean, we should have done that, right? I mean,
that’s what happened yesterday. You know, you have a problem and then that
means that you have to start P8. But I think even if I started second, I
think the pace of George, it would have been very hard to pass. So maybe I
could have followed him a bit better, of course, then in that first stint.
Then you box, you’re second, behind, and then probably we would have done
the same race, just pushing each other along. It would have for sure made my
first stint a bit easier instead of overtaking all the cars that I had to.
But, yeah, for sure the Soft tyre was much better than the Medium because I
just had the first few laps in the first stint were very strong, but then,
yeah, the tyres were just not working and it was quite a bit of, like, just
surviving in the first stint, trying to go as long as possible. And then the
Safety Car actually came at the right time to swap to the Soft tyres. And
then I have to say that, yeah, those last laps were very enjoyable because
there was barely any deg, really. We were just pushing to the end and the
gap was always, like, one second, 1.1, so that was nice. And, of course, it
looked close on the line, but I think that was more because I think George
suffered from a little bit of boost lag in 15 with the yellow flag. So if
you look at the last stint, it was always one second, so that’s probably
also where we would have finished.
Q: How much of a boost is the
performance of the car here with the upgrades, both for you and the whole
team?
MV: Yeah, it was good. I mean, the car was feeling very good
all weekend. Okay, then we had the issue in qualifying with the engine. We
still, of course, have some limitations with the car that I’ve mentioned
many times that probably are not fixable for this year. So we know that for
next year that needs a lot of work. But the balance in the car was strong.
But like George said, for Malaysia, if they’re bringing an upgrade, it’s
going to look a little bit more difficult for us.
Q: This was podium
number seven for you this year. Are there any tracks that you’re
particularly looking forward to coming up where you think you can be this
competitive again?
MV: We don’t know. I mean, if Mercedes is bringing
an upgrade and it works, then they take a step ahead, and that’s not what
you want. It will make it even more difficult to win, but we’ll try every
single weekend and, of course, if the opportunity is there, we go for it.
Q: Max, very well done to you. Thank you for that. Isack, let’s come to
you. What a comeback. Your second podium of the season after six weeks out.
Just how sweet does this moment feel for you?
IH: Yeah, I must say I
came back at the right time in terms of an injury point of view and, at the
same time, in terms of what the car is capable of. You know, the way I left
the car in Budapest, I was not really satisfied, and coming back after a
couple of races, definitely made a step. So, yeah, definitely happy about
that. And, you know, in terms of the approach, I took it really slowly, the
whole weekend, because it’s a demanding track to come back to. I don’t want
to be in the wall. And, yeah, like I said, it’s a tough track to come back
to. The approach was great. It brought me to that P3. So, yeah, I can’t
really do much better than that.
Q: As you say, it’s a tough track.
Any issues at all with the wrist?
IH: No.
Q: And then when you
look at the weekend as a whole, just how much have you missed racing over
these last six weeks?
IH: Yeah, it’s been a moment now. I felt like I
had, like, a whole winter break, which is not really what you want in the
middle of the season. So, yeah, I definitely missed it. You know, the
adrenaline, those Q3 laps, the restart, and, yeah, it’s good to be back
fighting with the other drivers. It’s what I love to do. So hopefully I use
a bit more my brain when I go boxing next time.
Q: There was some
radio chat about vibrations in the gearbox while you were behind the Safety
Car. Did that clear up once the race went green?
IH: No, it was quite
noisy and I felt a lot of vibrations. I was a bit stressed, to be honest. I
wasn’t really sure, but everything was fine until the very end. But, yeah,
let’s see if it’s just some irrelevant noise or actually relevant. Let’s
see.
Q: Okay. Look, final one. Just how much confidence does this
weekend as a whole give you going to Sepang next weekend?
IH: Yeah, a
lot. You know, in the end, the Monaco podium, of course it was a podium, but
it was not on pure pace, not because I qualified in the top three or
whatever. You know, I felt like this is my first time with the team that I
actually get to do a very clean weekend and actually, like, fight my way
into that podium. So actually, for me, it feels like a real first and, yeah,
it gives me good confidence heading into the next races.
QUESTIONS
FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Frédéric Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to George
Russell. What does the Grand Slam mean for you? Question for Max: what does
the podium of Isack mean for the team and how do you rate him? And question
for Isack: you have the Zandvoort trophy on your helmet. Do you plan to make
the same helmet next week?
GR: Yeah, I think it’s probably my first
Grand Slam in Formula 1 and, for sure, the most dominant weekend I’ve had in
my career. So that has come at a really great moment. And also to achieve it
on a circuit that requires so much commitment and confidence, I’m really
proud of because I think it would have been very easy for me to lose the
faith this season. Not necessarily about winning the championship, but in
terms of my ability, and that never happened.
MV: Yeah, well, this is
what the team wants, to have the two cars on the podium when possible. So,
maximising the result, and I think we did that today. So that’s very good.
And, yeah, for sure, I mean, it’s working really well with Isack in the team
and we just need to keep that going.
Q: How do you rate him, just to
follow up?
MV: Yeah, like, it’s working really well within the team,
you know. So, of course, I mean, if you’re on the podium together, then I
think you’re doing a good job.
IH: I mean, it was pure coincidence. I
should have raced that helmet in Zandvoort. I made it, so I wanted to, even
though I skipped those races, wear it for that occasion. But now it’s a
retired helmet and has a podium, so it’s good.
Q: (Leonid Kliuev –
GrandePremio.com) Question for all three. Behind you, Franco was out of
control into Turn 1 at the restart. Several people were taken out. Franco
apologised. Lando said that, and I’m paraphrasing, he didn’t see the replay,
but whoever is taking people out in this fashion should have a race ban, and
he emphasised the race ban. Is that perhaps too harsh for your liking?
GR: Yeah, I think that’s too harsh, personally. I think Safety Car
restarts, cold tyres, a very small mistake can have big consequences. And
from what I saw today, that’s what it looked like. It was a small error that
had a big consequence. I think, personally, race bans should come from
drivers intentionally doing something very dangerous and very reckless. So I
think it was unfortunate.
MV: Yeah, I think as long, of course, the
driver that caused it is aware of what he did, right, and apologised. And, I
mean, yeah, that happens. I mean, like, a small mistake or misjudgement, you
lock up, it’s on the inside, low grip, and, of course, then I guess a bit
unfortunate that it involves so many cars. But, yeah, unfortunate, happens,
and it’s not nice, I think. Not nice for anyone involved, right? But like
George said, I think, yeah, a race ban probably is a bit much.
IH:
From my side, I think the track is not good enough. You move out of the
racing line, it starts to be very bumpy. It’s hard to generate temperature
behind the Safety Car, it’s going quite slowly. So then, yeah, you just
overdo it and then it has big, big consequences. So, I think, yeah, a race
ban is way too harsh.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) It’s a
question to both Red Bull drivers. Has your feeling behind the wheel, the
feeling in the car, changed at all with this upgrade? So, do you feel more
confident to attack the corners now, or is it simply quicker but still with
the same issues?
IH: Yeah, to be honest, Baku is a very specific
track, specific tarmac. But like I said, to me, the way the car was behaving
in terms of through-corner balance this weekend, from lap one in FP1, I was
like, “Okay, this is looking pretty good.” Then the second half of the car,
we’re lacking compared to Mercedes, definitely. But, you know, in terms of
handling on the brakes, the car was, to me, compared to Budapest, it
definitely did a step. So, yeah, I’m really pleased with that.
MV:
Yeah, I mean, it’s a unique track. It’s, like, mainly 90-degree corners.
But, yeah, it felt probably a little bit more together balance-wise. But
like I said, we have other issues in the car that we really need to fix
because there is also just free lap time in that, and that’s what we are
working on. But the performance items, they worked well and we’ve been
fairly happy all weekend, really, with what I had from the car.
Q:
(Phil Duncan – PA) George, after the race you spoke about your plan now is
to go and win every race. It’s the crunch part of the season. You obviously
don’t have the target on your back that Kimi does. Do you think that you can
use that to your advantage, that you’re chasing and that you can help apply
the pressure that way?
GR: Yeah, for sure. There’s much less pressure
on me than there is him. As I said yesterday, he’s had an incredibly
flawless season. Yesterday was probably his first mistake of this whole
season in a proper session, qualifying, race, and he still came home in P5
today. I didn’t really consider myself in this fight for a number of races,
purely because my performance wasn’t strong enough. Now I feel like if the
season were to have started today, or since the summer break, you know, I
feel very much I would have been able to fight. Now I’ve got this big
deficit. It can change quick. So I’m not chasing that. I’m chasing to win
every race, and what will be, will be.
Q: (Sergey Podosenov – News.ru)
As we have seen today, Baku City Circuit proved its unpredictable nature.
How did the unique challenges of racing in Azerbaijan today impact your
strategy and mindset on the way to the podium? Thank you.
GR: Yeah,
well, I must say Max and I spoke about this. The final stint, I think, is
the most amount of fun I’ve had in a race for as long as I can remember
because the tyre felt great. We were pushing flat out every single lap. It
was like qualifying one after another. You needed to be so alert around this
circuit because the walls are so close, especially through the castle.
You’re threading the needle. But, yeah, those final 10 laps felt really,
really fun. And it almost felt like the stories I hear of the drivers in the
early-mid 2000s, of when every lap was like a qualifying lap. The heart rate
is higher, you’re pushing the limit every single lap, there’s no management.
We’ve had a lot of conversations this year about PU energy management, but
the tyre management is still there and it has been there for years and
years. But just with how the temperatures and the circuit fell out today,
with the tyres there was no management, and that was exceptionally fun.
MV: Yeah, exactly that. I mean, last stint was fun. Kissed a few walls
as well, just to leave my mark here in Baku. So, yeah, it’s always very
challenging around here, qualifying and in the race now at the end as well,
just pushing flat out. Comes, of course, with risk, being close to certain
walls on the inside, the outside. But it’s cool. |
