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1 - Jenson BUTTON (McLaren)
2 - Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull)
3 - Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)
Q: Jenson, what a way to mark your 200th grand prix. Finally, you can start
to mark the occasion and start the party.
Jenson BUTTON: Yeah, it is good having a couple of weeks break, as it might
take me that long to get over tonight! This is the first place where I won a
grand prix, back in 2006 in these sort of conditions, and it is my 200th
race and I have won here again, so a great moment. For some reason I like
these conditions, don’t ask me why, but it worked out again. A great call by
the team to put me on the prime tyre when they did and a great call by all
of us when we decided not to go to the inter. All round, amazing weekend,
and I want to say a big thank you to the whole team, the mechanics, the
engineers, everyone within the team that has worked so hard to produce the
car that we have now. We are going into the break on a nice high, but I
think every day we are on holiday we are going to be thinking about Spa
already and excited about coming back and hopefully doing the same again.
Q: Sebastian, you got the start you wanted today but sometimes staying on
the track in the early stages seemed impossible. Holding onto the lead even
more impossible.
Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, indeed, I was struggling a bit in the first stint
with the intermediate tyres. Lewis was a bit faster and then I lost it down
into turn two. Yeah, quite tricky. He was pushing quite hard and I tried to
be on the edge and at some stage I realised it would be too late, so I
opened the car as I know the white lines, and in particular the green paint
afterwards, is very slippery. It is easy to have a spin and lose the lead.
After that the circuit was drying. I think we could maybe have come in a lap
earlier, and then on the super softs I was feeling quite good initially but
there was quite a lot of drop off. I think it was the same for all of us
with the track being quite green. I think both times I would have loved to
come in a lap earlier, but it was quite good fun to see all of a sudden both
of the McLarens very close again. But then in the last stint I had to let
Jenson go. I did feel I had more speed in the car but I had a couple of
problems with the brakes and it was difficult to know, 20 laps to go, how
the car would be in the end, so I couldn’t push as hard as I would have
liked to. But still, second today is an important step. Nevertheless, I
think the win was within reach but we didn’t get it. We need to work hard as
both of the McLarens are very, very strong in all sorts of conditions, so it
is clear now for a couple of races that they have done a step forward and we
need to make sure we come back, definitely.
Q: Fernando, with yourself, Ferrari went for an aggressive four-stop
strategy in the race and third place is the reward for that. Did you ever
feel that a podium was on in the early stages of the race when you were
struggling as well?
Fernando ALONSO: Well, in this type of conditions the race is very, very
long. You need to be always focused, as with so many pit stops and so many
weather conditions anything can happen, so I stayed focused at the
beginning. Unfortunately, the start didn’t go as we predicted and both
Mercedes overtook us on the start, so I had to overtake Michael (Schumacher)
and then (Nico) Rosberg two times. Then with the pit-stops we found
ourselves behind (Mark) Webber for half of the race. After that we were able
to push in some free air and we were quite quick, but the first 30 laps we
were behind the Mercedes and behind Mark so it was a little bit too much,
the price.
Q: Jenson, at what stage did you feel the victory was on today? When you got
to the chicane and saw your team-mate suddenly right ahead of you or did you
feel that as you were catching him at that stage the win was always on?
JB: It is very easy to say now but, personally, I felt at the end of the
first stint. I felt I was able to look after the tyres for the remainder of
the first stint. I think about half way through people started struggling
and I was able to push on and the car felt really good. I think I was about
three seconds behind Lewis when he pitted for the first stop. I think I had
pulled in about a second a lap up to that point, so at that point I knew I
was in good shape. The car was working well for me and I thought it was a
matter of time in the dry conditions for us to get the jump on Lewis because
at the end of the stints he was struggling. Obviously, it turned out a
little bit different with the rain coming down. It was pretty difficult on
the prime tyre. Those aren’t the conditions for that tyre, but a lot of fun
all the same. It is always fun racing with Lewis. I think we are pretty
fair. I don’t think we touched this time and great to come away with a
victory this weekend.
Q: Sebastian, for yourself, not the victory but you do increase your lead in
the championship. Is that what matters most at this stage?
SV: As I said I think the win was in reach today. Not impossible, but that’s
the emotions I am going through right now. Looking at the championship it
was a good race with a lot of people finishing behind us, except Jenson, so
we will see. Still a very long way to go and we see with the races like this
especially, how quickly things can change. I think the most important
message is that especially McLaren in the last two races were very
competitive and we are not happy with that. Surely Jenson is. But we need to
come back so we are pushing hard for Spa.
Q: Fernando, Sebastian mentions that McLaren have been competitive in the
last couple of races. How competitive do you see Ferrari now for the final
part of the season?
FA: I think we are confident that we can do a good second part of the
championship. The car did improve a lot and we are fighting for podiums, for
pole positions, now in the last few races. For us, I think it was a
fantastic July month because I think we are still the drivers that have
scored more points in July, in these three races, with three different
conditions, three different tracks. We are happy and I think the team did a
step forward. I think McLaren also did a step forward so the competition is
quite fun for you to watch with three teams able to win races.
Unfortunately, it was not very hot in July. We love high temperatures for
whatever reason in our car so hopefully August and September will be better
for us.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Jenson, it was certainly a fantastic race from the outside. I don’t know
what it was like from the inside?
JB: Well, it ended in the right way I think, but it was a very tough race.
The first stint on the inters in the wet, it felt like there was no grip at
all. It felt like we were on the drys. Then we put the dry tyres on which
was definitely the right call but in some places it was very, very slippery.
Then with the rain towards the end you just couldn’t find any grip out
there. We were skating around and it was hard enough keeping the thing on
the round let alone trying to overtake and fight your team-mate. But a
wonderful race. It is just perfect for my 200th grand prix. This is where I
first won in Formula One and here we are again for my 11th win so I am going
to enjoy this evening.
Q: Around about lap 47 it got really lively when your team-mate spun. You
went off the road. You were battling wheel-to-wheel. It was fantastic stuff.
JB: Yeah, it was good fun. I was really struggling though, as I was on the
harder of the two tyres and to try and keep heat in the tyre was really
difficult in the second corner of the lap as it was so, so wet there.
Everywhere else it wasn’t too bad. I think I kept them in pretty good nick.
I came round the corner and saw Lewis facing the other way. I went to the
inside and I was just about to overtake Adrian Sutil and had to hammer the
brakes on, as it was a yellow flag. He had backed off to let me by, so I
almost stopped the car, he almost stopped the car and Lewis was able to turn
the car around and he was on my bumper before the next corner, so it made it
very tricky. I came out on top today. One of my most enjoyable races I would
say, but I would like to win one in the dry please.
Q: In fact you went wide shortly afterwards and he took the lead back.
JB: Yeah, that was in turn two and I passed him again and then he passed me
again and then the team said we are going to pit for inters. To me that was
a big surprise, so when we got to the pit entry the team suddenly said ‘no,
no, stay out. Stay out as Lewis is coming in’. He came in and I stayed out.
Personally I was never going to come in anyway as it was nowhere near inter
conditions, Braved it on the slicks and it was definitely the right call.
Q: Obviously you jumped Sebastian as well at the first stop?
JB: Yeah, it wasn’t the stop was it, it was after the stop. He came out of
the pits on cold tyres and I overtook him a lap later out of turn one. But
at the start of the stints in the dry I didn’t have the pace. I was also
asked to sort of look after the car and look after the fuel as well, which
didn’t help my situation. But at the end of the stints the car was working
great, really, really well and I was able to pull in Lewis by a second a lap
I think if not more. But it was really working well, so it was looking good
for the end of the race.
Q: Sebastian, it just didn’t seem that you had the pace of the McLarens
today. Would that be a fair judgement?
SV: Yeah, I think it is fair to say that. Start of the race I was struggling
a little bit on the intermediates. I tried to keep Lewis behind but most
important was to move away from the pack behind and build up a gap, so tried
to defend and ran a little bit wide into turn two. Opened the car, as it is
very easy to do a mistake on the paint. It is very slippery. Managed to stay
ahead of Jenson and then pulled away slightly at the end of the stint.
Arguably we maybe should have come in a lap earlier. But both times then on
the super soft I was feeling reasonably confident in the beginning of the
runs. Tyres saw some wear but it was the same for everyone. But then in the
end of the stint I was struggling to keep up with Jenson. Second stint I
think overall was a little bit better. I was able to change a little bit the
car during the pit-stop. Both times I think a lap earlier could have helped
us a bit and it would have gained us some time. We have to look into that,
but, all in all, I think the last stint I felt the pace was there. I had
some issues with the brakes and Jenson wasn’t slow either. He was still some
three or four seconds ahead at that stage, so first of all I have to close
the gap and then overtake him and if you don’t have the confidence it was
more important to bring the car home. I think the pace was not so bad but
fair to say Ferrari in race pace and McLaren for the last couple of events
seem to have made a good step forwards. We need to have a look at why but
then we need to look at ourselves as I think there is plenty of stuff to
learn and things we can improve without looking at the others. That has to
be the target for the next race and for the second half of the season.
Q: There’s still a long way to go, isn’t there?
SV: Yeah, there is. Today I’m not 100 per cent happy because I started from
pole. I had the feeling we could have won the race, but pace-wise it was not
impossible. It was a difficult one, especially with the conditions as Jenson
said, with the rain, very, very slippery at some stages, many drivers making
small mistakes here and there. I saw Jenson nearly lose it two corners from
the end. It always depends, obviously but yeah, as I said, not a hundred
percent happy. The target is to win and not to come second. Still, I know
it’s good points today, everyone except Jenson finished behind us but as you
said, there’s a long, long way to go. Always remember, last year we’ve seen
how quickly things can change so we need to make sure we see the chequered
flag.
Q: Fernando, given your pace, were you happy with third or a little
frustrated, because you were catching towards the end?
FA: Yeah, but I’m happy with third having started fifth. Again, we recovered
two positions in the race and we were able to jump on the podium for the
fourth consecutive race, I think. This is good again for us. The weekend was
maybe not as expected: we maybe expected hotter temperature and more
problems with degradation for our main competitors, but in the end it didn’t
go like that. I think we have another – for the third consecutive time –
difficult conditions for us, cold conditions and I think we reached another
podium which is a good target for us every weekend.
Q: During the drivers’ parade, the track was wet and everyone was wondering
why they had saved a set of supersoft option tyres, but they were pretty
useful, weren’t they?
FA: Yeah. It’s always important to save tyres this year. Even if the
conditions were a little bit damp at the beginning we saw we switched to dry
tyres quite quickly this year. It was good to have some good sets. I think
there was always the possibility to run with supersoft. Different teams
chose different strategies and we need to see which one was the best but we
tried to do our race, always trying to avoid the traffic. At the beginning
with the two Mercedes cars, I overtook Michael and then Rosberg and then
with Webber for maybe 20 or 30 laps behind Mark. That was probably when the
win possibility – the little chances we had for victory – disappeared in the
first thirty laps.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Bob McKenzie – The Daily Express) Jenson, well done.
JB: Is that all you’ve got?
Q: (Bob McKenzie – The Daily Express) At one point they did ask you –
invited you – if you want to come in and you said no, I think. When was
that? I wanted to cover this more.
JB: That was when Lewis came in and put inters on. They said ‘in this lap
for inters’ then round the second to last corner they said ‘Lewis is coming
in, stay out, stay out’. I was never really going to come in for inters
anyway. I didn’t think it was the right choice personally. We weren’t going
slowly enough, to start with. We were struggling on the tyres, it was
difficult keeping the car on the circuit but we weren’t that slow, it wasn’t
inter pace really. And when you put the inters on, you’ve got to put the
dries back on as well, so you’ve got to stop twice. For me, it wasn’t the
right decision. The team made the right call earlier on, we put the prime
tyre on at the second stop which was definitely the right call. We could
have run to the end of the race on that, whereas Lewis was on the option
tyre. I don’t know if he would have made it to the end, or he would have had
to stop but for me the car was working very well and I personally didn’t
think it was ready for inters. These guys didn’t either.
Q: (Joris Fioriti – Agence France Presse) Jenson, you were the only one of
the top drivers – unless I missed something – who didn’t make a mistake
today, in tricky conditions. Would it be fair to say that you are more
careful or less crazy than others when it’s raining, which allows you to
win.
JB: For me, I lost the lead twice because I made a mistake. You obviously
didn’t watch the same race as we just did. Yes, I’m crazy as well. I went
straight on at turn two twice and Lewis got past me.
FA: Crazy.
Q: (Joris Fioriti – Agence France Presse) Sebastian, at a certain point,
when you were fourth, with Fernando and Lewis in front of you who were your
most serious rivals for the championship, how were you feeling and do you
feel a relief in that regard because you overtook them?
SV: Yeah, you should be watching closer. I think my toughest rival is… I
think Mark was second in the championship before this race. I don’t know how
many points… and I don’t really care and I don’t care in the race, I don’t
calculate… I see Fernando ahead of me and he’s on a different set of tyres,
obviously struggling so I could get past him fairly straightforward but I
don’t think about the championship when I’m racing. I think about trying to
win. As I said earlier, that’s why I’m happy but not entirely so. We go out
there, we try to get pole on Saturday, we did so yesterday and we try to win
on Sunday which we didn’t do today. As I said, I think there has been a
chance and we didn’t use it, so we need to look into that. As I said
earlier, Jenson scored more points today, other people scored less but
that’s not really important. There are still so many races to go so our
target has to be to win races and I can tell you that we still feel very
hungry, I feel very hungry – hungry in Hungary – to win races, full stop.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Jenson, what my friend wanted to
say was more or less like this: in 2006 here, last year in Australia and
China, this year in Canada and here again today: all races in similar
conditions and you won all of them.
JB: All lucky. Always lucky in these conditions.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) My question is if there is any
feeling as to the right moment to stop and change tyres. What elements are
there to judge it and take the decision?
JB: You’re not always going to make the right call in these conditions, and
I haven’t always made the right call in these conditions. But I feel that
I’m pretty good at making the right call when it comes to tyre changes, but
I’m not the only one. These two guys did exactly the same as I did, so I’m
not alone in my decisions. We had good pace today, very good pace and on the
option tyre, I was able to make the tyre last for a long time. I was really
looking after them. Towards the end of each stint the pace was very good.
The reason why we won today was because we were quick and that’s the reason.
If it didn’t rain, it wouldn’t have made any difference at all.
Q: (Istvan Simon Auto Magazine) There was a pretty nasty-looking accident at
the exit of the pit lane. One of the Renault cars was actually on fire.
Don’t you think a safety car would have been required or wasn’t it that
dangerous?
JB: It wasn’t on the circuit. I don’t know the full extent of the fire, but
we could see the smoke, but it was well off the circuit. He didn’t crash
into that position. He pulled off and the car caught fire, so no, I don’t
think a safety car was necessary.
Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Fernando, you had one pit stop
more than Jenson and Sebastian. Do you think, with hindsight, it would have
been better to switch to soft and then do the rest of the race like Jenson
did?
FA: I don’t know really. Yeah, looking now, after the race, maybe the soft
tyre was better than the supersoft, especially for second or third stint,
looking at the very high degradation but we found ourselves behind Mark for
two stints and we had to anticipate the stops a lot so we came to overtake
him and coming in that early, it was impossible to go to the end of the
race, because you chose four stops already, just to overtake Mark. I don’t
think it changes your tyre choice too much.
Q: (Carlos Miquel - La Gaceta) Question for Jenson, what this does symbol
mean (touching thumbs in shape of W)?
JB: It means winner, it’s a W. Something me and my girlfriend have got going
on.
Q: (Carlos Miquel - La Gaceta) Fernando, was the key to your podium just
staying out on slick tyres on the wet track?
FA: Obviously there were some conversations going on, as I think there were
for these guys as well. It started raining, we were like eight or nine
seconds slower than the normal lap, but you never know if that rain
continues, so I think you stop, you put on intermediates and you are much
quicker. If that rain stops, it’s better to keep on the dry tyres, so you
have to toss the coin in the air and gamble: whether to chose the dry tyres
or if you chose the inters. And it depends only if the next cloud brings
some more rain or if it stops so it’s completely unpredictable and
completely out of teams’ and drivers’ control. So there is a luck factor
that sometimes goes your way and sometimes doesn’t. I think that’s what
happened to Lewis today. He was leading the race, maybe heading for victory
and if the next cloud had more rain, maybe he would have won the race
because he was the only one on intermediates.
Q: (Peter Farkas – Auto Motor) Jenson, when you had that really entertaining
fight with Lewis, did you get any kind of instructions from McLaren, like
keep your position, or please be careful or anything?
JB: No, they didn’t say anything. I think they thought we had to concentrate
on what we were doing at that moment in time. No, I didn’t hear anything on
the radio, which is nice.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, you spun in the
last part of the race when you were following Sebastian. Without that, was
it possible to fight for second place?
FA: Maybe, I don’t know. I touched white lines in damp conditions on dry
tyres and I spun, I lost a couple of seconds but luckily I could engage
first gear and continue. I don’t know, maybe yes, but there I lost maybe
four seconds. I think I lost half a minute behind Webber at the beginning of
the race. |
