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PART TWO: Lewis HAMILTON
(Mercedes), Daniel RICCIARDO (Red Bull Racing), Daniil KVYAT (Toro Rosso),
Pascal WEHRLEIN (Sauber)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lewis, four-time British Grand Prix winner, looking to equal the record
of five. How have you spent the last few days in the build-up to the race
and are we set to get a strong statement from you on track here, as so often
in the past?
Lewis HAMILTON: It’s good to be here. I tried to prepare in the best way I
can, quite relaxed the past few days and I’ve come here excited for the
weekend, as always. You’ve got the championship, which is obviously the most
important thing, but a very close second, if not tied, is the British Grand
Prix, being a home grand prix, the home of motorsport, such an incredible,
intense weekend. Every year it is a must-win for a British driver, so yeah I
tried to prepare the best way I could.
Q: Daniel, you looked like you were having fun in London yesterday evening,
but you’ve also been having fun on track with 70 points from the last four
races I think it is, second best tally in the field. What does that say
about your competitiveness now?
Daniel RICCIARDO: It’s certainly getting better. The season started slow but
we’ve found some good momentum the last few races. I think Austria was a bit
of a breakthrough in a way. It was a third, obviously not as good on paper
as Baku, but in terms of actual performance we finished six or seven seconds
off the win and there were no safety cars and it felt like really for once
this year had genuine pace and we could run pretty much with the pace of the
leaders. So that was super encouraging. Last few laps it was looking like it
was going to get tight. I’d held that podium spot the whole race and I could
see Lewis closing in, so I was relieved to have stayed on the podium when it
looked like he was going to come past pretty easily at some point. It felt
like from one lap to the next he was in my mirrors. I didn’t really have to
look in the mirrors most for the race but then I saw a car and I was hoping
it was a car that had come out of the pits, out of sequence, and it stayed
in my mirrors for a few corners. Then I had a proper look and it was a
silver car and I knew it wasn’t Valtteri, so I knew we would have a bit on
the last few laps but it’s been a good run, so we’re building.
And last night?
DR: Oh last night, yeah, it was a good event. Look, I’m sure that would have
been pretty difficult to organise and get that all going but I felt like it
was a success and you know, we had a bit of time on track to try to give the
fans what they wanted to see. I doubt they left disappointed.
Q: Daniil, we had a big discussion in part one about the idea of using
street promotions and the kind of thing we saw yesterday. What do you think
of the idea of putting events on like that and reaching out to fans, in a
place like Moscow for example?
Daniil KVYAT: I think it would work – not in January! But in summer yes, I
think why not. I mean if every year, once a year, they could rotate this
kind of event between one of the biggest cities of the world to promote the
sport, then I think why not. Like Daniel said it was a good success
yesterday I think. A lot of people there in the city centre of London. It
was a cool and enjoyable atmosphere and I think it was nice for sure.
Q: Pascal, coming to you, how are you finding life at Sauber without Monisha
Kaltenborn, but with the prospect of Fred Vasseur arriving as the new team
principal.
Pascal WEHRLEIN: I’m looking forward that Fred is coming. I respect him a
lot for what he has done in motorsport so far, like in junior categories and
last year in Formula One. So, looking forward to working with him and let's
see where he can bring Sauber.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing) Just repeating a question from a colleague
from the previous session. Lewis, Copse corner this year? Do we think it
will be flat in eighth and if so what is that going to be like and if so how
will it compare with Becketts in terms of fun factor?
LH: I think Copse is going to be flat this year. I would imagine quite easy,
yeah. I would imagine probably eighth, you should get to eighth by then.
It’s going to be rapid. I don’t think any of us are prepared for how quick
Silverstone is going to be compared to previous years. It was awesome in the
last race. Maggots and Becketts, again, are going to be the same. It’s going
to be a physical race for us, being that it is mostly medium and high-speed
corners. The G that we are going to be pulling is definitely going to be one
up, maybe two, who knows, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Daniel, you’re nodding and smiling, as if you’re looking forward to this?
LH: It’s because he’s got an upgrade package!
DR: Ha! We’ve got more coming later. It’s going to be fun. I love high-speed
corners. From Turn 9 to 15, Copse to Stowe, it’s some of the coolest
sequences… probably [the best] mile of race track we go on all year. We got
a taste of it, as Lewis said, in Austria. The second, third sector we were
carrying some serious speed, so it’s a sign of what this weekend is going to
be like I think.
Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) If they organised an event such as last night’s
again in London, would you all go?
DK: You mean every day or what? Probably no. But next year again? Why not.
Wednesday? Yeah I think why not, of course.
LH: I guess I’ll decide when the time comes.
DR: Yeah.
PW: Yeah I would and I would do more donuts, as Daniel did.
DR: That was controlled sliding.
Q: Is that what you told the council?
DR: It’s alright… arrest me.
Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, just in your words, why were you the only
driver not there when your colleagues were there and you were missing?
LH: I don’t why I was the only one. Everyone had the right to make their
decision for themselves. For me, I felt that it’s been a pretty intense
season so far and I felt for me, I needed to prepare the best way that I
could for this weekend. The season’s the most important thing for me. That’s
really it.
Q: (Rachel Brookes – Sky TV) Lewis, just following on, from what you saw of
yesterday’s event and the crowd that turned out that was there, you’re
someone who talks a lot about what you get from the fans and how much it
helps you. Looking at those pictures and what happened, do you feel that
actually being there yesterday might have helped you coming into this
weekend and given you a boost a day early even, coming into the British
Grand Prix?
LH: I generally haven’t been on my phone the last couple of days, I tried to
switch off, I switch on a couple of times just to receive a message but
otherwise I’ve tried to stay away from it. Personally, I feel I prepared the
best way for this weekend and that’s really all I can do. Of course, there
are people who have other opinions about it but I’m trying to do the best...
it’s a very intense season, I’m trying to prepare the best way I can. Other
people will have different ways of doing so. I love this Grand Prix, I love
this race so I feel yesterday, personally, plays any role in how great this
weekend is for me. Every season, for the last years has been incredible,
it’s been growing every year. You get people who have saved up so much
through the year to come up to this Grand Prix and I think you will have
seen over the previous years how much I appreciate and respect that and
tried to give and enjoy the weekend with the fans and that doesn’t change.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Lewis, on the same topic, there’s
suggestions that there has been some sort of disagreement over the use of
your image for this particular event, that you wanted to be paid or
something like that. Can you refute that categorically?
LH: Yeah, that’s... No, I mean I told the organisers last week that I
wouldn’t be going. I spoke to Toto, informed the team which was very
understanding and understood and respectful of the decision. Yeah, I think
they used my image so that wasn’t a problem.
Q: (Rob Harris – AP) Lewis, first of all, how is flying for what, seven or
eight hours round trip to Greece better preparation than staying in the UK?
And you were booed by the fans in London, they obviously are unhappy with
you, this was a big event, used by the F1 owners to try and engage with
fans. You are the biggest British driver. What were your thoughts when you
heard they actually booed you?
LH: To be honest, I didn’t really know about it. In terms of flying, I don’t
live here so I wouldn’t have been here anyway as I was back in Monaco first,
but I fly a lot longer than that for trips and I usually arrive pretty good.
But you know, right now my focus is on this weekend, making sure I put every
bit of energy into this great weekend that we have and I received incredible
love from the fans every single year that I’ve come here. Yeah, looking
forward to seeing them.
Q: (Phil Duncan - PA) Lewis, sorry to keep harping on about yesterday, but
do you still stand by your decision and do you think it was the right
decision, given you were the only driver missing? You’re the home star,
you’re the home favourite. Do you think you got it wrong?
LH: Well, I mean, like I said, I think I’ve felt like I’ve answered as much
as I really want to. I’m solely focused on this weekend now, I feel great,
being here, I feel the best prepared I could be.
Q: (Stephen Camp – Paddock Magazine) I was just wondering, I asked the last
four drivers if there was anything that Liberty had come to you about, what
you would like to give back to the fans. Are there any ideas that you would
like to give back to the fans, anything that you would like to do to widen
the audience of the sport?
DR: Not anything right now, off the top of my head. Yeah. You’ve kind of got
me. I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting to be asked the question. We’ll come
back...
DK: Well, I just drive the car, you know. I think that’s what I should be
focused on. I think there are other people who know how to do their job a
bit better for that.
LH: I don’t really have all the ideas. I think there are people who make
those decisions.
DR: Probably more locations, where we go. I think we can keep expanding in
different parts of the world perhaps. I guess put F1 on the map in places
that it’s not currently. That can always help to raise awareness of our
sport and give people an interest. Yeah, that’s something that comes to
mind.
PW: I think that after yesterday some louder engines again. It was really
nice to hear the old V8 engines, that was great. Hopefully we can have the
same in the future again.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, I’m not going to ask about London!
This weekend – it’s obviously been very close between Mercedes and Ferrari
all season – but with the different characteristics between the two cars, do
you feel that this might be one of the tracks that’s more suited to Mercedes
and it could be a particularly strong weekend for the team?
LH: I hope so but I think that being that we’re (indistinct) on the car you
would have hoped that it would have worked better in the medium and high
speed corners but if you look at previous races, the last one, the Ferraris
were very strong, the Red Bulls were very strong in all sections but there
is also that balance of the high speed as well and drag. I think it will be
very very close but I’ve heard that these guys have brought a big upgrade.
He’s always smiling anyway so he smiling a little bit more...
DR: I’m good at bluffing, I always smile because you never know. We’ve got
more.
LH: You’ve got more. They did a great job in the last race so to see Red
Bull up there I think is great, to see a three way team challenge
competition and I think this weekend’s going to be... you know, they were
very very strong here last year, particularly on intermediates, in the race,
so I think it’s going to be a spectacular British Grand Prix in that
respect.
Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Daniel Ricciardo, you seem to be
really getting into the shoey business on the podium and the podiums are
becoming more and more regular. You are persuading the interviewers to drink
but you’re not having very much luck with your fellow drivers. Can you think
of any way to encourage them to join you, and to the other three: should you
be up there with Daniel, would you be partaking of the amber nectar?
DR: Well, most of the last ones have actually come from the others wanting –
not the drivers – but the interviewees if you call them (he means
interviewers) - they’ve been wanting to do it. I honestly didn’t plan on
doing it in even Baku – I was ‘ah, I won’t do it.’ But DC took my shoes off
and then Austria, Martin was like frothing for it. So I feel that there are
some really sick bastards around here. I never thought it would continue
like this. Even yesterday, people were shouting it. I’m just walking along,
minding my business and they’re like shouting ‘do a shoey.’ I don’t actually
just take my shoe off while I’m walking in the street and drink out of it. I
feel like I’ve dug a hole for myself with this one. On that note, I feel
like it’s been fun. I want to say it’s run its course. We’ll see what
happens but I heard that the Finns drink, I really heard that. But Valtteri
did not carry his flag well last Sunday. I mean shame on him! He needed
vodka in it, so Valtteri Bottas – disappointed. And that’s it. No more
shoeys.
Lewis, you’ve avoided it so far...
LH: Absolutely. I still stand firm on... I told you... the juice from the
foot is not something that I wish to drink, especially someone else’s!
DR: It’s risky with back-to-backs. It is! We put - all the podium guys could
end up in hospital for a week. Yeah.
Q: (Ralf Bach – Sport Bild) For all of you: we heard that Red Bull has a
great update on the car. What are the updates of Toro Rosso, Sauber,
Mercedes, Red Bull here and in the future; what is planned?
DK: Well, it’s probably not as much as these guys but we also try, we try
hard and hopefully there will be some, maybe Budapest. I think we’re working
on it and I think that it will be efficient so let’s see.
PW: We expect a big one in Budapest. I was in the factory two weeks ago and
I was told in Budapest there’s a big one coming, hopefully.
Q: Any particular reason why there?
PW: I don’t know. As soon as possible, hopefully.
So you’ve obviously got a massive upgrade this weekend, Daniel, another one
coming...
DR: No, I do believe we’ve got something significant for Budapest and this
weekend it’s usual bits and pieces which we kind of bring now nearly every
race but Budapest is probably more of an advertised update as opposed to
this weekend.
Q: And the reason why it’s there?
DR: I think mostly it seems it just takes time, but yeah, it’s a high
downforce package.
LH: We had a small upgrade in the last race and I think we’ve got some small
bits here but nothing major. Similar to what Daniel was saying, and I think
in the next race there will be some small parts as well. I think after the
break there will be more substantial bits coming.
Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) The day before the hearing, the FIA hearing
into Sebastian Vettel and his accident with Lewis, the boss of Mercedes,
Toto Wolff, went to a birthday party to celebrate the thirtieth of Sebastian
Vettel. I was wondering, from all drivers, would you be surprised most
relevantly for Lewis, but would you be surprised and see it as maybe an act
of loyalty or otherwise for your boss to go to a birthday of a rival with
whom you’ve just had an accident before the hearing?
DR: Free alcohol. Doesn’t matter how much money you make, you don’t turn
that down.
Unless it’s out of your shoe.
DR: Yeah, actually, good point.
LH: All I can do is laugh at that one. I don’t really have an answer for
that one to be honest. That’s the dumbest question I’ve had so far.
PW: I think Seb is a really nice guy so I would also go to his birthday.
DR: Why weren’t you invited?
PW: I don’t know! Maybe he doesn’t think that I’m nice.
Q: Daniil, were you washing your hair that evening or did you go as well?
DK: I was hoping you’d forgotten about me already. I don’t have an answer
for you. I cannot even imagine.
DR: There was an invite for the torpedo. I saw it. Not so cool.
DK: You have a good memory.
Q: (Giles Richards - The Guardian) Lewis, sorry to return to this but it’s
quite a big issue: you’ve always tried to connect... you’ve made a point of
trying to connect with your fans. Do you think it was a missed opportunity
not attending yesterday, given that a lot of people who were there, who were
attending, would be kids and people who can’t afford to go Grands Prix, so
this was a really good chance to connect with those people who just can’t
make it to Silverstone?
LH: Like I’ve said, I feel like I’ve said everything I want to say on the
subject but I like to think that I do everything I can to connect with the
fans. I do have the biggest following in Formula One and I communicate with
them as much as I can. The fans mean everything to me and they always have.
I’ve made no secret of that. I think hopefully my commitments to the sport
over the last ten years and what I do actually outside the sport, things
that perhaps you don’t comment on such as when I go and visit the hospitals
and spend time with young kids who can’t come to a Grand Prix. That’s not
something you report on but that’ s actually very important to me and that’s
where I put my energy mostly. I think lots of us have decisions to make and
you have to stand firm with the decisions you make and feel proud of the
decisions you make and I personally do and this weekend, as I say, coming
here and give everything to shine as much light and raise the flag in the
best way I can, and try the best I can. The goal is to win the British Grand
Prix for my home crowd. I’ve been very fortunate the last few years to do
that and the yearning and the need to do that again is greater than ever.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) To the three non-Mercedes drivers: you’ve
heard what Lewis said; do you guys feel that you’ve prepared any less
intensively for this race by being in London and not being on a beach in
Greece, for example? And just because you’re not leading the championship or
up there, do you feel that you haven’t prepared as well for this weekend?
DR: Each to their own. We’re all adults now. Obviously the spotlight’s on
Lewis because he was the only one that wasn’t there, out of all of us, so I
understand that but yeah, he’s been doing it long enough to know what he
needs to do. For me, personally, I thought it was a good event. I thought it
was a good opportunity to reach out, obviously, to a few more fans but it
also gives Liberty some more encouragement. They’re trying to start
something now so just to get behind that and see where we can take it.
PW: Nothing to add.
DK: I think Lewis justified it very clearly. I think everyone has different
preparations. I think it’s enough said on the topic.
Q: (Peter Windsor – F1 Racing ) Daniil, this year Toro Rosso has shown some
real pace on occasions but it seems to be quite difficult for the team to
have a consistent weekend from Friday morning to Sunday night, Austria being
a good example: very quick and then it fell away in qualifying. What is your
feeling about that, why did it happen in Austria, for example?
DK: I think in Austria we know really what happened in qualifying, and we
dropped a bit out of the working window in the important session. Coming to
the year, I would say that for my personal case, Sundays, for one reason or
another, on the good days the races were not finished and I think it’s very
important because that’s when the points are given on that day and I think
that’s what I’m looking for really. I’ve had really good Fridays, really
good Saturdays, good Sundays until the car stopped but now what we’re
looking for is to put all three days together and that should bring good
things to my side of the garage. |
