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DRIVER GROUP 1 – Alex ALBON
(Williams), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin), Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari), Fernando
ALONSO (Alpine), Esteban OCON (Alpine)
Q: Carlos, let's kick things off with you. It's been three years since we
last raced in Melbourne. Just tell us about your thoughts on being back,
getting underway here.
Carlos SAINZ: It's always great to be back here, mainly because I think it's
a great, great grand prix in general. The whole city welcomes us a lot,
always in Melbourne. And you can see even the difference of what two or
three years make with the good moment that Formula 1 is going through, and
the amount of people that there is on the streets, just supporting us and
cheering us on. Since we landed on Monday, it's been incredible the amount
of support and amount of people that are just excited to have us here. A bit
of a shame that it's not the number one race, because it gives you that
extra vibe to come all the way here, it's a long trip, but still managed to
adapt well to the jet lag and now ready to go racing.
Q: And what about the track alterations that are welcoming us this year?
CS: The track looks very different. I think, obviously first of all they
re-surfaced. It's something that is going to affect, obviously all the
braking points. Before, they were very bumpy. There's two or three corners
that are definitely much faster. For me, we just need to wait and see.
Obviously, it's meant to make the racing better and it's meant to make
overtaking better and this until… we don't run and we don't try how it is to
feel… to follow around here and use the four DRS Straights. It's going to be
difficult to tell but it looks like, for the racing, could be in the right
direction. Particularly me, I'm a big fan of the old Melbourne because I
really liked the circuit in the past years but as I haven't tried this one
yet, I cannot judge yet.
Q: And a quick word on the pecking order. Do you see it as another battle
between Ferrari and Red Bull at the front this weekend?
CS: It depends on how many upgrades the others have brought. But it's pretty
clear that in the first races, we had a bit of a gap to the rest of the
field and it was a head-to-head battle – and quite an interesting one to be
fair – because it's been tight in all of the qualifying sessions, in all of
the races. We are within a tenth of each other and it makes for a great
fight every time we are out on track. So, we'll see.
Q: Fernando coming to you. You first came to Melbourne to race 21 years ago.
Just how good is it to be back?
Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, it's good. I mean, a lot of things have changed but
as Carlos said, now, I think it’s still one of the best grands prix of the
year because the fans are amazing here. And I think everyone embraces the
grand prix: the city, hotels, restaurants… you know, everything is about the
race this weekend. So that's a good feeling.
Q: And before we talk performance this weekend, can we throw it back to
Jeddah and we've got your teammate up on stage with us. Can you just talk us
through your battle with Esteban? How much did you enjoy it?
FA: I did! I did enjoy it. I think we had the battle also in Bahrain, in a
way, but in Jeddah, we continued that and yeah, I think we will see more of
that. Always with hard racing, but racing for the team and for Alpine, and
you take that extra margin when you battle with your team-mate. Arguably we
lost a little bit of time by doing that but, y’know, it’s the way it is and
we're still learning about these cars, and about the possibilities this
year, so I think things will be better in the future.
Q: Talking about learning new cars. You got the full Aussie experience
yesterday in the supercar?
FA: Yeah, it was fun, fun to drive. Obviously a very different car and a
first impression of the new layout as well with those cars. Everything looks
so different compared to the single seaters, so I'm still looking forward to
discover the track in the F1 but it was good. Obviously, heavier, compared
to F1, and brakes are not as good as our brakes. But generally, I think it's
a fun series, you know, with 25 cars, I think within one second in
qualifying. So that's a good fight.
Q: Esteban, coming to you now. How much did you enjoy that battle with
Fernando in Jeddah?
Esteban OCON: I did. I did enjoy a lot, thank you. Yeah, it was fun to race
with Fernando. It's always a privilege anyway to share the track with him,
and to be in the same team as him and yeah, I mean, as he said, we are
learning with these new cars how to race and how close it is at the moment
in the field when you are in a battle. So yeah, it was good fun. It's been a
good two races for me, to start the year with, so hopefully we can continue
like this.
Q: Sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, between Hamilton and Pérez. Coming
into the first race in Bahrain, did you expect that?
EO: No, I mean, we didn't know where we were going to be, exactly but it's
very tight at the moment in in the midfield where we are. We qualified
really well in Jeddah. We had a really good qualifying performance but in
the race, you know, it was not as strong. I think the Alfa and the Haas were
very fast in that race. So, we're going to need to keep working, to create a
little bit more of a gap to them, because at the moment they are a bit
faster. And yeah, it's going be a long one ‘til the end of the year to the
race development basically.
Q: Interesting you say they're faster because Alpine is fourth in the
constructors’ table at the minute and I was going to say, is that an
accurate reflection of the car’s pace?
EO: I don't think so. I think in qualifying in Jeddah, we were definitely
the fourth fastest. But in Bahrain it was not the case. And in the race in
Jeddah, it was not the case either. I think it's been good on my side of the
garage. We obviously didn't put everything together with Fernando also, with
the car in Jeddah. So, we should be having a bit more points in the bag. But
yeah, as I said, it's going to be all putting it together and getting some
more performance in the coming races.
Q: Lance coming to you now. While we're talking car performance, where do
you see the pace of Aston Martin at the minute?
Lance STROLL: It's been a tough start for us. You know, not where we want to
be but we're pushing trying to improve as much as we can, and see how we go
this weekend.
Q: You ran as high as ninth in Jeddah until you were hit by Alex. How much
progress have you made with the car?
LS: Well, I mean, yeah, I don't think we were really in a position to fight
for points. It was always going to be difficult in Jeddah. But we'll see how
we go this weekend.
Q: And just a few words from you on racing again in Melbourne, of course,
the scene of your Formula 1 debut.
LS: Yeah, I mean, definitely. It's always great to be back here. You know, I
always enjoy coming here. Great memories. And yeah, it's always a very
exciting city to come racing. The fans really get into it. The whole city,
you know, is buzzing. So, it's definitely nice to be back.
Q: Alex, coming to you now, you start the weekend with a three-place grid
penalty for that collision with Lance. Does that change your approach to
this weekend?
Alex ALBON: No, it doesn't. Obviously, we're still hungry. We’ve got to
fight this weekend. We don't know how overtaking is on this circuit. The way
that the track is, obviously it should improve but you never know, you know?
If we can get into Q2, that would be great. Any position helps later on
Sunday. I think we'll go full attack this weekend – but of course we do
understand that the race is more of a priority.
Q: Now, in Jeddah, you qualify just one tenth of a second behind Lewis
Hamilton. Does that give you reason to be confident?
AA: Yeah, I mean, if it were a tenth behind Lewis in Australia, then I'll be
pretty happy with that. We're more or less there: we're fighting for Q2. And
that's something I think… that's a personal goal but of course, a team goal
too. We want to be getting into the later stages of qualifying. It’s one of
those things where I think at the minute, we need to just be that much more
on top of it in terms of our preparation into qualifying, just to maximise
what we have but I feel like we can do that as a team. I think we've got…
there's great people here but also at the factory and we're pushing hard to
get the results that we want.
Q: Off-track, you've been busy. Yesterday, doing some training with St Kilda
FC. You got a new talent?
AA: No! I wish I did, but I don't. I was surprised how hard the balls are. I
don't know if anyone's hit… they pass in a different way to rugby but my
hands hurt.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Frédéric Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Esteban. How do you feel to be
driving in so many new tracks like Jeddah, Miami or even Las Vegas next year
and seeing your home grand prix at threat? And can you do something to
preserve and save the French Grand Prix?
EO: Well, I'm, I'm very happy to discover new tracks but yes, to see the
French Grand Prix at threat, definitely I will do everything I can, to be
vocal on that, to try and keep it on the calendar. Of course, when I started
Formula 1, the grand prix was not there. It was rumoured that it was going
to come back, and it did, and you know, we've lived so many good moments
with the French fans there and yeah, it's extremely special when we go there
every year. So, I mean, I don't know, what's the situation exactly but I’m
not happy to hear that it's under threat at the moment and I will do
everything I can to keep it on the calendar.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Question to Carlos please. Carlos, now
that Ferrari has been very competitive on two very different types of track,
up there with Red Bull. What has that taught the team about where your car
is particularly good, and also where perhaps might need to be a focus for
development? Thank you.
CS: Yeah, it's been two samples, and the two samples are definitely
encouraging. To see that a fight with Red Bull was, again, within a tenth
each other I think it's very likely that until any of us brings
a big upgrade, it's going to stay like that, because the two tracks are
certainly not exactly the same in terms of characteristics. The tarmac was
very different in Jeddah than in Bahrain, the bumps were different, the type
of corner was different and still, we were within a tenth of each other. So,
I think it just shows that… I think until any of us brings something major,
it's going to stay like that. I have no idea what they're doing here: if
they're bringing something or not. We are focusing as a team to try and
improve a bit the top speed, to try and be able to find them a bit more
face-to-face in the race because they definitely looked very, very strong in
Jeddah. For the rest, I think we have a very good balance in the car, we
have a good feeling overall and, and we've been reliable too. So, we just
need to keep our head down and keep seeing where we can improve this car.
Q: (Michael Lynch – The Age/Sydney Morning Herald) For Carlos. We obviously
have a lot of readers who don't follow F1 that closely. All their idea of
Ferrari is that it's been an also-ran for the last few years. You're now at
the front of the field. Can you explain simply to those sort of people how
you've done it? What are the changes? How has Ferrari gone from… not zero
but hero?
CS: It's been a few tough years for Ferrari. And these tough years, we've
used them to rebuild a bit the team in the internal side of it, to try and
make ourselves stronger, become better at what we do and we've used the
regulation change of having to start from zero, and a blank piece of paper,
like we've done this year, to use this, this improvement in the way we work
to put it into practice and suddenly be back at the top. I've always
believed that Ferrari had the right people and the right mindset to be where
we are right now. But we needed a blank sheet of paper because Red Bull and
Mercedes with the previous regulations, they just had a very big advantage
on the rest of the field. And we felt like that gap was very difficult to
cut back without a reset. And this reset has given us the opportunity and
we've used it in a very good way. So now, it's our job to keep ourselves up
there. Certainly, as a Ferrari driver, it’s just great to see it, and see
the excitement of the tifosi coming back and give them back a bit what we've
missed in these last few years, because it was definitely not where we want
it to be, but you could already feel it here in Melbourne and in other
places that people are getting excited again. And this is good, I think, for
the sport and for Ferrari.
Q: (Luke Smith, Autosport). For all five. Following on what Esteban was
saying about Las Vegas joining the calendar and putting more classic tracks
under threat. I was wanting to get your reaction to the Vegas news. How good
is that for F1? Also, if it does come at the cost of classic tracks such as
Spa potentially, how much of a shame would that be for F1?
LS: Well, I think it's, in a way, the direction Formula 1 has to take. It's
evolving, the sport, it's great for the American market. And I think it's
bringing a lot of attraction to Formula 1 having the race in Miami, having
the race in Vegas. So, you know, it's great for our sport, in terms of
audience, growing the sport, and I think it will be awesome to race in those
cities. I'm sure that the weekends will be very exciting, and it will be
great energy in Vegas and Miami. But yeah, it's a shame that we're seeing
some of that tracks that are great to drive, that we've been going to for a
long time, such as Spa, etcetera, I mean, I guess, naturally for Formula 1,
it's… these are the right things to do from a business side of things, but
definitely will be a shame to see some… maybe some very traditional tracks,
that are great to drive, that we've been going to for a long time be under
threat and potentially disappear.
FA: Yeah, not much to add, to be honest. It’s the way it is, the way Formula
1 is going. So, we accept. There are some positives, bringing Formula 1 to
new countries and discovering these new races. I think Las Vegas, for
example, it's going to be very exciting. And Miami, and these kinds of
weekends. On the other hand, I think we need to be careful with the number
of races, which I think we need to… we should agree on a on a limit, because
I think for the teams, it’s quite demanding, how the schedule and the
calendar is now, especially that we don't have so many races in Europe
anymore. So, I think that's the only concern if we keep adding races.
CS: Yeah, I agree with Fernando, I think there needs to be a limit for the
number of races that we keep adding, so in the end some other races are
going to pay the price of having to stay out. Obviously big fan of having to
go to Miami and Vegas, but at the same time, big loss having to lose classic
European races, I think. Hopefully for the future we can find a compromise
where maybe races that cannot afford to be in the calendar every year,
year-in, year-out, can be in the calendar once every two years, once every
three years. You know? And we keep coming back to the places that we've
always been. Business is business. Liberty and Formula 1 will look at what
they have to do, I guess, for business, but I wouldn't like to stop racing
in Europe. I think it's a great place to go racing, it’s where our heritage
is and I think we need to keep coming back, even if it's not every single
year, but at least keep it on the calendar.
AA: Not much to add to these guys. I feel like Carlos said it pretty well
that alternating is a good idea to keep some of the races that we've been
racing at going on. I'm sure a lot of us, we've started racing in Europe.
That's kind-of our background roots. So, it's great to go back and I think
we will enjoy racing over there. So… yeah.
EO: We haven't lost the great Spa, the great Monza and all these circuits at
the moment, so yeah, it would be definitely a big shame to lose them, and I
think we're all on the same opinion, you know, drivers, teams, and probably
Formula 1 as well. So, it's not a topic for now, but happy to go to Vegas
and Miami and discover a little bit the States and the new tracks.
Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diario AS) Question for the two Spanish drivers. During
the last few years, most of the races were in Europe or the Middle East
because of the pandemic. So, how are you dealing with the jet lag now? How
do you feel considering you have to drive a Formula 1 car in a few hours?
FA: It's good. It was never a problem too much for me. And it's still not.
So yeah, I'm okay. Biggest thing of today is to come in now for the press
conference, four hours before the free practice, but apart from this new
format, everything's okay.
CS: I wouldn't have said it better. Yeah, 8am alarm clock for a 1pm session
was not ideal. But I've been getting my sleep well, I don't struggle with
jet lag at all. But maybe we need to think about what we will do with this
super-early press conference to help the drivers also arrive a bit better
rested and give them the chance to… after doing 23 races a year, give them
the chance to also get a bit of a rest.
Q: (Angelica Snowden – The Australian) I've got a question for Esteban and
Fernando. Your reserve driver is Oscar Piastri. Can you tell us what it's
like to have him on your team? And do you think you'll have a full-time seat
anytime soon?
EO: Oscar is a great guy. I've been invited to his birthday as well this
week. I mean, he's very involved in the team, he's going to have a great
testing programme, he’s going to be probably the best prepared driver ever,
with the test programme that he's got at Alpine, so, yeah, I'm very sure
he's going to have a seat in Formula 1 shortly. I don’t know where in the
paddock, but opportunity comes for the ones who deserve it. And Oscar is one
of them. He’s won all the major titles and he’s very professional and
dedicated. So yeah, I'm sure you will see him around pretty soon.
FA: Yes, similar comments. He's a good guy, obviously very talented, won all
the junior categories until now, which obviously shows that he has the
talent, and very professional and hardworking on the simulator and on the
factory, in all our meetings. So yeah, it was his birthday, I think two days
ago. So, he’s still very young. And hopefully he finds a seat soon.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Another question for Carlos, please. Just
following up what you said earlier about a big upgrade can make the
difference for either Ferrari or Red Bull. How confident is Ferrari that it
can match Red Bull, which has a very, very good track record of making a car
quicker over the course of a season? Thank you.
CS: I mean, we're confident we can develop our car. We already have
obviously pieces running in the wind tunnel, and a car in a wind tunnel that
is better than the one that we have right now on track – like all the teams
have. But we keep saying that Red Bull and Mercedes are the favourites,
because we haven't been in a title fight in the last few years. In the
previous years, these teams have out-developed Ferrari, so we are still
super cautious, because we know we have a great car and we have put together
on track a great car – but these two teams have been in the title fight for
the last two or three years, they know how much you need to improve, they
know exactly what they need to do. And we maybe, are lacking that bit of
experience. I think we have great people, and we are prepared – but we don't
know. So, we are still cautious and are expecting a bit to see what happens.
Q: ( Lawrence Edmondson – ESPN) A number of drivers made clear in Saudi
Arabia that they'd like to talk about what happened there with the missile
attack, and the safety of the race and going forward. Since then, I think it
was the Wednesday afterwards, Stefano said that F1 will definitely be back
next year, and that it's the sport’s duty to bring about change and shine a
light on the country. I just wondered if you all agreed with Stefano’s
comments on that?
EO: Yeah, for Saudi Arabia, of course, I mean, there were concerns,
obviously. We discussed for a long time, with all the drivers but once we
spoke to the authorities and Formula 1, you know, they reassured us that
there was no danger for us, and that we were all safe. So, we were
definitely happy to race in the future. Of course, if that's the same, very
happy to go back to Jeddah and keep racing to the races of the calendar and
trust FIA and Formula 1 for our safety.
AA: I think safety comes first. I think Stefano, he said the thing on
Wednesday, I'm sure we still need to talk about it a little bit more in
detail between ourselves. But apart from that, as Esteban said, I think if
the safety is there, then we have no issues at all coming back.
CS: Nothing to add.
Q: (Carlos Miguel – Marca) Fernando, you have in Melbourne a new floor. Are
you happy with the rhythm of the evolution of Alpine, and you have in the
past good battles with Carlos Sainz. Do you think at the end of this one it
could be possible, Alpine stay near Ferrari?
FA: I didn't know that we have a new floor, first of all! So, yeah, I don't
think that that's the case, unfortunately. I mean, we don't have a hugely
different car compared to Jeddah here. I think hopefully in the next races,
but we will try to keep working on the car and on the performance side of
it. And then, to match the Ferrari pace, I think it's going to be difficult
because obviously, we are eight-tenths, or one second behind at the moment,
looking at the first two races in qualifying performance. To close that gap,
it will be a little bit too optimistic – but let's see. We need to keep
working, and it’s so early days on these cars, that you may find something
much bigger than what you thought at the beginning, when you test it on the
wind tunnel, and maybe you make a huge step. So that's what we… all teams
try to find in these early months of the Championship. We will do our best.
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Fernando, following your comments about Oscar,
obviously Alpine are very keen to get him into an F1 seat as soon as
possible. Do you feel under any pressure at all to decide what you're doing
for next year – because that would impact Albion's plans with Oscar moving
forward?
FA: No. I think obviously, if I was 25, there would not be this talk. It’s
an age thing. People try to find a way for the young talents, but I think
this is about performance. And last year, I think I did well. I finished
slightly in front of Esteban. Let's see this year, the battle goes! This is
about performance, not about age, and I will, as I said, at the beginning of
the year, I think I still feel competitive and fast and I feel that I'm
enjoying time in Formula 1, so we'll race, I guess, a couple more years. Two
or three more years and if it’s with Alpine, it will be good if it’s with
another team will be good as well. But you know, I will find out, and I will
start these discussions probably in summer, and let’s see.
DRIVER GROUP 2 – Zhou GUANYU (Alfa Romeo), Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull
Racing), George RUSSELL (Mercedes), Mick SCHUMACHER (Haas)
Q: Let's kick things off with all of your thoughts please on being back
racing in Melbourne after three years?
George RUSSELL: It's great to be back here obviously is a long way to travel
for sure. But it's worth it because seeing all the fans, the excitement they
have, the passion they have for Formula 1 is pretty incredible, thinking
that most of the races that they watch are probably past midnight for them,
yet they still stay up and support all of us. So it's a pleasure to be back.
Sergio PÉREZ: Yeah really nice to consider a lot of Aussies are really happy
to have us here. And yeah, super happy to be back. I think the circuit looks
very racy with four DRS zones and I really hope we can give them a really
nice race, they deserve it.
Zhou GUANYU: Like the others you know, super happy to be here because it's
actually my first time visiting the city. I’ve only been in Australia twice,
this is the second time, and yeah, the new layout is quite entertaining.
Obviously it’s new for me, so it doesn't really make much difference for my
reference. But apart from that it's great to have all the fans back, they
are so passionate about [F1] and you know, we get stuck outside of our hotel
get stuck on the entry coming to the paddock, so it's great to have them and
yeah, hopefully we can give them a good show this weekend.
Mick SCHUMACHER: Yeah, first race [here for me]. I think the only time I
came here to, let's say, visit the Grand Prix was in 2011. I came with my
dad so you know great memories from then. But good to be here as a warm
driving myself and do my experiences here to admit.
Q: Mick, it seems you've gone full Australia this week. You've been to the
Australia Zoo with Robert Irwin, we've seen you surfing and you've been
having a great time.
MS: Yeah, a great time. I mean, I came pretty soon after Jeddah and you
know, I spent some time here. Went to Byron Bay, went to Brisbane and
obviously the Australia Zoo. And yeah, I had a good time and got sunburned,
which, you know, shouldn't happen too often, but unfortunately, it does
happen here. I got to meet great people and had a good time.
Q: George, back to you. You've spent 61 laps so far this year in fifth
position. Is that an accurate reflection of the car’s pace?
GR: I think so. We're a long way behind Ferrari and Red Bull. I think we
were probably further behind them in Jeddah. And we understand why, but
obviously, when we had things optimised, or more optimised in Bahrain, we
were still half a second, six tenths behind. So we need to obviously close
that gap. But there's nothing substantial this weekend that will do that.
It's going take time and I think we just have to be disciplined and patient
because we are so far behind them. Because you know with the cost cap we
can't afford just to throw things at it and trial and error [things] at race
weekend. We need to trust the process and bring the upgrades when we have
total faith and confidence they will do as we expect, and you know, there'll
be a number of races before we start seeing that.
Q: If you optimise the setup this weekend. Do you think you'll be closer to
Red Bull and Ferrari than you were in Jeddah?
GR: Yeah, I think so. Closer than we were in Jeddah, but obviously, we were
probably a second off the pace in Jeddah. So there's nothing that's going to
really put us in the fight with those guys, we have just got to make sure
that we maximise our result, which as a team is being a third fastest team,
making sure that none of the midfield cars sneak in between us, and just
gather those points where we can. And you know, this is going to be the case
for a number of races that come now.
Q: What's the mood in the camp? Is frustration creeping in?
GR: No, I think it's more optimism and excitement to be honest, because we
do believe there is a solution. And we do believe there's a lot of lap time
on the table once we do optimise that. So we're not here scratching our
heads, not understanding why we're off the pace. We absolutely know where
we're off the pace and we know what we need to work on to improve that. And
having that knowledge, having that understanding of what the issues are, and
having the belief that we can solve it, is quite an exciting place to be,
because it gives us all something to go for. But we do appreciate that our
rivals will be continuously improving and even if we improve, there's no
reason why they won't be improving, as well. So it's going to take time for
sure.
Q: Checo, coming back to you. We saw so much speed from you in Jeddah, of
course, with that pole position. Do you come here with more confidence as a
result?
SP: Yeah, certainly it was good form in qualifying. It was nice to get that
pole, especially in a moment where we thought Ferrari had the [upper] hand
on us, you know, we were thinking more about the race. And to be able to
beat them in qualifying was really nice. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out,
didn't translate into the race – we were a bit unlucky with the safety car
there. But yeah, I think definitely a lot of positives. I think we are all
still learning from these cars. And as drivers and teams, I just think that
the momentum and the progress that we are able to make, it's going to make
the difference.
Q: You say you're still learning about the car. But on the evidence so far
this year, you've got a very good handle on the RB18. Do you think this car
suits you, Checo Pérez, particularly?
SP: Well, I think one of the main differences is that we are all starting
from zero, you know. Last year when I came, you’ve got to remember that it
was like the third year of the same regulation. So the cars were fairly
similar. So when you join a new team, it's quite hard to catch up. But when
we are all starting from zero, it certainly makes a difference. But I do
believe that everyone is just figuring out how to drive these cars the best,
you know. I don't think there's anyone at the moment who is 100% with their
cars, and similarly with the teams you know, so there will be a lot of
improvements coming from here.
Q: And how do you see the battle at the front this weekend? Do you think
it's going to be exclusively Red Bull against Ferrari or can someone else
join that?
SP: Well, I feel like probably Jeddah the pace difference was a bit extreme,
but Jeddah is a particular place. But if you look at Bahrain, Mercedes was
really close to us. In the first laps, they were fighting with Ferrari, in
the initial laps. So, I mean, it only takes a couple of tenths to put anyone
in the fight at the front. So I wouldn't be surprised if there are more
teams joining at the front.
Q: Zhou, back to you. First impressions of the track layout here. What do
you think?
ZG: It's pretty cool. It's quite a lot different to what I’ve seen in the
past from the on board. You know, it's quite similar to… it’s a little bit
of a straight circuit, even though it's a race track, because you know, you
see some exit kerbs for example, the last corner, they reduced the exit of
you know, this astroturf off the kerb and made them more tiny and then
there’s just a bit of a kerb and then it goes into a wall, so also the entry
of the corners I think is a tricky one because you have the grass on the
left hand side, so we see in the past when people drop one wheel on that it
could be a huge crash or shunt. But nevertheless I like quite a lot the
track particularly with the four DRS zones. I think there'll be plenty of
opportunities in the race to be you know, overtaking, getting past, all that
so it could be very entertaining with plenty of opportunities.
Q: What is the goal for you this weekend?
ZG: Not hitting the anti-stall on lap one. I think after the first two
weekends I learned how to understand a bit more like that because in Formula
2, you know, you can use any gears you want and the engine never goes into
that mode. So here you need to understand exactly when the revs are kicking
in and to be doing the right procedure and yeah, we tried to improve
together with the Ferrari for me to be understanding and make the progress
on that and I'm more confident now after the two weekends but nevertheless
is new track for me and some drivers so we just have to you know get into
the rhythm and build up the pace.
Q: Mick, Before we move on, how are you feeling? Are there any ill effects
from the crash in Jeddah?
MS: No, nothing. I mean directly after the qualifying, I felt alright, the
whole time and yeah, just itching to get back out on track and go racing.
Q: Tell us about your expectations for this weekend. I'd love to get your
thoughts on the track but also, do you think the car will suit this track?
MS: Well, in the past usually we always had good races here. So you know,
hopefully that'll be the case for this year too. We have a good car and I
don't know right now if the track will suit us or not, but usually, you
know, it's been quite positive on every track we've gone to so far. So yeah,
we'll just have to wait and see. And I'm just excited to get to see the
track. It's not awfully new to me. Sorry, awfully, yeah, new to me because
it is brand new. I think that didn't make sense! But anyways, it's the first
time that I’ll drive here. So it's, you know, it's brand new for me as it
is, and I don't know how the old track was.
Q: Checo says the four DRS zones are going to make it very racy. Do you
agree with it?
MS: I guess so. You know, I think that playing the detection zones will be
more important here. I mean, we already saw that it became a thing and I'm
sure it will be here too.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) A question for all four of you. We had the
announcement last week that Las Vegas will be joining the F1 calendar from
next season. Can I get your thoughts on that? And how cool is it for F1 to
get a third race in the United States?
GR: It is incredible to see the space Formula 1 is in at the moment and the
excitement around the sport. I think it's brilliant for all the teams, for
the drivers. And I guess it's put in Formula 1 and the luxury position that
we can almost cherry pick the races we want to go to and whether in the
future, there'll be sort of rotations of races. I think that's a really
great idea. And I think there's some further races that potentially, you
know, could be coming on to the calendar, which I think is great. And we’ll
be in Las Vegas. It's just I mean, it's going to be mental for everybody
there and yeah, just good for the sport. So I'm sure a lot of people in the
paddock are happy it's a Saturday night race. They’ll be hitting the town on
Sunday morning.
Q: Have you ever been to Las Vegas?
GR: I went to Las Vegas as a 12-year-old to do a go-kart race. So I
definitely didn't live the Las Vegas lifestyle. But I went there twice. And
to be honest, even as a 12-year-old, the atmosphere in the city was amazing.
Just walking down the strip, there was music playing and there was just a
really cool vibe there. And I’ve already got a feel for the place. So I'm
sure with F1 being there, racing on the strip, it's going to be insane.
Q: Checo, your thoughts?
SP: Vegas, yeah, I'm super happy. Formula 1 it's becoming a bit more
American, so definitely a bit closer to Mexico. So I might end up living
finally at home. So that's great. I mean, it's great to see how the sport is
growing so much in the States, in all America. And yeah, I think Vegas is
going to be a fantastic opportunity for the sport and for the fans to see
the cars, see F1. I just think it's a great combination: F1 with Vegas, it's
fantastic.
Q: Have you ever been?
SP: Oh yeah! Too many times. I mean, certainly the best nights of my life
have been in Vegas.
Q: Should we leave it there? Zhou, your thoughts, please?
ZG: Yeah, it's always exciting to go there. Because obviously I never been
there in the past and we're not just friends in Vegas. You know, we're
racing right in the centre, where everything's happening, also in the night
and yeah, I think it’s a very cool place to go and, you know, Formula 1
going into all these coolest places in the world is very nice for the
drivers also. And yeah, I guess there will be plenty of people around and
the race will finish quite late. And now hopefully in the future one we
request for tracks, and then this will come true. So I will request some
more tracks back home in China.
Q: Mick, your thoughts?
MS: Yeah, it's great to go to the States. I like the States and I have never
been to Vegas. So surely it will be an interesting one. And maybe we'll see
if Checo can now show us around some good spots or tours. Yeah, so looking
forward to it.
Q: (Matt Coch – Speedcafe.com) To all four of you: as the calendar grows
with the likes of Las Vegas. Obviously, there's a logical point at which we
can’t have more races. Are you concerned that some of the more historic
races will drop off and what are your thoughts on losing some of that in
favour of events like Las Vegas and Miami?
MS: Yeah, obviously, it would be a shame to lose historic tracks. But I'm
sure that as far as speaking for Formula 1, I'm sure they will keep an eye
on it and keep the good races in there. But yeah, it's great to go to new
places. I mean, Las Vegas is I think something we've all been keen on going
to, and especially as well, Miami, so yeah, it will be interesting to see
what new tracks come on. And in some ways we also have to make those places
become historical in some way.
ZG: Yeah. Well, to be honest, I don't see all these classic tracks will be
out of the calendar. I think they always stay on these tracks that have been
very historic in the past. And obviously, it's not up to us to decide where
to go but like Mike said, you know, when we go to some new places, seeing
the new areas, new scenarios around it always brings extra excitements, but
of course we as drivers still do like to keep all these historic tracks that
have been in Formula 1 for years so it's always good to be going there as
well together.
SP: I think, first of all, it's great that Formula 1 is growing so much in
another continent. So it's a great opportunity for Formula 1, for the sport,
I think we are all going to benefit from it. So it's fantastic. But at the
same time it would be good to keep the history within the sport, and we need
those historic tracks to always be with us. And we have to make sure that
when we go to new venues, to really have some character on the tracks, you
know. I felt like some of the new tracks kind of lack a bit of character. So
that will be very important.
GR: Yeah, I think times are changing and sport is evolving. Obviously, you
do have to keep some of these historic tracks but I think they've got to be
worthwhile for everybody. As long as we keep Silverstone. I think as a
historic track, that's probably the one that you can say needs to stay on
the calendar, not just from motorsport predominantly being based in the UK
and all the teams being there. But obviously, if it were to be a rotational
calendar, changing the circuits every two years, you can get the best of
both worlds so I think we just need to stay open minded.
MS: The German Grand Prix should come back. Yeah that's what we need to keep
an eye on like, you know, go back to Germany and do rotations there with
Nürburgring, Hockenheim. You know, we have good tracks there.
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Checo and George, you've raced here in Melbourne
for the season opener before. Obviously we've not done that for the past
couple of years but moving forward do you have any preference? Would you
rather race in Melbourne or is Bahrain OK as a season opener?
GR: I think Melbourne as a season opener was really cool, because everybody
came out here early. And it was a lot of excitement and anticipation, but I
think having Melbourne in between races, especially as a standalone is too
tough for the teams and everybody. People came out on Saturdays and Sundays
to get acclimatised to the conditions, to the time zone change and it's just
too much I think. I think it needs to be thought about more. I think there's
no reason why we couldn't do it back-to-back with all one of the Middle
Eastern races. But yeah, it feels like another double header for all of the
teams with the amount of time they spend in this part of the world. And as
the season is getting longer and longer, we need to find a better balance.
SP: I fully agree with George. I think it works well at the moment because
we are doing the winter testing in Bahrain, so it makes sense to stay there.
But it really has to be back-to-back with one of those races because just
coming to Australia, for a single race it's quite painful for everyone.
Q: (Adam Cooper – motorsport.com) The weight of these cars went up, in part
because the FIA beefed up the chassis regulations, mainly in response to the
Romain and Antoine accidents. Given the scale of Mick’s crash in Jeddah,
sideways into a concrete wall, how encouraged are you that the FAA is
continuing this push for safety in conjunction with your teams?
MS: Yeah, I mean, to be able to stand there in Jeddah right after the crash
and you know to feel fully OK just shows, you know, the safety of these
cars. And I mean, I think we have an improvement of 300%, from what I know.
So yeah, you know, Formula 1 and the FIA are definitely going the right way.
GR: Yeah, it's pretty incredible to see what the cars can withhold in an
incident like that. But equally, you know, this is still motorsport, we're
still travelling at, you know, 300 kilometres an hour plus. Those speeds and
those forces you face in an incident, you'll never truly have a kind of
bulletproof car. But it's great to see that we're continuously striving for
more.
SP: It was great to see the improvements we are making. But we just have to
keep evolving year by year to keep making the sport as safe as we possibly
can.
ZG: Yeah, nothing more to add. I mean, you know, it's nice to see the right
direction we're going and of course, was this year’s new chassis, new car,
it’s more stiff, more heavy and better for safety. So it's always the
correct way to do.
Q: (Roger Byron – Beyond the Racing Line) Mick. Is there a reserve driver in
the country at the moment? With Kevin, obviously unwell, at the moment. Do
you know if there's a reserve driver for Haas here?
MS: Well, Kevin is is fit to race and fit to drive. So to be honest, I don't
know if there is or not. I haven't seen Pietro around. Yeah, I guess that
answers the question, right.
Q: (Michael Lynch – The Age/Sydney Morning Herald) Just referring back to
what you said about Melbourne being a standalone race and it being such a
way of wearing kind of experience for you and your teams. You obviously
still want Bahrain to be the opening race, given the testing schedule, so do
you think they should move Melbourne to maybe finish the season and be the
last race, like Adelaide used to be all those years before most of you were
born??
GR: I think if it's geographically correct, then there's no reason why…
We're happy for the race to be at any point in the season. We obviously race
very far east with Japan and Singapore, China, [which we] obviously don’t
have this year, but I'm sure it will be on the calendar or it is on the
calendar from next year onwards. I just think there's a better compromise to
be had, as it can be done. I know there's a huge amount of limitation
involved. But yeah, I think we need to come to Australia, we need to come to
this part of the world, but as we said, as a standalone I think it's just
too much for everyone.
SP: I think if it makes sense. Yes. I think I fully agree with George on
everything he said. We definitely all want to come here. But I think there's
things we can improve that and in all fairness to F1, Australia hasn't been
in the calendar for the last for the last years, so I'm sure that going
forward so they can have a look at it.
ZG: You know, for me, I think, you know, it's not about where to place
Australia it’s more like to have a race that if we come to this part of the
world, to have a race that IS more close to here rather than you know, going
all the way back to Europe for the next race. So that's what makes it for
the team very difficult with all the travel and always the freight, you
know, going through, out and back.
MS: Yeah, I mean, I agree with the fact that teams have to move back and
forwards quite a lot. I mean, we're going basically from Australia now to
Europe to then go to Miami, so It's like we travel three continents in the
next three races. So yeah, per se, otherwise, I enjoy coming here early and
spending time here. But yeah, I understand that for the team, obviously it's
kind of difficult.
DRIVER GROUP 3 – Pierre GASLY (AlphaTauri), Daniel RICCIARDO (McLaren),
Charles LECLERC (Ferrari) Nicholas LATIFI (Williams), Sebastian VETTEL
(Aston Martin)
Q: Let's start with the hometown hero. I think we can call you that Daniel,
just describe. Just describe what it's like to be back racing in Melbourne?
Daniel RICCIARDO: Oh it's a very nice feeling. That doesn't really do it
justice, very nice. It's a special feeling. And, you know, obviously we
missed it for a few years, for sure. And even yesterday, I think yesterday
was the perfect example. It was a Thursday, the walk in, the fans… I don't
know if they thought the race was yesterday but it was it was literally like
a Sunday it was it was pretty special, an awesome welcome. So yeah, cool to
be back. And also just excited to drive on a new layout. That's always fun
and exciting. So yeah, we'll see how it goes. Is it a myth that Vettel is
racing this weekend? Because I don't know, maybe he's fooled us. He's pretty
punctual as well.
Q: What's your schedule been
like? Let's just start talking about that, before we get into the track.
DR: It's been pretty good, actually. I guess one thing over the years that
I've tried to learn is how to kind of manage a home race better. Most… All
of us up here can relate to a home Grand Prix. So yeah, it can be very
intense, very hectic… you'll get one this year. So you're trying to…
Obviously you want to do what you can for home, especially because I don't
live here full time anymore, so you definitely want to give as much as you
can but also still make sure that you're in a good place to perform well on
Sunday. I think we've done well this weekend. I had a little event on
Tuesday, which was quite short and then it's kind of built up slowly from
Wednesday onwards. But yeah, I was out of the paddock at like 5pm yesterday,
which was pretty good. Happy.
Q: And what about the track
changes? You had a little bit to do with it I think?
DR: Yes. I'm going to claim all of it if the race is wicked and awesome and
everyone's talking well about it. But it was already back in 2019, a few of
us drivers were involved in the discussions about how we can, you know, make
Albert Park a little more racer friendly for Sunday and open up some of the
apexes. And it's always been a fun track, there wasn't any… from a drivers
point of view it was always enjoyable, but it was not, I would say, a track
that provided the most amount of overtaking. And it was trying to really
encourage that and see if we could still keep some of the character of the
circuit, but yeah, just help out with Sunday. I'm confident it's better.
It's just now probably what scale, but I think we'll have a good race. And
now with these new cars as well we can follow and run a lot closer. I think
we'll be in store for a good one.
Q: Hopefully it'll be a good race for Formula 1. What about McLaren??
DR: I hope so too.
Q: How confident are you?
DR: I always have a good level of, let's say, inner confidence. But yeah,
we've had Bahrain, we were obviously not competitive. In a week from that we
went to Saudi and we showed more competitiveness. So that was really just a
track dependent thing. So hopefully, this circuit, I think it does lead more
towards like a Saudi layout, then a Bahrain one and I think that'll help us
a little bit at the moment where we currently are so let's try it. Let's try
qualifying Q3. That'll be our first of the year, so that that's a target,
Q: Best of luck to you. Charles
if we can come to you now. Can we get your thoughts on the changes to the
track?
Charles LECLERC: Well, it looks good. It looks much quicker. Probably for
our car I would prefer to stay with the old layout. But that's only from a
performance point of view. But I think for overtaking, as Daniel said, I
think it will definitely be better. Then, how much better, it's still yet to
see. But it looks interesting. I mean, Turn 6 and 7 will be quite
challenging for us now. Nine and 10 we will arrive at much higher speed. So
it should be an exciting track.
Q: You say that perhaps you would have liked to have the old layout for the
performance characteristics of your car. But do you see any reason why
Ferrari can't be right up there this weekend?
CL: No, the only thing I'm the only reason why I'm saying that is just
because Red Bull seems to be very strong in the straight lines and there is
quite a lot of straight line speed now or straight lines in general now, so
we might struggle a bit more, but it's like this, I'm still pretty sure that
if we do the perfect weekend, there's still an opportunity for us to do
very, very well. So we'll just focus on our own job. And hopefully we'll
have a great weekend.
Q: Charles, you're leading the championship by 12 points, what's your
mentality coming into the weekend?
CL: Again, just try and focus on ourself. I think, even though we are
leading the championship, we've only done two races. So it's still pretty
early to think about the championship. But yeah, just focus on ourselves,
try to maximise the package. I think Imola will probably be a better track
for our car. So here, it's all about taking as many points as we can, not do
any big mistakes and focus on ourselves.
Q: Pierre, coming to you. Let's
get your thoughts on the track layout?
Pierre GASLY: Yeah, it looks really cool. I mean, it looks a lot faster than
it was, which is always as a driver something really exciting, especially
what Charles said, you know, Turn 6/7 is going to be very high speed
content, 9 and 10 coming at extremely high speed. So I think driving wise is
going to be a pure joy. Racing wise we still need to see how it goes on
Sunday. But yeah, especially with these new cars the first two races have
been pretty fun from a driver perspective, so hopefully that is going to be
the case again this weekend.
Q: Now you've had one DNF and then you were eighth last time out in Jeddah.
Are you still learning about this AlphaTauri? How confident are you now in
the car?
PG: I must say we were learning every, every single session. You know, I
think it's pretty much like any other team, we are trying to develop the car
constantly, weekend after weekend. And it's really tight in the midfield.
But we haven't reached a point where both Yuki and myself are really, really
happy with the car that we have at the moment. So there is quite a lot of
work. We trying to do over the next couple of races to try to improve the
balance, try to find more performance, because these two tenths that we
could find in the midfield could mean we go from P7 to P14 (sic). So yeah,
extremely important that we keep focusing on ourselves. But yeah, I'm
confident in the team and in ourselves to make this progress over the next
few weeks.
Q: The team has a fantastic record here in Melbourne, having scored points
in seven of the last nine Australian Grands Prix. What are your goals for
the weekend?
PG: I think first of all to change mine because my record here is terrible!
I think I've been only twice here, for my first season and then yeah, 2019
wasn't a good one. So no, I think I will change that. It's a track I really
like actually. Driving wise it's very challenging. The margin for error is
so small. And yeah, it just gives you a nice shot of adrenaline every time
you get on track. So yeah, we'll focus on building on from Saudi, we had a
good P8 and yeah, we'll try to keep that momentum.
Q: Nicholas, coming to you. Now, you were hoping to make your Formula 1
debut at this venue back in 2020. Of course, that didn't happen. So how
excited are you to finally be getting on track here at Albert Park?
Nicholas LATIFI: Yeah, it's definitely nice to be back in Melbourne. And,
you know, I was just saying before coming in, the last time I was sat in
this room we were four drivers getting questioned if we should even be here
in the first place with the pandemic just starting. So it's nice to be back
knowing we're going to be getting on track later today. And yeah, I'm super
excited to get my first taste of the track. Obviously, I don't have the
experience of the old layout. But just from having watched all the races in
many of the past years it's clear that this layout should hopefully improve
the racing. Time will tell, but yeah, it'll be a lot to discover for me
today.
Q: Now, Jeddah turned out to be a difficult weekend for you. What lessons
did you learn there? And how will that help you this weekend?
NL: Jeddah was clearly a challenge. I mean, we're still as a team, and as
well on the personal side, trying to understand the car, it's kind of, let's
say performance envelope and the limitations and I mean, it's obvious we're
not where we want to be as a team. Not only struggling with overall
downforce but also the balance of the car. It's quite tricky at the moment
and especially I guess, at a track like Jeddah, which really gives you no
margin for error – very, very high speed, very, very high grip, nowhere to
run off. It's yeah, obviously it caught me out a few times unfortunately
with the unpredictability we're having with a car right now. So it's still,
as Pierre said, learning a lot we do every session we do. So just looking to
continue that this weekend.
Q: We saw you do some footy yesterday with St. Kilda, FC, you found a new
passion?
NL: I definitely wouldn't go as far as to say it's a new passion. Actually,
a fun fact: I don't know how old I was but a long, long time ago in school
we had an Australian gym exchange teacher and he actually made us do some
Aussie rules football for a semester. I had, I was going say throw, but you
don't throw the ball, you like punch with your hand and kicked one of those
around before but yeah, it was quite fun.
Q: Sebastian, welcome. Good to see you. First up, how are you feeling?
Sebastian VETTEL: I'm fine. Thank you, obviously better than two weeks ago.
Q: Can you just describe the experience of seeing someone else race your
car? Because the last two races were the first time you've been absent from
the entry list since the European Grand Prix back in 2007.
SV: Yeah, it was strange. It was strange to watch. But at the same point, I
felt that just, you know… I had races where I was feeling a bit ill and
raced, but [this time] it was not possible. So it was definitely the right
decision and strange to watch. But on the other hand, also interesting to
see how it looks from the outside. And yeah, Nico, I think did really well,
obviously with zero preparation, to jump in and do that kind of job. And I
was part of all the meetings, briefings, listening to the drivers all the
time. So tried to make the most of it, but it was a bit strange.
Q: Well, it gets underway for you this weekend. You've always gone well at
this track, you've won three times, what can we expect from you and Aston
Martin?
SV: Well, maybe not a win, I think that would be a bit difficult. It's not a
secret we are not where we want to be. And it's clear, if you're at the
back, then you're never where you want to be. So a lot of work ahead of us.
But we will try to learn more this weekend and get a further understanding
of the difficulties and struggles that we have with the car. Looking forward
to the track. I mean, I love this place. And the season always used to kick
off here, so for me in a way it does. So that's good. And they changed the
track quite a bit. So maybe they made it better. Maybe they made it worse.
I've always liked the track. So look forward to getting in the car.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) It's a question to Charles, please. Just
based on what you were saying earlier, even if it can't happen this weekend,
what can Ferrari do to its car, the changes you can make to match or even
beat Red Bull on that straight line speed?
CL: Well, first of all, I think in the last race, they had a different
downforce level than us. So, whenever we'll have this, I think we'll do a
step forward. And then, just again, focus on ourselves, try to develop the
car. I think we have a few things that are quite interesting. That will come
in the next few races. So hopefully this will help us to get to get the
upper hand again. But again, it's very, very close. So every little
difference, every little update that we bring to the car can make the
difference. So yeah, we'll push 100%.
Q: (Silja Rulle - Bild) My question is to Seb. Obviously, you missed two
races, how big would you say is the disadvantage you have on getting to know
the car getting used to the car getting maybe a feeling for it?
SV: Well, we had a decent test, and we had, you know, more tests than last
year in a way. And it's not too long ago, but for sure I missed the race
rhythm. You know, it's obviously a disadvantage not to have had those two
races and race with these cars. But yeah, I think it will be okay. I've done
this before, so should be OK.
Q: (Fred Ferret – l’Equipe) A question to Pierre. How comfortable are you
with all the new tracks that you drive now like Jeddah, Miami, or Las Vegas
while your own Grand Prix is in danger? And what can you do for that, and
quickly for Daniel: how difficult was it to be an Aussie and become an F1
driver?
PG: Well, obviously, being French, I will always support the French Grand
Prix and I have a special connection there because the thing is, and Daniel
can experience it this weekend, is the motivation, the energy, the
atmosphere is something you only feel in your homeland and that your people,
your kind of fans can make you feel in this sort of moment. So, I really
hope we can see the French Grand Prix over the next few years. Obviously, if
it would depend only on myself I'll sign the contract already now, but I'm
not sure Stefano will allow me to do that. And yeah, there are other things
that they got to discuss first. So obviously, I don't think these days any
Grand Prix is kind of safe. Because F1, the popularity is so high, you know,
everybody wants us. I think it is great to see the new tracks like Miami,
Vegas, all these super entertaining places. And yeah, we'll see how it goes.
But hopefully, we can have a very nice addition, a very nice event this
season. It's been pretty difficult with COVID. And I still haven't felt like
I've managed to experience the full experience of film race yet. So really
looking forward to this year. And yeah, fingers crossed it's going stick
with us, staying on the calendar for the next few years.
DR: Yeah, I think it's just more moving away from home, you know, and
obviously, Australia is far away from, let's say, the hub in Europe. And
also at least for my case, I went to Europe without a name yet, you know, no
one knew who I was. I hadn't competed in Europe. I'd actually done one race
in the UK. But that was it, you know, so I was just an unknown driver from
Australia. And there hadn't been many F1 Australian drivers before me. So
the pool was small. And so you have to definitely establish yourself
quickly. But I think the biggest challenge is, yeah, just living away from
home and having that kind of that level of discipline, and maturity at a
young age. I think when I left Australia, I wasn't very mature yet. But I
grew up very quickly and understood what was ahead of me, and I think you
know, that kind of set me on the straight and narrow and just gave me the
right kind of mindset to chase it. But you obviously have to deal with
missing home and all the rest of it. But in the end it's a choice. It's not
necessarily a sacrifice. So, a choice I made and I was happy to stick by it
and give it a good crack.
Q: (Don Kennedy – Hawke's Bay Today/New Zealand Herald) Question for
Sebastian. Your support for Ukraine is fairly obvious and may I say, I think
very appropriate. Do you think there's anything that F1 and maybe the teams
could do to support the people of Ukraine at this time?
SV: Well, there's always things we can do. I mean, it is absolutely horrible
to see what's going on. And I experience eve
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