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PART ONE - Charles LECLERC
(Ferrari), Valtteri BOTTAS (Alfa Romeo), Mick SCHUMACHER (Haas), Sergio
PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing), Fernando ALONSO (Alpine)
Q: Valtteri, we’ll start with
you. Before we come on to the racing, you've already just got back from
America. Tell us what you've been doing after Miami.
Valtteri BOTTAS: I think it's already a couple of days ago, I came back. I
was planning to come back earlier. But bit of issues with the travels. But
yeah, stayed in the US. I love Colorado. So again, just exploring a bit more
that area and yeah, had a good week.
Q: Now let's, let's bring it on to performance. You didn't get many laps at
this racetrack during pre-season testing. Does that put you at a
disadvantage to those that did?
VB: For sure, would love to have more laps in the first test but. you know,
every team, every driver has been here for so many times. So I think we got
some data from the test. And anyway, I feel like the cars are quite
different already now than in the first test, at least in our team. So, no
big concerns. I think the main thing for this weekend is to prove that the
upgrades we have worked well. And we go from there.
Q: In what areas of performance do you need to feel more performance from
the Alfa?
VB: We still need better stability in high-speed corners, which is going to
be a good test here because of the entry into Turn Nine. But also, the
reliability is not still where it should be. So, hopefully we can have a
nice and clean weekend and without any issues. That will be good.,
Q: Let's come on to the hometown hero now. Fernando Alonso. Fernando was
back in Barcelona. It's a full house this weekend. Just how excited are you
to be racing?
Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, it is great. Obviously we have only one opportunity
in the year to race at home so ready to maximise it and enjoy every single
minute of the weekend. Hopefully we put a clean weekend on our side, Friday
Saturday and Sunday with not too many issues and we can score points
finally.
Q: What does maximising the weekend mean for you and Alpine at the minute?
FA: Well, at the moment we have been quite fast on Friday and Saturdays but
then on Sunday we – for different reasons – our own mistakes, reliability,
bad luck, whatever, we didn't score as many points as we wanted. So, we want
to change this year from Barcelona and have a good run on consecutive races
in the points from now on.
Q: You've been having a bit of fun since Miami as well. Tell us what you've
been up to, specifically with Aleix Espargaró.
FA: Well, with both Aprilia guys. Last Tuesday, we had some fun on my
hometown in Oviedo, on my circuit. And they came to visit us, together with
Castrol, our sponsor. I was riding some mini bikes and they were running
also with us and then go-karts and Clios, so it was a fun day.
Q: Now talking of doing something different Mick Schumacher, you certainly
did something different after Miami. How was the NASCAR?
Mick SCHUMACHER: Yeah, quite different, actually. I mean, first time I was a
passenger. It felt quite scary going through the banking. As it was, I was
thinking we're gonna slip down but it was actually fine. And then yeah, I
got to drive myself. I was impressed about how much grip you have on the
oval itself. But the car just doesn't stop. It feels like they're no brakes.
You push as hard as you want, but the car doesn't stop. So yeah, we had a
good time. Good to feel something different, good to do something different,
so very much thank you for that.
Q: Let's talk about the Miami Grand Prix. Now it was a painful end to your
race there. Having watched the incident with Sebastian Vettel back on
television. What conclusions have you drawn?
MS: Yeah, well, obviously, I think everything got a bit heated in that
situation, for different reasons. And with Sebastian, we spoke about it
afterwards. I think we all concluded that, we all could have done something
different, something better. You know, it's unfortunate. Obviously, I think
we were all in the points of that time. Yeah, hopefully on to better race
this weekend.
Q: Well, let's bring it on to this weekend. You had limited running here in
pre-season testing. You've got no updates on the car this weekend. Are you
expecting a tough one?
MS: No, I don't think so. I mean, the car has so much potential, still to be
exploited. I think that we’ll keep focusing on that. Some teams do bring
updates, but you never know if they work or not. So, that's also a factor. I
think that we're okay. And I'm just excited to get out there.
Q: Charles, coming to you. We're talking upgrades. Ferrari have got some
this weekend, what are you expecting from them?
Charles LECLERC: Well, hopefully it will be good ones and enough to be in
front of Red Bull again. It's been close since the beginning of the season.
And every time they've brought upgrades, they, in the first part, came
closer and closer and now I think are a bit in front, especially in terms of
race pace. So, I hope it will be enough for us to jump back in front.
Q: Where's the focus? Is it straight-line speed at the minute?
CL: A little bit of everything. Obviously straight-line speed, I think also
slow-speed corners, they seemed to be very strong in Miami in slow-speed
corners. So, a little bit of this, of both of these areas.
Q: And Charles, Ferrari had a very successful pre-season test here at
Barcelona, given that you're running the upgrades as well how confident are
you coming into the weekend?
CL: To be honest, I don't know how much it means that we had good winter
testing here because it was a long time ago and already from that moment to
now, all the teams have done quite a big step forward. I'm pretty sure that
we'll see all the steps forward from this weekend onwards, because of the
upgrades. So, I think it will be all down to how much we’ll improve the car
with what we put on the car this weekend. And how much Red Bull will improve
the car with… if they have anything new on the car for this weekend. But I
don't think that is going to be a massive difference to what we've seen
since the beginning of the season. It has been very close and I hope it will
remain the same, but hopefully we will just have the edge for here.
Q: Charles, one final one for me. You've driven two 1970s Ferraris in recent
weeks. Niki Lauda’s 1974 car at the Monaco Historic last weekend, and then
of course, Gilles Villeneuve’s ’79 car a couple of weeks ago. Which one do
you prefer?
CL: Well, Niki's one was amazing, until the failure where it was a bit less
amazing there. But to be honest, the one of Gilles, that I that I drove, I
had the museum tyres, so I couldn't push at all: they were very, very old
tyres. It was difficult to go over 100kph, so I had a lot more fun into
Niki's car.
Q: Sergio, can we start by talking about Miami, you finished fourth but of
course, you were nursing that technical issue. Without that, do you think
you could have challenged and maybe beaten Carlos Sainz, and got on the
podium?
Sergio PÉREZ: Yeah, I certainly believe that we had the pace to do so,
especially at the end with the when we went for the new tyres, which, by the
way, had such a deficit on the straight-line speed that it was really hard
to get Carlos and I had to go for it when I had a small opportunity. And I
just went deep into it, into Turn One. But I think, definitely without the
issue, we could have done a double podium. And it was a shame that it cost
us a lot of points, but on the other hand was good that we were able to
finish the race because at some point it look really, really bad.
Q: How concerned are you about these lingering reliability issues?
SP: Well, they have… we've lost a lot of points already in these first races
with reliability. So, I really hope that we are able to sort them out
because, if this keeps happening during the weekend, if we're not able to do
all the miles through a weekend, they become very costly. They are able to
compromise your weekend. So, we are working really hard and we believe that
we are in a good position now.
Q: And Checo, how concerned are you about the upgrades that Ferrari are
bringing this weekend and the potential pace that they may have?
SP: They're gonna be strong, we know. And it will be interesting to see how
much of a step they're able to take. It's a very long season. And we will
just keep, keep pushing.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Adam Cooper – Motosport.com) Question for all of you. Carlos said
yesterday, he's concerned about long-term back and neck issues because of
the bouncing and generally stiffer suspensions of these cars. He wants to
start a debate with F1 and the FIA on it. Any thoughts on that subject? Are
you having issues?
SP: I don't particularly have any issues, but certainly, by all the teams,
by pushing the cars and pushing the aero, it becomes a problem. We all want
to have more load in the car, but then there's a compromise that you have to
make, by not having too much porpoising in it. So, at the moment, I think
it's really up to the driver and team to decide how much you push it. Or how
much you can take with you. But I don't think it's a big concern for us.
Q: Charles, you're driving the same car as Carlos, how much of an issue is
it for you?
CL: Yeah, I think I think it also depends on drivers, because Carlos seems
to be a bit more sensitive to it, compared to me, where I don't struggle as
much – but I definitely agree with him, that it should be something that
shouldn't happen with those cars. We got better with it but there are some
teams that are still struggling with it much more than we do, but for them,
I cannot speak. Looking at onboards, some cars look much worse than others.
We were definitely on the bad side at the beginning of the year. We got
better, but still, it's definitely something that we should look at.
Q: Mick?
MS: Yeah, I think I agree with everything said. Personally, I don't have a
problem with it but also, I think that we as a sport shouldn't have to deal
with that issue. I think the car should be well-engineered to not have that
problem. And I'm sure that for the future, we won't have it. Just because
now we know that it kind-of created it. I'm pretty sure we'll fix it.
FA: Yeah, more or the same thing. We don't suffer much of that effect. So,
for us it’s good. But we are aware that other teams, maybe they have bigger
problems, and they will fix it for sure.
VB: Not much to add. I think it's always a compromise, know how, much you're
willing to take. But it seems to be a common issue. Some teams more. I think
we're not one of the worst ones. It's been reasonable for now. And I think
my back is already destroyed since 2015. So I don't know if it makes any
difference!
Q: (Matt Kew – Autosport) Question to Fernando. You said in a recent
interview that you don't have an immediate desire to go and do the Indy 500
again. Does that mean your triple crown ambition is over? What's changed
your mind? And maybe most importantly, what would change your mind so you
would go back and do that event?
FA: Well, I will see, when the time arrives. At the moment, sometimes have
to answer questions about what I will do in three or four years’ time, and
if I will go back to Indy. Right now, you know, before the Spanish Grand
Prix, or Miami, or whatever, my head obviously is totally focused on the
race weekend and Formula 1 right now. And I see myself racing here for a few
more years. And after that, I don't know. I cannot say yes, I cannot say no
to the Indy 500. What is for sure is that now, it is not in my head because
I'm fully focused here. So that probably was the answer.
Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diario AS) Question to Fernando, you lost some points
in Miami because of a second penalty. And you can comment after that. What
do you think about that penalty?
FA: Well, it was unfair. Or, we believe that it was very unfair. It was just
incompetence from the stewards. They were not very professional, I think, in
Miami. I missed one corner, and then I gave back the time on the lap – but
obviously, after you miss one corner, there is the sector time, just after
that corner. So they saw the pink colour, and yeah, they took the decision
without asking any proofs. So we arrive after the race with all the proofs,
and all the time back that we gave, and they were just packing up. They were
not even in the room. So here, we came there, we show them all the data. So
they said ‘give us five minutes’. And then they found themselves with the
hands tied, probably because they issue already the penalty. And they didn’t
know how to get back from that document. So it was it was very bad. And
honestly, I mean, it's already the past, but it is something that should not
happen in in Formula 1, you know, with professionalism, and the standards
that Formula 1 has right now.
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Fernando, to follow up on that, the FIA has done
a lot this year to restructure its stewarding process and with the Race
Control operations. Have you seen an improvement year on year compared to
what we had last year…
FA: Not.
Q: … You still feel there are issues that need to be fixed?
FA: We saw a couple of things already that proves that we still need to
improve a lot. Racing is… I mean, you need to have some knowledge about
racing, before being a Race Director, or try to monitor a race. And I don't
think that that knowledge is in place at the moment. So I know there is a
new Race Director here, I think Freitas has a lot more experience, with WEC
and with all the categories, I think, at the top level, and I think that
will already improve things. But yeah, he was not… I mean, even the
accidents that we had in Miami, you know, with Carlos and Esteban. We pushed
to have some barriers there and some tyres or TecPro, whatever, and no-one
did anything. So, when you don't have that knowledge of racing, it’s
difficult to talk.
Q: (Samarth Kannal – F1.com) Charles, yesterday, Carlos said that he didn't
want to take the risk of driving a historic F1 car, because you have
Championship-contending machinery. Do you feel the same – and maybe has it
changed your mind now?
CL: No, it doesn't. Because to be honest, before that, I think all the
checks that had to be done, was done. Obviously there was a shakedown of
this car the Thursday before. The failure that happened was on a screw of
the brake pads. And it's impossible to know. Then, of course, fighting for a
Championship like this, I'll think twice before doing it again in the
future. But yeah, it's also part of our job. And sometimes we need to go
into those cars. And it's always also an honour for me, I'm very happy and
very proud to be driving those cars. And always a pleasure too – but yeah,
it's always a balance you need to find, and of course, when you're fighting
for the Championship… but just overall, to be honest, because it's for
safety in general. I had a lot of fun. And this was unfortunate. But again,
it was just unlucky.
Q: (Claire Cottingham – Race Fans) Fernando, another question for you. Are
you worried that safety is being compromised now? You mentioned obviously,
nothing was changed after Carlos and Esteban's crash? So, is there a concern
for safety if you're out there racing?
FA: No, I don't think so. I think safety has been good, and probably this
year we have the safest cars you know and circuits and everything…
environment is very safe now in Formula 1. So, we just need to keep
improving. We are the only one driving the cars and feeling the crashes and
things like that in our bodies. So, when we feel something that is needed. I
think we should be listened to. In Miami, or some other examples, we didn't
have that because it seems that the focus is in another place.
Q: (Carlos Miquel – Marca) Fernando, maybe 20 Spanish Grand Prix for you –
or something – 21… 23 for me, OK! Do you feel the same fever on Sunday when
you hear the people and all the people is with you?
FA: Yeah, sure. Sure. The feeling is always the same, has been always the
same. And it will not be different on Sunday. As I said before, it is very
special to race at home. We only can experience once a year and we feel
extremely lucky for that. There are other drivers on the grid that they
don't have even the home grand prix, so we feel privileged for that and
thankful for that. I'm ready to enjoy every second. And on Sunday, when you
see the fans and when you hear the national anthem, and everything, it is a
special Sunday.
Q: (Chris Medland – Racer) Sorry, it's another question for Fernando – but
if the other drivers want to add their thoughts afterwards, that'd be great.
Fernando, just in general, you've been in F1 a long time. There’s a sell-out
here, all three days, we're told, and the interest in the sport seems to be
booming every race we now go to. Why do you think we've seen that growth in
popularity, especially over the last say, three, four or five years that has
come on so rapidly?
FA: I don't know. I think from… yeah, as you said a couple of years ago,
especially when Liberty Media took control. I think we saw a few steps as a
sport. We open the sport to more people here at the paddock there is more
access, we start doing a lot of things outside the track as well. Drivers
involved on those. And yeah, I think it was always going on the good
direction. Also, we are living in a very different world now, with the
digital platforms, giving access to many, many things that were unthinkable
10 years ago, 15 years ago. So, all that I think made the sport a little bit
more open and that people can really enjoy now. Before they saw Formula 1,
like something unreachable, or something very difficult to understand how to
follow.
Q: Let's get some other thoughts on this. Valtteri?
VB: To me, it feels like now, like every race weekend… for sure, it’s all
about racing – but there's a bit more into it. Like, just from my side, it
feels like the atmosphere is a bit more like an event than a race. There’s
other things happening: concerts and there's DJs playing just before the
start and stuff like that. I've personally felt much more energy in the last
year or so, then than ever before, during my career. So, I think they've
done a great job on many things. And like Fernando said, it's so much more
accessible nowadays than it used to be. But also, thanks to the technology.
Q: Charles?
CL: Yeah, I think the access, that's been more and more open throughout the
years, I think also Drive To Survive, obviously has been a big help for
Formula 1. To help the people to understand a little bit more the sport in a
simpler way. And to actually put a face on the people that are in the
background and working every day to try and make their car go faster. Also
the places that we go in the US, it's becoming bigger and bigger. Thanks
again to Netflix. And I think people are just loving the sport. And the
title fight last year too, I think helped the sport, so hopefully we can
have a similar fight this year until the very last race.
FA: … and good-looking drivers!
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Charles also question about the classic car
tests you’ve done recently. I know you appreciate Ferrari’s history, and
know the long line of drivers you're following. Can you talk a bit about the
connection you've got to – say – to Niki and Gilles. And to be able to drive
their cars, it is an emotional thing at all, to be able to sample what they
drove?
CL: Of course it is! I mean, it's… they are drivers that I've never seen in
real life but obviously you get to see a lot now with social media, you get
to see a lot of their fights etc. And you only appreciate how much risk they
were taking once you actually get into one of their cars, and see what were
the safety that they had at that time. And what it meant to be actually
fighting wheels-to-wheels at those speeds, with those cars. I think also
it's great to experience what it was like, and what it's like now. It's very
different now, it's so much faster – but it's also so much safer. And we
don't have that much the safety in mind, as much as they probably did once
they were once they were racing. But yeah, I got to meet Niki few times in
the paddock in the past. And yeah, they are just legends of our sports. Of
course, it's always amazing to be to be driving their cars.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Question for all drivers. Going back to the topic
about the bouncing and the stiffness of the cars, although you're not
necessarily too concerned about the physical effects, is this generation of
cars harder on your bodies than the previous generation of cars? Not just
for those who are porpoising, but purely the stiffness? And are you feeling
there's more discomfort, greater recovery time needed? Is it a significant
step? Or is it just the case that F1 drivers have always had to go through
this? And that's just part of the job and it's normal?
VB: In terms of the ride, yeah, for sure, it's the most difficult car, or
more demanding car, that I've had ever in my career. But I still like
cornering speeds, if we compare, for example, to last year, some type of
corners, we had G-forces last year, but it's not far off now. So overall, I
think I would say it's up there. It's difficult to say if there's any big
difference, let's say. to last year, but definitely with the bouncing and
with the ride, there's been a couple of races that felt a bit more sore than
maybe some years before. So yeah, but I think the body will get used to it.
And yeah, just a bit more recovery work may be needed to after certain
races.
FA: I don't think so. I don't think that they are too strong on the body or,
or too physical. I mean, there is this bouncing effect, which is
uncomfortable for sure but I'm not sure that, compared to the cars in the
past, it’s too different. Or when I started with the Minardi in 2001, that
car was not very comfy. And we didn't have power steering or anything like
that. So they were very physical, or in IndyCar is 100 times worse. Or in
Endurance. You drive with Sebastian Buemi’s seat for 24 hours, you know,
because you have to share the seat with a teammate, or in karting, we used
to break one or two ribs every winter when we test. So, I think we have a
lot of comfort at the moment.
Q: Mick?
MS: Yeah, well, it's similar to Formula 2, in terms of ride, so yeah, I
guess it's not too new for me. But I think obviously, with more races coming
now, obviously the time for recovery is a bit less. I think that's also
something we'll have to keep in mind, but also I think the mental side for a
lot of drivers, and especially the teams, engineers and mechanics, who have
a life at home. You have to try and keep it in a minimum of adding races I
would say.
CL: Yeah, I don't know in terms of ride, bouncing, kerb-riding, I'm not
sensitive at all. I don't know why, I just don't feel those things. I guess
it's good with those cars but yeah, apart from that physically it's okay. I
mean, it's similar. It's at a similar level to last year for me.
SP: Yeah, very similar to Charles.
Q: (Jérémy Satis – AutoHebdo) Question for Charles, since Imola, Red Bull
seem to have the advantage on Sundays, especially with the tyre degradation.
Barcelona is a pretty abrasive track in those conditions. So, do you
particularly worry about it?
CL: I think… I mean, a particular development only for tyre degradation is
very tricky, if not impossible. I think it's all relative to pace. They seem
to have a bit more pace enhance into the race, so they can take it a bit
more easy in the first laps and then when they start to push then they are
just quicker, which was the case for the last two races. And for us, it was
the case in Australia, by example. So, yeah. If we gain a bit of pace and
hope to be in front, I'm pretty sure that tyre management will come with it,
and it will also be better.
DRIVER GROUP 2: Pierre GASLY (AlphaTauri), Esteban OCON (Alpine),
Sebastian VETTEL (Aston Martin), Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull), Nicholas LATIFI
(Williams)
Q: We'll start with Pierre. Pierre, let's throw it back a couple of weeks
frustrating race for you in Miami, what might have been possible in that
race without the contact from Alonzo earlier?
Pierre GASLY: Honestly, I don't really want to think about what could have
happened, what would have happened. It was unfortunate because we're on for
a potential, good couple of good points and they would have been well
needed. It wasn't an easy race we had a problem early on after lap three
with our floor, and we were still managing it pretty well, but yeah,
unfortunate. I think the good thing is we showed some good pace. Best quali
of the year there and we showed some good pace in the race. And then that's
what we need to do, keep that momentum and build on it for this weekend.
Q: Well, how confident are you of doing that this weekend?
PG: Well, no upgrade on our side. But still, as I said, we showed some good
potential, we know the car can be fast. That midfield is extremely tight. So
we can't leave anything on the table. Because one or two tenths move you up,
up and down by six or seven places in the ranking. So just, you know, it
puts pressure on ourselves to deliver and be at 100% of our potential, which
is what we're going to focus on and hopefully have a problem-free weekend,
which hasn't really been the case since the start of the year. So we just
need to really focus on our job and execute everything perfectly.
Q: One final one for me. You've been busy since Miami. You've been
globetrotting a bit just tell us what you've been up to?
PG: I've been up to a lot of things in my personal life. Because you know, I
like to do things. I like to explore. I like to travel. So, I've been
travelling a bit, surfing a little bit trying to get better. I do need more
lessons before I can call it surfing. But, you know, we are getting there.
And then yeah, I'm just fully energised for this weekend. Excited, happy,
positive and ready to rock.
Q: Nicholas, coming to you. Look, we're back in Barcelona, a track that you
and the team both know well. How much do you think the FW44 is going to
improve this weekend? What are you expecting?
Nicholas LATIFI: Yeah, I mean, I think from winter testing to now there's
naturally been little progressions and small evolutions on the car to add
some speed. I mean, I wouldn't say anything in the way of a big upgrade
package, but there's definitely stuff on the car that's going to make it
quicker than what from what it wasn't winter testing. So I think, yeah, from
this weekend we have some little weight saving parts and things like that.
So obviously hoping to be a little bit more competitive. It's always
interesting coming back here after winter testing and you kind of have that
not so much a back-to-back comparison but let's say a kind of for
like-for-like, obviously taking the track temperature and all that stuff out
of it. So yeah it's going to be interesting to see. I mean, obviously a lot
of big changes up and down the pitlane as well with various packages. So
yeah, whether the order changes are not or stays similar, I think it's
should be an exciting weekend.
Q: And Nicholas, what about your own performance in the car and your own
understanding of the car? Do you feel you're on top of it now?
NL: I mean, I feel in Miami there was some good steps made and I mean, to be
honest, I'm hoping that this track there will be some bigger steps, just you
know, due to the nature of the track. We all know this track very well. And,
again, we've had, you know, a few street races in a row, with Imola, a very
mixed condition weekend. And obviously the next races are about three street
races in a row, as well. So yeah, like I've been saying, when you don't have
that, that feeling that you're clicking with a car like you want it's maybe
not as easy to build that on, on street tracks. So yeah, I'm hoping this
weekend will be another good step in that direction.
Q: Best of luck with that. Thank you. Esteban, coming to you. I feel we have
to throw it back a couple of weeks to start with tremendous race from you in
Miami. P 20. On the grid to P8. What are your expectations coming into that
race?
Esteban OCON: Yeah, thank you. No, it was it was definitely a great race and
a great recovery from the crash obviously on Saturday. Yeah, it was a tough
one. Very hot. Not feeling obviously 100%. Still very sore from the impact
from the day before. But yeah, the team did an awesome job. They made the
strategy perfect. And we benefited from that Safety Car pit-stop at the end.
So yeah, it was very solid. So I'm pretty pleased with that. Obviously,
we're going this weekend on a track that we know a lot better, that we know
by heart. We had good performance last year, we qualified fifth. Obviously,
very different characteristics this this year, but yeah, I look forward to
see what we can do and also to compare with the others, because we've seen
some interesting new bits from everywhere around us. We are going to have
also a few things but yeah, it's going to be an interesting one.
Q: And just this feel a bit of a home race for you? The paternal side of you
family from lives just down the road?
EO: Exactly, yeah. Around the circuit, I have most of my family from my
dad's side that live around here. It is a home race for Fernando and half a
home race for me. So yeah, I'm very happy to be back in Barcelona.
Q: Best of luck this weekend. Max coming to you now. Can we start off track?
I think you've been having a bit of fun since Miami. How much air is it
possible to get on a jet ski?
Max VERSTAPPEN: I haven't found that yet. I'm still trying. Depends on the
wave you get as well. So I'm trying to find the big ones.
Q: On track this weekend, a lot of your rivals are bringing upgrades here.
What's the situation at Red Bull?
MV: Not really updates, just a little weight reduction. I mean, our car is
still a bit fat, so trying to slim it down. So that's what we're trying to
do.
Q: And when you see what's happening elsewhere on the grid, especially at
Ferrari, what are you expecting from them? Where do you think the main
challenge is going to come from this weekend?
MV: Well, if you look at the of course, the last few races, it must be them,
right? So they're, they're coming with a few upgrades. So it's going to be
interesting to see how much that's going to give them but at the end of the
day we just have to focus on our package. And I mean, we all know this track
quite well. So just need to make sure that, you know, we have a clean
weekend starting from today.
Q: Max, what about overtaking? 23 of the 31 races at this track have been
won from pole position? Do you expect something similar with these cars? Or
do you think we might see more overtaking at the front but also elsewhere?
MV: Well, you might run a bit closer, but it's still a track, which I think
is tough to overtake on. But I think the aim is always to not overtake to
try and start upfront that that's the goal.
Q: Thanks, Max and Sebastian coming to you now. Milk first or cereal first?
That seemed to be the killer question last week when you were in London. Can
you just tell us about the day? What was the highlight for you?
Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, maybe the kids and you know, their honesty? Your
asked about milk first or cereal first. And most adults would probably laugh
at it. But I think it goes to show that kids don't have, you know,
presumptions, they're just happy to explore. And there is no right or wrong.
So there's lots of things that we can learn from children. But yeah, I
definitely enjoyed the day. And obviously, there was a variety of things
that I did but the highlight probably was the kids, the atmosphere as well
was very loud. So I enjoyed that.
Q: What about this weekend, Sebastian? It seems like it's a big one for
Aston Martin, lots of upgrades on the car. What are you expecting?
SV: Not really having much expectations. We know that it's a very different
looking car. We've had a big push in the factory to make the bits for two
cars. And it will be very interesting to see how it behaves on track. I
think that's what we are looking forward to. I'm very curious to see the
performance. We don't expect a massive jump straightaway. But we do believe
in the concept and believe that there's more performance to gain down that
road. So yeah, it will be interesting to get a feel and get the hands on the
car.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Ed Spencer – Motorlat) Sebastian, what did you learn from your recent
trip to London, considering you did very well on Question Time? And could
you explain why is there a bandage on your left knee?
SV: Yeah, I burned myself on the motorbike last week. It's not that bad, but
better to cover it. And then I think the trip to London was, as I said, very
interesting. Obviously, I visited the boys prison in Feltham, and then the
school in Waterloo. And had the evening with Question Time. But I think you
know, it's always interesting to meet different people in different
circumstances, different ages or different groups of ages. But, you know, it
goes to show that… I don't know, what I learned or what I take from it, is
that I have been very, very lucky the way I've been brought up. I've had
lots of love around me. My parents taking the time and having the
opportunity to look after me. Visiting the kids in Waterloo, you know, which
is in London, one of the biggest cities in the world, one of the richest
cities in the world. But yet you go off the main road, just by a block or
two, and you find kids that a lot of their path is already drawn. And they
don't have anywhere near the opportunities and possibilities or love that I
had and enjoyed. So they might find themselves in a dead-end road and be
stuck there. Which is shocking, you know, because as I said, there's so much
possibility around in London, so much money around in London. But yet, so
much you can still improve. And it's not that different. It's not a London
problem. Generally with big cities you have the same, in German cities or
other cities around the world. So I find that very inspirational. And, you
know, it really kicks off the need that we have to do something. And if we
can raise awareness, raise attention, that's a good thing. And ultimately,
if we can just help a few of those kids, it's already a big achievement. But
ideally, a lot of these children to have a better life than maybe it would
look on paper.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Question for Esteban, regarding the crash in
Miami, Carlos Sainz said yesterday he wants a proper explanation for why
Tecpro wasn't put there, which obviously would have potentially been better
news for you. Have you had a proper explanation from the FIA? Has there been
any dialogue for why that change wasn't made Friday into Saturday? Are you
satisfied with that situation?
EO: Yes, I am actually. I had a chat with the Race Director, yesterday. We
had a one-hour chat on all of these situations and why it hasn't been
explained. They've had a lot of work done and analysis on the trajectory of
both my car and Carlos’ car and on what could have been the best solution
and there will be changes on the track next year on that regard for safety.
And yeah, everything's been listen [to], acknowledged and action will be
done. So yeah, I was very reassured with the chat we had and very pleased
with the outcome of it.
Q: (Silja Rulle - Bild) Seb, your favourite football team Eintracht
Frankfurt won the Europa League? How did you follow that match and how do
you feel about that?
SV: I was watching on TV. Obviously. When it went down to the wire and with
penalties, it was very exciting and I got very nervous. But yeah, I think we
got lucky in the end, like in penalties you always do. But I think it was
deserved and an incredible achievement. So, as a fan, obviously, I'm super
happy. And yeah, to see the excitement… I've been in the stadium many times
and it would have been nice to be there. But also in Frankfurt in the
stadium, it was packed, a lot of people watching and following. So yeah, a
lot of celebrations going on also yesterday in Frankfurt, so yeah, it was
special and like winning… it felt like you know, like winning in a lottery.
So, for the club, I think it's amazing, for the players. So something that
probably they will remember for forever. For sure, as a fan, we will.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) It's a question to Max. In recent
weeks, we've heard some comments by Ferrari about the budget cap and the
development of the Red Bull Car. First of all, what do you make of it? And
secondly, how confident are you that Red Bull can maintain this development
speed throughout the season?
MV: Thank you. Well, it's very simple. I mean, it's the same for everyone.
So I don't see any issues regarding that.
Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Nicholas, there was a report last week from a
well-known Canadian reporter based in Toronto, about your departure from
Williams and your replacement. I wondered what your reaction was to this
premature report of your departure. And also I noticed that you haven't been
tempted by redhead on this weekend.
NL: Yeah, on the red hair dye, I didn't want it to wash off in the helmet,
so I opted not to partake in that. But I think most of the team members had
it washed out in the shower. So, no more red hair in the paddock for now.
And yeah, the report, when I saw that I just kind of laughed a little bit
because obviously it was not the case at all, I'm still here. I mean there
are always rumours circulating around. I think that's the nature of the
sport. But yeah, I mean, I was definitely a bit surprised to see it from I'd
say a well-known reporter, without any real foundation behind it. So yeah, I
just kind of laughed a bit at it really.
Q: (Arjan Schouten – AD Sportwereld) Max for the first time in your career
you're not the only Dutchy in a Formula 1 weekend, free practice with Nyck
de Vries, you to know each other already for a long time. Can you share your
thoughts on his career, the importance of this day for him and maybe his
future potential for the sport?
MV: Yeah, Nick and I are good friends, you know, we hang out quite a bit in
Monaco, so for him it's a very nice opportunity today. But also the other
hand, I mean, it's an FP1 session, there's not much really to win. I think
you just have to do your job with the team, you know, and I'm sure he will.
So you just needs to enjoy it. And then of course, we will see what happens
in the future in terms of opportunities. I mean, who knows what's going to
happen for him? Of course, I wish him the very best in an opportunity,
possibly in Formula 1, but if not he's doing a great job anyway in Formula E
at this time. And also, of course, last year, so it's a bit difficult to
tell. But yeah, I hope he has a lot of fun today.
(Q: Luke Smith – Autosport) Seb, you really held your own up against a
couple of the UK’s top, prominent politicians? Is there a career in
politics? Would that ever interest you for life after F1?
SV: No.
Q: (Adam Cooper, Motorsport.com) A question for all of you, Carlos said
yesterday, he's concerned about long-term, neck and back issues because of
the bouncing and generally stiff suspensions of these cars. He wants to
start a dialogue with F1 and the FIA about that. Have you had any issues?
Are these cars harder on your bodies than previous F1 cars you've driven?
PG: Then he's got to work out more. I mean, jokes apart, yeah, for sure. I
think long-term, if the car stays like this for 10 years, it could become a
concern. But already, I think from what we've seen from the start of the
year until now, there has been a lot of progress made on our side –
obviously very different from one car to another – but yeah, it can be a
conversation, but I believe by the end of the year we won't even have this
issue anymore.
NL: Yeah, I think like Pierre said, from the beginning of the year, maybe
from for more teams it seemed to be much more of a problem with the bouncing
and the stiffness, obviously, other teams still having that and still
struggling with it. But, you know, I think irrespective of these cars, the
modern generation of cars with the high amounts of G forces and things like
that, potentially long-term there is the possibility to have some negative
effects, you know, like, spinal disc degeneration and things like that,
which I think, irrespective of this year's car, just driving these cars,
with such high Gs for so many years, could have negative effects. And even
probably for taller drivers that maybe sit a little bit more squished in the
car, and potentially more, let's say, not anatomically correct, maybe
Esteban can relate to that, as well, maybe some other drivers of my height
or similar. So, yeah, maybe something to speak about, but I think it is
improving.
EO: Yeah, for sure. They're tougher to drive than the last couple of years.
They are, you know, more stiff on the bumps, lower to the ground. It's big
hits. But I forgot how tough, you know… I didn't drive any competition
go-kart for 10 years or something and I've been back in that for day with
Fernando at his go-kart track with the riders, the Aprilia racing riders.
And I forgot how tough and how stiff that was, and how much hit I was I was
getting when I was younger, basically in go-kart racing. So in comparison,
yeah, this is a very comfy ride, I can tell you. So yeah, it's still fine.
MV: I think it's very simple. If you just raise your rear ride height, you
will not have it, but you lose performance. So if he just raises his rear
ride height, it will be fine. It's just a give and take. I mean, it's not
nice, but I know there's more lap time in it by running it lower, so you run
it low, even if it's not comfortable.
Q: Are recovery time is longer after each Grand Prix?
MV: Not really, if you have a good massage.
Q: Thank you. Sebastian?
SV: I think every sport is taking its toll on your body, depending on the
sport. So…
MV: I mean for us to talk about like our bodies. I mean, if you compare it
to some other sports, I think We are very lucky that what we do.
SV: So, surely the loads on the… I mean, that's what Carlos I think was
directing to, the loads on the spine. And this between the vertebras is
exceptionally high compared to other sports. But then like I said, every
sport is particular and probably takes the toll on your body. It's for you
to take care of that and try and prevent as much as you can. To a certain
point, I think you can, to another degree, you probably cannot. So, yeah, I
don't know, time will tell if you see these guys, in 50 years’ time, and
their backs. But yeah, I think every sport is developing as well. And yeah,
I think the discomfort we have through the due to the porpoising shouldn't
last forever. I think teams will figure it out at some point.
Q: (Sam Hall – GPFans) Seb, back to Question Time again. The sport was
described as gas guzzling on the programme. Do you regret not mentioning the
engines and how efficient they are, the most the most efficient engines in
the world, rather than just saying that you would consider leaving the
sport?
SV: But the question is, what do these efficient and most efficient engines
in the world help or contribute to everyday people commuting in and out to
work, to wherever? What does this engine help or bring you, which benefit?
That's very questionable. It's very complex. It's a fascinating technology.
Don't get me wrong, as a fan and from an engineering point of view it’s
fascinating. But how much do you transfer to the road? Other than to stick a
hybrid on the on the car, to the road car? Not much. So you have to be true.
You have to be true and tell the truth. And I think that's important. So
looking forward, obviously F1 is stuck with this engine for a while. And you
know, the question that you that you have to raise is: is it enough? Are we
doing enough? And considering you know how deep we are in the poo, sorry to
say like this, but you know, where the world is going and you look at the
climate crisis or breakdown, the answer is we're not doing enough, and
especially in… how did they put it, a gas-guzzling sport, which is true, I
think we are at the spotlight, and we have to do more than just do what we
do. I think we can't do enough. That's the answer.
Q: (Louis Dekker – NOS) Nicholas, do you enjoy having a new Dutch kid on the
block for one hour in FP1? Or does it create a certain kind of tension?
NL: Yeah, I mean, for me and my job, I find it doesn't really change much. I
think for the overall team perspective, I think it's good to get a…it's nice
to have a new opinion on the car. Obviously, Nick's been doing some stuff in
the simulator as well to prepare. You know, even though it's by no means the
same car but he has some comparisons who obviously driving the Mercedes last
year, just as George did every now and then. So to see what kind of
experience he can bring and knowledge, his opinion on the car, I think it's
very useful for the team. But from my perspective, and how I carry out my
FP1 session, it doesn't really change much in terms of my preparation for
the race weekend.
Q: (Samarth Kanal – F1.com) Sebastian, what's triggered this kind of empathy
that you've found and this desire to go on and speak about big issues and
stuff? Because, forgive me, you didn't really seem to have that at Red Bull?
Is it the fact that you've got world titles? Or is it the fact that you’re
at Aston Martin, what's triggered it?
SV: No, there's no sort of one experience that kicked it off. I feel I
shouldn't be the exception, I feel that we should all feel like this,
because it is addressing all of us and it will impact… it is already
impacting on all of us today. And it will do more so in the future, the
younger you are the more so, and for generations to come even more. I often
get the question, why is this important to you? This is not important to me,
this is important to all of us. And I don't see why it cannot be. How can
you ignore? Even if you don't care, which I can see some people do not, but
you don't have that luxury anymore, to not care. Because, you know, it's the
foundation of all of what we do. So without drifting away, I see you know,
this is extremely important, certainly why? Yeah, looking back, I mean,
there was a time where obviously I wasn't as aware. But I think the moment
you become more and more aware, the moment I became a father, you're
thinking more about the future. So certain things probably do change. But
like I said, unfortunately, kids today, kids like Max or the next
generation, young drivers or even younger than Max and kids after that, they
will not have that luxury of not caring, even if they don't, it will impact
them. And I think it's for all of us to think of what we can do to shift
change to raise awareness and yeah, it's something we cannot run away from
unless you want to race on the moon which I don't think it's as exciting,
there's not much downforce on the moon.
Q: (Ed Spencer – Motorlat) A question to all of you does Formula 1 Need
three race directors?
SV: I don't know. I think it's good to have the right variety of personnel.
I mean, there's a lot of races, so maybe it's a smart one to split the job
but yeah, I think it will only help to share different opinions, different
views, so why not? I don't I don't see a problem with it.
MV: I mean, we are trying it out at the moment right, so I guess time will
tell what is the best way forward I guess.
EO: I'm not an expert on that topic.
NL: I don't really have much else to add.
PG: Copy, paste. Agree.
GROUP 3 – Kevin MAGNUSSEN (Haas), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin), Lando
NORRIS (McLaren), Alex ALBON (Williams), Zhou GUANYU (Alfa Romeo)
Q: We're going to start with you, Kevin. So tell us, have you got a future
in NASCAR? How was it?
Kevin MAGNUSSEN: It was good fun, you know, great to try something
different. I have driven a Cup car before at COTA. But, you know, this was
an oval and it's kind of fun to try that bit. We were driving in the
infield, too, but just to get a feel for the Cup car on the banking. it's a
pretty iconic thing, the sound and everything. So it was good fun.
Q: How hard did you push, particularly when you had Gunther next to you?
KM: As hard as I could? Yeah, he jumped in and I gave it full beans.
Q: Sounds fun. Now, Kevin, let's bring it onto this weekend. You didn't
drive here in pre-season testing. So what are you expecting from the car
around here?
KM: Hopefully it will be sort of where we've been. On average, I guess, in
that midfield battle. Of course we want to try to be at the front of that
midfield battle. But, you know, I think it's very tight there. So it's, you
know, one weekend, you're at the front of that, one weekend at the back. So
it's interesting and it's fun. It's a really fun battle.
Q: Guenther has said there's more to come from this car without putting any
upgrades on it. What areas is he referring to?
KM: There's always more you can find in in the set-up. Of course, that's
going to be more steady, slow steps than bringing an upgrade. But I think
all these cars, most of them have bouncing and you know, there's also a
weight problem. Most cars are heavier than the limit. So there's stuff like
that you can work on and get more lap time out of and then you know, we'll
have an upgrade at some point, later in the year. But we did get a new floor
in Miami, that's a small upgrade. So there’s little stuff coming. But the
big upgrade, I guess is for a little bit later in the year.
Q: Thank you, Kevin. Lance coming on to you, talking of upgrades. You guys
have got a lot coming this weekend. Does it feel like a hugely important
weekend for Aston Martin?
Lance STROLL: Yeah, absolutely. It's a massive upgrade. The team have worked
incredibly hard for many months to bring this for this weekend. So it's very
exciting for us.
Q: The team has notified the FIA of eight changes to the car for this race.
Is there one area of performance that you've been focusing on?
LS: No, it's generally just a very different aero package, a different
philosophy and we believe that it's the right direction. So hopefully, yeah,
it goes well out there.
Q: Tell us what Barcelona is like in one of these 2022 cars. How different
does it feel to last year?
LS: Well, I mean, it's like all the other tracks, the car with these
regulations behaves a little bit differently. But hopefully we see some
better racing around here. You know, in previous years it's have always been
a very track-position race here and never the most exciting race to watch.
But with these new regulations hopefully we will see some more exciting
racing on Sunday.
Q: Okay, and good luck to you as well. Thank you, Lance. Lando coming to
you. Let's talk upgrades. McLaren have a decent new package coming here.
Just describe the sense of anticipation in the team prior to getting
started?
Lando NORRIS: It's always good coming into a weekend, knowing you're going
to have some things to help you go quicker. It's always a good feeling.
Everyone's positive and so on. I think it is also a different story of how
well does it all actually work on the racetrack comparing to the wind
tunnel, and so on. But so far this year, things have stacked up well, so
we'll see, we'll see how much it brings. You know, it's not as simple as
throwing it on the car and then just going quicker. You have to make some
changes here and there to adapt to it and to maximise the potential of these
different parts and so on. So, yeah, I'm excited. I think everyone in the
team is excited. The factory have done an amazing job to get all the parts
here for this weekend. Yeah, we just gotta hope that they work well. And we
can take some steps forward,
Q: Irrespective of the upgrades, do you come into this weekend with a little
bit more confidence anyway, given your pace here in pre-season testing?
LN: For sure. I'm hoping it's going to be a bit more in line with some of
the tracks which have suited us more, similar to Saudi, similar to
Australia. We still have like the slow-speed last sector, which is maybe not
our strength, but because of I guess, of how well we did here in pre-season
testing, how comfortable I was with the car and so on, and with the changes
we made anyway, but also with different parts for this weekend, yeah, I'm
hoping it's gonna be a good one. So we'll see. There’s a lot of work that
needs to be done. But especially coming off Miami as well, it would be nice
to get some points on the board again,
Q: Talking of Miami, you stayed on in America after the race, didn't you?
What did you get up to?
LN: Golf I managed to play Augusta.
Q: How did you get on? How'd you get on the course? I mean, I thought you
had to be invited?
LN: I mean, Zak, I think Zak got invited. We just know a couple of people
who are members there and very kindly they invited us to go out and play.
Zak has played before, so he had a bit of an advantage on me. But as a
massive golf fan, everyone dreams of going to play Augusta. I don't know
what I would compare it to in terms of racing, and Formula 1. You know,
everyone probably wants to go and drive Monaco at some point. If you win it,
then it's the dream. So I think it's a similar thing, that if you get to go
and play Augusta, you'll be happy enough. And I mean, I know a lot of people
who have wanted to for years and years and years and never got to play, so I
got bragging rights to say that I've managed to play, so I played there and
then I went to Phoenix watch the Suns’ game. My first ever basketball game
and was courtside so I got to see it for its full potential and so on. And
it was amazing. So a lot of fun. And then back home resting for this
weekend.
Q: How many shots around Augusta?
LN: I'd rather not say. Too many.
Q: Thank you and best of luck to you this weekend. Coming on to Alex, you've
still got the red hair.
Alex ALBON: It's not removable.
Q: It's here to stay. All the other teams have been talking about upgrades
or most of them. What is the situation at Williams this weekend?
AA: I'd say it's a little bit more like Haas, we've got a few things coming
a little bit later on. We do have upgrades where you could just call them
set-ups, different downforce configurations for this weekend. But it looks
good. It looks like it's definitely going to make the car quicker than what
it was in Miami, for instance. But that's also due to the track
characteristics.
Q: Do you think the fast flowing nature of this track will suit the car a
little bit more anyway?
AA: Well, to be honest, I would say Miami is quite stop and start and we
weren't too bad around there. So we are still discovering where we're strong
and where we're weak. And I think if I drove Miami before the weekend, or if
you told me we’d be competitive there, I wouldn't have believed you. I
myself, I'm not very good at predicting things, so I would rather see how it
goes in FP1, FP2 and see from there.
Q: Quick word on the golf. You stayed in America as well. Were you caddying?
AA: Yeah, no, Lando got the privilege of playing. I was watching my
girlfriend, so I was on the LPGA Tour, kind of thing. If I was playing in
the LPGA tour that wouldn't have been good but yes, I was supporting her.
And then I went to New York, which was nice and then came back and actually
played some golf with Lando. He loves it, absolutely loves it. You're going
to improve when you play five, six days a week.
Q: Okay, Alex, thank you. Good luck to you this weekend. And Zhou, coming to
you. So, back where it all started at the beginning of the year. How much
more confident do you feel in the car now, compared to when you first
arrived in Barcelona?
Zhou GUANYU: Yeah. I mean, it's a big step, because in winter testing, or
pre-season testing, where we were always, a lot was sacrificed by all this
bouncing issues we had. So we really couldn't firstly run the whole
programme of testing, due to several reasons, due to variability issues, but
we have to sacrifice a lot the set-up just to make sure we can run on the
straights, not bouncing up and down so much. So coming back to this weekend,
knowing all these different track we've been through, we've been pretty
competitive, and also quite consistently, fighting together with the
midfield or being up there with the midfield. So yeah, feeling much better,
obviously, coming to this weekend. And yeah, I think the team also did a
good job to bring a few updates for my car as well, just to help a little
bit in getting a bit more time as well.
Q: Do you have any reliability concerns coming into the weekend?
ZG: To be honest, not, because obviously, we had the issue in Miami, due to
cooling issues. But then we were able to, knowing the problem straightaway,
few days after, the team at the factory also, together with the with the
guys on track, were able to find this straightaway. So that's very good.
It’s not something that maybe was a struggle to find. So it was quite
straightforward what was the issue. So the team already fixed that and
hopefully, fingers crossed, that issue doesn't come back again. But yeah,
after apart from that, I think everything else seems to be working much
better than in the beginning of the season.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Adam Cooper - Motorsport.com) These are big, heavy cars – low ride
height, stiff suspensions – what are they going to be like around Monaco
next week? And secondly, there was a lot of talk about visibility in the
winter. Have you got used to it now? Or is it going to be hard to replace
the car and going into the swimming pool chicane and so on?
KM: The visibility is worse in these cars than in the past. I don't think
it's going to be a massive issue. It's it's going to be harder to sort of
see the apex but I think it's going to be okay.
LS: Yeah, I mean, the visibility is definitely worse. It's one of those
things you get used to. So it will be a bit more challenging for sure than
previous years. But yeah, I think it's become something gotten used to over
the first few races.
LN: I mean, I look forward to it, first of all. I think it's going to be
probably one of the biggest challenges so far, with how you're going to have
to run the car and so on. But yeah, everyone is in the same boat. So, yeah,
we'll see. I mean, it was a good race for me there last year, to score
podium and to be P4 and two tenths off in qualifying was much better, a lot,
lot better than we expected. So I'm hoping this year we can try and do
something similar but we’ll have to wait and see.
AA: I think it’s going to be one of those tracks where we are going to be
quite a lot slower than previous years, I imagine. But it'll be interesting.
I think it's there'll be a little bit more of knowing how to ride the curves
and a bit more of a rhythm and finding where the bumps are. So it will add a
bit more character to the circuit. It already has a lot, but yeah.
Q: And from a visibility multi point of view?
AA: Visibility? I think Jeddah was kind of a comparable feeling to it. And
Jeddah for me I struggled a little bit with vision, it's not easy,
especially when you start porpoising in certain places but we're getting
used to it now I think, as drivers, and it's not such
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