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1 – Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren)
2 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
3 – Isack HADJAR (Racing Bulls)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Giedo van der Garde)
Q:
Max Verstappen, second today. I think that was probably the thing that you
could do, not more.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it wasn't easy. I gave it
everything at the start to move forward. Little moment in Turn 2. But yeah,
after that, we just had to do our own race. Unfortunately, we didn't have
the pace of the McLarens. We got a bit lucky, of course, with one retiring,
but in general, to be on the podium here is a great result. So to be in
second, I think is a really, really good achievement for us.
Q: Tell
me about the moment, because it looked like quite a bit oversteer. In Turn
2, you tried also with Oscar on the outside in Turn 1, but then you went
also outside of Lando in Turn 2, but you had a huge moment there.
MV:
Yeah, I tried to send it into Turn 3, but unfortunately there was too much
sand in Turn 2 from the middle of the track to the outside. I knew that we
had the softer compound, so I tried to make it work on that first lap.
Q: Isack Hadjar, your first ever Formula 1 podium here in Zandvoort. You
must be over the moon.
Isack HADJAR: Yeah, it feels a bit unreal.
What was most surprising to me is keeping that fourth place for the whole
race. Unfortunately for Lando, we took advantage of his [sic] puncture, but
yeah, we did no mistake. The car was on rails the whole weekend, and I'm
really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had. Made no
mistakes and brought home the podium. So yeah, I'm so happy for my guys.
Q: Could you have ever dreamed this before when you were a young kid, to
stand here, to have your first podium?
IH: Yeah. That was always the
target since I was a kid. So, this is a first step, my first podium, and
hopefully many more to come.
Q: Oscar, you are a Heineken Dutch Grand
Prix winner. How does that feel?
Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, it feels good,
obviously. I feel like it's a pretty hard act to follow Isack standing up
here, so I'll try my best. But yeah, I controlled the race when I needed to
and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end, but I felt
like I was in control of that one and just used the pace when I needed to.
It was a bit of a different race to 12 months ago. So very happy with all
the work we've done to try and improve around here and very satisfied to
come out on top.
Q: Last year, you struggled a little bit here. What
did you change to have the success and the win here?
OP: Nothing
special. Just trying to improve everywhere we can. The start of this weekend
was looking like a difficult one and managed to get it together in
qualifying. I was happy with the pace I had today. Very, very happy.
Obviously, a couple of safety cars spiced it up a little bit, and we
weathered it all. So, I'm very proud of the whole team. It wasn't just
myself that improved to get here. It was the whole team around me and
without them, none of this is possible. So, it's a big team effort.
Q: I think it's a perfect start for the second part of the season, no?
OP: Yep. Starting out on top is a good way to go. If we can keep it
running then that’d be great. But there's a long way to go yet and we’ll
keep doing it one race at a time.
Q: You looking forward to next week
already?
OP: Yes, I am.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Oscar,
very well done. You were never headed in what was a tricky race, and you got
a huge haul of points to boot over your teammate as well. Can you start just
by summing it all up for us?
OP: Yep. I’ve got lollie stuck in my
teeth now, so… It’s already the best press conference ever, we’ve got food!
It was a really good race. Felt like I was in control the whole time.
Obviously, the restarts are always tough moments to get right, but I felt in
control. Obviously, the ending was unfortunate for Lando and the team to not
have a one-two when I think we really deserved it. But from my side, very
proud of the week we put together, being quick when it mattered. So very
happy.
Q: You say you're proud of the week that you’ve put together.
Think back twelve months to this race last year when you were half a second
off Lando in qualifying, you came home P4. Just how satisfying, considering
where you were then, is this weekend?
OP: Very. I think qualifying
was the key this weekend. Through the free practice sessions, it was looking
like a difficult Zandvoort again, but we chipped away, tried to find time,
tweak the car here and there, but just tried to really improve how I was
driving because, let’s be honest, it’s pretty hard to complain about the car
we’ve got. So just tried to chip away with that and it came good when it
mattered. And through the race today, I felt like I had good pace as well
and used that when I needed to. So massively proud of firstly myself, but
also the whole team around me in turning it around from 12 months ago.
Q: The closest anyone got to you today was at the start. Can you just
talk us through those opening few corners?
OP: Yeah. I mean, it
wasn’t the best start I’ve ever had and had to cover the inside. Obviously,
I knew Max was on softs and was keeping an eye on him. And then going
through Turn 2 and into Turn 3 I saw Max very sideways in my mirrors. I was
just hoping that he wasn’t going to run into the side of me, but it worked
out fine. From then on, I could bring the tyres in and control it. And then
I was pretty happy.
Q: Can you tell us about the Safety Car restarts?
You went early all three times, nailed it each time. But did you consider
leaving it until later down the pit straight?
OP: Not really. I mean,
the first one worked very well, but then the next two, you don’t have many
options left to you. I think the longer you leave it, especially once you
get into the pit straight, everyone knows you’re going to go sooner or
later. So, I was just trying to change it up as much as I could. Didn’t work
that well on the last two, but it was just enough. That was probably the
hardest part, but I think we managed it well.
Q: Finally, can we just
get your thoughts on the 34-point lead you’ve got over your team-mate in the
championship now. It’s still a long way to go, but is that a gap that you
can now play with and play the percentage game at the Grands Prix?
OP: No, I don’t think so. There’s still a long way to go. I need to keep
pushing and trying to win races still. I wouldn’t say it’s a very
comfortable margin. As we saw today, it can change with one DNF very, very
quickly. So this far out from the end of the year, it’s not a comfortable
gap.
Q: Max, if we can come to you now. Another podium in front of
the Orange Army at home. And given where you were on Friday with the car,
just how satisfying is this P2?
MV: Yeah. I mean, we take it.
Qualifying was good. I hoped for a little bit more today, but quite quickly
I realized the pace was not there. It always seems like in the race we just
struggle more than over one lap with the tyre behaviour, with the car, and
that was very obvious again today. So, I just tried to manage my pace, but
that basically meant it was more of a fight with the cars behind me than
whatever was happening in front of me.
Q: Tell us about the strategy.
You went for the soft tyre twice.
MV: Yeah, that for me felt the best
after Friday. So that was planned. And of course, with the Safety Cars
everyone has to box again to take fresh tyres. But yeah, it was all
according to plan.
Q: Oscar referred to the opening lap. You made a
brilliant start and then you had the huge moment going into Turn 3. Just
talk us through the opening lap from your point of view.
MV: The
start was alright, to be honest. Then I tried to go around the outside in
Turn 1. Then into Turn 2, but there’s always a lot of sand in that corner
from the middle of the track to the edge. With the soft compound I just
still pushed the entry and then went a bit sideways heading into Turn 3, but
it was all okay.
Q: Once ahead of Lando, how confident were you of
staying ahead?
MV: Not at all. But I still wanted to have a bit of
fun out there. When I got ahead, I just followed my pace and that meant at
one point Lando got ahead again. You could see, I mean, it’s a different
league. There’s no point trying to ruin your own race defending really hard
or losing two, three laps defending for your life. Unfortunately, there’s no
point in that.
Q: Finally, before we go to Isack, who’s just had his
first podium in Formula 1. He’s part of the Red Bull family. Can you just
give us a few thoughts on the job he’s done today and this year so far?
MV: Yeah, it’s fantastic. Honestly, coming in as a rookie is not easy
with these cars. For him to be on the podium here is fully deserved. I think
he had a great weekend, but also drove a great race. And of course, also for
the team, I think the whole season already they have been on it. And Isack
is then finishing the job and that’s just fantastic to see.
Q: Isack,
many congratulations on the first podium in Formula One. Can you start by
giving us your emotions and what is a huge day in your career?
IH:
Yep. I mean, outstanding day. I did not expect that waking up this morning.
I was being very realistic. I knew there was George behind me and both
Ferraris. Also didn’t run on Friday, any long run, so I didn’t have a clue.
So, to cross the line third is just unreal.
Q: How difficult was it
to deal with the pressure of George Russell, as you say, both Ferraris
breathing down your neck all race?
IH: Yeah, it was very tricky.
Thankfully I had an okay start to keep fourth and from there, on the opening
laps, I knew Charles would be trying to go for the move, which he did. I was
really comfortable on the brakes, made sure I defended the right way and
that’s what we did. Once I was holding him for a while, I realised that we
had the car pace to fight for big points. Towards the end of the race I
thought if anything happens at the front, actually I’m on a podium finish
position, and that’s what happened.
Q: Let’s go big picture now. As I
say, it’s your first podium. When you look at your career to this point, is
there one person you can think of without whom it wouldn’t have been
possible for you to be sitting here today?
IH: There’s more than one
person, obviously. First of all, my parents, my mum and my dad. And more
sporting wise, Helmut who gave me this shot. I remember four years ago he
signed me back in FRECA it was and he gave me a path, a trajectory, and I’m
actually following it pretty well right now.
Q: Final one from me.
You go to the team’s home race at Monza now. You’ve been consistent all
season saying the car is fast. Just how much can you achieve at Monza?
IH: It’s going to be tricky considering the very long straight line. But
we can always be a bit surprised, and let’s hope for a good result.
Historically they had good car pace around here. Pierre won a few years ago,
so they always bring back good memories.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Oscar, we just spoke to Andrea, and he
said it was a very characteristic weekend of yours, called it an ‘Oscar-like
weekend’ in the way that you built things up, peaked in Q3, got the pole
position, then controlled the race. How are you approaching the weekends
this year? Has it been an adjustment compared to last year? Because I
remember, for example, this race 12 months ago was much more of a struggle.
OP: Yeah. It’s happened a few times this year where it started a bit
slow and then gotten better as the weekend’s gone on. The difference from
this year to last year is last year, those weekends that started slow, the
middle was slow, and the end was slow. I think it’s just been good to
actually find the time as the weekend’s gone on. Is it an ideal way? Am I
doing it on purpose? Not always. I’m trying to build up to things, of
course, but was hoping to build up a bit quicker than I did this weekend. I
got there just in the end in Q3, but I didn’t go into qualifying the most
optimistic. So maybe a little bit slow to get there, but I felt very happy
with where I was going into qualifying, not expecting the world, just trying
to do my best and see what happened. And in the end that was enough, and a
similar thing today. Very happy from that side of things, and I think that
part is probably the ‘Oscar-like weekend’.
Q: (Jack Smith –
Motorsport Monday / Motorsportweek.com) Isack, many congratulations on your
first podium. Just a two-part question. Firstly, did you ever imagine
something like this would happen so early on in your career, particularly
after what happened in the first race in Australia? And the second question
is, can I have one of your sweets?
IH: Yeah. Everyone can have one.
I’m being generous today. And yeah, after what happened in Australia, in the
car, obviously, I thought my life was over, but then you realise it can
happen and you bounce back very quickly from that. Then to have a podium
without too much miracles and not much going on ahead—no, I didn’t expect
it, especially that fast in the season. Already finishing fourth on pure
pace would have been a mighty result. But finishing third, I’m just over the
moon.
Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine) Question to Oscar. Oscar,
congratulations. You now have nine wins in Formula 1, the same number as
Mark Webber, your manager. Can you tell us how much he has helped you? He
also had a lot of fights for the title with his team-mates. So can you
explain how he can help?
OP: Yeah. He’s been very helpful through my
whole career, certainly the last five years. I think once I got into Formula
1, that’s where his help has really been a lot greater and more clear.
Before I got to F1 it was more in the background, helping with making the
right decisions and bits of advice here and there. When I got to F1, he knew
how it works and thinking of or asking questions that hadn’t even come into
my head. Helping me set expectations and prepare me for how tough it’s going
to be and how big of a step it is. That side of things he has been very
helpful with, and that hasn’t changed in the last three years. There’s still
been progress to make, things to improve, and I’m still gaining experience
even now. Still not perfect, always thinking of new things, things I wasn’t
thinking of last year or the year before. So, it’s important having him by
my side.
Q: (Leonid Kliuev – Grande Prémio) Question for Max and
Isack. If, as a result of today’s podium, Isack ends up at Red Bull at some
point, how is this dynamic going to work with you two in the team?
MV: Terrible. I’m joking.
IH: I don’t want to be next to Max. I don’t
like him. That’s it.
Q: (Shanna Lutgert – F1Maximaal.nl) Isack,
you’ve been saying the last couple of months that Max is a reference point
for you and that you sometimes come to him for advice. How does it feel to
share a podium with him here today?
IH: Yeah, it feels great. Max is
someone I’ve been looking up to since my junior days. The last five years
have been outstanding. To share the track, spend most of the race behind
him, being within two or three seconds the whole time, and share my first
podium with him on his home soil as well, I think it’s pretty cool.
Q: (Vladimir Rogovets – SB Belarus) My question to Isack Hajar. Isack, did
you see this podium in your dream last night? And the second question, when
exactly during the race did this idea first come to you?
IH: No. As I
said, I was being realistic and was honestly aiming for big points. That was
the target. I knew it would be very hard to fight Ferrari and Mercedes. But
it was more like towards the last 20 laps I thought if anything happens at
the front, then I’m on a podium position. And when Lando had the issue, I
knew I was going to finish there.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Max,
you’ve been involved in a tight fight with very fine margins with Lewis in
2021. When you have setbacks like, for example that year, Silverstone, Baku,
Monza that year, how quickly can you pick yourself back up and put it out of
your mind? Because these weekends where there is a big swing can obviously
make such a big difference.
MV: I mean, it’s out of your control. So,
you just need to keep working hard, keep trying to win. As simple as that.
Especially when you are team-mates, you have the same car, same
opportunities. It’s probably a little bit more complicated than when it’s
two different teams, but still a lot of races and you can see things can
swing. Like Oscar said, you don’t know if you get a mechanical failure or
not, it’s out of your control. So yes, it’s not ideal, but there are enough
races to either turn it around or not, and time will tell.
Q: (Oliver
Jensen – GMX Net) Oscar, is your personal relationship with Lando different
to last year because you’re now world championship rivals? And some people
are comparing you to Michael Schumacher because you make no mistakes and are
very cool. What do you think about this comparison?
OP: The
relationship between Lando and I has not changed. If anything, we know each
other better now and actually probably get on better than before. Anytime
you get mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Schumacher, that’s a good
thing. I’ve got a hell of a long way to go to be talked about in the same
air as someone like him, but I’ll take it. |
