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1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)
2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
3 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Paul Di Resta)
Q: Max, P3, it looked like you were in the fight right to the end but you
narrowly missed out. How was it?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was an interesting qualifying and after missing the
whole of yesterday it was very busy today. Overall, I think at least in
qualifying, just in Q3, where it really mattered, I was understeering a bit
too much. When it’s so cold and you’re understeering, you’re graining the
front tyres, so basically heating up the rubber, which cost me a bit of lap
time. We’re getting closer towards Mercedes, which I think is very positive,
so in a way, a little bit disappointed, I was expecting a little more, but
it is what it is and overall I can still be wrong
Q: The positive, as you say, is that you’re closer to Mercedes. Does that
mean you are going to race better, because generally you come closer to
matching them on a Sunday?
MV: I hope so. It’s going to be even colder tomorrow, so it’s going to be
even more interesting seeing what the tyres are going to do, how they are
going to be behave. So let’s see. It’s a fun track to drive so I’m just
looking forward to tomorrow and let’s see what we can do.
Q: Well done Valtteri. Three purple sectors, best of anybody, got the job
done. Right time, full of confidence on the back of that win last time out?
Valtteri BOTTAS: Thanks yeah. It’s such a nice feeling when you get it on
the last lap, your last chance. The last lap in qualifying for me was spot
on, just what I needed. It was pretty tricky obviously with a short practice
and with these conditions getting the tyres in a sweet spot on the out laps
that was probably the biggest thing today.
Q: Was that the biggest thing to take in qualifying – tyre preparation –
because you were obviously behind Lewis and he was dictating the speed but
you got the sectors nailed?
VB: Yeah, of course we were leaving more of the less the same time from the
garage and it was his decision to go first and there’s still different
things you can try to do on the out lap, whether it’s about braking or these
kinds of things, but ultimately I got the tyres there and then the lap was
really nice.
Q: Do you think you can take this on and win tomorrow?
VB: Of course I believe so. That’s the only goal for tomorrow, so hopefully
we can have a good start.
Q: Lewis, it was a nice battle all the way to the end, Max was obviously in
that as well. Is there anywhere you feel like you could have extracted a bit
more to challenge Valtteri?
Lewis HAMILTON: I’m sure when I look at the data there will be something.
It’s plenty of time, obviously it’s two tenths ahead, so he did a great and
congrats to him.
Q: Back at the Nürburgring. Is it a track you like to drive? It’s nice to
see the cars going round here after a few years of not being here?
LH: It’s an amazing circuit. It’s one of the historic circuits we have, so
it definitely is great to be back here.
Q: What’s going to make the difference tomorrow, because obviously the
conditions are not ideal, it’s different to what we are normally used to?
What’s going to be the biggest challenge?
LH: I don’t really know if I’m honest. I guess I’ll find out tonight.
Naturally the graining particularly in these conditions, being this cool.
How the tyres behave. Whether it’s a one or two-stop. How long the tyres
will go. Obviously we’re all on the soft to start with at the start. Whether
or not there’s a safety car. Going round behind a safety car in these
conditions is going to be tough with these temperatures, so there’s a lot to
play for tomorrow. I need to get my head down.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Valtteri, many congratulations, great lap on your final run of Q3. How
much did you enjoy that?
VB: Yeah of course you enjoy it when you manage to put it on pole and
especially when it’s the last lap that really counts and when you get a good
lap and it’s enough for pole, it’s a really good feeling, one of those
feelings and sensations why we do this.
Q: Of your three poles with this car this year, would you say that’s your
most satisfying?
VB: I don’t know. I don’t really remember. It’s always a nice feeling, but
yeah with that lap, that was pretty tidy, and you know, I got all the
details right and you know, I was also struggling a bit in the first sector
through qualifying but really in the last lap I managed to get it all right,
so it was a good feeling.
Q: And looking ahead to the race tomorrow, Valtteri, keen to keep the
momentum going from Russia?
VB: yeah, of course, but again it’s going to be a new day tomorrow, so just
need to focus on the small details that are going to matter, so the first of
those is going to be the race start, so can’t enjoy the pole too much
because tomorrow is the day that really matters.
Q: Well done Valtteri. Lewis, just pipped by your team-mate today. You were
slower in Q3 than you were in Q2, where did the pace slip away?
LH: I’m not really sure. I’d have to go back and have a look, but definitely
Q2 looked and felt good but when I got to Q3 it just didn’t feel good either
run. Just the grip didn’t feel the same.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the session? With the lack of running
yesterday, how much did that compromise your pace and the set-up of the car
during qualifying?
LH: Well, I don’t think we need to be here on Fridays so it was totally fine
for me.
VB: Much better with one practice.
MV: It’s exciting.
Q: Lewis let’s throw ahead to the race. Valtteri has already pinpointed the
start, what are you thoughts on what’s going through your mind ahead of the
race?
LH: Not too much right this second. I think I’ll just try to understand what
happened today. Tomorrow is a long race. We’ll see tomorrow with the
weather. It’s a lot cooler here. Not the easiest place to overtake either.
But there could be lots of opportunities, so I’ll be pushing hard.
Q: Max, you were quickest after the first runs of Q3 but these guys just
slipped ahead of you on that final lap. You must have through it was on for
a while?
MV: Yeah. It’s always difficult to say but overall I think today has been
pretty OK. The car’s been handling quite well, quali as well. I felt quite
comfortable. Of course, there were a few little balance things I would have
liked to get improved but, of course, short notice. Overall I think it was a
good qualifying. I just struggle a bit with understeer – and I don’t like
understeer but also this track, at the moment when it’s so cold, with the
tyres, yeah, it just didn’t come towards us, dry qualifying. I think from
the beginning it was fine but then it just slipped away a bit. When you’re
understeering, you can’t carry that mid-corner speed through the corners,
you have to V-style it a bit more and you lose a bit of time. Still, a good
qualifying. To be that close to them.
Q: You guys were nearly two seconds faster than the previous qualifying
record here at the Nürburgring. Can you just tell us what it’s like to drive
these cars around this track?
MV: I mean any track! They are so fast. We get used to it but of course if
we were to jump in a car of 2015 – 2016 it would be a bit of a shock to us
for sure. But yeah, these cars are incredible. You have so much grip – but
still when you’re pushing in qualifying you still feel you are lacking grip.
You always want to go faster – but it’s still impressive stuff, to be that
much faster on a track like this.
VIDEO CONFERENCE
Q: (Christian Menath – motorsport-magazin.com) Question for all three of
you. With proper preparation to the qualifying session, how much would you
say is still in your package? One from the driver and also from the car?
VB: It’s so difficult to say a number but for sure no doubt that the more
you have practice, you get all the fine details right and especially Friday
you have the whole night between the sessions to look at things and learn
about things from the car and driver. So, I think with more practice would
have been a tiny bit quicker. I can’t say a number but honestly, I think
currently, in the normal weekend, I feel like there’s too much practice.
Everyone finds their ways and set-ups and the optimal things in terms of
driving and the car set-up – but if there would be a bit less practice,
maybe some teams can get it right, some drivers can get it right, and some
don’t. I kind of like it with a bit less practice.
Q: Lewis?
LH: The same. There’s not really much more to add to it.
Q: Max, anything?
MV: yeah, for sure. You would go a little bit faster. Especially when you
have little issues or whatever, you can go over it through a whole night.
You can look at it back in the factory as well, work in the simulator and
stuff but overall, like Valtteri said, we have a lot of practice. You also
take your time y’know? To settle in. Now, that’s it’s only one session
you’re straight away on it I think a bit more than what you would normally
do in FP1 or whatever, so, it evens-out a bit but there are always little
things that can be improved.
Q: (Scott Mitchell – The Race) Question to Max. Max, this is obviously a
very competitive performance from yourself. What do you put that down to? On
the engine side is it slightly better because the straights are a little bit
shorter so there’s no repeat of clipping or anything like that? And is the
car just working a little bit better in recent races?
MV: I think the engine is the same. We brought a few upgrades, so the car is
working a bit better. Of course, with only having run today there are still
a lot of things to go through and analyse and optimise as well, because of
the understeer I had in the car – but it’s definitely a good step forward,
so we are on the right way. I just hope we can keep heading into that
direction and keep improving.
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) The record is still up for grabs tomorrow. Would it
mean more to equal Schumacher’s venue at an iconic venue like the
Nürburgring – a track where Schumacher has won five times?
LH: Honestly it wouldn't make any difference. I’ve got my work cut-out
tomorrow. It’s not something I particularly think about. If and when it
happens, it’ll be great – but right now these two are making it pretty hard
for me. I’m enjoying this battle I’m having with these guys.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Question to the two Mercedes drivers
please. We saw you out on the Medium tyres early on in Q2. Could you just
explain what the thinking behind that was – and were you ever really
expecting to get through on that harder rubber? Thanks.
LH: I could have got through on that tyre. I wanted to start on it – just
because I wanted to do something different – but the team chose for us to
both be on the same tyre. We’ll see whether it was the right choice
tomorrow. I’m sure it’s the right choice. I think the other one would have
been a little bit hard.
VB: We tried obviously the Medium tyre this morning in the practice, once –
but when he had it, it was a pretty green track and tricky to get a proper
read off the tyre, how it’s behaving. When the track gets better, we tried
it and for me, that run was quite poor. I couldn’t get enough temperature on
the out-lap in the tyres. I’m happy to be on the soft.
Q: Max, just while we’re on the subject of Q2 and tyre choice, were you
tempted by the Medium?
MV: No, because we made a plan to just stick with the Soft tyre.
Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, just following the question there. We know we
do keep saying you’re not focused on the record, but we do keep asking you
about it. Is it a case of just wanting to get it done and dusted and then
focus on winning the championship? You just want to get that over and done
with now?
LH: Not particularly, no. I just not really bothered by… I know you keep
asking me questions about it. I can’t tell you. I don’t feel a particular
way about it right now. I’m solely focused on trying to do the best job I
can. If that gets me to that win then great but of course, I’m not looking
short term, I’m looking further ahead, you know.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Valtteri, you mentioned that perhaps some drivers
thrive more in this kind of situation, when there’s less track time, and
based on history, going right back to Williams days, you’ve always been
pretty strong when the track’s green, so I presume you consider yourself to
be one of those. What do you think the reasons are? It kind of plays to your
strengths in terms of picking up the track grip, just getting on top of the
car to a certain level pretty quickly? Why are you so strong in that area?
VB: I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m any better than any other driver
adapting to things. I’m sure that every driver in Formula 1 needs to be
hugely talented and hugely reactive and adaptive to different conditions and
to learn quickly, corner by corner, lap by lap. I don’t know. I really like
it. I always like the process of finding the small details quickly and since
a kid, driving different kind of things, whether it was ice and snow and all
kinds of conditions, I’ve always like it and luckily from a young age I
found it really interesting, the process of getting quickly to a certain
pace and then better. I can’t say more. I think all the drivers here are
talented, but I like it.
Q: Looking forward to Imola?
VB: Yeah, for sure.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Max, as you say, you’ve been getting closer
to Mercedes in the last few races. I know you’ve been improving the car but
has it improved in terms of nervousness which you were struggling with
earlier in the year as well as just downforce and something, three tenths is
normally the sort of margin in qualifying where you’re in the fight in the
race, so do you think you can take it to them tomorrow?
MV: There are a few unknowns here, of course. We haven’t done proper long
runs but yeah, the car has been improved throughout the year, of course,
like a lot of other teams of course, but from our side, it was all about
just calming everything down a bit and connect the rear with the front a bit
more and that, so far, seems to work this weekend. I actually ended up
understeering for once. That’s nice. We just keep on working. We know that
(at) the start of the year a few things were not right. We tried to address
it, we tried to learn and we tried to make it better and see what we can
improve, also for next year that we don’t make the same mistakes.
Q: (Abhishek Takle – Midday) Valtteri, in the context of today’s performance
do you look back on your Russian win as perhaps a turning point, do you feel
like you’ve unlocked a higher level of performance, so to speak, following
that win?
VB: I can’t say that, obviously, and we haven’t raced in this race but at
least today was good. I felt like I was performing well and obviously being
on pole is a good achievement but it is the race that matters and I never
had a doubt that I couldn’t be on pole but it’s… or win races but of course
it’s a nice thing to get it, I can’t see it’s a turning point because I’ve
been feeling upbeat all year long and I’ve been so close many times, anyway,
this season, to win but it’s just things happened come together. If I could
predict the future, I would say, yes or no for that question.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) To all three: I appreciate, as Max said,
you haven’t had the chance to have any proper long running but we are
expecting things to be even colder tomorrow. How might that impact the race,
how will it affect your tyres and your tyre management driving? Will it have
any different impact to other races we’ve seen?
LH: If it’s… jeez, any colder than this, we’ll have to… race with my scarf
on, jeez. I think the usual effects from the track getting colder is the
wear, usually or the load or the front tyres usually suffer a little bit
more, we generally have a little bit more understeer potentially. If there
are safety cars, restarting our tyres is going to be a struggle, that’s for
sure but we’re all in the same boat. I don’t really know how far the tyres
will go but obviously when it gets a bit colder, generally you can go a
little bit further as they work in a slightly different range so yeah, I
hope this is still exciting tomorrow.
VB: I think there are many unknowns for every team with their lack of
running. There’s not much data, apart from winter testing in these kind of
temperatures, so I think yeah, when you’re going to have to change the
compound during the race from soft it’s going to be unknown how it handles
and in the first thing so hopefully it can make it interesting.
MV: How about we find out tomorrow?. |
