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TEAM REPRESENTATIVES: Oliver
OAKES (Alpine), Frédéric VASSEUR (Ferrari), Toto WOLFF (Mercedes)
Q: Ollie, we'll start with you.
First time on track since that tremendous result in Brazil last time out.
How has that changed your expectations for the remainder of the season?
Oliver OAKES: I think the expectations are the same. We want to keep
progressing. But I think obviously now we're in a nice tight battle to keep
P6.
Q: And it is a tight battle. Three teams battling just five points between
you. How confident are you of staying there?
OO: As confident as you can be. I think, as we know, Haas have been very
fast all year long. And I think RB are also very close. There's only a few
points in it, so we'll have to see.
Q: And since the Austin upgrade, is it now a genuine top 10 car that you've
got with you?
OO: Yes, I think you can see that. We've been in Q3 the last three weekends.
I think, yeah, it is a genuine car.
Q: And here, with the cold temperatures, the low grip, do you think that'll
play to your strengths?
OO: I think so. I think you're going to see probably tomorrow afternoon, but
we'll have to see.
Q: Let's talk further ahead now. For 2026 you've announced since Brazil that
you're going to be working with Mercedes on a power unit and a gearbox. Tell
us about that decision. And was it only Mercedes or did you consider maybe a
Ferrari power unit?
OO: Now I see why we're all together in here. Well, I have to say thanks to
Toto first. He's giving me an engine, isn't he? Pardon? Oh, sell, sorry.
Yeah, sell. We could renegotiate it, no?
Q: Ollie, why were you so convinced that Mercedes was the way to go?
OO: I think it's quite obvious. I think, first, this era of regulations,
they've been the benchmark. Also, it's quite clear to see customer teams
using that power unit are competitive at the front of the field. And I think
also for us as a team, it's an obvious chance for us to benchmark ourselves
as well.
Q: OK, thank you. Toto, can I come to you now? Just tell us about progress
with the 2026 power unit. Are you meeting all your expectations so far?
Toto WOLFF: Certain expectations we're meeting, that's good. Others, we're
still pushing to achieve our targets. It's not trivial. But then the
question is, have you set your expectations in the right way? So the answer
is, we don't know where we are.
Q: Talking of expectations, can we talk about this weekend in Las Vegas?
You've started very strongly – first and second. But we've seen you do that
before at Grand Prix in FP1 and then drop back. Does this feel any different
this weekend?
TW: I think we are dirty track champions. FP1 is always great and then the
moment the grip kicks in, we've seen that the performances deteriorate.
Having said that, I think the gap was pretty big. It's the biggest that
we've seen so far in FP1, so we've got to spray some dust for all the
sessions tomorrow, in qualifying or something. But I don't believe this kind
of advantage to the other teams is going to last. I would very much hope
that we're not falling behind like we did in the past on some of the tracks,
but remain competitive, fight in the front.
Q: George said yesterday that you now understand the problems with the car.
Is this a first indication that you're making progress and that you're
getting back closer to those heady days of summer when you won three races
out of four?
TW: Yeah, but before the summer we also understood and it was clear that
this is the route we need to embark [upon]. We're putting updates on the car
and again, it seemed that we're taking the wrong junction and it's super
difficult to dial yourself out of it again and we're not the only team that
has happened to. But on the other side, you can't go back to a Silverstone
upgrade and put it on the car and expect to be in the front because since
then everybody else has improved by a couple of tenths. So, yeah, the more
you drive, the more you fail, the more you learn. But the competition
doesn't sleep.
Q: Now, Lewis is clearly driving very well so far this weekend, but after
his comments on the slowdown lap in Brazil, when he said words to the effect
of, if this is the last time, I'm sorry, it wasn't better. Did you ever
doubt that he'd finish the season?
TW: Well, Lewis, as we all know for so many years, wears his heart on the
sleeve. And I think it was such a bad experience for him that whole race
weekend and particularly the Sunday that that's something that wasn't, in a
way, unusual. Now, this time was maybe… I’ll correct myself here, this time
was probably particularly bad, but I think he and us as a team, we've been
really... doing well and holding on to working together because obviously
it's three more races to go, he's announced that he's going to Ferrari at
the beginning of the year, and I'm quite proud of how we have achieved to
maintain the professional relationships like they are. But we knew it's
never going to be easy. And then if the car is bad on such a day and we have
not given him a tool that is good enough to what he should have.
Q: What about your quotes about cognitive sharpness, people having a shelf
life in Formula 1? You've said they were taken out of context. What did you
mean?
TW: Well, I've said it very often about this world particularly, it’s taking
a toll on all of us. We're doing more than 20 races a year. We fly around.
And what I said is that everybody has a shelf life and you don't want to
become from great to good. And that doesn't exclude the drivers. And it's
still something that I stand by. I'm asking myself this question all the
time. And so I do it for the organisation and for everybody around.
Q: Did you feel the need to clear the air with Lewis when you arrived here?
TW: Lewis and I speak, and we've always done so, and a sentence that
correlates or a sentence that then happens is being made public on the
weekend, particularly where he hasn't been satisfied about his driving and
about the car, then one plus one then makes it look bad. But one rule that
we've established very early in our relationship is that we talk immediately
and say ‘why did you say that?’ or ‘what did you mean?’ and that is what we
have done. You know, that was one sentence in a book and there were 99
sentences in you know around the Brazil weekend and quotes in some
interviews that I've given about Lewis where I clearly remark that he's the
greatest driver of all time and that if we are able to give him a quick car
he's going to be able to win, he's able to fight for a championship but we
have failed in doing so.
Q: Fréd. while we're talking about Lewis Hamilton let's start with him. How
are your plans coming along with regards to next year? Can you confirm when
he's going to get a first run in a Ferrari Formula 1 car?
Frédéric VASSEUR: I think in 2025?
Q: Were you disappointed that he wasn't available in the post-Abu Dhabi
test? You've made Carlos Sainz available to Williams. Were you disappointed
that Mercedes didn't make him available?
FV: This you have to ask to Toto. The story with Carlos is that I want to
thank Carlos for the collaboration. And I don't want to block him or
whatever. I think he did a very good job with us this season and a very
professional one because it would have been easy to… not to give up, but not
to have a so professional attitude. And for me, the best way to thank Carlos
was also to give him the opportunity to do the test with Williams.
Q: And are you disappointed that you can't run Lewis?
FV: No, no. They have a contract. They have a contract so I've not even
asked Toto to do something.
TW: Fred didn't ask. I think it's a difference also if you're maybe going to
Williams, but we have contractual agreements with sponsors. We're having a
farewell for Lewis. We're having lots of activities that are planned. And
him and I, we spoke about it shortly, and he said, I guess that's not going
to work. And I said, yeah, I don't think it's going to work. And that was
the whole thing. So I don't think Fred is particularly sad.
Q: Are you sad? Are you sad, Fred?
FV: No, but there is a contract. There is a contract. We have to respect
this. And it's not because we are doing something for Carlos that everybody
has to do the same. And as Toto said, I didn't ask Toto.
Q: OK, look, just a quick question about this weekend. Ferrari were
extremely quick in Las Vegas last year. You seem to have hit the ground
running this year. How confident are you coming into the weekend now?
FV: I think it's not a matter of confidence. It's a matter to start from
scratch every single weekend. We know that the fight is mega tight this
season and for nothing you can move from P1 to P5. We know also that the
track is improving a lot and that if you compare, we were quick last year
but at the end it was Verstappen who won the race and what I want to do is
to win on Sunday not to be the fastest In FP1.
Q: In the Constructors' Championship, you're 36 points behind McLaren. Who
do you feel has the momentum, has the advantage?
FV: It's not a matter of momentum this season. If you have a look, I think
Red Bull was dominating the first three or four races at the beginning of
the season. Then we had a good sequence and then it was Mercedes during the
summertime and then it was McLaren again and us again. It's so tight that
it's moving from one weekend to another one. It's not the momentum or
whatever that now we have the last three events in front of us with
completely different characteristics for the track, for the temperature and
so. And it's not a matter of one car dominating. I keep in mind the weekend
of Spa when you had Verstappen FP1, and then the McLaren FP2, and then it
was probably Mercedes FP3. Then we started from the pole, and then Mercedes
won the race. And the four teams were dominating one session during the
weekend. And I think it will be like this until the end of the season. It
means that you have to be at the right moment at the right place. But it's
not a matter that someone will dominate the next four or five events.
Q: Fred, irrespective of the final championship position, how pleased are
you with the progress that Ferrari have made this year?
FV: I think last year we won one race. This year we are at five, that we
score perhaps 50% more points than one year ago. For sure, we are on the
right way. But at the end, the evening of Abu Dhabi, we will be just focused
on the classification, not on the numbers and the figures. And for sure, the
more close you are to the end, the more the championship is important. But
the best way for us is just to be focused race by race, to be focused on
this one, on the FP2 and then the FP3, and not to think about the
championship, because it's the best way to be disconnected.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Ben Hunt – Autosport) Gentlemen, we heard from your respective drivers
by way of the GPDA statement about the FIA President. I wanted to get your
take on how you thought that he was running his organisation. Are you
satisfied with what he's doing, his decisions that he's making? I obviously
refer to the Race Steward (sic) change coming at this crucial time in the
year. Are you confident in him? Do you have full faith in him? And yeah, are
you satisfied?
TW: I need to be careful what I say here because Fred and I last year were
summoned to the Stewards. Can we pull the joker here so not respond because
last year was so bad? No joker? We're in such a privileged position with the
sport and that we attract fans in the best demographic, if you say so,
younger people. We race in front of full grandstands and there's a lot of
sponsorship interest. And what we need to achieve is that we're all pulling
on the same string and handle our joint product carefully bearing in mind…
it's a good answer, no?
FV: I don't know where you want to go.
OO: Do you want to know the question again?
FV: The same for me.
TW: I think all stakeholders that are in decision-making positions need to
remind ourselves that we carry responsibility for this sport and we need
stability. So this is how I see it.
FV: Nothing to add. The reply was perfect.
Q: Fréd, just give us a little more if you could?
FV: I don't know if the question was about the Race Director or whatever,
that for sure the momentum of this decision is a bit of an odd topic for me
because now we are at the end of the championship, it's probably the three
most difficult races to manage. Vegas, if you remember last year, Qatar, and
Abu Dhabi, the last one of the championship. The momentum is strange for
this, for me. But I'm not behind the scene on the discussion into the FIA,
and so that means I don't want to make any position on this, but the
momentum is strange.
TW: You know, it's critical enough that I think it's important that also we
here that have a voice that will come out, that we handle it with the same
carefulness that all of us need to do. Because we've had a fight over the
media in the last few years. One word was said, another word came as a
reply. And I don't think we should be throwing stuff at each other that way.
But being in a room and saying, this is what we think, would be best for the
sport? What is that beyond a personality or a team? And I think this is
probably where the drivers came from.
Q: Ollie, please, can I bring you in?
OO: I was enjoying watching that one. I think, obviously, the question was
about what are they looking for with their statement? And I think it's
probably they just want to have a bit of a conversation at the end of the
day. I think they feel a little bit unlistened to, which is natural at the
end of the day. The only thing I'd say is it's not easy for someone like Rui
to be in the situation with three races to go. I think as these guys alluded
to, it's a big job at hand with the championship battle that's going on.
Q: (Ian Parkes – New York Times) Question for you, Toto. Toto, this season
you often expressed your frustration and disappointment, and you've just
done it now, actually, that you've not given Lewis the car with which to,
are worthy of his talents, basically. When you sit down over the winter, you
look back on Lewis's career, how much will these last three seasons
overshadow, if at all, all the success and enjoyment that you had when the
team was dominating and he was winning those Grands Prix and all his world
titles?
TW: It's the most competitive motorsport in the world and we were lucky and
blessed with winning eight consecutive World Championship titles. That
wasn't done before in any other sport. And Lewis won seven Drivers’
championships. You cannot extrapolate from that that you're going to win
forever or that you're in the hunt for every single championship. That
doesn't happen. And the regs were changed twice and we maintained the level
of performance and won championships. And then we've just been caught out by
these new regulations in 2022. Until today, we're just not able to put
steady performance on the car and provide the drivers with something that is
predictable, that has enough downforce, that doesn't bounce or hop, that
rides where the ride is acceptable, where the tyre degradation can be
managed in the right way and not be too cold or too hot. And that is how
sport goes. That's very easy. You know… I don't know where I read that or
where I heard that, but a basketballer was asked whether he felt, doesn't
anybody know this specific quote, whether he felt that his season was a
failure. And he said, Michael Jordan played how many seasons? 10 seasons,
I'm making this up now, 10 seasons in the NBA or 12 seasons in the NBA and
he won four. Does that mean that the whole thing was a failure? Did anybody
read that? Yeah, and what did he say exactly? Michael Jordan played 12
seasons or whatever, he won six championships… Were the other six a failure?
And I think we've been together 12 years now in this championship and we won
eight. Are the other ones a failure? We finished third two years ago, we
finished second last year, bearing in mind we haven't won a race, and we won
three this year. So that is not all a failure. That was a pretty good spell
for Mercedes and for Lewis. And we will be trying to do it better. We are
trying to do it better every single day, every single weekend. And the same
will be next season and then the big one in ‘26.
Q: (Ben Anderson – The Race) A question to all three of you, please. Can you
confirm your teams have each had to make changes to the skid blocks
following the issuance of the new FIA technical directive? And can you
explain the rationale for running those skid blocks in a different way
before the technical directive was issued?
OO: Thanks. Yeah, we've had to make a little change. But I'll be really
honest, I don't know the rest of it. So I'll let Toto or Fréd give a real
background of it.
FV: Yes, we had to make the change. But we had also the confirmation before
this that the plank was legal, that from the FIA. I think it was the right
attitude for us not to fight because that I want to stay focused on the on
the championship and not on this kind of discussion. But the approach was
strange.
TW: Yeah, we had to change the way we run the floor as well.
Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1)…
TW: You need to be more diverse and give the ladies the microphone also.
Sorry. Not only white men.
Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1) Question for Ollie. You mentioned Rui.
Obviously, you know him quite well. What kind of guy is he? What are his
strengths? How is he going to do in this job, do you think?
OO: Yeah, I mean, I know him from the, obviously, the junior stuff. I guess
it's a bit different when you're in the spotlight of F1, but I think he's
obviously been well prepared. I guess he's got to deal with these two giving
a bit of criticism as well, but I think he'll be fine. I think at the end of
the day, if they've given him the chance, it's because everybody thinks he's
ready to step up and take that position.
Q: (Ruben Zimmermann – Motorsport-total.com) A question for all three of
you. I would like to get your opinions on the launch event next February in
London, because some say it's revolutionary and others say, like Max, for
example, they don't want to go. And some people even call it a fake event
because you are not going to see any real cars, just liveries.
TW: I think it's great. It is almost like a race weekend, we're all coming
together after the season, all teams will present, the drivers will present,
there will be lots of media buzz around it, new liveries will be seen, and
maybe for some of us hardcore fans you will be a little bit disappointed at
not seeing the end product, but the truth is you will not see the end
product until the end of the test anyway. Regulations stay stable and it's a
little bit like the NFL draft, but maybe a little bit with less consequences
than the NFL draft. And I think we should be promoting that. We should be
promoting testing much more than that. And I think Stefano and Liberty are
doing a really good job in doing that.
FV: Yeah, I'm completely aligned with Toto. It will be a great event. And
it's not the first time that the teams will launch a car with the car of the
previous year. I mean, this happened a couple of times in the past. And at
the end of the day, it's more an event for... I'm not sure that you will
look about the details of the car, the floor edge and so on in this kind of
event, even when we are launching the car. And I think we all did it in the
past to launch a car with fake parts. And it won't be a fake part. It will
be the car of last year. But the livery will be the good one. And I think
it's more for the fans, more for the drivers. And I think it's a good event.
We don't have to criticise everything.
TW: I think also you need to bear in mind that event was sold out in 40
minutes. And then you couldn't get the tickets anymore. And...
FV: At least the fans are pleased.
TW: At least the fans are pleased. You know, I'd rather also not have Sprint
races, but the data says that fans like Sprint races. Fans like these
events. We're in a data-driven sport, and if the data says that it's really
good, then let's give it a try.
OO: I echo all of that. I think, actually, there might be a little
competition as well. We've each got a seven-minute slot to do our launch, so
maybe there's a trophy for the best slot. We'll see.
Q: (Jenna Fryer – Associated Press) Finally, the woman. A little bit of an
American question. There's been a significant restructuring at Andretti
Global that has sparked conversation that potentially there could be an 11th
team announcement coming. Has any of your positions changed on expanding the
grid?
TW: We have an obligation, a statutory obligation as directors to present
the standpoint that is the best for our company and for our employees, and
we've done that so in the past. I think if a team can add to the
championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is
a different story. And as long as it is creative, that means we're growing
the popularity of the sport, we're growing the revenue of the sport, then no
team will be ever against it. So I'm putting my hope in there. No one from
Andretti or Andretti global or whatever the name will be has ever spoken to
me a single sentence in presentation of what the accretive part is. But they
don't need to because the teams don't decide. It is the commercial rights
holder, with the FIA, we have no say. We can have an opinion, like I'm
having here now, it's just if i want to be invited to a party and going to
the party, I'm sitting down on the table and telling who I am and why I'm
really good fun and sitting here and everybody will enjoy my presence. That
hasn't happened, but you know, that's now my personal point of view, not a
professional, because there's nothing we can do, nothing we can say. And I
don't know the people. I've obviously spoken to Mario. Yeah, I've spoken to
Mario once. I didn't speak to his son. I didn't speak to any other people
that are behind that. I don't know who they are. So I know GM. GM is great.
FV: At the end of the day, I'm not sure that we have our word into the
discussion. The discussion is between FIA, the team, and FOM. It's not our
choice. For sure, as Toto said, that if it's good for the sport, good for
the show, good for the business, and add value on the sporting side, that we
are all okay. But again, the decision is with FOM and not with Toto, myself
or Ollie.
OO: I think they've covered it all. I think FOM was also pretty transparent
in their decision and the value they'd need to bring.
Q: (Dan Lawrence – Motorsport Monday) A question for Ollie. I asked Esteban
yesterday about the Alpine Academy driver, Abbi Pulling. She's on the verge
of winning the F1 Academy Championship. You're obviously well-versed in the
junior scene. What is your impression of her, how she's built her campaign,
and how she can build her career moving forward?
OO: Thank you. Yeah, I mean, obviously, even before I took this role, I'd
seen her in the British racing scene. And obviously then with F1 Academy
supporting a few weekends this far in F1, it's been great to see her
success. And I think she's definitely on the right path to keep progressing
through the ladder. I think obviously it was one of the first questions in
an Enstone debrief, actually, is what are the plans for her for the future?
I'm trying to think how many races are left. Toto will know. Is it one race
left? You're going to be in trouble with Susie if you don't know this
answer. Sorry. I'll take that one on me.
TW: You put me in this one. Yeah, it's one. One. Two! Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
It's getting worse and worse!
OO: Yeah, exactly. They're both in the doghouse. Now, I think if I'm right,
she's pretty close to wrapping that up. So I think in due course, you'll see
what she's going to be racing in. But it's definitely exciting to see her
with the success she's having there.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Just about the final stages of Lewis's career
with Mercedes. How have the emotions been for you guys in this period?
Obviously, there's a natural phasing out of certain meetings and things like
that. But is it starting to hit you more that you're kind of going into
maybe the lasts with Lewis, last meetings here and there and things like
that? And how are those emotions?
TW: I think we're still running the season. So the weekends feel like they
felt before. You know, these meetings where long-term development is being
discussed, they don't happen so regularly and we didn't have them for the
last few months. So it's pretty much standard as it is. There is no
overwhelming emotion now that this is ending, but I'm sure the closer it's
going to come to Abu Dhabi and the last sessions, the last race together
will be quite a thing because we had this wonderful partnership for such a
long time. But having said that, Lewis is not going to disappear. Lewis is
going to be on the grid next year with a Ferrari. We are not losing the
person, we are just losing the driver. But we embark on a new future. We
have an 18-year-old and a 27-year-old that are going to be our drivers. And
that is super exciting. And at the same time, personally, we wish Lewis all
the best and happiness. And maybe a car that's not so fast. But
nevertheless, it is a decision he took. And we're OK with that. |
