DRIVERS
1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)
2 –Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
3 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Carried out by Johnny Herbert)
Q: Max, that was a little bit of a tough session for you, obviously you had that hiss earlier on. Remark us about getting your self into third put?
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was no longer a tall qualifying attributable to that. I most enthralling did two laps in Q1 and then you should always exit and fetch that slide in in Q2 and then with the be troubled it was a bit advanced. Additionally, on the medium tyres: OK we got thru and we did our lap but then it pleasant doesn’t give you a proper reference to fetch into Q3 and we definitely perceived to fight a bit with that. The predominant slide in Q3 – pleasant no longer substitute grip. I have faith the second slide was a tiny bit bit higher but yeah, pleasant advanced. At the tip of the day P3 – no longer flawed. I in my knowing anticipated to be a tiny bit bit closer, with a knowing to combat them a tiny bit bit extra but I have faith after Q2 we pleasant lost our skill a tiny bit bit.
Q: What in regards to the ride observe itself. It’s tall that we now indulge in come lend a hand to Imola but is there a particular share of the observe the put you concentrate on: “here’s proper fun spherical here”?
MV: The observe is de facto frosty. It’s in fact gratifying to force. I before all the pieces though it was going to be a bit too slim for these vehicles but it’s supreme. I in fact abilities it. I am hoping that the following day we can moreover indulge in a terribly frosty ride here.
Q: Valtteri, pole put man, are trying and be a elated one because that’s your 15th, but you needed to combat for it.
Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, you continuously want to. It’s in no formula to fetch pole positions. I in fact abilities this observe must you push flat out; it’s stunning. I knew I needed to toughen on the final lap and I stumbled on these tiny gains that had been wished and it’s a tall feeling must you fetch these and definitely I had the shakes after. It’s proper fun.
Q: Remark us about that. It perceived to be that final sector that was no longer quite there. What did you enact another way to fetch that extra little bit of tempo?
VB: For me it was Turns 2 and 3, that’s something I was in fact engaged on today and most enthralling got there at the tip. And the final couple of corners to boot. I struggled once I attempted to be troubled and breeze for it. I struggled with a little bit of instability with the car. But I knew that on the final lap I needed to are trying so I risked it and the car it pleasant managed to convey in successfully. It was proper.
Q: That must give you a gargantuan different of self perception taking it into the following day. What are you wanting ahead to to indulge in out of your team-mate going into Turn 1? And all but again your ride is something. It’s going to be enthralling to discover how the ride pans out for you?
VB: Yeah it’s going to be a proper combat. It’s one in every of the longest runs on the calendar into Turn 1, so no question Lewis and Max will most likely be chasing me but it’s a proper put to originate and confidently the tempo is proper and yeah, sport on.
Q: Lewis, second put, are trying and be a bit irritated about that. But he pleasant eventually pipped you on that final lap you did.
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, Valtteri did a tall job and it was a moderately piss wretched lap from myself! But these items occur. That it is probably you’ll’t continuously fetch it supreme. But what an very advantageous wanting put we’re in here in Italy. The observe: it’s impossible the speeds we’re going spherical this observe. Grateful to be here. Grateful for the efficiency we now indulge in, which is de facto outstanding. It feels higher than it did within the final ride. Yeah, it was a right hiss within the market, but I enjoyed it.
Q: What in regards to the ride, because your team-mate is continuously going to be a threat but Max? They’d about a considerations in that session but total enact you concentrate on he’s going to be a bigger threat the following day when put next to final time?
LH: Yeah, they had been very solid on their ride runs. What’s unhappy in fact with this observe is that it is miles so stunning to force but you is susceptible to be going to discover… I’m quite obvious you is susceptible to be going to discover a moderately monotonous ride the following day. That it is probably you’ll overtake on this prolonged straight but it’s quite slim. But you may also’t apply. Whilst you fetch into Turn 1 there would possibly be rarely any single put to overhaul wherever else. It’s going to be a hiss for oldsters following but as I acknowledged the DRS will confidently give some overtaking opportunities into Turn 1 for oldsters. For us, that suggests… as you discover we’re inner half of a tenth of 1 every other and to indulge in a possibility of overtaking I have faith you would possibly want to indulge in a fabricate of something treasure two seconds or something to the car ahead to indulge in a giant gamble. Nonetheless, I’m going to give it all the pieces I’ve got the following day and fingers crossed.
Q: What’s the advantageous share of the observe and why?
LH: I’d dispute arena. They don’t manufacture tracks this anymore. I don’t know why the unusual guys can’t manufacture a observe treasure this. It’s pleasant a traditional and it has the historical previous, which helps, and I’d dispute arena, it’s in a single in every of the most stunning places here in Italy.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Valtteri, many congratulations. So shut between you and Lewis. How proper was that closing lap of Q3?
VB: Well, obviously I didn’t indulge in powerful abilities of this observe but once we got all the vogue down to the qualifying session and the laps retain getting faster and faster and you in fact originate up to cherish this observe extra and extra and in direction of the tip of qualifying must you is susceptible to be flat out on this observe it’s in fact stunning and gratifying to force. A advantageous-wanting dilapidated college observe and that’s what all of us treasure. The final lap it was proper enough. I have faith no one, I doubt they had supreme laps with the immediate quantity of apply and having to be on the restrict pleasant in a single day, getting the rhythm quickly. But it was proper enough and definitely higher than the predominant lap I had in Q3. There were about a places heading within the correct direction the put I needed to invent mountainous gains and luckily substitute the losses I managed tyo minimise and the areas I was speedily I attempted to invent them even higher.
Q: With most enthralling apply session before qualifying, how powerful of an unknown is the ride the following day?
VB: For distinct it’s unknown. We got some prolonged runs in apply. I have faith quite a little bit of vehicles had graining on the soft tyre. That’s one in every of the reasons we obedient on the medium tyres. That felt OK. For surer there are questions marks but at the least the originate line for the ride is proper.
Q: Lewis, it was a tall fight between team-mates for pole put. Within the tip, pleasant lower than a tenth between you. You didn’t seem elated straight away after the session. Win been there any particular elements for your laps in Q3?
LH: What enact you point out ‘I didn’t seem elated?’ I’m second! I have faith I was supreme. Valtteri did a tall job today, so finally in Q3 each and each laps weren’t that tall, to be lawful. The predominant lap was OK and the second was quite wretched. To most enthralling were that distant, enraged by, it’s no longer so flawed. We reside to combat every other day the following day.
Q: You’ve acknowledged it’s an very advantageous wanting observe. Are you able to give us some idea of the hiss of Imola?
LH: The tempo that we’re doing from Turn 2 onwards. It’s in fact intense. The lap is appropriate non-terminate, medium-high tempo. The grip is terribly, very high and so, naturally, the faster you’re going, the more difficult it is to be ride-supreme. And so, Valtteri did a tall job today. It’s no longer going to be a tall ride circuit, that’s for distinct. I’d be in fact vastly very a lot surprised if it’s a tall ride to glimpse the following day – because if you fetch into Turn 2, you may also’t apply. Yeah. I am hoping I’m sinful.
Q: So the first to a success the Gigantic Prix is the originate?
LH: Qualifying is… it’s probably a tiny bit bit treasure Monaco in that sense. I have faith the technique to boot. It’s going to be enthralling the following day. There are usually most enthralling about a alternatives. It won’t be as proper as the final ride in terms of the opportunities to overhaul, places you may also apply. But, as I acknowledged, probably we’ll be vastly very a lot surprised.
Q: Max, coming to you. It appeared treasure a tough qualifying. First up, what was the be troubled in Q2 that saved you within the garage for goodbye?
MV: I don’t know precisely what it was. Of course, the bodywork needed to breeze off and I have faith the mechanics did an awfully proper job to repair my automobile but it ruined, a bit, my qualifying since you would possibly want to exit on a Medium, are trying and nail the lap. We pleasant managed to fight thru, in spite of all the pieces, on that, but yeah, the reference was a bit off. The predominant lap then in Q3, the tyres had been too chilly because I was a bit within the center of the exclaim. I by no means in fact got into a marvelous rhythm the put you understand that, ‘OK, I in fact indulge in a little bit of time left here, I will push a bit more difficult’ It was all a bit messy so, even in Q3, the final lap, I was, ‘well, I have faith we would possibly maybe even indulge in executed a bit higher here if we pleasant had a smoother qualifying. But whenever you occur to indulge in that in Q2 and you would possibly want to qualify on a particular tyre to boot, mid-skill thru then yeah, it’s no longer tall. I didn’t demand, in spite of all the pieces, to beat them in qualifying. I pleasant wished to be a bit closer, invent it a bit extra piquant – but today, it was pleasant very advanced and I by no means in fact stumbled on that rhythm that you fetch all over qualifying, that you understand ‘OK we put a brand unusual tyre-region on and I do know the put to search out my lap time’. I was pleasant accumulated studying to breeze faster. Little bit of a shame but accumulated, P3, so lend a hand in my seat!
Q: Attain you demand to be closer to those guys the following day?
MV: Future was alright, so confidently we’ll be a bit equivalent the following day. Let’s hope that, top-tempo-clever, we’re on a proper put the following day. I don’t think it’s going to be very easy to slide anyway but we’ll discover. We’ll discover what we can enact.
VIDEO CONFERENCE
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Quiz for Valtteri please. You mentioned must to procure out of the car that you needed to essentially be troubled it on that final, closing lap. Might maybe you convey the put particularly you felt you needed to take these extra dangers – and how shut to the threshold did you contain these? Thank you.
VB: There’s about a aspects on this observe – every observe but this one particularly with such a restricted apply and abilities – I had some elements customarily in Turn 2 with locking up, attempting to brake too leisurely. Typically into the final two corners, the downhill braking, I braked too leisurely, and that’s why I lost a little bit of momentum out of these corners, so it’s pleasant tiny issues treasure that. There was no time to be wasted below braking, which I wasn’t in places but quite fully elated – but I’m elated I will be capable of also fetch there finally and, within the final slide for distinct you’re no longer maintaining lend a hand. You either breeze for it or breeze home. I’m elated it was a proper-enough lap.
Q: (Christian Menath – motorsport-magazin.com) First share of the question for Max. Are you able to convey how it felt within the car in Q2 must you lost the vitality? Used to be it feeling treasure you don’t indulge in the MGU-K vitality? After which for all three of you, how was the programme today within the advantageous apply session with the prolonged runs? What number of did you enact when put next to a frequent weekend? Thank you.
MV: No, I had vitality. Then no longer. Then it kicked in all but again. Then no longer. They told me to retain going but I acknowledged, ‘guys, I’m shedding quite a little bit of lap-time here on the straight’ because at one point I aborted because it didn’t invent sense to continue. We’ll indulge in extra detailed gawk what precisely went sinful. I didn’t consult with my engineers but because it doesn’t invent sense to fight thru qualifying discussing what broke. Honest focal point on the job. It’s no longer so swish but fortunately we’re accumulated here.
Q: And Max, your programme today?
MV: Yeah, it was wonderful. We hit the bottom operating, quite smoothly. I didn’t in fact indulge in substitute considerations with the car, treasure no stability elements, so then in spite of all the pieces it’s tall must you indulge in most enthralling one apply session but in spite of all the pieces must you’re struggling a bit extra with the car then that you can maybe take to indulge in every other apply session, so I reveal customarily it’s proper, customarily that you can abilities a bit extra be troubled.
VB: For distinct, it’s continuously a compromise. you may also’t most enthralling enact immediate runs or most enthralling enact prolonged runs, so that you would possibly want to compromise the time a bit but what was a marvelous thing was in actuality to indulge in three fashions of tyres so it intended we can also slide quite powerful the total apply as a substitute of… we discover customarily on Friday that we’re sitting spherical a lot attributable to the restricted tyres so as that was wonderful and put up the session, but for distinct a compromise between immediate and prolonged runs.
LH: The equivalent as theirs. It was tall. I powerful take pleasant the two days.
Q: (Scott Mitchell – The Dart) Quiz for the two Mercedes drivers: Valtteri, you’ve had some different words to your critics now and all but again. That is, I have faith, your fourth pole this year and on an dilapidated college observe to boot so enact you concentrate to your performances are below-rated? And Lewis, you customarily discuss how laborious Valtteri pushes you. Might maybe you pleasant give your check out on how high a level he’s performing at, please?
VB: I don’t in fact think that, how people rate me. It’s something that I have faith is a sinful house to focal point on and for distinct, customarily we fetch criticism – I have faith all people does, that’s frequent in lifestyles and there’s continuously people that wish to jog you down but I pleasant are trying and present it into obvious vitality and take a look at and make deliver of it was a energy. So I’m no longer in fact one to exclaim if I’m below rated or over rated, whatever. It’s no longer something that I must think, I’m pleasant specializing in my driving, attempting to fetch pole, attempting to fetch wins, that’s my job, that’s what I take to enact.
LH: I don’t in fact think I must reveal powerful. I point out, Jeez, he pleasant got pole put. He’s before me. I in fact indulge in extra poles than anyone here so it’s no longer treasure I’m a slowpoke, so he’s doing an improbable job and I have faith his result today speaks for itself. I don’t in fact must reveal powerful extra. He does his talking on the observe and that’s the tall thing about Valtteri, but I don’t think there’s many participants that can enact what he’s doing, if I’m in fact lawful, so I’ve got an tremendous quantity of appreciate for him.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Max, you seem like plenty closer to the Mercedes in qualifying but no longer so powerful within the ride. I do know what you acknowledged pleasant now that you hoped to be closer, but if we gawk at the previous couple of races it appears as though you’re closer in qualifying, no longer so powerful the ride. Attain you put this all the vogue down to a distinction within the hybrid methods or what enact you put all of it the vogue down to? After which the other question is given the different of elements you’ve had with Honda recently, enact you in fact factor in it’s one of the best-wanting skill for the team to breeze along with Honda engines within the longer term, below their very maintain model or whatever honest engine they’re going to indulge in?
MV: Well, initially, that final bit: I don’t understand how to exclaim on that, to be lawful. I reveal we pleasant want to lend a hand and discover what’s going to occur. OK, we now indulge in had two retirements this year but I have faith in frequent they’ve executed a tall job and I’m very delighted to work with Honda, they’re tall guys and additionally they’re very, very motivated and additionally they’ll also no longer ever quit and I treasure that mentality. I have faith it’s a bit observe-dependent, so the put, as an instance, you is susceptible to be clipping plenty, it sounds as if we’re a bit extra susceptible to that so in spite of all the pieces you lose a bit extra lap time on the straights so whenever you occur to envision to final year to boot, it appears treasure final year from qualifying to the ride we’d fabricate a bit and it appears treasure probably now qualifying appears a tiny bit bit higher and then within the ride we fight a bit extra with that. But yeah, it’s no longer on every observe. To be lawful, I point out, Nürburgring wasn’t that flawed. I have faith we had been quite aggressive. It was pleasant about a corners the put it appeared treasure we had been struggling a bit and that’s why Lewis was pleasant opening the hole on me. Final ride, I don’t know, I pleasant stumbled on it very advanced to exclaim on that one attributable to first of the total first lap but moreover the tarmac and all the pieces. I was on a particular strategy. I don’t think there would possibly be a pattern. I pleasant discover that must you is susceptible to be a bit extra restricted with the vitality you may also lose over a lap within the ride, it appears treasure it’s… yeah, we don’t indulge in an equivalent quantity of release, at the least on the straights, so we’ll want to work more difficult to are trying and toughen that.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) All but again, to the two Mercedes drivers: all but again, you’re starting on the medium tyres before all the pieces of the ride. Obviously a more difficult compound, we saw what took put final weekend. Are you wanting ahead to a equivalent thing to occur, or is that negated by the softer tyres this weekend and a particular observe surface. And moreover, to Valtteri, it looks as if pole put is a tiny bit off the racing line; does that give you a tiny bit little bit of a drawback when put next to starting second?
VB: I don’t know the facts: is there extra grip on the left or advantageous-wanting hand aspect? For distinct it’s probably no longer as dapper as some other places. There are some diverse bits of tarmac on the grid in some places, so it’s an unknown. That’s something we’re going to search out out the following day. Yeah, for distinct, are trying and fetch extra heat than final weekend. I have faith the rain performed quite a mountainous share in Portimão and the unusual tarmac. I’m distinct we are going to are trying all the pieces we can. I have faith even supposing it can maybe be advanced before all the pieces of the ride, I in fact hope and there’s continuously a reasons why we breeze for the medium, that it is miles the next ride tyre but we’ll discover.
LH: Yeah, quite powerful the same as Valtteri. It wants to be diverse here; the outside is diverse.
Ends
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