DRIVERS
1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
2 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
3 – Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Damon Hill)
Q: Lewis Hamilton you absorb supreme obtained your 100th gigantic prix. Direct us, how does that feel?
Lewis HAMILTON: I supreme are looking out out for to originate by pronouncing thanks to all these followers. Now we absorb one of these spacious crowd here. I do understand it’s now not been the handiest of weather however what a flee it provided. So a huge thanks to every person in Russia for having us. It’s taken a lengthy time to clearly salvage to 100 and I wasn’t even sure whether or now not or now not it can per chance advance. Lando did such an unprecedented job. He had amazing tempo. He’s doing one of these spacious job for McLaren. It used to be very bittersweet clearly to be conscious my old personnel forward. They are doing so smartly. They clearly obtained the final flee. They are doing unbelievable and clearly powered by Mercedes. It’s accurate to be conscious them united again. Obviously the personnel made a spacious call at the cease. I didn’t are looking out out for to let Lando dawdle and naturally I didn’t know what the weather used to be doing however I am extremely grateful to all these males and women folk that are here and again at the manufacturing unit, due to, wow! One hundred!
Q: A small sense of relief due to after the day old to this’s qualifying you had been a small bit in the wars and emotionally it used to be a bit up and down, so how cease you feel having at final overcome this here in Russia?
LH: Yeah, going to mattress final evening, clearly now not the cheerful with the job I did the day old to this. I watched the replay repeatedly again and there were refined, refined mistakes however supreme now not supreme and I was so obvious when I came in, when I wakened this morning. I wakened with a small effort in my neck however Ange labored on it, she’s been unbelievable the final two weeks. I couldn’t absorb accomplished it without here. I was supreme obvious to entire the handiest job I would possibly per chance per chance. It used to be complex. I lost a form of floor at first, supreme making an attempt to cease out bother. Obviously Max must absorb accomplished a terribly spacious job to advance as a lot as 2d from final, so yeah, we’ve received our work lower out.
Q: A small bit taken aback to be conscious Max so shut at one time, in spite of all the pieces he used to be a small bit extra again however then the rain came, and some selections about when to advance in or whether or to now not advance in and put on inters?
LH: Yeah, I don’t secure, I’m now not sure… It would possibly well most likely per chance per chance were complex to salvage past Lando. He had spacious tempo. He did the quickest lap, so it can per chance were complex to salvage past him unless we received traffic or something or he made a mistake, which he has now not been doing the least bit. Then the rain came and it used to be very opportunistic and as I said the personnel did an unprecedented job so a huge, huge thanks to them. There’s nothing I will be succesful of cease about who is in the again of me. That’s a dream result for Max, naturally, however I’m grateful for the aspects.
Q: Max, smartly, your entire manner from the again to the rostrum however now not solely the rostrum – 2d predicament? What cease you explain about that? A small bit of salubrious fortune with the rain, however did you coronary heart sink at any 2d all by that flee; you had been stuck a small bit.
Max VERSTAPPEN: It used to be slightly complex on the in-lap to scheme the call to pass to inters however at one point it used to be if reality be told, if reality be told slippery. I secure we made up our minds at the acceptable time to pit, due to if we would absorb long gone one lap earlier your would absorb potentially destroyed the inter in the final sector, however in spite of all the pieces to advance from final to 2d is terribly, very accurate. The flee itself used to be now not very easy due to it used to be very complex to pass again and whereas you received stuck it used to be very easy to hurt your tyres. Thankfully with the rain it helped us to scheme that final soar.
Q: In this championship, did you speak this used to be a flee you thought you had been going to must presumably now not salvage a form of aspects from? You needs to be cheerful to absorb advance 2d?
MV: Yeah, with the penalty we had and to solely lose one space usually is mainly now not too pass. After I wakened this morning I in fact didn’t are awaiting this result.
Q: Anyway, there used to be adequate of a area of interest that you two didn’t role as a lot as salvage on the song at the identical time and shut adequate to must dawdle wheel-to-wheel again. Moderately relieved that you received a neat flee below your belt and that you received some aspects.
MV: Yeah, I mean, especially from the again. Moderately a couple of issues came about, moreover on the major lap and even in the major stint. With varied vehicles combating every varied you supreme must cease out of bother and cease neat and I secure we managed that in fact smartly. After which the fundamental call to pass to the inters labored out.
Q: Carlos, smartly how about that? Leading a gigantic prix there for a whereas. We thought for a 2d that you and Lando had some form of thought labored out.
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah. Well, to begin with I received a accurate initiating. That used to be the priority: to now not lose region too worthy to George. After which I managed to tuck in in the again of Lando and cease a small a ship across the outdoors into Flip 2, which labored completely. Then unfortunately graining came and that’s when our flee began to pass pass. We began to endure plenty. We needed to pass very early onto the exhausting, a form of management on the hards. After which at final the rain came at the worst that you potentially can imagine time due to my exhausting tyres had been going away and we boxed, we did precisely the acceptable call at the acceptable time and we managed to come again into P3 and a really tough flee in customary.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lewis, what a flee. There are so many speaking aspects however let’s originate with that headline: your 100th retract. What an unbelievable milestone. What does it mean to you?
LH: It’s a magical 2d. I would possibly per chance per chance solely ever absorb dreamed of gentle being here and having this opportunity to retract these races and salvage to drive in opposition to such extra special abilities this leisurely in my profession and to continue to building with Mercedes, of which I’m so happy with all the pieces we’ve accomplished, now not solely heading in the right direction however moreover off and yeah, here is nice a varied 2d for every person that has been a problem of it. I’ve had basically the most amazing personnel. Support dwelling in my small private personnel at Mission 44 and then clearly you’ve received Angela, you’ve received Ellen, you’ve received Omar my driver, you’ve received Lloyd who’s here with me, my security. Truthfully there are too many to title, however ones which were with me since 18 years. Appropriate perpetually grateful to them for their endured enhance and perception in me. To my dad and mother moreover. My dad… Even supreme final evening, supreme the identical as the major flee I had or the major championship I fought in when I was eight, my dad messaging or known as me final evening and he has constantly been that one reassuring me and persevering with to enhance me, so yeah. And as I said, there were moments the assign you didn’t even know that if it used to be going to happen. So, I believe extremely grateful for the unprecedented enhance I absorb had. Particularly to Group LH. Group LH Russia and all over the assign the arena they’ve been fully magical for so lengthy. I couldn’t absorb accomplished it without them.
Q: Coming on the flee itself. So worthy to discuss however let’s originate with that call for intermediate tyres at the cease. Used to be it yours? Used to be it the personnel’s? You perceived to cease out at their first quiz if it used to be the personnel’s?
LH: Yeah, at first I will be succesful of’t purchase credit for that unprecedented possibility, that used to be the personnel’s. For me, I was very worthy in no-man’s land for a really lengthy time when it comes to… I didn’t if reality be told know the assign I was in the flee. I had no conception how far Lando used to be forward. I was supreme making an attempt to role the handiest time every lap. Once I received past doubtless the most McLarens in my 2d stint, getting past of us, chasing down Lando. They had been extremely snappy all of a surprising. He used to be doing a terribly spacious job. Appropriate in those final moments, it used to be slippery in 5 and a small bit in 7 however then in all places else grip used to be slightly accurate. Lando went off I secure in 5 on one lap and I was worship ‘OK, OK, cease out, it’s presumably going to happen again, I’ll strive to retract him out’. Then they known as me in and I was worship: ‘Yeah, however he’s exact there!’ I solely had three laps to retract up 24 seconds, so it used to be worship ‘no manner’. So I wasn’t convinced the major lap. The next lap it rained more and I was in fact more convinced then, so I came in.
Q: Lewis, supreme a observe on Lando. I saw you absorb a chat with him in the pen outdoors. Are you able to sympathise with how he’s feeling now?
LH: Yeah, for sure. He’s so younger, he’s received so many more wins up earlier than him. He did a gorgeous job the day old to this in the moist. He’s doing a spacious job main that personnel, and eye, McLaren obtained the final flee, they’ve been very exhausting to beat for us all, however yeah, supreme blind faith at the cease there. I put all my faith in my personnel and to boot they known as me in and I believed them – and that’s half of our wander together. It would possibly well most likely per chance absorb played out any manner – however I secure our personnel did a spacious job when it comes to conception the assign the rain used to be coming and it used to be going to salvage worse and to boot they had been 100% worse. Pointless to teach, I needed to play my role to strive to salvage us in that region in assert for that to work. Group-work makes the dream-work.
Q: Max, final to 2d. It used to be a supreme drive. Does this feel worship a victory for you in so a lot of how?
MV: It in fact felt very accurate crossing the line, you respect, every person knows how exhausting it is far to pass and particularly with the midfield being so aggressive this one year, it is far de facto exhausting to salvage by and moreover that used to be shown again at the moment. I in spite of all the pieces received by a quantity of however then, yeah, at one point you supreme salvage stuck. This day moreover used to be very exhausting on the tyres. I secure they had been supreme graining and opening up in a transient time, so then you definately supreme lose a form of grip and it makes you stuck worthy more and likewise you supreme can’t if reality be told attack from now on. We supreme stayed gentle, stayed focused, supreme tried to be conscious them and customarily yeah, when the rain came, I secure at the cease of the day we made the acceptable call and the acceptable lap to field – for the reason that lap earlier than potentially, if we would absorb boxed, I would possibly per chance per chance per chance absorb destroyed the Inters in that one or two laps thanks to it gentle being a bit too dry for 2-thirds of the song. So yeah, to usually dawdle from seventh to 2d for us used to be, in spite of all the pieces, at the moment an unprecedented result.
Q: Who’s call used to be it to advance in for Inters? Used to be it yours or the teams?
MV: Naturally in case you’re driving on slicks and it begins raining, it’s more of a driver-feel, so that they saved on asking me. Verbal change is terribly fundamental when it’s worship that – so that they saved on asking me, even supposing often I couldn’t press the radio button due to you’re making an attempt to place the vehicle on the song. I was pronouncing, the lap earlier than, I secure we gentle must continue, due to I was solely shedding worship eight, 9 seconds and then yeah, that lap, after we boxed, at one point it used to be so exhausting to place the vehicle on the song. I was worship ‘we should always field’ however you’re now not utterly sure. Then the personnel said ‘OK, we’ll field’, they known as me in and it used to be the acceptable call.
Q: Can I quiz you about two what appeared worship anxious moments for you. First of all, on the formation lap, in case you came on the radio and reported that your battery used to be draining, the recent energy unit. What used to be going on there?
MV: I don’t know. I mean, I secure it used to be supreme due to we had been driving so slowly off the grid – however then as soon as I was accelerating, it used to be all accurate.
Q: OK, yet every other 2d, used to be lap 10 in case you and Charles Leclerc received very shut together – I don’t know whereas you touched however… how shut used to be that?
MV: Yeah, Charles used to be combating Seb in front and to boot they had been usually aspect-by-aspect from Flip 2 to Flip 7. I was gentle a bit in the again of however then in spite of all the pieces due to they had been combating… I had a accurate jog out of 5 and Charles went for the pass however went a bit deep, so then in spite of all the pieces Seb overtook him again, however then I secure he didn’t realise I was that shut, and he supreme threw the vehicle to the acceptable and I needed to steer obvious of him and he nearly took my front fly off. At the cease of the day, it all labored out however it used to be a quantity of irritating corners, to moreover watch them scuffling with.
Q: Carlos, your fifth podium in System 1. How worthy pleasure does this one come up with?
CS: Yeah, quite plenty, mainly due to at some point in the flee it if reality be told appeared worship it used to be going pass. First, after suffering so worthy graining with the Medium tyre after main the flee quite very easily for the major seven, eight laps, and facing so worthy degradation and shedding the region to Lando and being doubtless the most major ones to pit and getting in the queue in the again of Valtteri and suffering with all that traffic, yeah, at some point I if reality be told thought the rostrum wasn’t going down – however I learned myself in P3 in front of Pérez in direction of 10 laps to the cease and I said ‘OK, now it’s a accurate opportunity to place this region’. I learned my accurate tempo with the Laborious, I learned a accurate feeling however all of a sudden I saw the rain coming. It used to be initiating, as Max said, to rain in Flip 5 and 7 and all those of us in the market on Hards had been struggling vastly to place the vehicle heading in the right direction whereas of us on Mediums, they perceived to be having a bit more grip, they perceived to be with a softer tyre managing to place the vehicle heading in the right direction, whereas I was supreme nowhere – so I was at some point brooding about pitting for a Snug tyre, supreme to scheme it to the cease and in the cease we made up our minds to pass for Inters, the final four laps and it labored out fantastically and we ended up third, so accurate calls, accurate management, supreme a bit more obstacles than I was anticipating after main into Flip 2.
Q: Are you able to discuss us by the originate please? As a result of it appeared worship Lando in fact made the next getaway from you.
CS: Yeah, slightly worthy I received the handiest that you potentially can imagine originate on the dirty aspect – I mean every person knows here the dirty aspect has quite a huge downside from the neat aspect, so I secure each and each Lewis and I received away slightly decently, supreme I secure it used to be Lando, George and Daniel who had been supreme flying off the line – every person on the left-hand aspect had been flying, a bit worship final one year usually. I managed to salvage aspect-by-aspect with George and then we had been nearly banging wheels to be conscious who used to be the one catching Lando’s tow. Within the cease I stopped-up, when Lando drifted a bit to the acceptable, that gave me that additional bit of tow, I managed to salvage accurate momentum and brake if reality be told leisurely into Flip 2 across the outdoors and scheme it stick, you respect? I secure I said the day old to this I was going to are attempting, and I needed to are attempting at the moment, it labored smartly. It’s potentially doubtless the most major times in my profession I will be succesful of lead a flee into Flip 2, and I needed to are attempting. It labored smartly, and then unfortunately the graining came, the gasoline saving, the graining, then all the pieces went a bit more sophisticated than anticipated however main into Flip 2 used to be the purpose and we accomplished it.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Silja Rulle – Bild) My inquire of is to Max. You obtained a form of positions at the moment. Michael Schumacher did this in 2011 at Spa. He obtained 19 positions, I secure. Is that a flee you potentially thought of now, that you’ve accomplished approximately the identical quantity?
MV: Oh, 2011? I’m now not sure if I’ve viewed that flee! Doubtlessly Lewis knows a bit more about that. Carlos and I, we had been gentle… 2011?
LH: Silent potty coaching!
MV: I manufacture now not absorb any clue.
CS: The assign used to be this?
Q: Spa.
CS: Silent in diapers?
LH: So strange.
MV: Shut! I don’t know. Used to be it raining? I don’t know the blueprint it went.
LH: What one year?
MV: 2011. I secure every person knows Michael had some spacious races, some if reality be told memorable races anyway.
LH: I secure that used to be a pass flee for me, so I don’t consider.
MV: So I don’t know. I didn’t secure worship about stuff worship that. At the cease of the day, you should constantly supreme dawdle out from your maintain standpoint. And each one year, every song, the stipulations are utterly varied. However for me, in spite of all the pieces, what used to be fundamental for me used to be supreme staying out of bother. And supreme tried to work your manner forwards however safely. And I secure that’s what we did at the moment.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Lewis, supreme about the battle with Lando earlier than the rain arrived; you caught as a lot as him slightly snappy however then you definately perceived to salvage a small bit stuck there. Used to be that the case? Construct you speak that it is possible you’ll were ready to overtake him or had been you supreme ready, saving tyres, saving all the pieces to attack afterward earlier than the rain came?
LH: Within the preliminary phases I was supreme saving, then I checked out my speed and I saw on my pit board and I realised, I secure, it used to be lap 42 or something worship that and then all of a surprising I launch to attack however supreme worship when I was in the again of Daniel, you will desire a bit delta in issue to absorb a possibility to overtake here. They had been snappy on the straights, very snappy out of the final nook so I don’t know whether or now not or now not I would possibly per chance per chance per chance absorb received by or received shut adequate. I secure I was supreme about to salvage into the DRS zone or supreme received into the DRS zone and then clearly the rain came so it would be were complex to salvage by. It’s miles so snappy on the straight.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, how concerned are you that Mercedes have not maximised what they’ll absorb accomplished over the final two races?
LH: Have faith, it’s now not solely the two races, there’s been so a lot of races the assign we’ve now not maximised, as a personnel, collectively, each and each drivers and every person however we’re gentle in a fight and we can continue to crimson meat up. There are in fact issues that we will strive to cease better transferring forwards however we supreme obtained’t quit, we’ll supreme retain making an attempt, retain pushing, remain hopeful and supreme cease the work.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Max, it used to be a topsy turvy flee in which issues went smartly, then less smartly, then smartly again. Why did you cease so early for tyres, due to it appeared it put you again out into traffic and the blueprint did Alonso salvage past, in direction of the cease?
MV: No, I needed to… my tyres had been accomplished, supreme combating and being in traffic… worship so many vehicles. The left front used to be supreme accomplished so in hindsight presumably it can per chance were better to originate on the mediums, I don’t know, however I moreover didn’t are awaiting the exhausting tyre to quit so snappy. In a model I secure at the moment used to be supreme very complex on tyres, especially in case you needed to advance from the again and then you definately must obvious slower vehicles, you originate up your tyre and then usually as soon as that’s the case, you potentially would be supreme stuck, you potentially can’t cease the rest however the pit lane here is so slack and likewise you lose so worthy time that you potentially can’t if reality be told put a two-cease into play so I was supreme very runt with my tyre options so I boxed and I knew it used to be going to be very exhausting to the cease however moreover don’t omit that I absorb Charles, as an illustration, earlier than I boxed, very shut in the again of and he used to be nicely stuck in some traffic due to I secure at one point he used to be 14th so I don’t secure we did the rest pass with the approach, we supreme… the tyres had been very limiting at the moment when it comes to what you potentially can cease. So although the rain didn’t advance and I would possibly per chance per chance per chance absorb performed seventh or sixth, I would possibly per chance per chance per chance were worship, smartly, that’s what it is far due to with the tyres we had at the moment, the graining, there used to be now not worthy more I will be succesful of absorb accomplished, coming from the again so all in all, then with the rain, we made the acceptable calls however… It used to be gorgeous. That’s what it is far. And Fernando, yeah, he overtook me. He had better tyres, my left front used to be ineffective.
Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diario AS) Carlos you potentially can nicely absorb a supreme time this podium this time and likewise you moreover grabbed the chance readily accessible… is this your sweetest podium in System 1 up to now?
CS: It’s a accurate 2d, in spite of all the pieces, it’s been a hard one year, clearly, altering teams and adapting to a fully recent vehicle with a fully recent personnel however up to now this one year, clearly three podiums is now not pass the least bit. This weekend, I secure, used to be potentially my handiest weekend as a Ferrari driver. I managed to place together a really tough lap in qualifying, a accurate originate, a accurate tempo management in the flee so yeah, confidently I will be succesful of retain making improvements to, There are gentle a form of issues to work on, mainly the tyre management aspect and clearly a bit the tip flee there to scheme obvious we must now not so weak after we are main a gigantic prix due to I are looking out out for to scheme obvious next time I absorb the chance to e-book a gigantic prix, I’m now not suffering that worthy with the front tyres, we must now not so weak on the straights and as Ferrari, we should always put working to be a personnel that we are looking out out for to be, that is winning races and at the moment we received the chance to e-book however we didn’t scheme it stick, to retract the flee so yeah, next time I if reality be told are looking out out for to experience that and strive to scheme it stick.
Q: (Laurence Edmonson – ESPN) To Lewis and Max, you’re now separated by two aspects, there’s about a third of the season left to jog. the strengths and weaknesses of your vehicles, you respect what tracks are left roughly. How cease you fee your possibilities of winning the title?
LH: Well, in fact it’s going to be complex. I secure, for 2 thirds of the season up to now they’ve had the brink. Nonetheless, it’s clearly been complex with all forms of issues, curve balls despatched to each and each of us and our teams. There’s gentle all the pieces to play for in these next races. I secure they’ve received a accurate role of circuits constructing and I rely on or supreme continue to be if reality be told shut between us. Appropriate received to be hopeful of some accurate races…
MV: Fifty-fifty, tremendous or no.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Lewis, this time on the 100 victories: to begin with, how cease you feel about that alongside all of your varied achievements on your unbelievable profession, however moreover it’s quite a lengthy time since you obtained your 99th at Silverstone in July; how had been exasperated about that over the summer? Used to be it something that used to be on your mind due to it’s one of these huge quantity?
LH: No, honestly, since Silverstone, that used to be one of these varied 2d for me, to be in front of the house crowd clearly and clearly it used to be the major time that they’d been again so… however I haven’t thought of… in fact now not by my damage, I don’t if reality be told secure about racing, I are attempting and secure about varied issues. The last merchandise you make a choice to absorb to be exasperated about is racing however in spite of all the pieces since we’ve advance again, hoping to salvage a accurate result at some point however they came out of the initiating field and winning every flee usually, and then clearly the complex flee we had final… so yeah, I didn’t know when it can per chance happen or… I knew that it would be complex, supreme when it comes to the tempo that we absorb. It’s accurate however it’s now not unparalleled and so we in fact absorb work gentle to entire and I’m hopeful that we can are attempting out and squeeze out presumably a small bit more efficiency in these next races. I am hoping, fingers crossed.
Q: (Valentin Khorounzhiy – The Breeze) Max, it looks worship pit stops were a conducting of leisurely for Red Bull, ever since the… moreover at the moment. Either they have not been quite snappy adequate or there’s been some errors. Is that an house of conducting exact now, that needs the major focal point of the personnel?
MV: I don’t know. I will eye into it however it’s now not… I mean two pass pit stops must now not going to stipulate how accurate we were prior to now so I’m sure we can fix these items.
Ends
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