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Hungarian GP: Friday Press Conference

NEWS STORY
26/07/2013

Good afternoon everyone. Cyril, can I start with you? In a way it's been a quiet season for you so far, there doesn't seem to have been any forward movement. What's been going on behind the scenes?
Cyril Abiteboul: Come to the factory and you'll see that a lot is happening! We're continuing with our plan. We said quite early that we would have a bit of a particular season because we started with a hybrid car, which was based mainly on last year's car and obviously we have been carrying on with that programme, so we have seen new upgrades almost every race since Bahrain. That is quite aggressive, I have to say, maybe a bit ambitious also, because we also keep an eye on 2014. Sometimes what we are bringing is working and is delivering. Sometimes it's not working exactly as we want. Also as we are a young team we have to learn about controlling so many upgrades and that maybe some things, thinking about it... maybe we are sometimes a bit too audacious in what we are bringing on track. But we are coping with it, that's exciting, that's also keeping the motivation high in the garage and at the factory, which is always a challenge when you are at the back of the grid.

There has been some doubt, maybe completely fictional, about Giedo van der Garde's seat within the team. Heikki Kovalainen has been mentioned. One wonders whether Alexander Rossi will ever get a seat for the United States Grand Prix. Can you tell us the situation there amongst with your drivers?
CA: This is the first time I'm answering this. I think the situation is quite straightforward. Apart from the fact that we have young drivers in the seats and a reserve driver who is more experienced, I think our structure is quite clear. Having said that, it's true that the two drivers we have are two young drivers, one has a bit more experience than the other. One has some challenges with tyres, obviously Giedo, and we have to see how the changes to the tyres this weekend are affecting him but also how the upgrades to the car are affecting his challenge. But just like everyone, he's being challenged, just like I am challenged on a daily basis by our shareholder. So like everyone, he has to deliver but he has no particular pressure, no more pressure than any other driver on the grid.

John if I can come to you. Interesting announcement that you are going to be using the Ferrari powerplant in the future. It must, first of all, be a big investment to use that but at the same time a saving as well as you have all the transmission too?
John Booth: It's a saving on effort. We're very happy with our position with Scuderia Ferrari. It too a long time negotiating but very happy for the whole team to announce it a couple of weeks ago.

Where does that fit, first of all, with Jules Bianchi, because of course he's a Ferrari young driver and secondly, with McLaren, with whom you have a partnership.
JB: First of all, with Jules, he is a Ferrari young driver but the two deals are totally separate. The powertrain deal has no bearing on Jules' future at all.

And with McLaren?
JB: Two totally separate contracts. Ferrari's contract is purely powertrain and then the other one with our other partners McLaren covers separate areas altogether.

So it will work quite well?
JB: Yes, no problems.

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