24/09/2024
NEWS STORY
Track Interviews - Conducted by David Coulthard
Oscar, after what was challenging qualifying, a really feisty race, some great overtakes, and a well-deserved podium. Congratulations. Put us in the cockpit. How was it?
Oscar Piastri: Warm is how it was! It was a good race, a good recovery from qualifying yesterday. It wasn't my greatest afternoon yesterday, so to get back to the podium is a great result. I feel like we had a really quick car underneath us and a good strategy to get past the Mercedes. So, yeah, big thank you to the team. Clearly, the car was exceptional this weekend and some great points for the whole team.
We saw your team-mate having a couple of brushes with the walls. I didn't see any for you, but did you have any particular standout moments of difficulty during that race?
OP:No, I think I kept it off them this time. I don't think I hit anything. It was a bit close George at Turn 1, but once I got into third, I had a massive gap to try and close up, so I didn't want to take too many risks, but, yeah, I feel like I've brushed enough walls in the last two weeks, so hopefully the mechanics don't have to change too many bits before then next race.
OK, well, Oscar, well done. Enjoy the podium celebration. Now, our second-place finisher, Max Verstappen. The sweat on your brow shows just how hard you had to work in that Grand Prix. Lando was in another class this race. Tell us, your Grand Prix, it was a difficult start, very close with Lewis at the first corner, and thereafter, it was a fairly lonely race.
Max Verstappen: Yeah, I think that's pretty much my race, just by myself. Trying to do the best I could, trying to manage my own pace to the end. I think the first stint was a bit difficult for us, quite a bit of tyre degradation. Second stint was a bit better. I was a bit more comfortable as well. So, yeah, I think on a weekend where we knew that we were going to struggle to be P2 is a good achievement. Of course, we're not happy with second. Now we just have to try and improve more and more, and that's what we'll try to do.
With Daniel Ricciardo getting the fastest lap right at the end, that meant that the point swing is now 52 points, where it could have been 51. It's being ebbed away, your championship lead.
MV: Yeah, it is, but this also can change very quickly again, so we just need to keep on trying, of course, at one point try to overturn it a bit, you know, not always finishing behind, but we'll see how that goes.
And physically, we can see the sweat on your brow, I presume you're soaked through. Just how tough was that race?
MV: It's always tough around here, warm, and a very long race in general, so I'm looking forward to a bit of rest.
OK, well, enjoy that and enjoy the podium. And finally, our race winner in what looked like a dominant, dominant victory, Lando, congratulations.
Lando Norris: Thank you. It was an amazing race. A few too many close calls. You know, I had a couple little moments in the middle, but it was well-controlled, I think, otherwise. And the car was mega, so I could push. We were flying the whole race, and yeah, at the end, I could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough. I'm a bit out of breath, but a very fun one.
Well, you definitely earned your money today. The gap you had, though, did put our hearts in our mouths when we saw you have two brushes with the wall - an overshoot in one of the corners where you just touched the front wing, and then you had a little tap as well of the barrier. Did you need to be pushing that hard, given the gap that you had?
LN: I mean, it's not that you're necessarily over-pushing. Sometimes it can be that you're just chilling too much. Maybe it was a bit of both. I don't know what it is, but it's tricky. It was still tough out there, easy to lock the tyres like I did. I still pushed. I didn't want to have a one-second lead. I wanted to have the biggest lead possible. It was good fun, maximum points. Nice to have Oscar here, too, on the podium. He drove well today, so a good day for the team also.
So your third victory in Formula 1. Physically, your toughest?
LN: Similar to Qatar last year, but I wasn't taking it easy. I could have taken it a lot more easy. Yeah, a little dizzy at the minute, but all good.
Press Conference
Lando. Your victory never looked in doubt. Just how satisfying is the manner in which you dominated the Grand Prix?
LN: Just a win is a win. So yeah, maybe it puts a slightly bigger smile on your face but the main job is just getting the win. So, it's satisfying no matter what. Of course the bigger the gap you can have the happier you're going to be but I'm just happy we finished on top and we got maximum points and got another win. It's always going to be a tough race here, but I felt good all weekend, so all I had to do was go out there and perform like I've been performing and all things were going to go well.
The car's been brilliant all weekend. Just how hard were you having to push to pull the gaps that you did?
LN: I mean, very, I was flat out. I was probably pushing a bit too hard. Yeah, it was definitely not like I was cruising. I was pushing to open up a gap, and at one point I wanted to try and open up a pit window to give myself an opportunity to maybe box at the end of the race for quickest lap if I needed to try and achieve that. Daniel stole that away from me at the end of the race. So, yeah, a tough one, but it wasn't easy. The car was not easy to drive, especially on the Hard tyres. I struggled a lot more than what I did on the Medium. And especially just with the traffic and things, it was a bit harder to manage the second half of the stint compared to the first, but I was pushing. Let me tell you, I was definitely pushing. Probably too much, hence the mistakes I was making, or the two mistakes I made with the wall, but otherwise things were going well.
You mentioned those mistakes. Did those glances with the wall affect the performance of the car in any way?
LN: I don't think so. I mean, the team said that there was something with the front wing, maybe being a little bit off. I hit the front wing against the barrier, so it might have tweaked it a touch, but I don't think probably much to change it, but hard to know. On these cars, as soon as you tweak something a tiny bit, it can have quite a big impact, but nothing that I was probably feeling. But yes, as soon as I did that, and I think it was more... I mean, I was pushing, but also it was just as I was catching up to the dirty air from the cars ahead, whether they were three, four seconds ahead, as soon as... It changes from the past, you know, 20 laps that I had. You have a little bit less grip, a little bit less downforce. Tyres are going away a little bit. It just caught me out. So it wasn't like a lack of concentration or anything. It was just a bit of a surprise to me. But, yeah, I think the car was all good and the car has been mega weekend. So a big thanks to the team.
The car has been mega all weekend. Do you think this level of dominance is track specific here in Singapore or do you expect to have the car to beat at all of the remaining races now?
LN: We've not changed anything on the car from here to last weekend or the weekend before. We've even had to make tweaks to some of our wings and things that people have complained about. But we've still had a great weekend and probably one of our most dominant weekends here. I don't think that's made the difference, honestly. It was just that the car's been mega for a good amount of time. I've not been able to come out on top for for quite a few of them when I felt like I had the pace and I had the ability to do. So some of that is down to being my own fault and not executing things well enough. So I've paid the price for not doing a good enough job at times. But when I lead after Turn 1 and things are a a bit more straightforward then we can have a day like today.
And Lando, final one from me. You've taken seven points out of Max here. What's your strategy with regard to the championship as we head into the final six races?
LN: Silly question, really, isn't it? Try and do the same again, but Max is pushing hard. I'm sure Red Bull are pushing hard. So, I mean, it's obvious it's... I'm doing my best every weekend. I'm trying to get the most points I can every weekend. Includes fastest lap and things like that. But if Max keeps finishing second and Red Bull keep doing like they did this weekend, then nothing more I can do. So just focus on myself and focus on us as a team. That's it.
Well done, Lando. Thank you for that. Max, let's come to you now. Compared to last year, this has been a much better weekend for you and Red Bull. Just what positives do you take from this second place?
MV: Compared to the start of the weekend, we improved quite nicely. I think that's been great for us as a team. On a track that we know we're not performing normally the best. I'm happy with second today.
And the race itself in terms of on track battles was a quiet one for you. So can we talk a little bit more about car performance during the Grand Prix? When was it? When was it at its best?
MV: I would say the end the last few laps. I think it was feeling a little bit better. But yeah, overall, quite a lonely race for me.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Marina Bay here.
And you joked in the cool down room that you thought Lando would lap you. Were you surprised by his pace today?
MV: Of course, that was a joke, but I'm not surprised. I mean, I think Lando drove a great race and he had a great weekend, that's for sure.
Alright, look, final one. Upgrades are coming on the RB20 in the coming races. How much of a step do you and the team need to take in order to keep Lando's title charge at bay?
MV: We always want to do better and we'll analyse a lot and hopefully we'll come out stronger in Austin and from there onwards more.
Oscar, let's come to you now. Great day at the office for you going from P5 to P3. After yesterday, was that the maximum available, do you think?
OP:Yeah, I think so. Yeah, you know, yesterday obviously wasn't ideal, but today the aim was to get onto the podium. And I think losing so much time behind the Mercedes in the first thing meant that that was definitely the most we could have done. So walking away reasonably happy. Of course, I'd prefer to be sat in the middle. But I think it was a good damage limitation day today. Even through the weekend, I was struggling quite a lot in practice and felt like I made a good step into qualifying. Didn't execute as well as I needed to, but I feel like I've learned a lot through the weekend as well. So even if the end result wasn't exactly what I hoped, I think we've done a good job of maximising the points, especially for the team. It's a massive points haul for us, and I feel like I've learned some good lessons for next year as well. All in all, reasonably happy.
You pitted late in the race. How hard was it to make the medium tyre last until, what was it, lap 39?
OP:It was difficult for the last few laps of the stint, but until then I could tell that we had a good pace advantage over Mercedes. And Lewis starting on the Soft meant that I was never really going to try and push to get him early on. I knew that the race was going to come to me much later on, and that's basically what we did. So, yeah, when I was in the dirty air behind them, it was tough, as it always is, but I knew that we had a good pace advantage and that the longer we kept going the more opportunities we opened up for ourselves the bigger tyre difference we had. If there was a Safety Car then we could have capitalised on it. So I think we executed it very well. The last few laps, it was trying to yeah get the team to pit me but It was all you know, pretty much under control.
This was the first ever Singapore Grand Prix without a safety car. There was no respite for you drivers. Just how tough did it make it physically?
OP:It was a tough race, definitely. Not on the same level as what we had in Qatar last year, I would say, but to be honest, it almost gets harder when it gets lonely. Once I got past the Mercedes, Max was, I think, 20 seconds ahead, and I knew I was a lot quicker than the Mercedes, so the last 15 laps felt longer than the first 45. So yeah, it was a tough race, definitely. It always is here. But in some ways having the air blowing in your face and stuff like that is almost quite nice. You know, the in-lap was actually probably... You know, when you stop concentrating so much and you don't have as much air in your face, it actually can feel worse. So definitely a tough evening, but that's what we're paid for.
Questions From The Floor
(Luke Smith - The Athletic) Lando, you set a pretty rapid fastest lap. That was only beaten at the end when Daniel Ricciardo made his late pit stop to deny you. What was your reaction when you heard that? Obviously, the relationship between Red Bull and RB there? And Max, your thoughts as well. GP came on the road and said it was your old pal helping you out.
LN: Well done, Daniel. I don't know. Nothing I can do is good on him. Yeah, I did my best at trying to get a quicker slap when the tyres were in a good condition in the middle. But I can't have them all, you know. I've done my best at trying to get quicker slaps over the last few weekends and I've been able to get them more often than not. But I can't, on a hard tyre in the middle of a stint, beat a guy on a new soft. So, yeah, that's just life.
MV: Yeah, I mean, everyone can decide when they want to do a fast slap or not. Yeah.
(Laurence Edmondson - ESPN) Just to follow up on that, Lando, I mean, obviously there's nothing to gain by RB doing that. They didn't get the point because he's outside the top 10. So do you not think it's been unfair that a team that isn't directly linked to your title battle is owned by the same company that owns Red Bull has gone and taken that point away from you?
LN: That's how it's been in Formula 1 for, I don't know, probably since before I was born, so... Nothing to complain about. There's been races in the past when other people have been racing. We try to take it away from others. So, yes, the logical thing to do. The smart play by them. Happy for Daniel. That's all.
(Ronald Vording - Motorsport.com) Question to Max on the turnaround from Friday to Saturday. Do you feel that on Friday maybe you overdid it a little bit with the setup for the curbs and the bumps given that was the issue for Red Bull in previous years? And do you feel this is the biggest turnaround from Friday to Saturday this year and also with all the work going on back in Milton Keynes?
MV: It's always difficult to say if it's too much or not. It was a different direction. that maybe gives us some ideas for the future. It was a big turnaround, but biggest or I don't know. It's always difficult to say.
(Phil Duncan - PA) Just to Lando and Max, are you both now expecting this championship to go to the wire to the final race?
LN: We have no idea, mate. I don't know. I can't tell the future, so... I'm working as hard as I can, like I just said. I'm sure Red Bull, Max as well, so... I'm sure there's going to be plenty of competition until the end of the year, and as a team, the only thing we can do is try and score the most points possible. That includes trying to win. Yeah, it's, again, a silly question. I mean, we're doing our best, and so are they. I hope so. I still have a lot of points I've got to catch up and it's not going to be easy to do it. It's against Red Bull and it's against Max, the most dominant pairing you've ever seen in Formula 1, from last year. And that's not necessarily changed in terms of... It's the same team and it's the same driver. So I have some of the toughest competition that Formula 1 has ever seen in the sport. We are doing a better job as a team right now because my car and our car is quicker than theirs. But that's just credit to the team doing an amazing job and being smarter and doing cooler things and creating mini DRS flaps and stuff, you know. So it's just because that's the game and that's the people we're up against, the people who also do it and people who create these things. So I'm working my heart out, I'm working my butt off, to try and make sure that happens. He's trying to make sure it doesn't happen. So we'll have to wait and find out.
MV: Yeah, time will tell, right? All right.
(Rodrigo França - Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Max. Max, for the last six races, where do you think a Red Bull will struggle more and where will be more easy for you to fight for a podium?
MV: Probably street circuits we'll struggle more, normal tracks a little bit less.
(Laurence Edmondson - ESPN) Max, how pleased are you with the progress the team's made from that low point in Monza? Obviously, at Azerbaijan there was a misstep, but here you're right back up towards the front. I know it's a big gap. So how much confidence does that give you going forward?
MV: Yeah, pretty pleased, but still a lot of work to do. We know that. Hopefully now we can really kickstart things.
(Ronald Vording - Motorsport.com) Given that progress today, Red Bull took another hit in the Constructors'. But do you still feel, Max, that it's realistic to win the Constructors'? Or should the focus just be on the Drivers' championship now? And then for the McLaren pair, I think Lando said that the Drivers' championship is still Max's title to lose. Do you feel the Constructors' is McLaren's to lose, given the upward trend you guys are on?
MV: We focus on performance. If the car is quick, then naturally both championships are easier to get.
OP:I mean clearly in the Constructors' the trajectory has been in the right direction for a long time now. We've got clearly a quick car underneath us. we've got both of us scoring big points consistently. So yeah, I feel like we're doing a good job as a whole team but you can never take it for granted how quickly things can turn around, so we'll see. And I'm not sure Lando's going to give an answer.
LN: The same.
(Shuchang Zhou - Lianhe Zaobai) There is a new fourth DRS zone? Did any of you guys feel the effect of that DRS zone? Do you think they should do more in street circuits to help overtaking?
OP:I mean, I guess you guys didn't really test it, so... It didn't change the world, to be honest. Both of my overtakes were into Turn 7, so... Yeah, I think that part of the track where the new DRS zone is very slippery, so actually trying to stay close to someone is very tough. And the straight is still not long enough really to make big inroads, so I think it didn't make that much of a difference to be honest.
(Luke Smith - The Athletic) Max, would you still prefer if we spoke to you outside of this room rather than inside this room?
MV: It's been a long day, yeah.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Marina Bay here.