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Tag: lewis hamilton

  • 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

    2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

    DRIVERS

    1 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

    2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

    3 – Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari)

     

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS

    (Conducted by David Coulthard)

    Q: Nico, that must taste good?

    Nico ROSBERG: Delicious! The best ever!

    Q: It’s been an incredible end to the season. This was, to me, your most dominant win of the season, so tell us a little bit about the race and the hunger you took into this final race of the season.

    NR: No, I mean, yeah, Austin was sort of the low point of the season. It was a tough weekend and since then I’ve just come back a lot stronger and I’m very happy about that. I’m excited about how the end of the season went. Next year can come any moment. It could start tomorrow if it were for me, no problem, I don’t need any holidays! But, no, it’s great to end the season like this, go on holiday like this and thank you so much, you’ve been awesome again this weekend, for all your support and everything, thanks to my team, absolutely stunning car you’ve all given me again today – just unbelievable. Ecstatic.

    Q: You mentioned Austin there. We could see the disappointment as the realisation the championship had slipped away at that race. Can you tell us a little bit, give the fans at home an insight. You’ve got the enemy within the team, you work together to develop this great product but your success is Lewis’ failure and his success is your failure. Can you give us an insight into how you manage that?  Because you guys have known each other since you were kids.

    NR: Yeah, it’s always tough to race Lewis, he’s doing an awesome job and he’s one of the best out there, so an even better feeling to win, definitely against such opposition. It’s a great battle internally all the time. That’s what I race for, such battles, and I look forwards to more next year.

    Q: Does that mean you guys can go and have dinner together now and reflect on what was an amazing season for the team?

    NR: Let’s skip that part – maybe we’ll catch up in the Amber Lounge later on.

    Q: Lewis, an amazing season for you – your World Champion Ladies and Gentleman – it’s been a great season for you, I couldn’t help but notice it doesn’t seem to have finished quite as strong as it started. We heard you mention that there have been some changed to the car and it hasn’t quite suited you but is it as simple as that or is there something else we need to know now the season’s over?

    Lewis HAMILTON: Well, firstly it’s been an amazing – an amazing – year, and happy 44th UAE National Day. So happy to be here and celebrating it with the UAE, they’ve done an amazing job for this show – and what a great crowd we’ve had today. No man, it’s been a good year. I’m happy. I’m happy it’s over, for sure. So now we can really enjoy. I really have to take my hat off to this team who once again did an amazing job in building this car. The pitstops today, the performance through the whole year, they’ve surpassed their own expectations, our expectations, and so we’ve truly shown that Mercedes-Benz is the best team in the world. I’m proud to be a part of it.

    Q: Just to touch on strategy, we heard you again on the radio, asking the team “can I go the distance on these tyres?” We know the team have to deliver the one-two result. Nico earned the pole, he was leading the race – is that just the inner racer in you? Even though you probably know ahead of time that there’s nothing that can be done, that’s why you’re pushing your engineers, pushing the team.

    LH: No, I think in hindsight once Nico pitted I would probably have backed off a little bit and I would have made those tyres go a lot longer. The tyres were still fine at the end so I honestly felt that I could potentially have taken them to the end. But as that didn’t work out, going too long was probably not the right thing to do – but y’know, we gave it a try and did the best job I could with it.

    Q: I’ll just come around to Kimi Räikkönen. Ladies and Gentlemen, statistically this is the most popular man in Formula One. You probably say less than any of the other drivers, so welcome back to the podium. It’s not been a great season for you but that was a World Champion’s drive today – so why has it taken so long in the season to deliver this great performance?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: I think we started better this season but obviously not been ideal this year. That’s how it goes sometimes. And y’know, the speed has been there but mistakes and problems and stuff like that. So the end result hasn’t been great many times but today, or this weekend, was a bit better. Everything was working well and things were running smoothly, car handling well, so, it was good – but obviously not enough still to beat these two but, y’know we did our best.

    Q: Nico, finally with yourself, the smile says it all. The World Championship is the one thing… this is your 14th victory. You can take pole positions, you can win grands prix – how are you going to attack the winter and come back next year and try and beat this man?

    NR: Well I look forward to it as I’m sure it’s going to be another great season next year. I’m sure the team is going to give us an awesome car again. Of course we’re aware of the threat from the red guys and we don’t them to come too close and we’ll give it everything over the winter. I’ll try to keep it going, the current form, starting next year.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: You knew what Lewis was doing, obviously, in terms of strategy in the final part of the Grand Prix, the offset on the tyres etc, and you responded. Are you pleased with the way you drove today?

    NR: Yeah, for sure, ecstatic with the way it went, because really master-managed… controlled the pace through the race and managed my tyres and used them optimally and pushed all the way through to the end, so had good pace there with tyres that’s for sure and had a lot more laps on them than Lewis’s so very pleased with that, definitely.

    Q: I wonder which of the two of you goes into the winter feeling the happier?

    NR: I’m feeling very happy.

    Q: Lewis, you’re a three time World Champion, it’s been a record-breaking year, which of the two of you goes into the winter feeling the happier?

    LH: I think being World Champion sounds a lot better than winning the race, so that’s good.

    Q: Tell us a little bit about your race because we were let in on quite a lot of radio, partly, as David Coulthard just referred to there, your question whether or not there was an argument for staying out, but also in the final stages there to do with the engine modes and some quite firm instructions from your engineer, what they wanted you to do. Maybe you could just let us into that a little bit and also from a strategy point of view, you pitted after Vettel who went onto supersofts and you put softs on, so maybe you could just explain that?

    LH: Well, I just did what I was told pretty much, most of the time and then yeah, I tried as hard as I could in the first stint, I tried to keep a relatively decent gap to Nico, looking after my tyres and then my right front… or both fronts went off quite early and Nico was able to… in the clean air, was able to look after them. In the second stint I was quicker and getting close and then… I could make the tyres last longer, yeah, of course, but after that it was really down to the team, whether or not we went to the option or the other tyre. I’m not sure which one was better but the prime tyre was quite good. I’m not sure whether or not I could have taken it to the end but some part of me just wishes I’d just given it a go. But no, the engine modes were going up and down throughout the race, not really sure they were like that because they had lots of life left in my engine but I’ll ask when I get back to the debrief.

    Q: Kimi, your third podium of this championship, you finished eleven seconds behind Lewis which is about 0.2s per lap over the Grand Prix distance here. Do you take encouragement from the way that Ferrari’s finished the last couple of races going into the winter and next year?

    KR: I think the whole year, as a team, has been quite good comparing last year and obviously not so good for myself but the speed has been there and it’s just not been able to produce the results and having some issues and mistakes but this weekend has been pretty OK, the car’s been handling well. I think in the race we could have been quite a bit closer but we had some issues at both pit stops so we lost some time and then I slowed down a bit. But I think we had a reasonably good speed, they didn’t really pull away a lot from us. At certain points, I think we were catching them and then they were pulling out but not an awful lot in it. It’s never nice to finish third but I’ll take it after previous races. I guess it always could have been a better finish but OK, I think it was more or less what we expected to get.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Lennart Bernke – Bild) Nico, Lewis, will you get each other a Christmas present?

    NR: Hmm, maybe a Christmas card.

    LH:  I don’t think we’ve ever done either so there’s no reason to change.

    Q: (Rami Akhawi – Car on Web) Nico, about next year, are we going to see you as a World Champion, because already you entered the season with great victories, so is it the same way to start 2016?

    NR: Well, unfortunately 2016 is so far away. At the moment I’m just enjoying now, enjoying the wins. I’m going to party tonight, I’m enjoying the fun, enjoying that I progressed also a lot in the end of the season, too late for the championship of course, but so great now to have it and that’s it. I can’t tell you about next year unfortunately, but I’ll give it everything

    Q: (Fadi Kallassina – Arab Shift) Lewis, what’s your feeling for not getting the first position with the 44 celebration national day?

    LH: I’m really grateful to have been associated with the UAE with the 44th national day. Yeah, I’m still going for that 44th win. I’m quite happy with the amount of wins I’ve had in my career. Of course, I always want more but I have to be grateful for the ones I do have. Hopefully we’ve got another three years with this team so I’m looking forward to next year, to come back fit and healthy and let’s see what we can do next year.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, does it now, afterwards, feel any better to finish the season fourth (in the Drivers’ championship)  instead of being fifth and especially after being 12th last season?

    KR: Not really. You guys have been asking between me and Valtteri for a long time and still it doesn’t make much difference to me. It’s not what you think, a Finnish championship, it’s a World Championship and there are winners it goes from there. If you don’t win, it doesn’t make an awful lot of difference if you’re second, wherever you finish. I’m happy to have had a kind of OK race in the last one but it doesn’t change anything really of how our season went, what to expect for next year. One of the better weekends but we’ll take it and go from here.

  • 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; Post Qualifying Press Conference

    2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; Post Qualifying Press Conference

    DRIVERS

    1 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

    2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

    3 – Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari)

     

    TV UNILATERAL

    Nico, six poles in a row at the end of the season – how have you done it?

    Nico ROSBERG: Well, before it was close in the other direction and now its close in this direction. I’m quicker in the moment. I’m very pleased about that and enjoying the moment and happy to be in pole again.

    Lewis, coming to you, obviously very string all weekend, strong in Q1, strong in Q2 but then in Q3 it sort of slipped away. Was there a reason for that in particular?

    Lewis HAMILTON: Not really, I’ve generally been struggling with the car a bit all weekend. But we’ve been working really hard to make some changes; we’ve had to take something off the car but no, Nico was just really quick today and he did a great job in Q3.

    OK, coming to you Kimi, close battle obviously with the Force India of Sergio Perez for the third place on the grid. You’ll start alongside him in the grand prix tomorrow. Your final lap, though, was the one that did it. You’ve been quick all weekend but did you feel the pressure from Perez and what was the secret in the end, particularly with your team-mate down in 16th?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: No real secret. Obviously the car has been handling pretty well all weekend. The laps haven’t been ideal many times. Even the first run, it was OK the lap, but nothing like… I knew there was quite a lot of room to improve so I just tried to make one a bit better lap and it was enough. Obviously still a bit of a way off from what these guys can do but we did our best today.

    Coming back to you Nico, a disappointing race last here in Abu Dhabi. The race tomorrow, though, a chance to end the season with a hat-trick of victories. How important is it to carry that kind of momentum into the winter.

    NR: Primarily I would just like to win the race, because it’s a great feeling to win and it would also give my whole crew and the team a great end to the season and a good reason to party then tomorrow night. That would be awesome, to all have a good time together. So that’s primarily on my mind. Of course, though, whatever we learn this year as well helps going into next year, so it would be great finishing on a high.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Nico, once again strategy starting to come into play during Saturday afternoon, noticeably that you saved new soft tyres for the race tomorrow, going out on supersofts in Q1. We’ve seen that a few times from your team, so fairly clear what you’re thinking about, but how important do you think strategy will be tomorrow in terms of the outcome of the grand prix?

    NR: Strategy is always important. I think we’ve done our homework really well here, practicing well on Friday for the race, so we pretty much know exactly what to expect and the soft tyre will definitely be the better race tyre, so that’s why we saved one of those for the race.

    Lewis, coming to you, obviously you’ve been fairly relaxed about the situation at the end of this season in terms of qualifying and the pendulum as it has swung. Over the balance of the year then it’s 12-7 to you in qualifying in the battle with Nico. Maybe you could just give us your thoughts on the Saturday, how the year has gone for you and your thoughts on that over the course of the season?

    LH: It’s been good. It doesn’t really matter what that number is at the end of the day, what matters is the wins and obviously the championship, but you know, I’m happy because it has obviously been more in my favour. I’ve enjoyed it and in the last six Nico has done a great job. Areas to improve with the car, for me, on my side, but I’m sure we’ll get there.

    Q: And for you Kimi, this is your fourth top three qualifying of the season. Do you feel going into 2016, with all you’ve said this weekend about hopes and aspirations for next year, that qualifying in particular is an area to work on?

    KR: I don’t think it’s going to be as simple as that and if you qualify well you’re going to have a good finish. We have had good speed but many times a problem or mistakes here and there. Obviously it makes qualifying more difficult and hurts your end result easily but today, this weekend, everything’s been running smoothly and obviously it’s a bit better starting grid tomorrow but we have to still make a good race out of it. It doesn’t change what we do this year for next year anything. We start from zero in January and try to do a good year next.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Samomat) Nico, how tempting is it to try to get your seventh successive pole in the beginning of next season as Lewis did this year and to charge yourself for the whole winter.

    NR: With all the respect, that’s not really a target of mine. Of course it’s great to finish the season on a high now and then yeah, I’ll be motivated to start next year in a way that this year has finished. That would be great. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as that but, as always, I’ll push and try and begin strongly next year.

    Q: (Agris Lauzinieks – Kapitals Latvia) The question is what is the secret of your revival this season Nico? I mean two last races. Perhaps Mercedes is experimenting with new parts meant for 2016 and they are more suitable for your driving style. I mean new parts of the car.

    NR: It’s not a revival, I haven’t reinvented anything. It’s just progress and that’s it. Before it was always very, very close but Lewis had that one-tenth edge and at the moment it’s me that has the one-tenth edge. Today a bit more but it was very close lately in the last two races. That’s it. At the moment I’m just quicker.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Honorary) Lewis, you said you’ve been struggling with the car all weekend. What has been the problem and will it be worse in the race?

    LH: Generally it gets a little bit better in the race but it’s been for a while now. Generally just struggling on the edge with the car. It was a lot more comfortable at the beginning of the year for me and as I said, coming into this weekend I tried to make some changes. It disadvantaged myself a little bit maybe with one of the things I took off the car which was of benefit. I tried to get around it but at the end of the day it wasn’t good enough.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Samomat) Kimi, you seem to be quicker with the soft tyre in the practice. Does that mean the race is easier for you compared to qualifying.

    KR: I don’t think it’s going to be any easier. I mean, in qualifying the supersofts were working well and obviously yesterday and this morning wasn’t ideal. Couldn’t get the lap with those. Couldn’t get the lap with those but again in qualifying they were fine. Obviously conditions changed from daytime to this evening but no, both tyres seem to be working pretty well for me and we’ll see what we’re going to do tomorrow – which one we’re going to run and how it’s going to plan out in the first few laps.

  • F1 2015: Abu Dhabi Qualifying Report – Rosberg Storms To Pole

    F1 2015: Abu Dhabi Qualifying Report – Rosberg Storms To Pole

    Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has secured his sixth straight pole position ahead of the 2015 Abu Dhabi grand prix.

    The first session of the qualifying hour was highlighted by miscalculation of Sebastian Vettel’s side of the Ferrari garage. It meant that the German missed out on advancing to the next stage of the session and will, as it stands, start Sunday’s race in sixteenth position.

    There were problems too for Romain Grosjean who parked his Lotus on the side of the track. The Frenchman will start in fifteenth. McLaren’s Fernando Alonso potential to advance beyond the top sixteen was scuppered by a puncture which leaves the Spaniard in seventeenth on the grid.

    In the battle for qualifying honours between the Toro Rosso drivers Carlos Sainz has bested his highly-rated teammate Max Verstappen. Sainz will line up tenth while Verstappen will be in eleventh.

    The final session of the qualifying hour was an expected duel between the Mercedes drivers upon which Rosberg’s stunning lap was enough to secure pole position by nearly four tenths of a second over Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen salvaged the day for Ferrari and will start Sunday’s race in third. The stand-out performance of the session was unquestionably the Force India driver Sergio Perez. The Mexican threatened third place on the grid but ultimately had to settle for starting a still impressive fourth.

    Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo will start fifth and share the third of the grid with Williams’ Valtteri Bottas (6th). Nico Hulkenberg is seventh in the other Force India while Felipe Massa is eighth in the second Williams. Russian driver Daniil Kvyat is ninth with Carlos Sainz completing the top ten in his Toro Rosso.

  • F1 2015: Rosberg Down On Power

    F1 2015: Rosberg Down On Power

    Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg says he is at a disadvantage this weekend by having to use an “extremely old” engine.

    When the German team introduced its upgraded power unit at the Italian grand prix Nico Rosberg was forced to abandon the unit in the back of his car. The engine was believed to have been contaminated by a coolant leak and forced the ‘scrapping’ on the unit.

    It means that the current power unit fitted to the number 6 Mercedes has done a lot of mileage. As a result Rosberg may not be able to push the power unit as hard as Hamilton may be able to on his car. It lends itself to a disadvantage for the in-form Rosberg but he hasn’t given up on getting that elusive third consecutive win.

    “We know it’s going to be difficult because I have an extremely old engine as a result of having lost my fourth engine for the year, so I have a lot of miles on it and that’s definitely costing me straightline speed,” said Rosberg.”It’s going to be a difficult weekend as a result. But I just have to go quicker in the corners. “The engine is very, very high mileage, very old, and this track is an engine track.

  • F1 2015: Abu Dhabi Friday Practice Round-up

    F1 2015: Abu Dhabi Friday Practice Round-up

    Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg topped the timing sheets for Mercedes in the first and second free practice sessions for the Abu Dhabi grand prix.

    The first of the one-and-a-half hour sessions started under bright sunlight and was topped by the number 44 Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. The reigning champion set a quickest time of 1:43:754 which was roughly one-and-a-half tenths quicker than teammate Nico Rosberg. The Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen followed in third albeit a further six tenths back. Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat was fourth fastest ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari.

    Jolyon Palmer, who has secured a race seat for 2016, was out for the Lotus team but experienced a water leak and missed most of the session. Alexander Rossi has vacated the Manor Marussia seat to focus on the GP2 finale. Roberto Merhi has rejoined the team for the final race weekend of the season. In the inter-team battle at McLaren Jenson Button edged teammate Fernando Alonso for 13th place on the timing sheets.

    As the sun set over the Yas Marina circuit the second free practice session got underway with considerably more running by the teams. This session is more representative of conditions that will be experienced in qualifying and the race, hence the increased work rate for the drivers.

    Motor Racing - Formula One World Championship - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Practice Day - Abu Dhabi, UAEUltimately, Nico Rosberg’s 1:41:983 was the quickest time of the session on the red-walled supersoft tyre. It left the German a tenth-and-a-half clear of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Force India’s Sergio Perez finished the session in a surprising third place but did so twenty minutes early thanks to a brake issue.

    Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was fourth quickest ahead of Sebastian Vettel (5th),  Daniil Kvyat (6th) and Kimi Raikkonen (7th). The second Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, the McLaren of Fernando Alonso, and the Lotus of Pastor Maldonado rounded out the top ten.

    In the long runs the pace comparison between Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg was especially noteworthy. Although there is no indication of fuel or engine modes run during the session the pace difference between the two drivers was, on average, a tenth of a second.  A further interesting point was that Raikkonen was able to maintain a consistent pace for longer on the supersoft tyre than any other driver.

    While Ferrari appear to have a competitive, perhaps even equal, race pace to Mercedes its qualifying pace still adrift of the Silver Arrows.

  • 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    DRIVERS:

    Fernando ALONSO (McLaren)

    Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

    Romain GROSJEAN (Lotus)

    Daniil KVYAT (Red Bull Racing)

    Roberto MERHI (Manor)

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    First of all then, a question to you all: how would you sum up your year and what was your favourite moment? Romain, why don’t you get us started.

    Romain GROSJEAN: Well, I think the favourite moment is pretty easy – Spa Francorchamps, the podium. To summarise the year: it was a pretty good year I think in terms of driving. We had a good baseline to start the year with the car. We couldn’t really update it as much as we wanted but still fighting for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, so pretty pleased with that and yeah, last year with Lotus.

    And Daniil?
    Daniil KVYAT: Well, a very eventful year I would say, it went by very quickly. I think the start was quite painful but then I think I’m proud of how we managed to climb our way up through all the issues that we had to start with and then I think we kind of stabilised there. Some strong races and some good points, but obviously we are always looking for more in the future. The highlight I think was the podium, even though I wouldn’t say it was the best race. We had a couple of really strong races, I would say even the last couple of races I was quite pleased about them. Hoping to finish on high here, yeah.

    Kimi?
    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Pretty average, I must say. Better than last year but still far away from what it should be. But that’s life and next year we’ll try again.

    Roberto?
    Roberto MERHI: Yeah for sure we started in a very difficult way, with no testing and to be honest I never drove this car before. But I think through the year the thing improved quite a lot – I mean the team and also the car and also me, driving the car. I think the last races were quite good. And obviously the best moment of the year I would say were the last laps in Silverstone with the wet or maybe the qualifying in Spielberg was quite good.

    And Fernando, how would you sum up your year and can you pick out a favourite moment?
    Fernando ALONSO: Well, tough year, obviously difficult and struggling with the pace all year and the reliability, so definitely a difficult season for us. But personally I think it was necessary. It was a step forward in my career after the two championships, after five fantastic seasons fighting for the world championship but arriving second, so I needed some new motivation, some new project that I could trust and I could believe is the only way to become champion again. After one difficult season, as I said, I learn so much. I enjoy working with McLaren, with Honda, with all the Japanese discipline and Japanese culture into the team. I still remain very positive. I’m very, very happy and looking forward to next year being a little bit easier than this one that, as I said, has been difficult in terms of results.

    And finally, Lewis, how would you sum up your year. So many favourite moments I’m sure, difficult to pick one?
    Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, what can I say? Obviously all different experiences but it has been the best year of my career and I’m in a very fortunate position, a lot of great work done by my team. Probably one of the best races for me was Austin obviously, the pinnacle of the year for me. Yeah, and excited to be here in Abu Dhabi, with the 44th UAE national day and I’m here to try to win that 44th race, which I still haven’t done, so it’s cool how it all kind of ties in.

    Did you see all the 44s around here did you think that was for you, rather for the day?
    LH: Well it is my number, it’s associated with me, so….

    Fernando, you mentioned there it has been a tough season and it’s coming to an end here. Your 252nd grand prix start, it puts you fifth on the all-time most experienced drivers list. You talked a bit there about motivation and I just wondered what is your main motivation and goal for 2016.
    FA: At the moment there’s a question mark, I guess, where McLaren-Honda can be next year. There are a lot of expectations in the team. I think we worked really all season, being united in some difficult moments and always moving forward, so I think for 2016 the main goal for the team is to come back to where we belong, we think, and being competitive, fighting for the top positions. I don’t know if that means fighting for the championship, I don’t know if that means fighting for victories of just being on the podium sometimes, that’s always difficult to know in a very complex sport like Formula One. There are definitely some big challenges ahead in this winter and I see all the things that the team has done in the last couple of months and these seem very logical, very positive and I’m confident that it’s going to be a completely different season next year and I’m happy with the progress.

    Thank you. Lewis, coming back to you, I know you are very aware of fans on social media and the discussions that take place. There’s been a lot of discussion for this final round about whether you and your team-mate Nico Rosberg should be allowed to go for it with whatever strategy you want to use on Sunday in a sort-of end-of-season free-for-all. What are your thoughts on that?
    LH: I don’t really have any thoughts on it, to be honest. It doesn’t really make any difference what my thoughts are. We’re going to be racing… the strategists will give us the best… whoever’s up ahead will have the best strategy and the guy behind will have the second best strategy, so I don’t really have any thoughts on that.

    OK. Romain, coming back to you, your 83rd and final grand prix for the Enstone-based team, currently Lotus. You’ve scored 10 podiums for the team, so in what mood do you say goodbye this weekend?
    RG: yeah, it’s the first time of my career that I have had to change teams in Formula One, so it’s something new. The first time I went to Enstone was September 2005, as one of the driver development and I learned everything from there. So yeah it’s going to be… switching off the car on Sunday, jumping out of the E23 and thinking that was the last race with the team is certainly going to be quite hard. On the other hand I really want to push hard all weekend long to score good points, do a good result, thank the guys for all the support, through tough times, better times as well and I think we did both learn from those years, so it was a nice experience. Very much looking forward to the next one as well, it’s going to be very exciting with Haas. It’ll be good to have a good weekend and say goodbye in a proper way.

    Thank you. Daniil, a season of two parts personally for you. From Monaco onwards it’s gone well. Your 10 points ahead of your team-mate with one race to go, so what aspect of your performance this year has given you the most satisfaction?
    DK: Yeah, like you said, since Monaco we probably started to follow the right path more of less, a bit technically, a bit myself, but to be honest it didn’t change much. An up and down season but we scored some good points, we managed to start taking the maximum out of the package most of the weekends. These things kind of give satisfaction but of course we are looking for more performance and we are not yet where we want to be but for sure it doesn’t take one day to be there. So we will keep pushing. Like I said there were some good races in Spa, in Mexico and Brazil where I think we were taking the absolute maximum out of the car and we need to try to do this every weekend.

    Roberto, back in the cockpit for Manor this weekend. A lot of change going on in that team. Can you tell us about the team’s prospects and your own?
    RM: Yeah obviously Manor wants to do a step for next year, to try to be fighting for points every race, every grand prix and they are putting a lot of effort on it and hopefully it goes well. The plan also for me next year is to try to stay in Formula One and trying to see what is the best options out there and yeah we will see. At the moment there is nothing clear yet but we will look in the next few weeks to see what is happening.

    Q: Finally, Kimi, both your team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and team-mate Sebastian Vettel have said the target for next season is to challenge Mercedes for the championship. How do you analyse the progress this year towards that – and do you think it’s achievable?
    KR: Obviously this year has been a lot stronger year from the team than previous year and you can easily see it from whichever way you look at it and it all comes to next year. Obviously that’s the aim: the aim is always to try to be in the front and Mercedes has always been very strong last years and everybody else tries to beat them. Is it going to happen? Are we going to be in a position next year? We hope so at least. We have to wait until we put the cars on the circuit in a test and the first few races – then we really see where we are. Obviously there’s a lot of work being done at the factory, number and stuff but it’s never the same until we’re really on the circuit. Then we can see it pretty well, or feel it quite quickly, after a few laps, if it’s going to a good one or not so good one. I’m sure we’re going to have a strong package – but is it strong enough? Time will only tell.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Khodr Rawi – motorsport.com) Question to Fernando. Fernando, how realistic is to be beat Sauber and finish ahead of them in Constructors’ Championship here in Abu Dhabi? Do you think it’s realistic?
    FA: I don’t know really. I think it’s unlikely. I think they are nine points ahead, I think, and we score points three or four times this year only, so to score as many as ten in one race, in the final race is a little bit difficult but, you know, I think we will try to do our best. We will try to perform a good weekend but I think our minds are on next year’s project and probably half of the car is next year’s parts or next year’s philosophy as well so I think we are not too worried about beating Sauber this weekend or not.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, Bahrain, P2 was your best result for two years. Has it been also been also the best weekend for you during this times at Ferrari lately?
    KR: The end result was probably best but it doesn’t meant that we are somehow better than other weekends. The end result, it just looks good. But it’s not been the easiest few years but that’s how it goes, y’know? We improved a lot from last year but we’re still not happy and when I don’t finish five races it’s quite a big… many races out of how many we’ve done so far this year. You don’t expect to be very high up and fighting for a lot. So, we have to improve and I’m sure we can still improve it and next year is a new challenge. Let’s see. I’m sure we can do better.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Romain Grosjean. How much are you worried by the delay of the building of your cars?
    RG: Something we have experienced in the past. We have always managed to put it on track on time. As long as it’s ready for FP2 then I’m happy. We’ll try to forget that, as we’ve shown in, I think it was Suzuka and Brazil when we were a little bit late. We did manage to put the car on track and go for it. It’s just harder work for the guys who don’t deserve this – but they are going to do the maximum and then from there we try to score some good points.

    Q: (Joy Chakavarty – Sport 360) My question is for Romain. Romain this is the first time that you’re joining a second new team. How different is the feeling when you were joining the F1 for the first time and now, after 83 races, joining another new team. Can you just give us an idea of the mix of emotions that you have right now? Sense of anticipation for next year? Kind of sadness or sorrow? Whatever for leaving the team behind now?
    RG: Yeah, I think you summarise it pretty well. It’s sad to leave… more than a team it becomes a family through the years. It’s going to be hard to leave the guys but I know they won’t be far in the paddock so that’s good news. On the other hand there’s real excitement at joining a new team, a new adventure, an American Formula One team is going to be great. Looking forward to it and going to Haas is a very different thing. So I came the first time in Formula One as a rookie. Everything to learn. Right now I’m going in a new team and I’ve probably got the experience they were looking for. We try to be successful as soon as we can – but it’s quite different. It feels better now than it was the first time. Easier.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Honorary) Lewis, after your visit to the NASCAR race last week, what did you see there that would be really cool for the fans or competitors in F1? Or perhaps something you saw that said no way should come to Formula One?
    LH: I don’t know, I’d have to really think about that. There were definitely some things that for sure they do a lot better than us. Or, whether it’s a lot better… but there were for sure things that we could learn from them. It was a great show, a great spectacle, particularly for the fans. A bit like DTM, the fans get very, very close to the garages in the background and to the drivers and… what else? Otherwise it was a really cool event. I hope I get to do one one day.

    Q: (Wafa Suqqar – beinsports) Kimi, after the second round in Malaysia, Ferrari fans feeling better that maybe this year will be different. What Ferrari can promise the fans about 2016?
    KR: Like I said before, we’re going to give our best and hopefully it’s enough to fight for championships. We keep improving, following our own way of doing the things that we’ve done from last year to this year and hopefully then it’s enough to be where we want to be as Ferrari. So, we can promise a lot of things. Is it going to happen? Who knows? I really hope for all the guys there in Ferrari that we will come back strong – or stronger next year than this year – but there’s no point to make big promises. We’re going to do our best and then we’ll see.

    Q: (Walter Koster – Saarbrucker Zeitung) Gentlemen, last year Sochi, this year Mexico, next year Baku in Azerbaijan; three new tracks in three years. Are you looking forward to new tracks or do you regret not returning to the eliminated tracks in the past like Imola, Magny Cours, Istanbul Park or Valencia? This is for the four drivers who know these tracks.
    FA: At the end of the day it doesn’t change anything for us. Going to some of the circuits that we raced on for all our careers, like Imola, Magny Cours, Istanbul – they are nice tracks and there is nice tradition there so you enjoy racing at those circuits. When you go to new countries, you open the sport up to new people and to new generations so it’s also quite a good feeling. We are travelling a little bit more. When I started some years ago, there were 16 races; now, next year, they have planned 21 and most of them out of Europe, so it’s definitely more demanding in terms of travelling and preparing the championship but as I said, it’s the direction that the sport chooses and there is the advantage of opening up Formula One to new countries and this is also good news, I think.
    LH: Not really much to add to what he said but Fernando’s right, it’s good to go to different countries and to spread the word of Formula One, give them the experience and gain new followers for the sport. Those tracks you mentioned, apart from Imola, were not particularly spectacular tracks anyway so for sure it would be kind of good to keep the balance of the real classic circuits rather than just a bunch of new circuits because the new circuits are generally not as good as the old circuits, they don’t carry the same history or heritage and I think it’s important that we keep really close to the heritage of Formula One which is those old, historic circuits.
    KR: It’s always the new places that are quite similar, designed by the same guy, so I’m not saying that they’re not good but they are more the same. I enjoy the older, traditional circuits. You maybe didn’t like Magny Cours, I liked it, not many people, quiet, easy. It was one of the best places to go! I liked the older, they looked a bit nicer, a more normal feeling than when we come here and everything is put – in this case – in a more desert area. I prefer there, it’s easier for people to go to – for us. We go wherever the race is. The weekend itself doesn’t change. We have the same people as here, the timetable is more or less (the same) and the same things happen.
    RG: I think it was really great this year to see Mexico was… a very warm welcome from all the fans, it was an awesome weekend. I would like to see Magny Cours back on the calendar, it would be the French Grand Prix, unique for me. Paris? The traffic is not so good. I would like a French Grand Prix. I think Fernando’s point is completely right: in an ideal world you would like to do all of them  but it’s not possible so I think we follow the calendar, we like discovering new places but going to Silverstone or in Germany or Barcelona is always quite special.

    Q: (Christopher Joseph – Chicane) Romain, earlier Fernando spoke of his appreciation for the influence of the Japanese discipline on him and his team. What are you hoping to get from the influence of the Haas team and the American approach on yourself next season?
    RG: Well, I think I have already been seduced by their approach and when I met Gene Haas, trying to pronounce the word properly – it’s very hard for a Frenchman – it was straightaway… the spirit was ‘let’s go racing’ and I liked that. I really liked their philosophy, discovering more and more about America. I didn’t yet get to a NASCAR race, I’m on the backfoot on that but I will probably go next year and I think there is this American spirit with the European base as the team is going to be in between Italy and Banbury in the UK and then all the management in the US. So it can be a great mix.

    Q: (Graham Cagill – The National) Lewis, you’ve won here twice before and you were well on your way to winning in 2012 as well before the car let you down and you’ve had two pole positions also, so I think it’s fair to say that you go well here. Just wondering if there’s any reason why you think you go so well here and what your expectations are for this weekend?
    LH: I don’t know; I guess there are some tracks that suit some drivers’ styles more than others. Ideally you would like your style to suit everywhere exactly the same but there are some that you just happen to go better at. I know this is a bit like a karting track, there’s a lot of late braking and bouncing off kerbs and really having to throw the car around. It works for an aggressive driving style, I guess and yeah, I’ve had some great experiences here, even from the first race which I was leading but – (to Kimi) you won the first race didn’t you? – I’m thinking you might have won the first race maybe. Someone won the first race after my car failed but a great experience. It’s always a good finale here, you’ve got some good battles, the weather’s always fantastic, great fans and for me this weekend is… I’ve had an amazing year here last year and I’m here to try to do something similar.

  • Mercedes F1 Team Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes

    Mercedes F1 Team Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes

    Here’s what the Mercedes F1 Team members had to say ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    Lewis Hamilton

    “The Yas Marina really is a stunning place to hold the season-ending Grand Prix. The organisers clearly spent a lot of time and effort on designing the most spectacular venue imaginable and the track is one I really enjoy driving. It’s actually a really challenging circuit. There are a couple of high speed corners but it’s mostly medium to low speed, so despite the long straights you need to set the car up with a downforce level tuned for low speed grip. It’s also a twilight grand prix, starting late afternoon and running into the night, which is quite unusual and I imagine must be pretty cool to watch on TV. Last year, this place brought probably the most intense weekend of my life. I didn’t sleep much through nerves and not knowing what was ahead. But this time around there’s no pressure, so I’ll be well-rested and aiming to go out on a high. A lot of British fans come out to the Abu Dhabi grand prix so it’s like another home crowd for me. To win for them and show how grateful I am for the fantastic support I’ve had all year would be the best way to end an incredible season.”

    Nico Rosberg

    Mexico Grand prix Qualifying - Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton“I’ve had two really great grand prix weekends now in Mexico and Brazil, so I’m heading into the final race on a massive high. The Abu Dhabi grand prix hasn’t always been an easy one for me. Of course, last year was probably my biggest disappointment – losing the title at the last moment with a mechanical problem. But I showed my speed there with pole position and I have good momentum behind me right now, so I’m aiming to end the season on a big positive this time around. Of course, it’s also the last grand prix for this incredible Silver Arrow – and it deserves a spectacular send off. Everyone at the factories has done such a fantastic job one again this year. A car like this is something every driver dreams of having in their hands, so I’ll be pushing hard to make the most of it for one last time as a tribute to all their hard work. Of course, it will be close as always with Lewis and we saw a big push from Ferrari in São Paulo, so it won’t be straightforward. But I’m up for a battle and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans to end the year.”

    Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

    “It was very satisfying to leave the Brazil grand prix with another top result after a race that was far less straightforward than it might have looked. We now go to the Abu Dhabi grand prix with the best possible Championship positions secured and a chance to reflect on an incredible year. We can all be extremely proud of what we have achieved in 2015. To raise the bar from 2014 was always going to be a huge challenge – but everybody at Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart has taken on that challenge exceptionally well. While we celebrate a job well done this time around, however, the next challenge will be upon us before we know it. 2016 will undoubtedly provide our biggest test yet as a group. We will not be backing off – and an entertaining battle at the front between our boys for one last time in 2015 will be the ideal way to show that.”

    Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical)

    “After another strong showing at the Brazil grand prix, a fantastic season for the team comes to a close at one of the most glamorous and spectacular venues on the calendar in Abu Dhabi. The Yas Marina circuit is a challenging track with a lot of corners around the lap and contrasting styles to each sector meaning drivers need to use all of their skill to string together a fast time. Despite the long straights that also feature it’s difficult to overtake here, so qualifying will be important. It’s a different scenario for us compared to last year as we don’t have a showdown for the Drivers’ Championship – which made this an incredibly tense weekend for everyone involved. This time around, we approach the grand prix weekend with a little less pressure and can look to enjoy the racing a bit more – but hopefully with a good battle between Lewis and Nico to sign off for the year in style. Lewis has always been very strong at this track, while Nico has been on a rich run of form over the past few races. So, the stage is set for an entertaining evening under the lights. It’s a fond farewell to the W06 Hybrid too – a truly magnificent car which has been a huge credit to the men and women who designed, built and ran it this year. We hope to give it a send-off which reflects what both the car and the team have achieved over the past 18 grand prix races.”

     

     

  • WATCH: Highlights – The Abu Dhabi GP Through The Years

    WATCH: Highlights – The Abu Dhabi GP Through The Years

    Watch the best action from the spectacular Yas Marina circuit in this official Formula One video package of the Abu Dhabi GP through the years, including some highs and lows for Sebastian Vettel, a famous win for Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton’s 2014 title triumph. The Abu Dhabi GP will be our last race for the season and we’re counting on an action packed race to end our season off. Remember to join us on Twitter @F1_Madness for live commentary, news updates and chat throughout the Abu Dhabi GP weekend.

    Abu Dhabi GP Highlights

  • F1 2015: Brazilian GP Review – Rosberg Rules Brazil Race

    F1 2015: Brazilian GP Review – Rosberg Rules Brazil Race

    As far as the show is concerned the Brazilian grand prix didn’t quite live up to its dramatic heights. Nico Rosberg led into turn one followed by Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and the two Ferrari’s of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

    The battle between Rosberg and Hamilton carried on for quite some time but the German was doing an impressive job of controlling his three time world champion teammate. By being in the lead car on the track it afforded Rosberg control of tyre strategy and the call on when to come in. It left Hamilton at his mercy but the Brit still tried everything to snatch the lead of the race. He stayed within a second of Rosberg for a good number of laps but was unable to create a real overtaking chance. This approach was soon abandoned as it meant that Hamilton’s tyres wouldn’t last the stint if he continued to hound the back of the no.6 Mercedes.

    In third place Sebastian Vettel kept a good pace but never truly threatened either Mercedes. He opted for an alternative strategy and ran the soft tyre midway through but still couldn’t threaten. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen was some way off in fourth in what he described as a boring race. The Finn had a late engine change but incurred no grid penalty as it was a unit that had been previously used. Such was the rush job on the engine that Dave Greenwood, Raikkonen’s race engineer, was providing instructions for engine set-up during the race. At a point in the race Greenwood could be heard on the radio apologising to the driver “sorry for all the changes, we’re just trying to get this engine set up.”

    Brazil 2015_StartNevertheless, it wasn’t a disastrous weekend for Ferrari as they experienced in Mexico. In fact, the pace has been the best the team has shown in quite a few races. Add to the fact that all but four cars, two Mercedes and two Ferraris’, were lapped on the day and the Italian team can feel darn good about their progress.

    Hamilton noted after the race that overtaking on the Interlagos circuit was impossible. However, it didn’t seem too difficult a task for 18-year-old Max Verstappen. The Toro Rosso driver pulled off a few stunning moves around the outside of turn one which any driver on the grid would be proud to achieve. There are many factors which stopped Hamilton from just sending a move up the inside of Rosberg. His experience would’ve told him that he just wasn’t close enough. Mercedes too would’ve strongly cautioned him on the potential outcome of a collision.

    How is it then that an 18 year-old Max Verstappen is given the license to even attempt those audacious overtaking moves and a three time champ is not. The argument could be made that Verstappen and Toro Rosso has little to lose should he be involved in a shunt. And yes, it’s only spectacular until it ends in a lot of carbon fibre pieces.  But really Verstappen has earned his ‘license’ by proving that his overtaking prowess is no fluke.  In China, Belgium and Brazil his moves have been extravagant but clean. And now he is already building his reputation as an uncompromising overtaker which future teams will be familiar with, come to expect, and hopefully not try to suppress. Here’s hoping that Verstappen never loses the fearlessness he has now.

    Felipe Massa_Brazil 2015Behind the two Ferraris’ Valtteri Bottas finished in a very distant fifth for Williams while Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg held off the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat for a sixth place finish. Felipe Massa finished the race eighth on the track but was later excluded from the results after stewards found that his right-rear tyre “did not comply with the maximum permitted temperature ahead of the start of the race.” The Williams team has announced that it will be appealing the exclusion.

    It meant that Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was promoted to eighth ahead of Max Verstappen and the second Lotus of Pastor Maldonado.  Despite running an upgraded Renault engine Daniel Ricciardo finished outside the points in eleventh. While McLaren’s Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso ended the race in fourteenth and fifteenth Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz was the only retirement with an engine failure.

    By winning the Brazilian grand prix Rosberg has secured second place in the driver’s standings and as in Mexico has proven that he has the skill to beat Lewis Hamilton. All that remains now for the championship runner-up is to deliver when it counts most.

  • 2015 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

    2015 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Post Race Press Conference

    DRIVERS
    1 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)
    2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
    3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS
    (Conducted by Martin Brundle)

    Nico, your 40th time on the podium, surely one of the sweetest? Another great drive, your second victory in a row.
    Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, for sure, thank you very much. It was a great weekend for me here. Of course everything relative with what happened back in Paris. But still, very, very happy, it went perfectly. Lewis put on a good challenge but I was able to control it and never give him a chance, so I’m pleased with that.

    There was a time, around lap 16 or 17, when you were really slow down into Turn One, when you braking early. What was the reason for that?
    NR: I don’t know!

    Well, maybe Lewis was just mighty on the brakes then. It looked like you were pacing yourself, tyres, brakes, or were there any kind of issues you were carrying?
    NR: No, no issues. It was just controlling the pace – never overdoing doing, not to risk doing a mistake and also to not risk having too much degradation. We saw Lewis dropping off a lot with degradation in the second stint and that confirmed that it was important to take care of the tyres.

    We heard you on the radio saying ‘don’t talk to me anymore’, the pressure was intense, Lewis was trying his hardest towards the end. 
    NR: It just depends. Sometimes I need the information but at that point I just wanted to focus on driving and get the job done.

    You’ve got to do this earlier in the year, so you can have a fight in the world championship….
    NR: Thank you very much for that piece of advice, I could figure that out for myself!
    So how can you do that, how can you change that?
    NR: Well, I’m pushing now and I was pushing in the beginning of the season. I don’t have an exact explanation for why it’s going so strongly now but I just want to keep it going.

    Well, what a brilliant drive again today, congratulations. Lewis, fastest lap of the race but you didn’t quite have enough pace to challenge your team-mate today.
    Lewis HAMILTON: Hola Brazil! No, I had the pace, it’s just you can’t overtake around here.

    You were on the radio complaining, [saying] “I just can’t follow around this track” and then dropping back towards the end.
    LH: Yeah, I mean obviously I was behind Nico and in traffic for some time and it just killed my tyres. It’s a shame because it’s such a great track but you just can’t get close enough to race. I don’t know if there were other people overtaking. Unless you have a huge advantage on the guy in front… Motorsport is about fine lines, you know, about tenths of a second, but you can’t get close enough within a tenth of a second to be able to fight. It’s a shame because it would be good if we did some overtaking here.

    You were on the radio saying “give me a different strategy, let me get ahead somehow”, but you can’t do that within the team I guess. Is that frustrating?
    LH: Well, I mean, I’m here to race and when you both have to do pretty much the same order it’s kind of already set from the beginning, so for sure I’m like “if there are any other strategies, let’s do it, let’s take a risk, let’s do whatever” and they’re like “look after the tyres”, and I’m like “No, I’m racing”, you know and I think that’s what people want to see, but unfortunately today, as I said, I couldn’t get close enough to ne able to really put on a great, so it was relatively boring following in a tow.

    This guy has got the legs on you at the moment. You’ve got to come back for Abu Dhabi somehow.
    LH: Yeah, Nico has been driving fantastically well. He did a fantastic job in qualifying, especially in the last few races. The last race he drove fantastically well, today no mistakes, so he did good.

    Sebastian, it seems that you’ve got the VIP invitation for the 13th time this year on the podium to the Mercedes-Benz party up here.
    Sebastian VETTEL: Thank you but… I think it was a good race for us. I was hoping that at the start maybe we could do something, but it wasn’t possible. The start was OK, but it wasn’t any better than Lewis or Nico’s. After that, I thought halfway through the first stint that maybe we could stay with them, but then they were starting to pull away. Overall, I think we have to admit that they were just a bit quicker. But overall, I would say we were probably closer here than in many, many races before in terms of race pace – only one, two, three tenths maybe at the time – and in the last stint we were even a bit quicker. Overall, it felt like a good race but yeah, for sure, it was not very exciting, we were a bit in no-mans land, we didn’t have anybody to fight with but hopefully next race we can be again a bit closer.

    You put the soft tyres on, trying to do something different but you just didn’t have the speed.
    SV: I didn’t hear! They are so loud!

    It’s wonderful. Alright, we’ll go back to Nico. Nico, you’re on a roll. It’s not through luck, it’s through speed, but maybe you should go to the casino or play the lottery or something – everything is running for you at the moment.
    NR: Well, I’ve been working hard also, because Lewis had the upper hand for a lot of the season and I needed to try to turn it round, so at the moment it’s going really well, I’m pleased with that and next race now Abu Dhabi, I want to try to go for the win there again.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Congratulations Nico, another good reception from the crowd. Win number 13 for you, which confirms your second place in the Drivers’ Championship 2015. Does it good to be in control, second consecutive win from pole?
    NR: It feels great to win the races, for sure. Two in a row now, with pole positions as well. It’s just going a lot better at the moment, which I’m happy about that. I don’t have an exact explanation unfortunately, otherwise it would make it all a lot more simple. But of course I’ve been working at it a lot, because Lewis had the upper hand for the first part of the season and so, yeah, I’m pleased that it’s turned around at the moment.

    Thank you. Lewis, it seems that win number 44 for the driver of car number 44 will have to wait for another couple of weeks, possibly. Interesting talking point for you: I think second stint in particular you were looking to do something different, try to see if there was another strategy, it’s not uncommon for you to do different things between the team, and you were told plan B wasn’t really option, but then, when we got into the mid-30 laps there was a switch of strategy for everybody. I wonder if you could just talk us through how you felt about that, your thinking around the strategy and how it all evolved?
    LH: I think the strategy was good. The team had anticipated that the tyres would go longer than they were, which I wasn’t sure would be the case before the race, and it turns out it wasn’t. No, it’s just in the race you’re just trying to see… I love this track, it’s such a great circuit but unfortunately it’s so difficult to overtake. You get to within a second and you just lose downforce and there’s no way you can get any closer. And the DRS zone is kind of maybe not long enough, if that was to be the thing to make the difference, it’s almost not long enough. So I was just trying to see if there was any other kind of strategy. I mean, I’m our there racing so I’m looking for any kind of options. Surely there are not only two options for pit stops.

    So looking back on it, if you had done gone out and down two different things – split the strategy from the outset, one of you on two and one of you on three, see what happened at the end – it would have been more interesting?
    LH: No, no. A three-stop was generally slower or it was supposed to be slower, but obviously at the end it turned out that the three stop was probably better as the tyres didn’t last, so… I have no idea about that, but the team made a good choice.

    Q: Sebastian, coming to you, you obviously, like them, made a switch it seems – but you went to the softs on lap 33. Talk us through the thinking and the discussion with the team that went into that.
    SV: Well, obviously we were too far away to really put big pressure on Mercedes and safe from the cars behind so we thought to try something different, put the soft tyre which, in the end, was very good. I was very happy on the soft tyre, probably a little bit happier than on the medium. Unfortunately we hit a lot of traffic to make a benefit or to keep catching up – but I guess it was the same for them out in front – but the idea was simply try to do something different. Yeah. We knew that the soft doesn’t go as far but probably a little bit quicker in the end. As I said, it lasted fairly well and I think it was a bit quicker so it was fair enough to try. Also, in the end I think we had good speed. We were in clean air, catching a little bit. Then again, it’s difficult to say how much Nico was controlling with Lewis behind. Obviously when you’re in the lead it’s always a bit different and not necessary to push into the unknown. Over all I think it was a good day for us. Good race. We were closer than many, many races previously, so I think it’s a good effort and shows our real standing right now.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis and Nico. We’re all searching for explanations as to the turnaround in qualifying form. One of the things that someone’s pointed out today is that this has happened since the tyre pressures were increased from Monza onwards – I know you were on pole in Monza Lewis – but since then it’s been Nico all the way. Do you think that’s one of the influencing factors potentially?
    NR: No, I don’t. I don’t think so. I think I’ve just raised my game. That’s it.

    Lewis?
    LH: Well, from Singapore onwards there’s been a change to the car – but whether or not that’s made a difference, I don’t know really. We’ll have to see. But it has changed since Singapore.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Honorary) A question for all three. This track might be worse, but it’s not the only track where you can’t follow a car closely. Is it time for a fundamental change in the technical rules – so that you can actually follow closely?

    Lewis, maybe you start with that one.
    LH: At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what we say because it can’t happen. The big bosses make the decisions and whether or not they make the right ones for many years, who knows. Something’s got to change y’know? Because some races you can follow which enables you to have some good racing, obviously places like Austin where there was the last decent race but otherwise there are some places it’s just… I guess for fans it’s probably not too exciting to watch. Of course, it’s always nice when you’re at the front, as we have been for some time now – but still, being able to race is what… and also down the back, the rest of the field is probably what fans want to see. That’s probably a change that would be looked positively on.

    Nico?
    NR: Yes, we always need to keep improving the sport – but I don’t know how the battles were further back. Up front I had the pace advantage over Lewis today so of course he’s not going to come by me because in the end of the race I was six seconds in front. So it’s normal he’s not going to pass me in that case. Behind, I don’t know how it’s going but of course it’s always difficult in F1 to pass – that’s why DRS has come onboard and that’s really made a lot of progress for us. So we’ve seen a lot of excitement because of that – but we need to keep working at it for sure, and keep thinking about it.

    Sebastian, anything to add?
    SV: I think on paper this is one of the easiest tracks to overtake. Sure, if you’re behind you always want the DRS zone to be longer because artificially it helps you to get closer. Naturally if you are only a tenth or two quicker then it’s very difficult to pass – whereas if you’re a second quicker it becomes more easy. I think in general what we need to follow another car closer in medium speed, high speed, slow speed corners is more mechanical grip. So shift the percentage between aero – mechanical more towards more mechanical. How to do that? I think we need better tyres that allow us to go quicker. Drivers want to be quicker. So, I think the solution is very simple. Unfortunately the sport is very political with different interests from different people. Yeah. I think it’s fair enough to give whoever tyre manufacturer, in this case Pirelli, the chance to improve their tyres – but we need to run. But since the responsible people, the teams, whoever, can’t agree on something, it will be difficult to make progress. Unfortunately the people who literally are paying for that are sitting on the grandstands. So, we would love to go quicker. I think they would love us to go quicker and have more excitement but bottom line is, if you look ten years ago, 20 years ago, it wasn’t like there was a lot more overtaking in the race. So it’s also not a disaster what we see now.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globo Esporte) Sebastian, you have already said something about it at the beginning but you finished six seconds behind Lewis in a race without rain, without safety car. Can you extend your analysis, is Ferrari really approaching Mercedes, does it project something better for your team for next year?
    SV: Yeah, I think overall it’s true that we are closer compared to Australia. Obviously Malaysia was a bit different for us but I think in general if you look at the beginning of the season to now we are a lot closer. I don’t know what happened to Lewis in the end, I think the real gap we have to look at is the one to Nico. I think they were dropping a bit of pace, I was catching up as well but we are a lot closer than previous races. I think already in Mexico – obviously my race didn’t go too well – but I think the pace was strong so yes, I think we are closer, that’s due to hard work. We’ve improved on the engine side, the motoristi in Maranello have done a miracle this year, that’s due to the car. We have raised our game but yeah, for sure we want to be closer, a lot closer, ideally ahead next year. That’s a massive step but that’s the challenge and that’s the target for next year. We know we set high targets but in the end we want to be favourites going in and not hoping for something to happen in front to benefit.

    Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Lewis, particularly given that the Constructors’ championship is done, the Drivers’ championship is wrapped up, you’re ahead of Ferrari in this race, would you like a bit more freedom to – as you said on the podium – to take a risk and do a strategy that’s different because at the end of the day, if you fell  back, you haven’t lost anything in championship terms? And to Nico as well: you must have been in a position where you were behind Lewis and had to follow the same strategy. Is that frustrating for you as well?
    LH: I think we have to rely on the team. As I said before, of course I was looking for whatever other opportunities there may be because on the track it was not looking great and contrary to what Nico was saying, there was one point where I was all over him but I just couldn’t get by, I just couldn’t get close enough in that last second and I did have the fastest lap, so I obviously had the pace today. As I said, it would be great to sometimes be able to do something different, to do something rather than just… you know, you’re lap 15, you’re lap 16 and lap 42 or whatever it was. Our targets were lap 41, 42… to have some options. Hey, do you want to do this, do you want to do that and see how it plays out? Ultimately I think they do so many strategic simulations that they pick the best two and that’s what we’re stuck with.
    NR: Yeah, of course it’s been a discussion that we’ve had many times. The thing is you don’t know in advance which strategy… In advance you can only go by what you think the computer tells you, which strategy is best and it wouldn’t really be fair for the guy who is running second to go for the other strategy and then for it to turn out that it was massively the quicker strategy in hindsight, after the race, and as a result, he won the race just because of luck, of the other strategy being so much quicker, and that’s the big problem in there and that’s why it doesn’t make sense in the battle when we’re just battling us two, because it should be just me against Lewis and that’s it and no luck involved from one strategy being a bit better than the other and that’s the reason behind it.

    Q: (Rodrigo Franca – VIP Magazine) Question for all you three: I would like to comment on the enthusiasm of the Brazilians for the Grand Prix and of course, we see a big party in the grandstands, even without a Brazilian driver, so I would like you to comment on that and if you feel a difference in this weekend?
    SV: Well, I think it’s a great place to come to to be honest. Every year it just seems to get better. At the beginning, maybe I was too young when I came here. I was a bit frightened by the size of the city, 20 million people, I was a bit scared. Where I come from there’s 25,000 people and I already thought that was a big place. Yeah, so maybe I was a bit lost in the beginning but since you come back every year and you get to see different parts of the city, I think it’s a great place and obviously as soon as we come here, we are treated like super-heroes. We can’t really fly but obviously it’s nice to see the passion for races, for the sport and as you said, there’s a lot of flags around the track, Ferrari flags, German flags, English flags, for all of us to support. Obviously a place like this needs a local hero so it would be even better if a Brazilian was fighting for the podium but in principal I think it’s one of the best races we’ve had. There was never any discussion about the sport struggling here because the grandstands were not packed or were not full, and even if it’s not entirely full, people create an atmosphere and that’s what makes the day special. They’re having a good time and they just enjoy being here which, as we’ve seen in Mexico… maybe it’s a Latin American thing. People are very enthusiastic. It obviously makes our day very very nice when people shout our names, when we are on the grid trying to focus but at the same time we hear people shouting our name and wishing us good luck. It’s nice.
    LH: It’s been fantastic. Always coming to Brazil, there’s obviously a lot of love in the hearts of the Brazilian fans for the sport and that’s shown 100 percent every time we come, so a big thank you to the people who run this circuit for doing such a good job with the circuit in terms of looking after it. The tarmac has been great generally and the new paddock has been fantastic so it’s bringing it up to standard and it continues to be a track that we can not miss. This is actually the first weekend that I’ve actually been aware of the old circuit so I would love to see an amendment to this track. It used to be one of the longest circuits on the calendar. Who knows whether that track has more opportunities for overtaking, but the one that we have now could definitely be better.
    NR: It’s just awesome, we’re very thankful for this massive atmosphere that everybody’s putting on here and in Latin America in general, the races now. It’s fantastic. Some of the races elsewhere can learn from the emotions that everybody is bringing to the race track.