FIA post-race press conference – 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

1. Lando Norris (McLaren), 2. Max Verstappen (Purple Bull), 3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Carried out by David Coulthard)

Q: Oscar, after what was difficult qualifying, a extremely feisty race, some nice overtakes, and a well-deserved podium. Congratulations. Put us within the cockpit. How was it?

Oscar PIASTRI: Heat is the way it was! It was a great race, a great restoration from qualifying yesterday. It wasn’t my biggest afternoon yesterday, so to get again to the rostrum is a good outcome. I really feel like we had a extremely fast automobile beneath us and a great technique to get previous the Mercedes. So, yeah, large thanks to the workforce. Clearly, the automobile was distinctive this weekend and a few nice factors for the entire workforce.

Q: We noticed your team-mate having a few brushes with the partitions. I did not see any for you, however did you’ve gotten any specific standout moments of issue throughout that race?

OP: No, I believe I saved it off them this time. I do not assume I hit something. It was a bit shut George at Flip 1, however as soon as I acquired into third, I had a large hole to try to shut up, so I did not wish to take too many dangers, however, yeah, I really feel like I’ve brushed sufficient partitions within the final two weeks, so hopefully the mechanics haven’t got to vary too many bits earlier than then subsequent race.

Q: OK, effectively, Oscar, effectively carried out. Benefit from the podium celebration. Now, our second-place finisher, Max Verstappen. The sweat in your forehead exhibits simply how laborious you needed to work in that Grand Prix. Lando was in one other class this race. Inform us, your Grand Prix, it was a tough begin, very shut with Lewis on the first nook, and thereafter, it was a reasonably lonely race.

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I believe that is just about my race, simply on my own. Attempting to do the perfect I may, making an attempt to handle my very own tempo to the top. I believe the primary stint was a bit tough for us, fairly a little bit of tyre degradation. Second stint was a bit higher. I used to be a bit extra comfy as effectively. So, yeah, I believe on a weekend the place we knew that we had been going to wrestle to be P2 is an efficient achievement. In fact, we’re not pleased with second. Now we simply must try to enhance increasingly more, and that is what we’ll attempt to do.

Q: With Daniel Ricciardo getting the quickest lap proper on the finish, that meant that the purpose swing is now 52 factors, the place it may have been 51. It is being ebbed away, your championship lead.

MV: Yeah, it’s, however this can also change in a short time once more, so we simply have to carry on making an attempt, in fact, at one level attempt to overturn it a bit, you realize, not at all times ending behind, however we’ll see how that goes.

Q: And bodily, we will see the sweat in your forehead, I presume you are soaked by way of. Simply how powerful was that race?

MV: It is at all times powerful round right here, heat, and a really lengthy race normally, so I am wanting ahead to a little bit of relaxation.

Q: OK, effectively, get pleasure from that and benefit from the podium. And at last, our race winner in what appeared like a dominant, dominant victory, Lando, congratulations.

Lando NORRIS: Thanks. It was a tremendous race. Just a few too many shut calls. , I had a pair little moments within the center, nevertheless it was well-controlled, I believe, in any other case. And the automobile was mega, so I may push. We had been flying the entire race, and yeah, on the finish, I may simply chill. So it was a pleasant race, nonetheless powerful. I am a bit out of breath, however a really enjoyable one.

Q: Properly, you positively earned your cash right now. The hole you had, although, did put our hearts in our mouths once we noticed you’ve gotten two brushes with the wall – an overshoot in one of many corners the place you simply touched the entrance wing, and then you definitely had a bit faucet as effectively of the barrier. Did you’ll want to be pushing that tough, given the hole that you just had?

LN: I imply, it is not that you just’re essentially over-pushing. Generally it may be that you just’re simply chilling an excessive amount of. Possibly it was a little bit of each. I do not know what it’s, nevertheless it’s difficult. It was nonetheless powerful on the market, simple to lock the tyres like I did. I nonetheless pushed. I did not wish to have a one-second lead. I wished to have the most important lead attainable. It was good enjoyable, most factors. Good to have Oscar right here, too, on the rostrum. He drove effectively right now, so a great day for the workforce additionally.

Q: So your third victory in System 1. Bodily, your hardest?

LN: Just like Qatar final 12 months, however I wasn’t taking it simple. I may have taken it much more simple. Yeah, a bit dizzy on the minute, however all good.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lando. Your victory by no means appeared doubtful. Simply how satisfying is the way wherein you dominated the Grand Prix?

LN: Only a win is a win. So yeah, perhaps it places a barely larger smile in your face however the primary job is simply getting the win. So, it is satisfying it doesn’t matter what. In fact the larger the hole you’ll be able to have the happier you are going to be however I am simply pleased we completed on prime and we acquired most factors and acquired one other win. It is at all times going to be a troublesome race right here, however I felt good all weekend, so all I needed to do was go on the market and carry out like I have been performing and all issues had been going to go effectively.

Q: The automobile’s been good all weekend. Simply how laborious had been you having to push to drag the gaps that you just did?

LN: I imply, very, I used to be flat out. I used to be in all probability pushing a bit too laborious. Yeah, it was positively not like I used to be cruising. I used to be pushing to open up a niche, and at one level I wished to try to open up a pit window to present myself a possibility to perhaps field on the finish of the race for quickest lap if I wanted to try to obtain that. Daniel stole that away from me on the finish of the race. So, yeah, a troublesome one, nevertheless it wasn’t simple. The automobile was not simple to drive, particularly on the Exhausting tyres. I struggled much more than what I did on the Medium. And particularly simply with the site visitors and issues, it was a bit tougher to handle the second half of the stint in comparison with the primary, however I used to be pushing. Let me let you know, I used to be positively pushing. Most likely an excessive amount of, therefore the errors I used to be making, or the 2 errors I made with the wall, however in any other case issues had been going effectively.

Q: You talked about these errors. Did these glances with the wall have an effect on the efficiency of the automobile in any method?

LN: I do not assume so. I imply, the workforce mentioned that there was one thing with the entrance wing, perhaps being a bit bit off. I hit the entrance wing in opposition to the barrier, so it may need tweaked it a contact, however I do not assume in all probability a lot to vary it, however laborious to know. On these vehicles, as quickly as you tweak one thing a tiny bit, it could possibly have fairly a big effect, however nothing that I used to be in all probability feeling. However sure, as quickly as I did that, and I believe it was extra… I imply, I used to be pushing, but additionally it was simply as I used to be catching as much as the soiled air from the vehicles forward, whether or not they had been three, 4 seconds forward, as quickly as… It adjustments from the previous, you realize, 20 laps that I had. You might have a bit bit much less grip, a bit bit much less downforce. Tyres are going away a bit bit. It simply caught me out. So it wasn’t like a scarcity of focus or something. It was only a little bit of a shock to me. However, yeah, I believe the automobile was all good and the automobile has been mega weekend. So an enormous because of the workforce.

Q: The automobile has been mega all weekend. Do you assume this stage of dominance is observe particular right here in Singapore or do you count on to have the automobile to beat at all the remaining races now?

LN: We have not modified something on the automobile from right here to final weekend or the weekend earlier than. We have even needed to make tweaks to a few of our wings and issues that folks have complained about. However we have nonetheless had a fantastic weekend and possibly one in every of our most dominant weekends right here. I do not assume that is made the distinction, actually. It was simply that the automobile’s been mega for a great period of time. I’ve not been capable of come out on prime for for fairly a couple of of them after I felt like I had the tempo and I had the flexibility to do. So a few of that’s right down to being my very own fault and never executing issues effectively sufficient. So I’ve paid the value for not doing a adequate job at instances. However after I lead after Flip 1 and issues are a a bit extra easy then we will have a day like right now.

Q: And Lando, remaining one from me. You’ve got taken seven factors out of Max right here. What’s your technique with regard to the championship as we head into the ultimate six races?

LN: Foolish query, actually, is not it? Try to do the identical once more, however Max is pushing laborious. I am certain Purple Bull are pushing laborious. So, I imply, it is apparent it is… I am doing my finest each weekend. I am making an attempt to get essentially the most factors I can each weekend. Contains quickest lap and issues like that. But when Max retains ending second and Purple Bull preserve doing like they did this weekend, then nothing extra I can do. So simply concentrate on myself and concentrate on us as a workforce. That is it.

Q: Properly carried out, Lando. Thanks for that. Max, let’s come to you now. In comparison with final 12 months, this has been a a lot better weekend for you and Purple Bull. Simply what positives do you are taking from this second place?

MV: In comparison with the beginning of the weekend, we improved fairly properly. I believe that is been nice for us as a workforce. On a observe that we all know we’re not performing usually the perfect. I am pleased with second right now.