FIA post-qualifying press conference – Mexico City

DRIVERS

1 – Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari), 2 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing), 3 – Lando NORRIS (McLaren)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by James Hinchcliffe)

Q: We’re joined here by Lando Norris who is going to line up third on the grid tomorrow. Lando, first talk us through your run a little bit. You've had an incredible amount of pace so far through the weekend but did you leave a little bit on the table? Did you get everything you needed out of it in Q3?

Lando NORRIS: It's always tough to say but I'm pretty happy with third, honestly. I feel like I got to the limit of the car quite quickly, which made us look good, but I struggled to get a little more out of it in the final two laps. So, Carlos and Max did good laps. They've been, specially Carlos, they’ve been very quick all weekend. Yeah, I'm happy with third.

Q: With the race pace that you guys have shown lately, and especially the fact that historically starting third here isn't a terrible thing. Does that give you a lot of confidence for tomorrow?

LN: It's tough to say. None of us have done proper long runs on the tyres that we're going to be on tomorrow. So, there are question marks for all of us. But Ferrari have been very good in quali and long-run pace over the last couple of races. So it's going to be tough. But we're in a good position. So looking forward to it.

Q: Car's been good over one lap and good on a race run, starting third tomorrow, Landon Norris.

LN: Thank you.

Q: Another front row start for Max Verstappen. He's won the last three Grand Prix here in Mexico City. You're going to do it from outside of the front row tomorrow. But let's talk about Q3, that first run getting deleted. How much pressure does that put on you to get that second one absolutely perfect with no mistakes?

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, quite a lot. I mean, yesterday I barely did any laps, so... Yeah, we were playing a lot of catch-up. FP3 was not very good. So I was already, I think, under a lot of pressure to have a good qualifying, and then, of course, my lap time got taken away, so it added a little bit more pressure. But, yeah, very happy to be on the front row. I honestly didn't expect that to be possible.

Q: Max, qualifying in Formula 1 right now is so tricky at any track. But when you come to a place where the downforce levels are so low, the track surface grip is so low, you're seemingly being robbed of grip anywhere you can be. How difficult is it for drivers to just really extract the maximum in qualifying?

MV: It’s probably one of the hardest tracks to get right. I mean, street circuits are difficult, and this one as well, because as you said, low downforce, it's very easy to have a lock-up or a slide, and the tyres overheat immediately, so it's one of the tricky ones on the calendar.

Q: Alright, well, P2, try to go for four-in-a-row tomorrow. Congratulations. Carlos Sainz, sixth career pole position here in Mexico City for Ferrari. What a run you guys have been on. But first, just talk us through that lap?

Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, very happy and a great couple of laps. You know, a lot of times around Mexico, you always have the feeling like you cannot put a lap together and it's extremely difficult with how much sliding there is. But today, honestly, my two laps of Q3 were pretty much identical, almost perfect. And yeah, I just put two really solid laps in Q3, enough for pole. And yeah, very happy because that's not normally the case around Mexico with how tricky it is.

Q: it really seems like the last couple weeks you've just been so comfortable in your Ferrari from the very first lap of first practice. Is that how it feels from inside the car, because the performances have been incredible?

CS: Yes, definitely since Austin we've done, it seems like, especially on my side, a step up also in qualifying, trying to find something extra with the out lap and the tyre preparation. And yeah, it seems like we are going in the right direction. Obviously, looking forward to finish the job tomorrow, but at least the pole position of today, I'll take it, because it shows progress and some really solid laps.

Q: Now, how important is tomorrow for you guys as a team? Ferrari, the only one in the Constructors' battle with both cars starting inside the top ten. How important is collecting a massive haul of points tomorrow?

CS: For sure, it's our number one priority. First of all, to bring both cars home, but especially if you win the race, those extra seven, eight points that you get when you win are important for the team in the Constructors. So, yeah, I'll be just looking forward to keep that P1 into Turn 1, and from there, hopefully our race pace should be good enough to win it.

Q: Well, Carlos, every time you've come to Mexico, you've qualified better than the year before. Last year, you were second. You kept the script going by being pole for the race tomorrow. Congratulations.

CS: Thank you very much. Good stat!

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Carlos, brilliant job. You said in Austin that you expected Ferrari to be strong here and you've delivered. What a Q3 session. Just how sweet is this moment for you?

CS: Yeah, very sweet because, you know, it's not normal to have such two strong laps around Mexico and there's a lot of sliding in the lap, very difficult to put a lap together, and actually my two laps of Q3 were almost both perfect. Yeah, very happy to be on pole and to confirm the good form from Austin. Austin already that last lap of Q3 was coming good. So I had high hopes coming into Mexico and yeah, we've managed to keep it up.

Q: You spoke about tyre preparation a moment ago. Can I ask you about hugging the pit wall at the end of the lap? That seems to be an unusual line compared to your peers.

CS: No, it's just a Lando thing that he normally likes to do. I think it's from iRacing or something. He likes doing short distance to the line. And I said, well, I lose nothing by, maybe if it's faster, maybe cutting a bit the distance. Maybe it gives me a thousand or two thousandths of a second that I'm going to make sure this time I don't leave them out there. And yeah, I remember from our McLaren days he used to do it a lot and I was a bit puzzled. But yeah, tyre preparation has been a hot topic in Ferrari the last few races because we feel like in the race we're always very strong, but we seem to lack something come qualifying. Yeah, this year's car is very good on tyres, but I think that sometimes it means that in quali you cannot maybe extract the maximum out of the tyres in the first timed lap on the Soft tyres. And yeah, I put a bit of focus on that during the break, the three-week break. came into Austin and Mexico with a couple of things that seemed to pay off.

Q: Well, you've certainly nailed the one-lap pace. Just how confident are you ahead of the Grand Prix tomorrow?

CS: Yeah, relatively confident because I know my race pace should be good tomorrow. Probably the biggest difficult thing will be the run down into Turn 1 and starting on pole with a slipstream, no? But I think you can still defend, you can still make it stick into Turn 1 starting on pole and that will be my target tomorrow.

Q: It is the longest run of the season to Turn 1. How different is your approach at the start here compared to other races from pole?

CS: Not much, really. I just need to make sure I do a good 0-100, which is the most important thing when you start on pole, just make sure you do a good jump. And from there obviously do the best I can to defend. I have two guys behind fighting for quite important things tomorrow and the run down into Turn 1 should be interesting. I have obviously less to lose in that sense and I'll make sure that I try and keep P1.

Q: Alright, very well done today. Good luck with that. Max, if we can come to you now. You had to deliver on the second lap of Q3, and you did. Just how pleased are you with what you've achieved today?

MV: Yeah, I mean, yesterday I did, like, four laps, two laps on lower fuel and two laps on high fuel. So it was basically just a complete write-off, no information. So, yeah, for me, FP3 was very crucial. Tried to do as many laps as I could and, yeah, we were behind. I mean, the car was not feeling great and everything was just very difficult. So I knew that it was going to be a tough qualifying, but we made some final adjustments. It all started to feel better, but to be on the front row, it's an incredible result for us.

Q: As you say, you haven't been happy with the car in practice. Have you made a breakthrough with it ahead of Qualifying?

MV: I barely did any laps, so I think it could only go better, really. So, yeah, we were massively on the back foot. So far, of course, it's been quite a terrible weekend in that sense. But, yeah, to be on the front row with the difficulties that we had, I think, showed that we stayed calm and just tried to look into the data, you know, to try and understand the car a bit more and try to just be a little bit more competitive.

Q: And with so few laps in practice, just how much of an unknown is the long run pace of the car going into this Grand Prix?

MV: Yeah, it is. I don't expect miracles. I think in Austin, yeah, Ferrari was really, really fast. Of course, maybe that week McLaren was not as strong, but then in the race, I think they were still competitive. So from my side, yeah, I don't know. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Q: Can I ask you about the run to Turn 1 as well? It's a very long one. Carlos thinks he can defend into Turn 1. Do you employ different tactics here to other races?

MV: No, it just depends on your start and then what happens in front of you. I mean, I think I've been in a lot of starting positions around here. And yeah, it's a long run. Anything can happen, but I don't really think about it too much.

Q: Well done today. Good luck tomorrow. And Lando, let's come to you now. Like Max, you needed to deliver a lap the second run of Q3, and you did. Just how good was that final lap?

LN: Not good enough, clearly. Honestly, I'm, let's say, relatively happyish still to be P3. Not a great day, yes. I mean, I missed obviously FP1 and then with the alternate tyres, so I felt like a bit on the back foot, probably not as much as what Max was, but not been that comfortable at all. And found some good steps into qualifying. And obviously Q1 and Q2 were very good. But I mean, I found the limit very quickly. And I was happy to find the limit. And things were good. But just couldn't progress from there. The car was too difficult to drive in Q3. Too difficult to get especially three tenths out of it comparing to Carlos. So happy with third. For a minute, it looked like it could have been better. But I think we finished where we should be.

Q: Lando, given your pace in Q1 and Q2, fastest, just what changed for Q3? Why was the car suddenly more difficult?

LN: I was at the limit. I couldn't go any quicker. It's more I think the others just didn't get the most out of it. Yeah, pretty much every corner I was close to locking up and making mistakes. And I did that in my Q3, run 1 lap. But I had definitely nowhere near close to three tenths left in the car. So it was more that they just went quicker. I was at the limit. I got everything out of the car already in Q1 and Q2. Made us look like the ones to beat. But honestly, since FP1, Ferrari have been the guys to beat. And Carlos is on top today. So challenging to beat them tomorrow.

Q: So, a challenge to beat Ferrari tomorrow. So do you think you have the raw pace to beat them or are you going to have to be a bit clever, cleverer than them to beat them?

LN: I mean, the race pace is always a tough one to know. The last few weekends, they've been extremely quick and quicker than us, so it's... I don't have the confidence to say, yes, we can just beat them on pace. Like today, not on their level. But tomorrow's another day. You know, if we can have a good start, hopefully it's exciting down to turn one. Yeah, Carlos is going to be fast. Like he said, he's got nothing to lose. And they've been fastest for the last few weekends. So we'll try our best. But I don't think we have the pace comparing to them at the minute.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Erwin Jaeggi – Motorsport.com) A question for Max. Your first lap time was deleted in Q3. Did you already have the feeling that you might have been over the limit there? And how did you readjust for your second lap?

MV: I think it's always a very fine line around Turn 2. Yeah, you try to, of course, prepare it as well as you can. And yeah, sometimes you're just out, sometimes you're just in. But yeah, for the second run, I was probably a little bit more careful in Turns 2 and 3, so it wasn't as perfect as I would have liked, but at least the lap counted.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) Question to all three of you. Yesterday, you had quite an extensive driver briefing here. A lot of talks about what happened in Austin and driving guidelines. Is it for you clear now what is allowed and what not, and are there any changes to before?

CS: I think it was a positive, productive meeting. I think a lot of drivers opened up about how they felt about each situation and what we think is the best way forward. Yeah. how you interpret the rules and those driving guidelines that the Stewards are going to apply penalties with, they're still the same coming into this weekend and probably I think they will be applied in a similar manner. But, yeah, I think moving forward it was a productive meeting and I think in Qatar we will have some solutions that hopefully will offer, I think, better understanding for the driver and better racing in general. Yeah, hopefully it should be better.

MV: I think Carlos explained it perfectly.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Carlos, picking up on Ferrari's upswing in form that you're experiencing right now, the confirmation in Austin, going into your final five races with the team, how sweet it is that you're hitting this purple patch, a good chance to sign off on a high and maybe even a Constructors' Championship?

CS: Very sweet. Given how good the car is, how well I'm driving recently, you know, it's obviously optimistic going into the last five races. At the same time, bittersweet because it gives me a feeling Ferrari might be in the fight for the World Championship next year and I will not be there to use it. And I feel like I've been quite a big part of this team during the last four years trying to prepare the team to fight for that championship next year, you know, and the fact that I'm driving well, being fast with the car and I'm living in five races is definitely leaves me a bit… I don't know how to say it, but not with a very good feeling. But it's what it is. I'm going to try and, as I've said, win more races, stand on the podium for as long as I can during these five races and enjoy that. And then we will think about next year.

Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diario AS) Question for Carlos. At the start, are you taking extra care because the two drivers behind are fighting for the championship and you don't want to interfere or just the opposite, maybe you can be more aggressive than them?

CS: No, honestly, the start I will just do everything I can to stay in P1 because also around Mexico that's really important for the cooling of the car, for the tyres and everything. So I'll do everything I can. But I say my focus is on the 0 to 100 and on the launch. Then everything else happening from then onwards… It depends, also, on how good my rivals start and all the instinctive decisions that we all take in the start. I'll trust my instincts and obviously with the intention of getting out of that corner P1 for sure. T

Q: (Tim Hauraney – TSN) Question for Carlos. Carlos, congratulations, you're the only driver to get into the 1m15s on that push lap at the end. Can you just take us through the lap? Like, how on the limit you were? And were there any moments where you may have been thinking like ‘oh, this may not stick’?

CS: There were two really good laps and the fact that the first lap was so good and so much clearer of the field allowed me to take even further risks in Q3. I added a bit of front wing just because I had nothing to lose and see if by adding a bit more front end to the car I would go even quicker. But yeah, that's what happens when the first lap is so good. Also, the first lap of Q3, I didn't take many risks with the Turn 2 kerb, trying to stay away from track limits. While in the second lap, I knew that the first might be enough for pole, and I just tried to maximise the track limits there. And it gave me, for free, a tenth that I kept for the rest of the lap. So yeah, two very good laps, especially when you see the two or three guys I have behind me, with Lando, Max, and Charles, obviously, to be two, three tenths clear must be some very solid laps.

Q: (Erwin Jaeggi – Motorsport.com) Question for Lando. You are using a new floor this weekend. I think yesterday you said it's not much better. Is it delivering less than the team expected?

LN: No, it's delivering exactly what the team expects. So it helps. But yeah, if it was a two or three tenths upgrade, I think it would easily be P1. But we're talking about tiny things. And it's a lot less than probably what people think on the outside. When you talk about upgrades, you normally think of one, two, three tenths. And it's not even that.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) Another one for you, Carlos. You mentioned that you focused on the brake on qualifying performance and tire preparation. Do you think you could have been in this situation even before, or did you need new tools for that? Is it just setup, or was it upgrade related that Ferrari is so strong now?

CS: I think the upgrades are helping for sure. I think the circuit characteristic is a very important factor. I don't expect to be on pole in Qatar, just given how weak we are in high-speed. But in the low-speed, how tight the corners are, and how good we are in kerbing around Mexico, I said that we had a good chance and it's been like that. And also I try honestly to be as realistic and as honest as possible with you guys when I talk about our prospects to each race. I don't know, I left Singapore with a really strange feeling with the mistake I did in qualifying, with how tricky it was for us to switch on the tyres, how one session we could be P1, the next session we were one second off Lando, and I was like, I need to find something, because it cannot be that from one session to another we have a six, eight tenths swing on tyre performance over one lap. I worked during the three weeks to see how can we make it a bit better in quali and then we can fight in the race with a good race pace that the car has.