FIA post-qualifying press conference – Netherlands

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

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Jolyon Palmer)

Q: Max Verstappen it’s second place today in Zandvoort, but what a show you put on. There was a huge cheer from the crowd when you provisionally took pole. Just wasn't quite to be today.

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I think the whole qualifying we just lacked a bit of pace. I tried the best I could. I'm still very happy, of course, to be on the front row. It's very tricky out there with the wind. I mean, you know, you have these gusts of wind coming in, so every single lap just feels different. So you can't really go off a reference as well. But yeah, I'm happy with second. I think after yesterday as well, this is a good result.

Q: How tricky was it with the balance? We saw your lap at the end fighting the car in the chicane, 11 and 12, some understeer, some oversteer. Piecing a lap together just looked very hard.

MV: Yeah, it's how it is at the moment. Not the easiest to drive, but the rest of the lap was quite solid. I think, yeah, only 11, 12 was a bit difficult. But yeah, we'll see. Hopefully the car is OK tomorrow in the race.

Q: No one's ever beaten you at this circuit. Three wins on the bounce here. You at least start from the front row. Can you win?

MV: We'll give it a good go. But of course, when you are more than three tenths behind in qualifying, I think we have to be realistic. You know, I just try to have a good race tomorrow.

Q: Alright. Well, you're on the front row at least. Well done, Max. Good luck. Oscar, not quite the front row in the end. You were so close all the way through qualifying, just slipped back to third. What went wrong on the final lap?

Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, I just didn't do a good enough job, really. I think the first half lap was pretty solid and then the second half just wasn't quite what I needed. So, yeah, clearly the car's been very quick this weekend and, yeah, a little bit disappointing to not be a bit higher up, but we've still got a good race car underneath us and we can get some really good points and hopefully some trophies tomorrow. So, yeah, we'll give it a try.

Q: You've got upgrades on the car. Obviously, with the weather that we've had this weekend, it's been very difficult to get too many great reads, I imagine, from it. But they seem to be working well?

OP: Yeah, I think they're all doing what they expect, what we expect them to do. And yeah, anything you can put on the car, especially when it's as tight as it is, it's always a good thing. So yeah, not the easiest conditions to see what it's like, but as long as it makes the car quicker, then I'm happy.

Q: And the car looked good on the long run as well. You think that should give you a chance, bring you into play for a victory tomorrow, perhaps?

OP: Yeah, I think it's definitely not out of the question. Yeah, the pace did look good in the long run. And yeah, we've been pretty quick the last few weekends. So hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow, get a good start and try and make up a couple of spots if I can. But yeah, some good things on offer tomorrow.

Q: Alright, Oscar, well done. I hope you can get in the fight. Lando, what a performance that was. We're back from the summer break and you're back with a bang, pole by three and a half tenths today. Incredible.

Lando NORRIS: Thank you. Yeah, an amazing day. Nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap. Honestly, the qualifying was always pretty smooth and put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. So great job by the team and happy with today.

Q: And everyone's talking about these weather conditions, the wind, the rain. You seem to be happy across the board. Every lap that you're doing is wild at the front, rain or shine, wind or no wind.

LN: It's harder than it looks, I think! I mean, everyone's complaining of it because it is tricky. It's not easy out there. And every lap, you have to kind of... know what to expect and know how much more you can push, where the limits are. But that's our job in the end of the day. So it's not easy, but I felt comfortable out there. The car was feeling amazing. We've got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while and everything's working very well. So a big thanks to the team too.

Q: And looking forward to tomorrow. It's a shorter run to the first corner than Barcelona and Budapest. Can you hang on to it?

LN: I don't know why you're saying that, but I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm sure it's going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he's still second and he's going to be putting up a good fight, especially at his home race. So I'm looking forward to it.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: A dramatic qualifying session, Lando, and a brilliant final lap of Q3. Just how good were you? How good was the car out there?

LN: Both. I think both were good. I mean, especially my last lap in Quali Q3, Run 2 was by far my best lap. But I felt good all the way through qualifying, honestly. The car's been strong all weekend. We felt comfortable. We felt strong. And especially come today in qualifying, since the first lap we did, I felt like always in a good rhythm. and It's just not easy around here because it's not an easy track, first of all. But it's also even more difficult with the wind and the conditions and stuff. So just doing laps which are not mistake-free and not kind of locking up, not doing anything which would make me lose a little bit of confidence. And I just kept chipping away and improving every lap. So both were good, the car and I think myself too.

Q: You mentioned earlier that you're very happy with the upgraded parts that have come to this race, but are you surprised by the gap to Max?

LN: Maybe a little bit, but it all depends on wind and conditions. You know, I feel like I did a very good lap, by far my best. But I think it's a track where when you just hook everything up and it just flows a little bit better. You catch a little bit of a headwind or a little bit less tailwind in certain places, you can easily go one, two tenths quicker. But I don't know if that's why or not. But the car was good and I felt good too. I mean, whenever you're going to bring upgrades to a car, and I think especially for us, we've been quite patient. We've not really brought many upgrades, or we haven't brought any real performance-enhancing upgrades since Miami. We brought always little bits, and there's always little things that we've added, but this is our first, let's say, upgrade. We took our time because we wanted to make sure it worked well and worked as soon as we put it on the car and it does what it wants. And so far it's looked exactly that way. So credits to the team for playing a big part in this too.

Q: Lando, it's been a stop-start weekend with very little dry practice. What does it all mean for tomorrow? Are there lots of unknowns going into this 72-lap race?

LN: I mean, there are always some unknowns. I think we're in a pretty reasonable place. Our long-run pace was pretty strong the other day, but Max, Oscar, both the Mercs, especially George, in the position he is, are quick and are going to be challenging. So I'm not expecting anything easy for sure. Tomorrow is going to look the most calm from a weather and a wind point of view, which is always a nicer thing to look forward to. I think we're in a good way, so hopefully we can continue what we had today into tomorrow.

Q: Alright, very well done. Thank you, Lando. Max, let's come to you now. A mighty effort by you to split the McLarens. How good was that final lap of Q3 from you?

MV: I don't know. I mean, I had a bit of a moment in 11-12, but that was also a bit my qualifying in general. I never really felt... Every run, there were always one or two corners where I felt like I was losing a lot of time with just the gust of wind. And it seemed like it was very sensitive for us. The car was really responding aggressively to it. And that's why I think every single run that I did it was different. I just had a different balance every time. Yeah, it just made it very difficult. Q3, I think the first lap wasn't too bad. Then I tried to push it a bit more, but everything just seems very snappy, very on the edge, I would say. But nevertheless, I mean, I'm happy to be on the front row. I think after Q1 and Q2, I mean, I've never really been in that top five region. Of course, I was trying to save tyres a bit because I only had four sets, but I never really felt that I was in the fight for pole. And then when you come out of qualifying on the front row, I think that's OK.

Q: So, what about the race? I mean, you've talked about the one lap pace of the car. Do you think you'll be more competitive relative to Lando in the race?

MV: I mean, I would hope so, but I think when you see the gap, it's going to be very tricky. Also, it just seems like Lando's a bit happier in general with just the driving and how he feels. I'm a bit more all over the place with the balance, so I don't know, maybe it stabilises a bit tomorrow, but I guess we'll find out.

Q: Do you think this is going to be a strategic race, or do you think the start is your best opportunity tomorrow to take the lead?

MV: I don't know. I mean, anything can happen, right, in the race. So we'll find out. All right.

Q: Very well done to you. Thank you. Oscar, let's come to you now. A little bit off in Q3. Start by telling us about the positives that you take from the session today.

OP: I didn't crash like last year, so that was good! No, I think until the last lap, it was pretty good. Obviously, I think with the pace we had with the car today, I think P3 is not exactly a result to be jumping up and down about. But no, I think the rest of qualifying was pretty good. It all ran smoothly and I think a lot of those things were positive, just didn't quite nail it when I needed to at the end. So a bit disappointing there, but we've still got a lot of opportunities starting from where we are.

Q: How much of this comes down to the upgrades? Are you less comfy in the car at the minute than Lando?

OP: No. I mean, to be honest, the car feels very, very similar. I think, you know, we've improved the car like a second and a half since last year or something crazy, and it doesn't feel that different. So I don't think it's anything to do with that. I think simply Lando did a good job in the last run of Q3, and I didn't do as good a job as I should have. So, yeah, I think it's just simply down to that.

Q: Alright. And what's your mentality going into the race tomorrow?

OP: I think try and, of course, get a good start. That would be the first plan. And, yeah, strategy could be an interesting thing tomorrow. So we'll see. I think Max has got slightly different options to us. So, yeah, let's see what we've got. But I think we've got a very quick car underneath us, and hopefully we can use that on my side to go a bit further forward.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsportmagazin.com) Question is for Lando and for Max. Do you think McLaren is in a situation like Red Bull has been in at the beginning of the season where it looked tight the whole weekend until Q3 and then Max pulled the trigger because Max probably had this little bit in his hands and he knew that. And now, Lando, you have it in your hands. Is that the case?

LN: Nope. No, I had nothing in my hands. I just put a good lap in when I needed to, but I tried to do the best lap I could at every single point of qualifying. I didn't have anything spare come quali. But like they both said, it's a difficult day and they didn't do their best laps. I felt like I did a very strong lap. So today I just felt like I did the job I needed to go out and do, come qualifying. And for whatever reason, they struggled a bit more with their car, but it's not because I just had something in my hand. I know what you mean, but I didn't.

MV: Yeah, I must have been watching a different weekend. I don't know. I never felt close yesterday. I just try to do the best I can. Maybe I'm trying to stay with something that is not achievable for us, but I'm pushing to the limit like everyone else.

Q: (Fred Ferret – l’Equipe) A question to Lando. Do you have a special plan to fight Max on the first corner? And Oscar, are you ready to help Lando to be first at the end of the first lap?

LN: Yes. I mean, it's obvious. I know my starts have not been my forte over the last probably... They've not been bad, honestly, I'm still up there with being one of the best average starters. I've just missed out on a couple of races and maybe slightly worse than what it's been over the course of a season. There's a couple of times when they've not been quite where they need to be have been a couple of times I've been on the front row. So like I said, they've not been for any certain reason. They've been different things each time. But I feel confident I put in a good amount of work to kind of try and make my starts a bit better. And tomorrow's a new day.

OP: I mean, if I can get myself into the lead, then that works well for me. But, yeah, I mean, I think the start is always a good opportunity to make up ground if you can. Yeah, obviously I want to finish as high as I can. And, yeah, if I can get into second, then obviously that makes life a little bit more straightforward for the team. But... I mean, I'm not going to do anything specific to try and make that happen. I want to try and win the race myself. And let's see what I can try and do.

Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) It's a question to Max. You said Red Bull just lacks some pace at the moment. Do you feel that's the reality until new updates, new parts come to the car to maybe correct something? Or did you already hope for a bit more than the three-and-a-half tenths this weekend, maybe based on the ideas from the summer break?

MV: Well, I don't know. I mean, it's three tenths here or whatever it was. I don't know what, of course, the upcoming races will be. But I think, yeah, if you look at the last, what, seven races, it's just been a bit more difficult for us. And we are trying to understand or try to just improve the situation. But it's not a magic button or switch, you know, that you turn. So, yeah, we keep trying.

Q: (Ben Hunt – Autosport) Oscar, I noticed a little wry smile when Fred asked you about helping Lando out at the first lap. To the McLaren drivers, are you clear on the rules engagement, what you're allowed to do, what aren't you, and are you confident you'll be allowed to race each other for the win if you're in contention?

OP: Yeah, the rules are very, very clear and haven't changed. And yeah, we're free to race each other to try and win. Of course, we're in a Constructors' Championship fight and we know that there's a lot at stake for the team. But we've shown time and time again that we can race each other well, race each other cleanly. And yeah, we're free to try and both win the race. And that's not changed.

LN: Hello? No, the question was for Oscar. For both? Oscar said it well. We're free to race. There's never been any rules apart from don't crash into each other. That's literally the only rule. Otherwise, we've always been free to race. We've raced well in the past. So that's all good for us.

Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine, Brazil) Question to Lando. Lando you used to joke about the support of the Orange Army. And being now the biggest rival to Max Verstappen, do you feel a different approach from the Dutch fans now?

LN: No, not at the minute. I think we've always joked about it, but honestly, I've always had a lot of support from Dutch fans since I've started, since I've been in Formula 1. My mum's from Belgium, so it kind of puts me half into that bubble. So they've always supported me well, and I appreciate that. I always enjoy coming to a race like this, and the Red Bull Ring as well. They're kind of two home races for Max, with the amount of fans that he has there. So it's fun. It's nice that I have a lot of support from many different countries wherever I go. Some are more crazy than others, and I think the Dutch are one of the biggest players in this. But the more the merrier, and I appreciate that.

Q: (Hamzah Khalique-Loonat – The Times) A question for you, Max. Lando's boss said yesterday that he's performing at world champion level. Do you think he is? And what qualities do you think make him a potential world champion if he is?

MV: Lando is very, very fast. I think that's what you need to be. And that's why he's also in Formula 1, and that's why he's performing at the level that he's at. And it will only get better with experience as well, right? I mean, of course, I've been fighting for championships probably a bit longer, so you're probably a bit more experienced with that. But at the end of the day, when the team is working well, the car is working well, you're driving well, then it just comes to you as well. So, yeah, I never doubted that anyway.

Q: (Joost Smedema – NOS) Question to Max. Yesterday, Toto talked about a meeting this summer between Mercedes, between him and your management, and you over signing maybe for 2025. With what intention did you go into that meeting, and how do you reflect on it?

MV: Which meeting?

Q: (Joost Smedema – NOS) Did you engage that meeting, or was it only your management?

MV: I don't remember.

Q: (Rene de Boer – Track Commentary) A question to Max and Lando. You both mentioned the influence of the wind, the sensitivity of the car to the wind. Are there any corners or which section of the track do you notice that in most particular?

LN: Kind of any corner, which is 180 degrees, especially because the corners, Turn 1 is probably the best example. You have a big tailwind in and a big headwind out, so the car feels shocking on the way in and pretty lovely on the way out. So you kind of get both worlds, and then obviously you have the middle phase where the wind's blowing the side of the car, so you experience it there. And probably like 9 and 10, Turn 10 being the one where it's, what's probably felt the worst on the track the whole weekend. Again, simply going from like 20 kph tailwind in to 20 kph tailwind out. Vice versa, or similar to Turn 1, that you go in, the car doesn't respond, doesn't do anything you want. And it might not seem like 20, but when you see the numbers of the car in terms of kilograms of force, of downforce gained and lost, it's pretty extreme and probably more than what people realise on the outside. So everyone's dealing with the same thing, not just us three here, but everyone on the grid, and that's the challenge of what we have.

MV: Yeah, he explained it very well.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lando, this obviously feels like another very good opportunity to win and to close the gap to Max. How desperate are you to get this win tomorrow, and how important could that be in terms of the championship?

LN: You said the same words the other time. Yeah, I'm not desperate. I want to win, but I'm not desperate. I know you want that little headline right there, but I'm not going to give it to you. I want to win. I'm working hard to win. We all do as a team. All of us here want to win, but not desperate, because desperation doesn't succeed to anything. So it makes no difference. I'm trying very hard. And if you want to kind of put that into the headline, then that's fine. I had places to work on over the winter. I worked hard over the summer. I've worked hard on them. Little bits are paying off already, but tomorrow is obviously the biggest place of it all to show. So working hard for a win, but not desperate.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsportmagazin.com) Another one for you, Max. I think you questioned whether I'm watching the same race weekend as you do. Hopefully, I'm not listening to a different team radio. But compared to previous races, you sound pretty calm on the radio nowadays. Is it because you accepted the new situation you're in, or is there a different approach from your side?

MV: I do a lot of yoga and meditation lately (laughs). Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think Hungary was just a very frustrating weekend in general, but it doesn't always need to be like that. And I know that also. So I'm just trying as hard as I can, you know, to be competitive. I know the team does that as well, every single person within the team. So we, yeah, we stick together and try to improve the situation.

Q: (Ben Hunt – Autosport) Max, just sorry, just to bring you back to the meeting with Toto, is it time that he stops talking about you? Do you think he just needs to move on?

MV: No, I mean, everyone can say what they want. And I get on very well with Toto. I think he's very open about what's happening within his team, right? Also, I think with the driver line-up and stuff. So there's nothing wrong with that. And at the same time, also, I just focus on my job. There's a lot to do anyway. So, yeah, we just focus on that.

Q: (Nate Saunders – ESPN) Lando, one for you. You mentioned about the starts. When you've looked back at that this year, has there been any kind of pattern you've noticed? Has it been procedural? Has there been anything like that? And how important is tomorrow to just kind of get stats like that out of the way so you're not kind of carrying that into the rest of the season?

LN: Honestly, stats to me don't mean a lot. Yeah, I mean, you kind of get respect with stats and you lose respect maybe with certain stats, but just numbers on the screen, honestly, don't mean a lot from that perspective to me. Of course, I care, but they don't mean a lot. They don't impact me. So what people write and come up with and those kind of things are different. It's like the overtaking awards and stuff. You're always going to get more overtakes when you qualify terribly. You're going to have more chances to go forward. I've started on towards the front a lot of times. I know my stats are not the best for that. And more often than not, I've kind of gone backwards rather than holding positions. But that's just what I've done so far. And I've worked hard and working hard to try and change that. But it's not something that affects me. I'm not going to go out tomorrow to try and suddenly prove people wrong or something. I'm just going to crack on and do what I got to do. So yeah, people can write what they want. They can have their own opinions. A lot of these things are true and are facts to people. But yeah, it's more just use them to my advantage and improve on my weaknesses. Simple as that.

Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) It's a bit of a different one to Max this time. I know that you know Nyck De Vries quite well. And he's taking on a new challenge from this weekend onwards in Super Formula. I was just wondering, did you talk about it with him? And what's your thought about a new challenge that he's going at in Japan?

MV: Yeah, it was actually quite funny because he asked me if he could jump on my simulator quickly to do a few laps around Motegi. But unfortunately, I wasn't at home at the time. Otherwise, I would have set it up for him. But yeah, it's exciting. I mean, I've never driven the car myself, but they look amazing to drive. It's, of course, very, very different. And I think, of course, a big learning curve for him as well. But I'm looking forward to see how he does in the championship. He's a good friend of mine. He deserves it. And, yeah, wish him all the best.