FIA post-race press conference – Sao Paulo

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 3. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Rubens Barrichello)

Q: Max, what an incredible race. Yesterday, did you have any thoughts that you might win today, with the weather, or it was tough? It was a tough weekend.

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I mean, my emotions today have been a roller coaster, you know, with qualifying being really unlucky with that red flag. You know, starting P17, I knew that it was going to be a very tough race, but we stayed out of trouble. We made the right calls. We stayed calm. And we were flying. So all of these things together, of course, made that result possible. But I mean, unbelievable to win here from so far back on the grid!

Q: Man, I need to ask you. The first corner, when you went to the inside, you saw there was a lot of grip. And then you started to use that a lot. The overtaking looked fantastic from the outside. Did you know there was a little bit more grip in the inside because you kept on doing fastest laps and using that line?

MV: Yeah, I mean, it's very hard to pass around here with the new tarmac. There’s only one line that you can take. But, yeah, I just knew that I had to go for it. It's, of course, always easy to front lock, just trying to balance that out. And I had confidence on the brakes as well. That helps. And, yeah, Turn 1 is always a great corner to pass.

Q: It was 17 fastest laps, so well done, Max. Thank you. You made the crowd stand up all the way.

MV: I hope they enjoyed it!

Q: They did! Thank you. [Esteban], it's good to see you, my friend. It was nice to see you before the race. Did you look like it could have been on the podium since that moment?

Esteban OCON: I mean, what a day that was, you know, after the difficult season. You know, it's really nice to be driving around here and having the performance a bit levelled out, you know, on the rain. Someone very important to all of us said a long time ago that in the rain, the cars are almost equal. And that phrase didn't age at all. Yeah, I'm very happy to be today on the podium. I think it's been awesome. And the support I received here from all the Brazilian fans is incredible. And yeah, I can't thank everyone enough.

Q: By any chance, you guys work on a setup because you knew it was going to be wet. Did you work a little bit on that because you knew the car was going to be faster in the wet?

EO: No. The car was extremely difficult, you know, on the dry. And really, you know, I felt at ease, you know, when it started to rain this morning and last night. I really wanted to get some lap on the rain. I love it here when it rains. And yeah, today has brought a special race for us.

Q: Enjoy the party with Alpine. It was great to see. Pierre, what a great race. How tough was it to make that decision to stay on track just before the red flag?

Pierre GASLY: It's incredible. It's incredible for the whole team. We had such a tough season. We struggled to score points. In these conditions, everything was possible. We believed it until the end. Two cars on the podium. I don't think anyone would have got that on that bingo card, you know, ahead of the season. So it's just fantastic.

Q: So from the car that you had yesterday to the car of today, it’s just the wet that made it possible?

PG: Yeah, I mean yesterday, the pace on the dry was good. I finished seventh. This morning we had a very poor quali, a couple of incidents, we didn't get a lap in Q2, so we started far, 13th, and we managed to make 10 positions, so now I'm absolutely buzzing right now and I'm just so proud of the team. To overcome such a tough season… It would have been too easy to give up, but we never gave up. And, yeah, here we are, both cars, P2 and P3, a lot of points for the team. And, yeah, everybody should be very proud today.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Very well done, Max. What a victory. Surely that was one of your best?

MV: Yeah, I don't even know where to start, because my emotions today have been from almost trying to destroy the garage to winning the race. I mean, starting P17… I knew that we could have a good race, but in qualifying, I think it was quite clear that there was only one line that you could take. So I knew that overtaking was going to be quite tough. But yeah, in the race, we had a good start. That helped already. We had a good first lap. From there, we just picked off a few drivers here and there. Then I got a little bit stuck behind the train of Yuki, I think. Then we just stayed calm. It was still a very long race, naturally. We made the right calls. When some pitted, the rain was coming, we stayed out. which was very sketchy. And then I saw Esteban in front of me flying, like four seconds a lap faster and I was like, ‘I'm just happy to keep the car on the track’. I mean, at one point it was just red, like we needed a red flag. It was just undriveable, even on extreme tydes, it would have not been possible because of the banking of the track here, you know, it's filling up very quickly and it almost felt like I was driving a boat.

EO: A jet ski.

MV: Yeah, a jet ski. I think we could have had a jet ski. Definitely, yeah.

EO: If you go on throttle, you can turn.

MV: Definitely have more cornering speed on a jet ski, I think.

Q: Look, Max, you mentioned your frustrations after qualifying. So what did you think was possible before the start from P17?

MV: I was just very motivated to get a good race and just let the race pan out and see what happens. Because in a wet race, always some crazy things can happen. But soon, I was passing a few cars, and I had always one lap or two laps of free air. I was always the fastest on the track. So, I knew that, ‘OK, we are quick’. I just need to try and pass the guys to try and have a run to the front. I felt comfortable in the car. I feel comfortable in the wet anyway, but then when the car is also performing, it just doubles up and you can really pick up the pace.

Q: Max, you did five fastest laps in a row, 17 fastest laps in total. At what point did you think, I can win this?

MV: Well, when I got past Esteban in Turn 1. I mean, before that, the pace was there, I was just trying to build it up slowly. Because after the red flag, the restart was very fast. And then just when the Safety Car actually came out, I was starting to catch him a bit. But then the tires were, again, very cold. And then, yeah, in the restart, I got by. And from there onwards, I just tried to look after the tyres, because you never know what was going to happen to the end. The wear is always very high around here. But yeah, I felt good. The car was having a nice balance. Just had to be concentrated to not make any mistakes, because the surface was still slippery.

Q: Max, no doubt it was a brilliant victory. Just looking at the bigger picture now, you've extended your lead over Lando Norris in the World Championship to 62 points with just three races and one Sprint to go. Do you feel this is a pivotal moment?

MV: I mean, this was now, of course, looking at it, it was incredibly important because in a way I was expecting to lose points today. So from now, I just want clean races to the end. I'm not thinking about clinching the championship in Vegas or whatever. I just want clean races.

Q: Very well done. Thank you very much, Max. Esteban, let's come to you now. This has been a spectacular day for Alpine and you have been extremely fast all day. What does this P2 mean to you, first of all?

EO: Well, I was saying before, I'm not sure that is a reality or still a dream. But I smell champagne, so I think it is reality. But yeah, it's been an incredible day. Who would have thought, first of all, that we were going to qualify fourth, where we qualified. We were very, very quick as soon as these conditions pulled out today. It really levels out the field in here. And it feels great to be just able to fight with other cars, to fight with the guys that are at the front as well. And it shows that we’ve still got it. And when there's an opportunity, we are always there to be able to take it. Yeah, we were leading the race at some point. That was a special moment. I was pulling away from Max in that first restart. It was going super well. Unfortunately, at the end, a reality check came back and Max was still better than us. But, yeah, it feels extremely great and even greater now because we've had a difficult couple of races lately where things don’t really work the way we want for us. But it clearly shows, you know, that we’ve still got it when it's not all about the car and it's also about driving.

Q: Have you had confidence in the car in the wet all season, or is it specific to the Interlagos race track?

EO: No, not necessarily. I think we are normally better on the rain. It's difficult to be worse at times than where we are on the dry, especially lately. Don't laugh, please. But it's definitely great to be able to execute such a race. The team have been spot on on strategy calls, tyres, And when everyone is on a level playing field, we can play and here we were.

Q: And Esteban, you're getting towards the end of your final season with Alpine. What does it mean to you to sign off with a result like this?

EO: Well, it's not signed off yet. There are more races to go, three more. But yeah, if that's the reward, then I'm very happy to call it that this is the reward. It's been five years of good moments, more difficult moments, of course. But, yeah, extremely happy and proud, you know, of me and Pierre, to be honest. We've had our stories at times, but it's been incredible to do that last formation lap. A lot of flashbacks came back to my memories, when we were racing on the wet in go-karts, when we were young, even in the snow with the slick tyres, we were both racing together and waiting for the podium or the win to come. And today, yeah, it tastes a bit like that. So, yeah, beautiful story from where we come from. And, yeah, that one will for sure forever stay engraved.

Q: Esteban, very well done. Thank you for that. Pierre, let's come to you now. You were nodding at the end there. Did you get those same flashbacks on the slowdown lap?

PG: Yeah, of course. I don't think anyone can understand. You know, it's a very personal relationship between Esteban and myself. But we've been going through so much. And as he mentioned, all these times we've had, like over winter, minus 5 degrees outside, we were the only ones showing up at the go-kart track, going out in the rain, in the snow, slick tyres, 9, 10, 11 years old. And we've really practiced these conditions. And on a day like today, I can tell you this actually made the difference, all that practice. I remember us getting back in the truck trying to get warm after a few laps because we were absolutely freezing. And it's just that we've had our ups and downs. But as you said, this two years chapter as team-mates, I think we can be very proud of the way we've pushed the team forward. It's been tough, obviously, this season, but we've always tried to push the team in the right direction to never give up. And on a day like today, even when the car has misbehaved for the majority of the season, everyone tried to put the A game, and it was just an historical day for the team. So very proud for everyone working in the team to achieve such a performance.

Q: As you say, a great day for the team. A lot of pressure from George Russell at the end. How hard was it to keep him behind?

PG: Yeah, he was quite big in the mirrors. I must say it wasn't easy. It was difficult conditions. I wasn't at ease with the car balance. So I was kind of like fighting it a bit. But I always had him at bay. I don't think he ever had the idea of trying anything. So I knew as long as I keep him within one second, it'll be good enough. He damaged a bit his tyres. So it was a long end of the race, but we managed to hold him off. There was Lando at the restart and Charles as well. So we've had our fair battles during the entire race, which felt like an eternity, to be fair, with the red flag and in these conditions. But yeah, we managed to make the right calls, faultless drive and strategy and excellent day for the team.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Fred Ferret – L'Equipe) Question to Max. How important was it to win again after having 10 races without one?

MV: Yeah, well, I mean, of course, that was important. I wanted to, of course, win a bit sooner. But yeah, it's been tough for us. We always kept pushing. We didn't really understand why the others were so fast in the race, especially. Yeah, I've been trying a lot of things to improve the car. And I mean, starting P17 this morning, didn't look like we were going to win the race again. So yeah, it's an incredible result for us. A massive boost for the team, because honestly, it's been tough. But it is also a big strength of the team to stay calm and just try to work on performance and try to improve our situation. And I'm confident. I'm confident for the last three races that we can fight again, and especially in the race that we will be more competitive.

Q: (Pedro Krug – RF1 Jornalismo) Congrats for the result. My question is for Esteban and Pierre. Last time that 100% French team did a double podium, I searched and it was in 1982 (sic). So how does it feel for you guys to be back on the podium like with 100% French team?

PG: Yeah, I didn't know the stat. I heard it as well from some French people. It's quite cool. I like to hear that we are making things happen after quite a long time. All French people had to wait for a long time. But yeah, it's pretty special. Was it Jean Alesi with... Or was it Arnoux and... Arnaud and Alesi? Or Panis!

EO: Prost? Yeah, the era before, yeah.

MV: There have been a few French drivers, so you can choose.

PG: But, no, it makes it very special. I mean, on a day, as I say, like today, for the entire team, for Esteban, for myself, on such a tough season. It's been very difficult for everyone at times. You’ve got to come every single weekend with the same mindset, the same approach, trying to put your best, even though you know that your chances are not really high. But it's important to never give up because, you know, especially on days like today, anything's possible. And I'm very grateful for all the work the team has been doing because it all makes it worth it on a day like today when we get both cars on the podium. I don't think anyone in the world today would have thought at some point this year, two Alpines are going to be on the podium.

EO: I want to know the guy that has bet on that.

PG: Well, if there is one, he's an absolute legend! That's what I love about Formula 1, that you get these type of opportunities. And you've got to show up. It's not guaranteed. Could have been many other guys that make it happen. But at the end of the day, it was Esteban and myself.

Q: (Pedro Domingos de Cunha – Band.com) A question for Max. Yesterday, after the Sprint, I mentioned the 2016 race, where you also put a mega show for the spectators in difficult conditions. So today, you just did it again. I have two questions for you. Do you reckon that these two races are among the best ones in your F1 career? And also, what makes you go so good in the rain?

MV: Yeah, I mean, for sure, those two are definitely in my top ten list. But this one is definitely much more crucial than back in the day. There I had nothing to lose. I was not in a championship fight and I was coming from the back after the strategic mistake we had. Now there was a lot more at stake. So I had to be more controlled, more aware of the championship. So for me, definitely this one is the best one. And about the wet, I don't know, I just said to Esteban as well, it's like back in the day in go-karting, you know, the guys that were good in the wet, they're good nowadays also in Formula 1. And it always just, yeah. I was racing them as well in the go-karting and they were also good in the wet, you know, so it definitely is a thing that you pick up when you're younger, I think when you practice a lot. I think where we come from, it definitely rains a bit more than maybe in some other places. And yeah, you go out there, you practice, you get more comfortable, and you are definitely tuning your skills to be better. And I think you carry that, and of course, you evolve and become even better. And you use that to your advantage.

Q: (Bruna Parreira – Globo.com) First, congratulations to Max, Esteban, and Pierre. My question is for the three of you. We had a lot of complaints about the surface of the track here in Interlagos. So after two days with a lot of rain, was the driveability was better, worse, or did it change too much? And I would like to hear your thoughts about it. Thank you.

MV: Yeah, it was still very bad. I mean, in some places you could not even drive because you would bottom out quite heavily, even in the wet. So definitely something needs to be done for next year to make it better. Because I mean, I know a lot of people put a lot of effort in it. It's not to talk bad about the people. I know they always try to do the best they can to put the surface down. But for the cars that we are running currently, it's definitely too bumpy. And yeah, something needs to be done about it.

EO: I think the grip is actually very good. You know, it's just some bumps that we run with these cars, probably if we were back in 2021 or 2020, it would have been fine. But these cars, you know, they run super low and all the heat is basically straight into the chassis, so there's no suspension in there. And yeah, I think it's much better than it was in terms of grip, but just the bumps needs to be improved.

PG: They said it all.

Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine Brazil) Max, congratulations on your win. We are in Interlagos. We need to talk about your relationship with Brazil. And of course, you go to Brasilia, you know a lot of places in Brazil. And personally, I think you grew up a lot in your relationship with Kelly Piquet, and you are really private about your life, which I also admire. But we would like to talk about how the importance of this relationship and going to Brazil, how is these things for you as a driver and also as a person?

MV: Yeah, so of course, my family-in-law is Brazilian. And, I appreciate it a lot, meeting all of them all the time when I'm coming over. You know, it's, of course, quite a travel from Europe, but we always try to combine it with the Grand Prix and stay a bit… Well, we come earlier and we stay a bit longer. Also for Kelly, of course, to spend more time with the family. And yeah, I've been really welcomed very nicely within the family. Of course, there's a massive history as well with racing within the family. So it's really cool. Honestly, I really enjoy being around the Brazilian mentality as well. I think it suits me quite well. My Portuguese is still very bad. So maybe when I stop racing, I need to take some lessons. But yeah, it's always, when I come here also to Sao Paulo, it's a track that I want to do well. Naturally, when you have a bit of a connection to Brazil, it's cool. And when you can do a day like today, it makes it even better.

Q: (Maria Clara Castro – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to all three drivers. I reckon that up to this point, you've understood that Interlagos is a temple of motorsport, not only to us Brazilians, but to motorsport in general. And to claim it, you have to earn it. And Interlagos today gave you its absolute worst in terms of weather, to push you towards your absolute best. So, if Interlagos were a person, what would you say to them after today's race and this weekend?

MV: I would say thank you very much. You served me well.

PG: Muito obrigado.

MV: You know, we have to take those lessons together. I mean, his girlfriend is Portuguese, so...

PG: We have a common interest for the Portuguese classes.

EO: I mean, the support we receive here is incredible. I mean, this morning I was turning up to the track at around 5 o'clock in the morning, and people were waiting and queuing in front of the circuit, I couldn't believe my eyes that people are so passionate about it, about F1, about motorsport. And since my early days, people have called me Oconzinho, which is quite funny, I feel. But yeah, it's just incredible from the day we arrive to the day we leave. I would really like to spend more time in Brazil, you know, visit various places. But yeah, the Interlagos atmosphere in general never disappoints. It's just incredible.

PG: Just look at the crowd. Honestly, it's such an iconic racetrack. This year was also very special with the legacy Ayrton left and with the 30 years, so it was, as Esteban said, I think this morning at 5 AM, when my eyes were quite closed because I was still a bit sleepy, once I saw everyone queuing, and I was like, wow, that was very impressive. And the energy you get from these moments makes you very grateful. And to be able to live these moments And when you get these emotions a couple hours later, it's just a memorable moment that will, for sure, keep with us forever.

MV: I have a quick question here. I mean, I appreciate all of you being here, but I don't see any British press. They had to run to the airport? Or they don't know where the press conference is?

PG: That's a fair question! That's a fair question.

Q: (Bruna Parreira – globo.com) Since Esteban mentioned his nickname, Oconzinho, I would like to ask Max and Pierre if they already got Brazilian nicknames too?

MV: Maxinho!

Q: (Bernardo Bersch – Correio do Povo) For Max, but I think Esteban can add a little, because he had a first-person view of the move. I wanted you to talk a little bit more of your line in the first corner. You were going so deep, braking so deep, and also still managing to get a lot of traction from the corner. And nobody got to do this through the race.

MV: Yeah, I mean, when you feel good with the car, I had a lot of confidence on the brakes because I passed a few people here and there. And I think that was one of these opportunities. I had a good restart. I was in the tow. And I knew that I passed a few people there before. So I was like, I'm going to send it up the inside. The camber of the corner helps you naturally a little bit. So, yeah, I just went for it. And then, of course, I saw that Esteban didn't make it too difficult for me, and he slotted in behind me. Otherwise, I think it would have been 25 laps of trying every time. I mean, honestly, I went for it, and I think it was also very nice how then Esteban handled the rest of the corner.

EO: Yeah, Max clearly was quicker on that second stint, so there was no way for me to be fighting. He pulled away very quickly, as I thought he would have done. But yes, I told him after the race, I was very impressed on how late he could brake to the inside without locking up the front. That's what has happened to a lot of drivers. Probably in qualifying, 90% of my laps, I had the front locking into Turn 1. But yeah, he made it stick, and it was a nice move.