FIA Thursday press conference – Hungary

DRIVERS – Nico HÜLKENBERG (Haas), Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Alex ALBON (Williams), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren), Fernando ALONSO (Aston Martin)

Q: Nico, great to see you. And you are enjoying a great run at the moment. Two consecutive P6s. Just how confident are you in this car and what you can do with it going forward?

Nico HÜLKENBERG: Yeah, it's definitely been good. It's been very positive. Austria was very good. Then we brought the update to Silverstone, which added more performance and was a good step forward. I think so far this season, obviously we're at the halfway point after Silverstone, that we're definitely one of the positive surprises this season, recovering a lot of performance from last year. So it's been good. It's very enjoyable, obviously, racing for points. We've had, I don't know how many point scorings now, but also a few times very close to the top 10. And obviously our ambition and target is to try and keep that up for the rest of the season.

Q: Nico, after the troubles of last year, have you been surprised by the rate of progress that the team has made this year?

NH: I think, yes, we surprised ourselves a little bit already in winter testing in Bahrain and from the get-go we found ourselves in better shape than what we could expect. I think it all goes down to some reshuffling of the technical structures we had within our team and the organisation. And yeah, it's just been good and, like I said, very enjoyable and positive.

Q: So what about here? It's a very different racetrack to Silverstone. Do you think you can be competitive?

NH: I think so. And it goes back to my point from earlier. We've been, you know, around the top 10 and competitive within the midfield and in the race for fifth fastest on many occasions. And I don't see a reason why it should be very different here.

Q: Final one from me. Your team-mate announced this morning that he's not going to be continuing with Haas in 2025. Can we just get a few words from you on Kevin Magnussen? How quick is he? Does he deserve a seat in Formula 1 next year?

NH: Yeah, I enjoyed working with him these two years. It's been definitely enjoyable. And we get on really well. After our little romance here a couple of years ago, it was actually quite the turnaround of a relationship and kind of turned into a friendship. And I think we work well as a team. We're kind of pushing in the same direction most of the time. And yeah, it's been nice and a pleasure. And I wish him well and all the best for his future.

Q: Thank you, Nico. Pierre, let's come to you now. So, Taylor Swift. Are you a Swiftie?

Pierre GASLY: Well, I guess I am now. We are, with Charles here. I must admit, it was an incredible experience. I've never seen and heard such an energy in a stadium. Actually, we didn't even talk with Charles before the concert. And it turned out we ended up in the same place, in the same area, without letting each other know. So it was pretty cool. And yeah, a good night. A good night.

Q: Alright, let's bring it on to Formula 1. Now, after four consecutive points finishes for you, it seems that the team lost a bit of momentum at Silverstone. Do you understand the issues with the car there? Why it didn't perform so well?

PG: Well, I think we didn't even get a real picture of the performance there. Obviously, the qualifying was in mixed conditions. I didn't take part in it, and I didn't even take part in the race. So on paper, from the free practice, I did 15 laps the whole weekend. Yeah, it seemed to be slightly more difficult. We know the track, with all these long straights and the efficiency you need on the power and the aero side, maybe didn't favour our package, but I still think there would have been a chance to do something and it was just a shame not to be able to race.

Q: What do you need from the car to recreate that sweet spot that you both had in Barcelona?

PG: Well, first to take the start and actually race. But then I think the car itself, we know where we are. We haven't really developed over the last few races. So we know how to maximise it. Obviously, others, like Haas for example, are making quite big steps forward and it’s so tight in that midfield that it kind of reshuffles the order every time a team brings a new part. So I think we know we've got to try. Not easy to score points until we get new upgrades on the car, which hopefully will put us a bit more in the fight.

Q: Final one from me: team-mate for 2025, who do you want?

PG: I said it already. I mean, you know, I think Alpine, the team has good options on the table. At the end of the day, it's not up to me. I welcome the fastest guy out there. We all know who it is. But then, yeah, I mean, at the moment, we got to wait. But yeah, the team has three good options.

Q: Have you spoken to Carlos?

PG: I did my fair share of the job, but ultimately I believe in the projects we're building with Alpine and I always back the team up. Now it's up to him to make his own decision.

Q: Thank you, Pierre. Alex, let's come to you. Back in the points at Silverstone, after what had been some difficult races for you and the team, just how important was that ninth place?

Alex ALBON: It was good. It was good to kind of get another points finish for us. It was one of those races where it all just came together a bit more on a track that also suited us, which has suited us historically. So, yeah, you know, it was nice. Obviously, we're trying to catch up and overtake the guy to my right and at the same time try and create some space to Sauber. So we're doing the right thing and we're going in the right direction. But similar to Pierre, we're not putting things on the car. It's just getting the car in a good place for the one weekend that suited our car.

Q: So a moment of reflection, just the two points finishes for you in the opening half of this season. How do you sum it up?

AA: It's been tricky. I think obviously we wanted more. That's also just a bit of a testament towards the midfield teams doing a great job. I think Haas, especially, kind of came into this year and have been a bit of a surprise and their updates are working and they seem to be continuing forward. The gap to the front has always been shrinking, it's just relatively speaking we've not been as performant as some of the other midfield teams. So it's still a race and it's still very close out there. One upgrade could put you back into the mix to fight for the points but at the moment that's not going to be on our car this weekend and we’ve got to focus on just maximising everything.

Q: So what are the goals for here in Hungary?

AA: We have low expectations. I don't think it's a circuit that should suit us. Kind of a little bit like Barcelona, hot, a bit more about pure downforce. I think it's a good test for us. We've come up with some new options and new ideas coming from Barcelona and thinking about how we want to address some of our issues. We'll just go out there in FP1, try a few things and see if it works.

Q: Best of luck with that. Thank you. Oscar, let's come to you now. You've spoken about missed opportunities at Silverstone last time out where you finished fourth. Do you think you could have won that race had you not done that extra lap in the rain?

Oscar PIASTRI: I mean, I think it would have been tough. I think at that point of the race, my options being the second car on track were always slightly unfavourable. I think in certain scenarios, yes, I probably could have won the race, but I think for a lot of people in that race, there are a lot of things they could have done a lot better, and I think a lot of people have a lot of what-ifs in situations like that. So, yes, I think we've analysed that and worked out where we could have gone better. And I think on both sides of the garage we've worked very well together to identify where we went wrong. But, yeah, I think the fact that we were in the hunt for that. I don't think we were… You know, before the rain came, we were not the fastest car on track. We were fourth and fifth. And, you know, through the weather conditions and whatnot we were able to get into a good position and unfortunately we made some errors from there. But I think the opportunities are always very, very tough to come by. And I think we're creating some of our own.

Q: What lessons have been learned from Silverstone?

OP: I mean, a few. Obviously, a few specific to that race in particular. I think a few in general. I think as we're now fighting back at the front, we're competing against teams that have been in this position for an incredibly long time. In some cases, over a decade. It's been a while since, as a team, we've been regularly fighting in those positions. It's not an excuse for us to be able to get it wrong, but we are inexperienced compared to some of our competitors. We're learning a lot as we go along. I think we've had a few races where we've really taken advantage of our opportunities and maybe they haven't been commented on as much, but I think that's part of the game. When you're right at the front, these missed opportunities can be the difference between winning a race or finishing second, which, of course, has a bit more weight than if you're having the difference between a P6 and a P7.

Q: Oscar, Imola was a near miss. You could argue that Austria was a near miss. Silverstone was a near miss. How do you stop frustration creeping in?

OP: I mean, a few ways. I think the fact that we're even having these opportunities in the first place is, you know, we've been having opportunities for the last couple of months now, let's say, but our memory is not that short. And, you know, it was only 12 months ago that we were finishing P3 and P4 and that was an incredible result for us. So I think we still have that. Of course, we can't live off that forever and we need to appreciate that we're in a much different position now. But also the opportunities have always been very different. And some of the circumstances have been in our control and I think we've been very good at analysing that. I think a fair share of the circumstances have been out of our control as a team. So I think you know just focusing on what we need to improve for ourselves and not being caught up on the things that are out of our control, that's a massive part of it

Q: Alright, thank you and good luck this weekend. Fernando let's come to you now. Spanish sport has just had an incredible Sunday with victories at Wimbledon and in the Euros final. How much did you enjoy it?

Fernando ALONSO: Well, the whole country enjoyed for sure. I mean in tennis, we had an incredible run with Rafa Nadal for many, many years – two decades in the top spot – and now with Carlos. So, yeah, I think we are in good hands there. He's very young, very talented. And, yeah, I think that the whole country is enjoying every time he plays. And also in football, obviously. It's only every four years or every two years when there's the World Cup and, yeah, it was a good match on Sunday. I really enjoyed. And, yeah, I wanted to win this one because, obviously, when you come to the race weekend, again, with all the mechanics and everyone in the garage, it's much better like this.

Q: Yeah. Good banter in the garage this morning, I'm guessing.

FA: I didn't speak with anyone yet. But yeah, I think tomorrow, when the pre-practice starts, we will close that page.

Q: Well, let's bring it on to Formula 1. We've just had three fast circuits, yet the car only seemed to come alive at one of them, at Silverstone. Can you explain to us why that was the case?

FA: Well, I think it's quite difficult to have the car in the right window at the moment for us. We're struggling to maximise the potential of the car. I think in Barcelona, we started the weekend on the wrong foot, and we could not recover from that bad FP1, let's say. In Austria, with the Sprint weekend, you only have one free practice. And yeah, again, we didn't optimise the package. And in Silverstone, yeah, we had a little bit more normal weekend. It was a little bit cooler as well, which probably did help our performance. And yeah, let's see here. It's another hot track, maybe similar to Barcelona in terms of corner speeds and things. So it's a challenge for us.

Q: It seems the car is difficult to set up. Can you just give us your reflections on the opening 12 races? What, best of fifth place in Saudi, the second race? How frustrating has it been for you?

FA: It has been tricky. Yeah, I mean, up and downs for everybody, probably. But we started quite strong, I would say. The first four or five races, we were quite competitive, especially in qualifying, close to Mercedes and even to McLaren sometimes. And then in the race, we were going down. But, yeah, the last four or five weekends has been even more difficult than that. So, yeah, we need to improve our performance, we need to raise the level and get back to a more comfortable position.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) This is a question to everyone and I'm sure you're looking forward to your summer break, but the Olympics will be on and you might be watching that. It amazes me that motorsport is not represented at the Olympics. How much would you like the chance to represent your countries in, say, a karting event? Men and women representing your nations and maybe answering the question as to who's the best F1 driver on the grid at the moment in equal machinery. I don't know who wants to start, but do you fancy going for gold in the Olympics?

FA: I think we represent our countries in a way every two weeks. This is not an Olympic sport yet, but ideally it will be nice to have it in the future for sportsmen and racing drivers to have the possibility, but I think it's quite unlikely because we have the machine with us. Even if you try to organise a go-kart race with exactly the same go-karts, it will never be exactly the same, probably. So, yeah, it is a very unique sport.

Q: It's been done before, in 1993 in Paris. What are your thoughts, Oscar?

OP: I mean, more or less the same as what Fernando said. I think with motorsport being so unique in terms of the car and the equipment and the team around you providing such a critical element, it's very, very difficult to even that out 100%, on any playing field. And I mean, I think a good thing about our sport is, yes, of course, we take a lot of pride in representing our countries, but I think we take a lot of pride in that in most cases, the best of the best, regardless of your nationality or your background can make it to the top. So yeah, I mean, I think it's a cool idea in theory, but I don't know how you'd do it in practice.

AA: Yeah, I'd say the same. I wouldn't mind it. I don't think we would be the ones to be karting, though. I think there’s much quicker, much younger kids that would take it. Maybe Fernando not. I think he's still karting quite a bit, but I don't think I should be the Thai karter. I think there's quicker ones out there. But I love the concept of it. As these guys have said, it doesn't really lend itself towards an Olympic sport. But maybe just like Mazda MX-5s and everyone driving around. That would be a lot of fun. But that would just, I think it would be too fun.

PG: Yeah, same comments to the guys. I just remember, like, Bercy, you see this footage from when the guys raced and that's pretty cool. I remember as a kid, I really enjoyed watching and finding it very inspiring to see Lewis… I remember all the big names at the time. I was a kid, and I found it very cool. So probably doesn't work in an Olympic type of format, but maybe a one-off race. Not even every year, but once in a while could be a fun event to organise. Yeah, that's probably it.

NH: Yeah, I think it's pretty hard to implement motorsport and racing into the Olympic system, because also, obviously, it needs a lot of space. I mean, with karting, less. But if you talk real cars, tricky. I haven't thought of it much. Maybe yes, maybe no.

Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN, Spain) Fernando, with the new parts coming in now for Hungary, what result would you be happy with for the last two races before going to the summer break?

FA: Difficult to say. I think it depends a little bit track to track and it's very close in the midfield. I would love to finish both races in the points and that will be a good sign that the new package is delivering what we expect. I think the top four teams are a little bit too far away from our reach at the moment. So yeah, I think we need to do smaller steps at the time and being in the points on both races that will be probably the target.

Q: (Alessa-Luisa Naujoks – RTL Germany) A question for Nico. You said that maybe Haas was the biggest surprise in those first half of the season. So how surprised were you by those strong performances? And what can we expect from you in your last 12 races with Haas?

NH: Yeah, like I said earlier already, I think our aim… ideally we want to obviously keep riding that good wave that we've been on recently. That's not going to be easy. It's very fine margins at the front, but also in the midfield, you know, and a few tenths can put you at the back or in P9, 10. So execution, clean execution of every weekend, maximising, you know, your opportunities and chances is going to be key, very crucial. But I believe that we have a good, consistent package that will allow us to be competitive on any type of circuit that is coming. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to the second half of the season and to that final stint with Haas this year.

Q: (Chiel Van Koldenhoven – Viaplay) Fernando, I just saw a picture on social media from Lando's car park sign. There was something written on it. It was ‘2-1, Viva España’. Was that you?

FA: Not me. No, not me. There is another Spanish driver, so yeah. Not me, for sure.

Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN Spain) Question for Oscar. You were mentioning before the missed opportunities maybe that you had in the last few races or the team had in the last few races. Did your approach change coming into the race weekends, knowing that you may win any given weekend? And do you have this feeling that your first victory in Formula 1 may be coming soon?

OP: I don't think the approach changes, no. I think for the majority of things that we've been doing in our approach, it's been working well. I mean, of course, you learn things on the way, but I don't think it revolutionises the things we're doing at the team. I mean, it would be nice to be close. I think we've come close a couple of times. So I think from a performance point of view and I think from a driving point of view, I think we're doing the right things. But with such a tight battle at the front now, you know, there's really four teams involved, it's really not easy to get it. So, I feel like it could be close but I want to still make sure that I'm learning every weekend and coming out the weekends happy with what I'm doing rather than focusing purely on the results.

Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1) Question for all of you. We're going to Spa next week. Historically, it was always regarded as the most daunting and challenging track, but we've heard for a few years that Eau Rouge is easy flat. Is Spa still special? Has the challenge moved to another corner? Is it just in the wet that it's a bit tricky these days?

NH: I think definitely in the wet, you know, it adds extra thrill and excitement and difficulty for us drivers. Like you say, in the dry, a bit less so, especially Rouge. I think we have so much downforce and high speed that that's not so much of a challenge anymore. But since I've been in F1 in the dry, it was always more or less easy. But it is definitely still special. There's so much heritage and history in that circuit. And just the scenery will always make that and leave that special.

PG: Yeah, personally, it's always been one of my favourite race tracks. Obviously, Eau Rouge has changed. But even in lower categories, we have Formula 4, Formula 3, Formula 2 it has always been flat. So obviously, easier in Formula 1. But I still think, yeah, the track itself is just incredible. The flow, the rhythm through there is very unique. Longest track of the calendar, which also brings something quite special about it. So yeah, every track's got their own challenges. But I just love it the way it is, yeah.

AA: Yeah, same comments. I feel like, to be honest with Eau Rouge, after your first lap, it's not really a corner anymore. So, it's more about the rest of the track. And it has a great flow. I think they do the kerbs and everything well there as well. The undulations, the cambers, it's all much more how we like it, a bit more character to it.

OP: Yeah, I would say the same. I think the first time you go up Eau Rouge, it's always very, very special, no matter what car you're in. And for me, it's still my favourite track of the year. And like Alex said, not much of that is to Eau Rouge. It's for the rest of the layout. It's a very fun circuit. You know, in the junior categories, it was always quite good for racing and should be in F1 as well. And just a nice flowing layout. And, you know, let's be honest, there's never really going to be a track like Spa again, through the middle of a forest and I think that definitely adds to the atmosphere of it and the undulation and stuff like that. We're not going to have racetracks like that again. So I think that's why it's so special.

FA: Yes, similar comments. It has never been my favourite track. It's in the top five for sure. It's an incredible circuit, but I think I rather prefer Suzuka or even Silverstone, I think, for the modern Formula 1 cars. Maybe more fun. And yes, racing below 30 degrees doesn't make any sense for me.

Q: Have you always been flat through Eau Rouge?

FA: No, no.

Q: (Barna Zsoldos – Nemzeti Sports) Fernando, after this race, this building, the podium, all the garages will be completely demolished. You have a very, very long history with this track and already 24 years ago, you celebrated on this very podium in F3000. So are you a little bit maybe sad that this old school part of the track will disappear? Or are you rather excited that a brand new facility will be set up next?

FA: I'm OK with the new things. And yeah, when something is renovated for better and to accommodate the new standards, it's always a good thing. And yeah, you keep your memories with yourself. And it's OK. Yeah.

Q: (Sönke Siever – FAZ) Question to Fernando, Oscar, and Nico, please. Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher recently came out as gay or at least bisexual. He's obviously a well-known person in the paddock and only the fourth Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport to come out as gay or bisexual. So he received a lot of support, but also a lot of hate. So can I have your thoughts on the news, please?

NH: Yeah, I saw it too. Obviously, it's a very personal matter, but I congratulate that. And if he's coming out with that, there's nothing wrong with that in modern times where diversity and everything is all to play for. So hate, there's always going to be hate in the world, especially obviously online. That's a place where people do and abuse it easily, where they can hide. That's not great, not fantastic. But other than that, yeah, all good. OP: Yeah, I mean, I think it's great that he feels comfortable in coming out like that. I think that's what we want as a sport, to be inclusive for everybody and have people feel safe in coming out or whatever is in their lives. So, yeah, congratulations to him and I think it's a good thing.

FA: Yeah, same comments. Congratulations to him. Total support from my side and I'm sure all the F1 community. And yeah, it's great that he feels good and we all feel good for him as well.

Q: (Patrick Fehér – Vezess.hu) In the last one and a half seasons we've seen that customer teams can match or even beat the works team using the same power units. For example, Aston Martin versus Mercedes, McLaren versus Mercedes, or even last races, Haas versus Ferrari. Can we say that being part of a works team is less important nowadays in terms of performance than five, 10, or 11 years ago?

FA: Probably it is the case now with the budget cap. I think the works team cannot get into an unlimited budget or test programme or things like that. So everything is more regulated now. But there's still a lot of downsides to not to be a works team. So you can see it both ways probably.

OP: Yeah, I mean, I don't think you need to be a works team to win an F1. I mean, as Fernando said, I think there's still definitely advantages of being a works team, whether that's from developing the engine how you want it and fitting it into the car exactly how you want, stuff like that. There's always going to be advantages as a works team, but I think now in the cost cap era of F1, I think it's got much less significance than it did. So, yeah, I think you can be a customer team, so to speak, and, yeah, put up a really strong fight. NH: Same, same.

Q: (Ben Hunt – Autosport) Question to Oscar. Your motorhome has now got no roof on. I wonder, how much does this affect your preparation? Anyway, this time around, are you using your driver room or are you forced to go somewhere else? Just wondered how it affects you.

OP: I mean, the last time our motorhome, well it caught fire last time, I think Lando put it on pole, so maybe it's, I don't know, maybe it's good! Obviously not, but it doesn't change much. We've unfortunately got the experience of having to rearrange things a little bit. So we'll be fine for the weekend. Yeah, I don't know if this motorhome we've got is now a bad omen and just, I don't know if it's a sign that we need a new one or what, but no, we'll be fine.

Q: Are you able to use your driver room, regular room?

OP: In McLaren, we have two smaller rooms. So the downstairs one, most importantly, the one with the air conditioning is good. So for this weekend, we're sweet. The upstairs one, I can't use those. But I have one, so I'll be fine.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) For Fernando, and also Oscar actually, to weigh in at the end. You worked with Andrea Stella for a very long time at Ferrari and McLaren. In fact, you went to McLaren with him. Why do you think he's been so effective as McLaren team principal?

FA: I mean, he's an incredible person, first of all, a great engineer and a good team principal now. He's a great man. And I think people that is honest and people that does things with common sense, normally in life, things will go well with them. I think, yeah, he's a great leader. And as I said, probably common sense will define Andrea Stella. And I'm not surprised that he's doing an incredible job.

OP: Yeah, I mean, I think for me, obviously, I have nowhere near as much experience with Andrea in other capacity or just with other people in Formula 1, but I think we say it all the time at McLaren: he's an incredible team leader for us. And I think in some ways, because I'm still relatively new I probably don't appreciate fully the extent of his leadership and expertise as well. But even without that experience, it's very obvious to me that he's an incredible person, as Fernando said, and an incredible leader. And, you know, I think, firstly, you only need to look at the results of the team and the turnaround of the team to appreciate that, but on a personal level for me as a driver and just getting to know Andrea in these 18 months, for me it's very clear why we've been able to turn around and the empowerment he gives to everybody in the team… I know he doesn't like to take too much of the credit for the success of McLaren, but the power that he gives to the other thousand people in the team is really incredible. Yeah, he's a very good person to have around.

Q: (Ana Ofelia Cordera – Momentum Racing) Fernando, what would you say that this season you've struggled with the most regarding the car?

FA: A few things, not only one. As I said before, I think the car is not easy to drive and it's a little bit unpredictable at times. So this obviously removes confidence to the driver, when you are not able to push and to trust the car that will do the same in every corner, in every lap. So this, let's say, inconsistency is something that is not great when you are behind the wheel, and I'm struggling more this year than previously. Yeah, and then obviously when margins are so tight and you are in a close battle for one or two points, sometimes you take more risky decisions. Sometimes you gamble on a strategy. Sometimes you risk more than what you should in the start or on a set-up choice that we went for. Instead of changing something minimal before qualifying, we change the whole car before qualifying because we know that with a current car in FP3, we will not be able to score more than one or two points, so you risk it more. So there are always consequences with things that you do when you are used to fight for higher positions and you find yourself just aiming for one or two points, sometimes you risk it all to have a top five or being out of the points is not a big loss. These kind of things we learn a lot during this season and probably has been our, or my, personal biggest difficulty.

Q: Do you think the picture will change for you and the team in the second half of the year?

FA: I think our aim, and my personal wish, is to find the direction and to find a comfortable path into the development that we can go into winter period with some more trust of what we do and then having a more normal 2025 campaign. So 2024, as I said, the top four teams are a little bit out of reach, so we just need to concentrate on our own development, our own trust in the car, and get better for next year.

Q: (Frederick Hackbarth – Motorsport-Total.com) Nico, it was P6 two times in a row, so kind of top of the midfield and the Haas upgrades really kicking in, but the team you will be with next year has zero points on the board. I know it's not a short-term move but can you give us your opinion on that? Are you a bit worried that it might be a difficult year in ‘25?

NH: Not worried. It's going to be a difficult year, yes, for sure. But it's the first year of hopefully many and a long road. But obviously, seeing the first 12 races, seeing what happens, I often also see how these close margins make you look bad and make you have no points. So it's very specific and a lot in the detail. Sometimes misfortune kicks in. So I'm not worried or concerned at that moment overly. And I also know that, you know, in eight or 10 months, whenever, you know, the season starts next year, it can be quite different. So, you know, I'm fine and relaxed.

Q: (Carlo Platella – FormulaPassion.it) Oscar, one year ago you and Lando were explaining how the upgrades improved the performance of the car but the driving style didn't change much and it wasn't suiting your preferences. has it evolved in the last year?

OP: A little bit, yes. I mean, it's certainly still not a completely different car to what we had last year in terms of how you need to drive it. Some things are improved, yes. I think at the start of the year especially, we were still struggling quite a bit in a few areas that were making the car a bit difficult to drive. It's still not a an easy car to drive, let's say, but I think every team has their own challenges. I think in some ways having a car that's quite familiar from last year still is potentially a good thing. Of course there are always things you want to keep going on and improving, but the car doesn't feel completely different and, you know, you don't drive completely differently from last year, just it's a lot faster, which is, of course, what we want first, and if we can make it behave a little bit more to our liking, then that's a bonus as well.

Q: (Zsolt Godina – F1Villag.hu) It's a huge advantage for you that McLaren has two strong drivers who can compete for podiums on a regular basis. How do you see your chances in terms of the championship against Red Bull where the situation is a little bit different?

OP: I mean, I think we're confident in our whole team, drivers, car, everyone around us. I think we've got a lot of confidence. We've scored the most points of any team in the last six races. And, yeah, I mean, we're making up ground on everyone around us. Obviously, the gap to Ferrari now in the Constructors' Championship is very small. We're reducing it to Red Bull. Of course, at the moment, it's really only Max scoring most of the points there. I think we can't take for granted that it's always going to be like that. And we need to still be maximising what we can do to score the most points for both cars. But I think we're definitely confident that we're in the fight. I think it would be incredibly pessimistic to not be optimistic of our chances later in the year. So, yeah, I mean, we know it's not going to be an easy task, of course, and things can turn around very quickly. But, yeah, we're making the right moves at the moment and making good progress. So I think we're definitely in the fight.

Q: (Ursa Provenjak – Avtomanija) Question for Nico, Pierre and Alex. What kind of teammate do you wish for next season? Do you know already who's it going to be? You don't have to name any names, just whether you know or not.

AA: Big reveal. Here we go. Honestly, it's very much in the air. I think it is for everyone. I don't really care. Yeah, I think a little bit what Pierre said earlier, it's not really my job. It's not my point of view. I think if he's quick, that's good. We're in a midfield battle that every point matters, so we need everything we can get. PG: Copy, paste.

NH: Yeah, for the fastest and the strongest. You need two strong drivers and a strong team in the environment in Formula 1. So, yeah, whoever that is.

Q: (Barna Zsoldos – Nemzeti Sport) Oscar, a follow-up question on the Olympics. Your race engineer, Tom Stallard, won a silver medal in 2008 in rowing. Have you ever spoken with him about it and are you proud of him in hindsight and are you a bit more excited because of it about the Olympics?

OP: I'll be honest, I have not paid much thought to it. I mean, it's obviously very cool for Tom to have that achievement in life and I think adds a pretty unique perspective for a race engineer to be a former athlete themselves. You know, there's not many people in the paddock that can say that, I guess. I've been rowing with him before. For him it went well, not for me. So yeah, I mean, I can see why he was so good at the Olympics. But yeah, I think it does add a unique perspective. Yeah, I mean, obviously proud of his achievements and what it can bring to the table, I guess. Not much rowing techniques translates to driving, but I think definitely from the mindset point of view, it's a very interesting thing to have.