FIA Thursday press conference – Sao Paulo

PART ONE – Lance STROLL (Aston Martin), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Franco COLAPINTO (Williams)

Q: Why don't we start with the honorary citizen of Brazil. Lewis, you're back in a country you love, at a circuit you love, where you've had a lot of success in the past. Just how excited are you ahead of this Grand Prix?

LEWIS HAMILTON: Good afternoon, everyone. I love coming here. I've been really excited about the trip and just getting back. Every opportunity I have to spend time here. You learn more about the culture. You are able to engage more. I know the Senna Foundation did an amazing event last night with all the great work that they're doing. And it's just the colours, it's Ayrton, it's the culture, the people. So you really vibe off that through the whole weekend.

Q: Lewis, you say it's Ayrton. There's a very special thing happening on Saturday evening here. You're going to be driving his 1990 McLaren. How special is it for you to commemorate him here at Interlagos?

LH: Well, I mean, every time we come here is an opportunity to do that. And I think so many of the drivers also do that. But I never in a million years thought I'd ever get to drive Senna's car here. I remember, someone contacted me, my manager told me about it, and I jumped at the opportunity. Back in the day, when I was at McLaren, I did get the chance to drive the MP4/4 around Silverstone, which was incredible. But just the thought of driving that car around here, if you look at the… I remember the races where he was, when he finally won here and held the flag and yeah, it will definitely be quite an emotional experience and I hope people are here to see it. I had a helmet made, his helmet, made for me, but I don't know if we're using that one tomorrow, but yeah, I think the initial hope was for it to be a surprise. So I had a whole white suit and his helmet and I'd go out and drive the lap and it would just look like it was him out there. But somehow it got out there. It's impossible to keep things quiet.

Q: Lewis, it's a manual gearbox. How's your heel and toeing these days?

LH: I'm always heel and toeing. So it should be...! No, it used to be really good when I was younger, and when I did the MP4/4, I was able to do it back then. It's something I miss. I wish we had that in Formula 1. I mean, the two-pedal thing is just not exciting, and they need to bring back the H-Box. It was awesome.

Q: Let's bring it back to Mercedes now. What's happening this weekend? A sprint weekend. It was the best combined performance for the team since the summer break last weekend in Mexico. Just how confident are you of getting a good performance here?

LH: Confident. I mean, it's been a very turbulent year. I think we always arrive with confidence and with a positive mental attitude, but the car is just, I don't know how, I'm sure it's similar for the other drivers, but there's glimpses of hope and then things it swing back and forth, whether it's tyres, whether it's the aero. So you never know what you're going to get. I always feel like Forrest Gump when I say that! But then, yeah, I'm hoping the car… The last race was really positive for us in terms of the end result, but through the weekend it was definitely, with George's crash during the weekend and then I started with a bad start of the race, but then got better towards the end, so there's definitely potential within the car and we're always just looking to fine tune it and hope that we can extract more from it. And I'm hoping, with the new surface track layout here maybe we can have a better race.

Q: Good luck. Enjoy it as well, Lewis. Thank you for that. Franco, coming to you now. Would you fancy a run in Senna's old McLaren?

Franco COLAPINTO: I would. I'm not as good as Lewis in the heel and toe part, but I'll try to do my best. It would be amazing, and I think it's an incredible opportunity that any driver in this world would love to have. Of course, Lewis is the right person to get that chance and to do it here in Interlagos in such a special year for Ayrton, it's, I think, a very unique moment for all the Brazilian fans, for Lewis, for all of us, the drivers, to enjoy the moment together, and keep doing this tribute to Ayrton that he really deserves it. He was my idol and hero since I was very, very young. That's why I started to look at Formula 1 and, you know, watching the movie, reading all the books and the history. And I think him being from South America, it's a little bit more of a relationship to me and how he got to Formula 1 and how he fought his pathway to where he arrived. And yeah, he's definitely a big inspiration for me and it's going to be great to see his car going around here.

Q: Well, Franco, we last had you in the press conference in Baku. You've now done five races in Formula 1, two points finishes. Just sum it all up. How do you feel it's going?

FC: It's going well. It's going well. Of course, the start, in Baku, went very well. We scored a few points with both cars. It was a very positive start. We came from a weekend that was a little bit more tough for myself. It was a very low-grip track, very tricky with aero, the tyres. They were not really cooling down. and I just struggled a little bit to find the best performance in qualifying. The race was really positive and we had very good pace, so that was on point, but qualifying was a bit tricky for me, trying to find a bit better the balance of the car, it was very difficult to drive the car in quali and just struggling a bit. Confident to come here. Of course, on a track that I don't know, another Sprint weekend , as Austin, and I think we carry good momentum. Austin was points, and here more opportunities for points. So looking forward to it. Of course, my first time racing in Brazil, and to be so close to my hometown, to Argentina, it's very special. Closest race I'm going to be having since I started racing, so it's going to be a very unique one and a track that has a lot of history and legacy in motorsports, so it's going to be great.

Q: A lot of Argentine flags, I would have thought, in the grandstands as well. Thank you for that. Lance, let's come to you now. If there's a car from history that you'd like to drive, can you name one?

Lance STROLL: I mean, something from back in the day like that. You know, so much lighter than what we're driving now. And yeah, I think that's already huge. Just remove a couple hundred kilos from what we're driving now and it's a lot more fun. So yeah, something from back in that era.

Q: Alright. Well, look, what about this weekend? Both you and Fernando had a good run here last year, third and fifth in the Grand Prix. Does that give you some confidence coming into the weekend?

LS: I mean, not really, because we're in a different situation to where we were last year. You know, we had a good car here last year, so when the car's good, those results come. When the car's less competitive, it naturally just becomes harder for those results to come. Let's see, though. It's a great track. I always enjoy coming here. It's got a great rhythm and flow, and it's a lot of fun to drive. And maybe a bit of weather to mix things up, which always makes it interesting and presents opportunity.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Roldan Rodriguez – DAZN Spain) A question to Franco. Franco, you're doing an amazing, amazing job with Williams. My question is, if you have the chance to raise another team for next season, do you think Williams is going to favour this situation?

FC: Well, I think I shouldn't be the person asked about that. Of course, I don't know the answer, and I guess yes. I think if Williams cannot give me a race seat, I think the normal thing is that they allow me to go somewhere else and that they find the best opportunity for me for the future. But I'm not the right person to be asked. I should be the last one, you know. I'm here with Williams this weekend and I'm going to try to do my best here in Brazil. It's a very exciting race, great atmosphere, and I cannot wait to be driving the Williams around Interlagos. So, look, I think for the future and it will be great that it happens. I thought I was not going to be racing in F1 next year, and that's still my first view, so I don't really get too excited about whatever they're talking around. But yeah, let's see.

Q: (Albert Fabrega – ESPN Latam) I'm also following that for Franco. There’s a lot of talk and rumours around your future in the paddock. How did you manage all these things? Does that affect yourself when you're going on track? And which is your ideal situation? Where would you like to be next year?

FC: I would like to be in Formula 1. I came very late in the year, and I got an amazing opportunity by Williams, by James. Sven, everyone in the team gave me a lot of trust, confidence to put me in that race seat. And I got an amazing chance that I was not expecting to get this year. And I tried to do my best and have the best results possible to show that I deserve to sit here. And that's what I'm trying to show and to achieve. And if it's not next year, I hope that it's in ‘26 or ‘27. And yeah, I'm not really having much pressure or anything like that. I'm trying to enjoy the moment, enjoy the opportunity that I've got. It was my dream since I was very little to drive a Formula 1 car. And now to be here doing these last nine races, it's very special. So just enjoying.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sport Italy) Lewis, you have, I think, the great honour to drive this weekend the Senna car. You were a McLaren driver. You won here your first title with them in 2008. Are you keeping an eye on the fight between McLaren and Ferrari for the Constructors’? And are you thinking that it's a big shame not be in the game with your team this year?

LH: Of course that's what we would have all loved, to have been in the fight for the championship. That's what everyone works towards. We knew at the beginning of the year it was going to be tough as soon as we hit the ground and we didn't expect to also have some of the success we had. Obviously, Silverstone, everyone worked so hard to get that result, which I'm so incredibly grateful to the team for. But yeah, I know this team so well, and I know that the results and the position we're in this year will just only fuel them even more to work harder to have a better car next year. And no, I'm not really watching much up ahead, unless I'm in the battle or behind, like in the last race. I saw them for a second, and then they were gone. But yeah, I'm just focusing on trying to do the best job I can.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sport Italy) You are interested in thinking about your future?

LH: I'm very interested in my future, of course. And so, in that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens.

Q: Have you been very encouraged by the performances of Ferrari recently?

LH: Of course. It's been, you know, through the year, the beginning of the year, you know, if you look at somewhere like maybe China already, but the Red Bull was like a second ahead. And it's been quite incredible to see the McLaren rise and then the Ferrari in the last few races, to see their progress and just trying to keep an eye on everyone's car and what they're changing and what they're adding. You know, we all watch the video, all the drivers, we all watch the onboard laps and we're always trying to see where we can gain time. And there's some cars that just react differently and better or worse in certain areas. And you're trying to figure out how you can find that within either your balance or get the team to develop the car in that direction.

Q: (Diego Mejia – Fox Sports Mexico) A question to Lewis. You had the chance to battle Franco back in Baku. I just wanted to get your view on what he has done so far and what you think about his chances for next year. I mean, how tough would it be to not have him on the grid next year?

LH: Well, I think he's done an incredible job, I think, to, last minute, be called upon and thrown into the deep end in this sport. The majority of us, if we're lucky to get in the sport, we have a bit of a run-up, if you look at, for example, young Kimi, for example, he's got a lot of test days before his first race. I think he will have over 20 days or something in the car, which is unprecedented. And as for this guy here, he didn't have that. So he just jumped straight in and he did a fantastic job. And it was really great to, as I said in the race, it's always great to see young people and young talented individuals get the opportunity to come through and shine. And I think he did that in the first race. We had a great little battle and it was super safe. It was hard but fair. And I think he's earned his right to be here. There still is a seat available. And he's saying it's not for him to decide. My advice would be to make sure that it is. I'd be pushing on my side to make sure I was doing absolutely everything… and at the end of the day he's got to just focus continue to focus on doing his job every weekend as he is. Hopefully he's got good people behind him who are doing the right job to make sure that he's here racing next year.

Q: (Margot Laffite – Canal+) Lewis, you've been battling for many world titles, strong from that experience. What are your thoughts about the battle between Lando and Max? Your opinion on their assets and their strengths, both of them?

LH: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely, I think it's really exciting for the sport, firstly. The last couple of years, not necessarily so exciting, obviously, with Max just leading the way, and that sometimes happens. But I think it's been really exciting for the fans to see that it can go right down to the wire at the end of the year. There's still a possibility of Lando catching up. I read somewhere I think he's got to get 11 points more or something in each race or something over these next races, which is definitely possible with the performance they have. And yeah, I mean, we all know Max and his strengths and can't really say too many weaknesses, if any. And you've got, obviously, Lando, who's really rose to the occasion and has been really leading the team. I haven't really spent too much time looking at how they're racing and how they're positioning the cars. Obviously, everyone knows what happened in the last race or the last two races, but everyone will have an opinion on it. But at the end of the day, those two are the drivers. They know what they're doing. I'm really excited to see what happens over these next races. I'm just hoping that I can at least have a good seat view to watch it all as they'll be ahead.

Q: (Filip Cleeren – Motorsport.com) Lewis, we've had a lot of talk about driving standards and guidelines, and it seemed like in Mexico we had more and more people dive-bombing the apex because the guidelines seemed to allow it. Obviously, you were on the receiving end of that here in Turn 4 a few years ago, so are you expecting more of that this year?

LH: I mean we're kind of… Performance wise, we've been a bit no man's land, so we're not really receiving too much from behind or we're not really attacking too many at the front. So I mean the rules are still the same as they were back in 2021. So what we saw in 2021 with myself and Max is still happening today and will continue until perhaps they make a change. And also, the tracks, with all the run-off areas, don't help. If it was gravel or grass, they wouldn't be going all the way out there. So it'll be interesting to see the development. Hopefully they'll make some changes for next year.

Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1) Question for Lewis. We're going to Vegas in a couple of weeks. What did you make of it as an event last year? Did you enjoy all the showbiz stuff? Did any funny or unusual things happen to you that weekend?

LH: One of the cool things is I feel like I maybe play a tiny role in these races that appear. It was something I'd always said. They'd say, where you want to have a race and I always said Vegas. And all of a sudden some years later we had a race in Vegas. I think for our first race, naturally, there's always going to be, at any new circuit, there's always going to be learnings and things that don't go perfectly well. So the weekend as a whole, I think what happened with the fans and I can't remember exactly, but it wasn't the smoothest of weekends, but the race was incredible. And so going back now, I think they would have made so many changes and it would be even better. But yeah, definitely dancing under the nightlights was just incredible. We didn't have the car to be at the front, particularly that weekend, and so the car wasn't the happiest on the track like that, but hopefully a bit better this year. And then also, I've been talking about Africa, and we've got, potentially, Rwanda on the cards, which is amazing. So I just hope it comes in time before I'm gone. That's my biggest dream, is to make sure that I get to race there before I retire.

Q: (Gustavo Faldon – Estado de São Paulo) Franco, can you describe the difficulties that South American drivers have nowadays to join Formula 1? And do you think in the near future that maybe we can have two South American drivers, you and someone else?

FC: Yeah, it will be great. I think it shows that things are getting better. Lewis many times already spoke about the difficulties that came from his side. I had many. I really struggled to go away from my country to Europe when I was very young. You're very far from your family, you struggle. It's like, when you're European you finish the race and you go back in a plane for an hour and you go back home and you're with your family in the evening and it's just normal, whilst for me it was completely the opposite. At 14, living alone, going back from a tough weekend needing a bit of a hug, and you don't have that. You are completely alone, which makes it a bit more difficult. Of course, the budget part is the most difficult one, and that's why we struggle so much. I think there is a lot of talent in South America, and we show it when one has got a chance, [he] performs. That is the most important part. I think nowadays it's getting much better. Lewis already spoke about how for him it was very important to be very welcoming and to give a little bit of that back of what he felt that he didn't receive at his time. And I have felt that nowadays, it's getting much better. I have a lot of support. Everyone around me has been very supportive. And they have involved me in every little bit, which it's very nice to see. And I think very exciting to see how we are progressing as a society. And yeah, also the drivers, everyone has been so welcoming. It's been very nice. The respect from Lewis that he has been showing these last few races. And since I arrived, it has been something very special for me and very important, I think, for the sport. So look, I think it's going to be great if someone else comes in the future, some nurse South American. And if I can stay to have two, it will be amazing. Let's hope for it.

Q: (Nigel Chiu – Sky Sports) Question for Lewis. Just going back to the racing, Lewis, we've seen over the last 17 years, or you've been in F1 for 17 years, sorry. Do you think the racing has kind of changed during that time? Has it perhaps become more aggressive over the last 10 years, do you think?

LH: I don't think so. I mean, I've raced for a long, long time, so I've been karting, and I wouldn't say that Formula 1's got any more aggressive. I mean, when I first got to Formula 1, I was racing with Fernando, who was very firm and tough to beat on track, and it was no different to now, I would say. I think the only difference is that the tracks now have these run-off areas. I think when I joined, we didn't have these big run-off areas, so when you first get in, you really had to build up to the limit. You couldn't go beyond it, go off track and come back on. And that's something I would say the thing I noticed the most when, so like for example, around maybe Max's time or maybe just before, where they started having these big run-off areas, where the younger drivers were able to come in and really abuse those areas and not put the car on grass, for example. And I think that gave them a real good cushion of bedding themselves into the sport and finding the limit as where, let's say, like from Fernando's time and before that, it was, you couldn't go beyond the limit. You're in the gravel. Pouhon, for example, Turn 10 in Spa, for example, there used to be grass right beyond the kerb and gravel, which was definitely worrying when used to go into a corner like that. So I would say that's been the biggest shift and It would be great to see the old school sort of way come back if possible. Gravel traps or something like that. Maybe not safe, but we'll see.

Q: (Maria Clara Castro – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Franco. Franco, could you name three Argentinian drivers that inspires you? Thank you.

FC: Of course, starting from Fangio, then for me it was also Lolé [Carlos Reutemann], that he was a bit closer to... He was, I think, the last Argentinian that was really strong in Formula 1, you know, that won races, that has been fighting for championships. And I am, again, having a tribute on my helmet. It's very similar to the one that he had in the past, so it's very exciting to... to be running that helmet and to get that opportunity. And then [Juan Maria] Traverso is, for me, the other one. Traverso, that he used to race in Argentina. He won many titles. And I grew up listening to his crazy interviews, watching his races. He won with a car on fire once, and another time with a car with three tyres. And I grew up with all that history. I think they are the three that marked really a big legacy in the sport in Argentina and for the country. It's been a very long time, the three of them, which is not the best. We haven't had an Argentinian driver for a long time and I haven't grown since I was very little. I never had someone from my country to be cheering for in Formula 1. I never had that person. That one was maybe Checo, you know, when I was young and I was cheering for him being from Mexico. But I never had someone from Argentina. And I think it's something that the kids of nowadays have with me. And it's something very, very nice to see and just very positive.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) A question for Lewis and for anyone else to add to it. In Mexico, Lando described Max's driving as dangerous, Lewis. And obviously, I know that's not your battle, but you've been there in ‘21 with him. Is that something you thought at the time that his driving was dangerous? And do you think that's still the same now, would you say he's a bit of a dangerous driver?

LH: I know that's where you would go. I mean, all you have to do is just go and look back and listen to some of my radio comments back in the day. It's not really something I really want to tap into. It's nothing to do with me at the moment, so... Obviously, if I was in the battle, it would be... I could lean in more into it, but these are the things you have to ask those two because they're the ones that it's affecting. But I don't think you're seeing much difference across the years from 2021 to now. It's pretty much the same.

LS: What was the question? The battles? I think the problems, the tracks. You know, I think if we have these big run-off areas that, you know, cause drivers to just brake too late and deep and run off the track. If we had gravel traps and grass, I think that would just naturally sort those things out. And we'd see a cleaner, fairer racing. But also the guidelines, I think, have gotten very complex, where your front wing has to be next to the mirror of the outside car and vice versa if you're on the outside. And in the past, it was just if there was a portion of the car next to you, you'd have to leave the cars with space. And we're not seeing that as much anymore with these guidelines being more complex. So yeah, maybe something to think about for next year. But I think run-off areas are for sure a big issue.

FC: No, honestly, I got a penalty for something similar in the last race. And I thought it was very harsh. I thought the move was fair, and I didn't really understand the penalty too much. Plus, two points on the license, 10 seconds. It was pretty harsh. But, you know, the stewards are the ones that put the penalties and we just drive the cars. It's their job to judge it the best they can.

PART TWO – Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren), Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing), Yuki TSUNODA (RB)

Q: Max, why don't we start with you? After the race on Sunday in Mexico, you said your main concern was the pace of the car. Have you and the engineers discovered anything this week that can help you here at Interlagos?

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I think overall the pace over the weekend plus missing of course most of Friday didn't help. And yeah, you know, Mexico is quite sensitive also to the tyre behaviour. So I hope that we understood a little bit more from that what we can do to be more competitive basically on all tyres.

Q: Do you think though you're going to be more competitive over one lap in qualifying than you are the race again? Is that your expectation?

MV: Well, this has been a little bit the case for most of the season lately. Yeah, it's a bit difficult to explain why that is. I don't think it's just entirely up to us, but we'll see. I mean, we'll try to be as competitive as we can be, and every track is a bit different. Also here, new tarmac, so again, it's a few question marks.

Q: What about the wheel-to-wheel racing this weekend? A lot has been said, a lot has been written since Mexico. Are you going to change the way you go racing this weekend?

MV: Yeah, I've heard that before in my career, so it's my tenth year in Formula 1, I think I know what I'm doing.

Q: OK, final one from me. Can you just clarify the situation with your power unit? Are you going to be taking a penalty this weekend?

MV: I haven't heard anything yet. It's not discussed, but I know that I will have to take one at some point. So we'll see.

Q: Alright. Max, thank you. I'm sure there'll be more questions for you in a minute. Oscar, coming to you now. Great recovery. drive by you in Mexico last weekend. Were you happier with the car there than you were in Austin?

Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, quite a lot happier. I think in Austin we had a car that was quick but very, very difficult to drive. And I think in qualifying, especially, it was tough to get the most out of it. In the race, just going a bit slower with the lap times, it's maybe a little bit easier to get the pace out of it. But I was much happier in Mexico, which obviously the results don't reflect. But yeah, felt much more comfortable and, yeah, kind of made qualifying even more of a shame, really. But I would rather, you know, in some ways have a weekend like Mexico where I'm comfortable at least and knowing that I made a mistake rather than a bit more in Austin where just struggling to get the most out of the car.

Q: And what was Lando saying about the new floor?

OP: Good question! I don't know. Not much, obviously. It's doing what it's supposed to do from what I've heard and what I've seen, which is always a good thing. But it's not transformed the car, I would say. So hopefully it's just a little improvement.

Q: And what's the feeling inside McLaren at the minute about the Constructors' Championship? Ferrari are on a charge. I mean, a couple of races ago, you guys looked very steady out the front. Everyone a bit more nervous now? Do you sense it?

OP: I would say, no. I think we always knew that Ferrari were going to be a threat. And I think, you know, since Monza, basically, they've had a very, very quick car. Just some of the weekends, the results haven't shown it. So for us, it's not been a huge surprise that they've been as quick as they've been in the last few weekends, especially. So we'll see if that run continues. But we knew to expect a fight, definitely. So, yeah, it's going to be an exciting end to the year in both championships, I think.

Q: Alright. Oscar, thank you very much. More questions for you in a minute, I'm sure. Yuki, let's go to you now. Now, it's been a very frustrating run of races for you recently. Do you feel you need a change of luck?

Yuki TSUNODA: Yeah, I think, well, it's just a part of the career and you have good moments and obviously it's always bad moments. Yeah, it's been not helpful from that perspective. Yeah, I try to minimise the distraction and try to focus on the racing. I'm trying to hope that I get luck from that. But yeah, so far it's not the races I'm having. But every race is a new race week. Not thinking anything about the previous race weeks. Just having a Sprint qualifying race. And yeah, we just focus now on beating Haas.

Q: Well, let's look at the positives. What are the strengths of your racing car at the moment relative to Haas, do you think?

YT: Well, definitely like, for example, previous race with Mexico, we're definitely performing better than probably other tracks. Yeah, definitely Haas also picked up pace in the qualifying. So I don't know if it's better or worse, but at least we wer similar. And yeah, it's the race week that probably I shouldn't miss the opportunity. And there was qualifying that I didn't go well and didn't really maximise the opportunity. So definitely it's on me. And yeah, those things probably, yeah, the package was there, but just I didn't really maximise it. So I think in terms of car, Mexico was at least similar. Others, I know it's maybe we're a little bit behind because I think they're faster at probably every track so far. But yeah, we're going to hopefully develop much better in the coming races. And yeah, hopefully we can be at least in a similar level as them.

Q: Alright, look, final one for me. There's a lot of speculation surrounding Sergio Perez's future in Formula 1. Christian Horner even said after the race on Sunday, there comes a time when difficult decisions need to be made. If asked, do you feel ready to go alongside Max in the same car?

YT: Yeah. I think definitely, I mean, it's always the driver you want to drive with. He's the best driver so far and he has a lot of skills and definitely would like to learn a lot of things. But also, I would just finish as a learning and yeah, see how it goes. I just focus now on what I have to do. And so far, I'm just not really able to achieve what I want to do. So, yeah. We'll see how it goes.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Roldan Rodriguez – DAZN Spain) A question to Max. Max, 10 years in Formula 1 and battling for the fourth title. Is this battle with Lando Norris more motivating or less than the battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021?

MV: I mean, I think every battle is good, you know. I don't think any is more motivating or whatever. You just try to do the best you can every single time that you go out there, really.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio –Sky Sports Italy) A question to Max. You just said that you know what you are doing, but FIA, with the support of the drivers, is trying to change some driving guidelines. Don't you feel sometimes a bit alone against everyone and everything, Max?

MV: No, I don't feel alone at all. I have good friends and family, so I'm good.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sports Italy) And on track?

MV: I don't feel alone at all. Also a lot of good people.

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Another question to you. When it comes to racing and racing hard and aggression on the track, is that what you as a champion have to do to defend your championship? Is aggression part and parcel of this sport? And your tactics on track, are they justified even when the stewards say you've gone over the rules a little bit? Or against the rules a little bit?

MV: I think it's just you win some, you lose some. That's how it is in racing in general. And yeah, I like to win. I don't like to lose. I think not many people like to lose. And I think, yeah, I always just try to maximise the result. And like I said, some you win, some you lose.

Q: (Diego Mejia – Fox Sports Mexico) Question to Max. You had these issues in free practice in Mexico. You didn't have a long run. In retrospect, from what you learned, how much of the lack of pace in there was due to that, or it was simply that the car didn't have it?

MV: Well, I think in general we probably lack a little bit of pace, but for sure it could have been a lot better. But unfortunately we didn't get to really understand that in the long runs. It's always very painful, especially when it's a very tight battle with some teams and you're a bit on the back foot. You need to really maximize everything that you can, and we couldn't do that in Mexico.

Q: (Margot Laffite – Canal+) Oscar, what is your belief in the fact that Lando can catch Max because you're driving the leading car?

OP: I mean, I think it's possible. You know, it's certainly not an easy task. And, you know, in some ways it's, you know, it's up to both drivers. What happens, obviously, it's, you know, Lando can't just win every race and have Max finish second because Max will still win. So it depends a bit on the results. You know, it's obviously a very tight fight with the top three teams and Mercedes occasionally now still, so the swing either way can still be quite big at the moment I would say. I think it's possible it's going to be tough but I think it's doable.

Q: (Albert Fabrega – ESPN LATAM) Max, the Ferraris were so competitive last two races. Do you think that having them fighting for the win every single weekend to the end of the season would help you on the battle for the championship? Or you prefer to stay one-to-one to McLaren and Lando?

MV: I mean, naturally, I would prefer to win by 30 seconds but that's not possible at the moment. But it's like Oscar said: it can be positive or negative for you when there are more teams fighting. So sometimes the point swing can be bigger. But I think for the sport, of course, in general, it's better.

Q: (Gustavo Faldon – Estado de São Paulo) My question goes out to Max. Do you feel more pressure to win this championship than any of the others you've won? Because at the beginning of the year, you had a really great car winning all the races. And now suddenly, you've seen the other teams catching up.

MV: No, not really. Just try to do the best I can. Yeah. Of course, we want to win. We want to do well, but of course, it also needs to be possible. We still have a good lead. So from my side, just try to enjoy the moment. Try to just always optimise the performance.

Q: (Lawrence Edmondson – ESPN) A question to Max and to Oscar and Yuki if you want to answer. Just on the racing guidelines, are you happy with where they are? Is there an obvious change you think needs to be made to make it clearer when there should be a penalty, when there shouldn't be a penalty? And if there is an obvious change, what would that be?

MV: I think it's not that straightforward. Clearly, even between how many seconds that you get, so. I mean, like I said before, sometimes they work for you, sometimes they work against you. I think it's never going to be perfect because even if you remove rules, then you get into a battle, then you want more rules because it's not clear what is allowed or not. Then when you have too many rules, you want less rules. It just keeps on going left and right all the time. Do I think it's over-regulated? Probably yes. I mean, in general, the rule book is only getting bigger and bigger every single year. I don't think that's always the right way forward.

Q: Oscar, let's bring you in on this one.

OP: I mean, I think, yes, there probably are some tweaks that need to be made. And, you know, the FIA has acknowledged that and wants to work with us on that, which is very positive. But I think in general, we've got more consistency, maybe some things can still be a bit more consistent, but I think at least for the Stewards, they now have a set of, they actually have a set of guidelines as to what kind of rule should be applied. I think we all agree that the rules may be not perfect and should be changed a bit. But at least we have something to look back to, which we didn't have before that. So I think things can always be improved. These guidelines haven't been around for that long in the grand scheme of things. Again, you can't write rules, especially in racing, that are going to cover every single possibility and situation. So you always do need a kind of subjective steward to add their thoughts. But yes, I think we're in a much better place than we have been. And the FIA has been very, very supportive of trying to change that with us.

Q: Yuki, please?

YT: Yeah, I think it's better to also get an opinion by the drivers who actually race in previous years or probably more experienced, I would say. Yeah, even like drivers, if we can find someone that actually, probably all Formula 1 drivers knows and we all know that he's a driver that we can trust, I'm sure he can have good views or similar views as us. So I think if this feels like now, we just have to stick on guidelines and drive very safely. So yeah, I think we need someone who can advise very fairly and who can trust from our drivers.

Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Oscar, we have Gabriel Bortoleto, the Brazilian driver that is a McLaren Junior. And he's one of the options for Sauber for 2025. Do you see him ready for the seat? And if Max wants to comment about that as well, being in Brazil frequently, you must have heard from Bortoleto as well, Max.

OP: I think he's been doing a very impressive job. Obviously winning F3 as a rookie last year and now leading the championship in F2. So yeah, I think from my point of view, when you're achieving those kind of results, you deserve to be in F1. And I have the personal experience of the pain of not getting a seat. So for his sake, I hope he doesn't have to go through that. I don't think anyone will ever go through quite the extent that I did. But I think he's been doing a very good job. Yeah, if he's doing it on merit, then I think he deserves a place in F1.

MV: Yeah, I mean, if I was Sauber, I would have signed him already. I mean, especially if that's anyway the future, you know, young drivers. And ‘26, big rule change. It's always good to get used to a team already for a year, make your mistakes here and there, get integrated well, understand the car a bit. You always feel much more prepared and comfortable when you then start in ‘26.

Q: (Nigel Chiu – Sky Sports) Do you think out of the remaining tracks, this is the best track to take the engine change?

MV: Honestly, that is something that is always unknown. You think that one particular track is the best place to take an engine or whatever penalty, but it's never guaranteed. But yeah, it's a possibility.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Question for Max. Damon Hill this week said he isn't sure if you're capable of racing fairly, so I just wanted to get your response to that. And obviously there's been quite a bit of criticism since the last race about your tactics. Do you think in any way you're being unfairly targeted?

MV: I don't listen to those individuals. I just do my thing. I'm a three-time world champion. I think I know what I'm doing.

Q: Do you think you're being unfairly targeted? Just the second half of that question.

MV: Honestly, I have my opinions. I don't need to share them.

Q: (Gabriel Oliveira de Souza – Globo.com) My question goes to Max. We know that you don't like Sprint races very much, even though you hold the record of most Sprint wins. So I would like to hear your thoughts on Brazil as a venue for Sprint races, and how can it affect the battle for the championship?

MV: Yeah, well, I mean, I always enjoy being in Brazil in general. The track is great. Also, it's going to be very interesting now with the new tarmac, grip-wise, what it's going to give. Sprint race or not, I mean, that doesn't matter. Can it shake things up a little bit more, potentially? But also, I mean, we have to keep an eye on the weather as well at the same time. So I'm fine. I'm just happy to be here. It doesn't matter in what kind of format.

Q: (Sabrina Faija – Clarin) For Yuki or Max, there are rumours that may join the Red Bull family. What advice would you give them?

YT: I mean, he's definitely doing a good job. And I mean, to be honest, I don't know much about those things. And yeah, I didn't see much. Yeah, definitely. It's actually, if it's not an option, I'll be surprised, right? Because he's doing well and he don't have so far, he don't have a seat so far for next season. And if he's fast, I'm thinking for all the teams he will be an option who don't have selected a seat yet for next year. So yeah, I think so.

MV: Yeah, I mean, it's complicated to answer that because he's still contracted to Williams. And of course, he's doing a great job. I think also Williams is probably scratching their heads a bit about what to do with Franco. But for me personally, it just shows that I think teams in general just need to be more open to put young talents in and trust them. Because now you have this kind of situation where he's a Williams junior and potentially has to leave or try to find luck elsewhere, right? While, they could have put him in the car. So, yeah, it's complicated. I mean, whatever he decides or his management decides to do, I mean, does he deserve a spot on the grid? I think with what he has shown so far, yes. But, yeah, it's not easy to find a spot at the moment.

Q: Max, can I ask you about Africa very briefly? It looks like you're going to be heading to the FIA Awards in Rwanda in a couple of months’ time. Lewis has just been speaking about a Grand Prix in Africa, saying that he would love it to happen while he's still racing. Are you looking forward to going to Rwanda? Are you looking to get a Grand Prix in Africa as well?

MV: Yeah, I mean, in general, I mean, I think it would be great to have a race on every continent that we have. And I know that it was almost happening and then it didn't. So, yeah, of course, would be great to have a race and you're going to run. I'm sure they are putting a lot of time and money in it, you know, to make it a success and also promote the country. So for sure.

Q: (Filip Cleeren – Motosport.com) For Oscar, please. Just to follow up on the guidelines, after the Mexico briefing, it seems like more and more drivers were dive-bombing the apex, because that's what the guidelines seem to allow. Is that something you notice as well? And you think that's going to keep happening until the change?

OP: Not massively, I don't think. I mean, personally, I didn't think it was that much different. It depends on, I guess, sometimes the people involved. And not everyone races in exactly the same way. I think we're all very, very hard. But I didn't really notice a change, personally. There was obviously the contact with Liam and Checo, which was very, very hard. But I don't think it really changes. You know, there are these guidelines out there, but I think, you know, there's a few kind of principles, I guess, we have as drivers, which is one, you don't really want to crash the car because it hurts and it costs money. And also, you don't want anyone to overtake you. So to then think in the moment that, ‘I'm just going to release the brakes to get ahead at the apex and not worry about the consequences’ or whatever, like, it goes a bit further than just what's written on a piece of paper, I think. Maybe some people will race a bit differently with some of the Stewards' decisions, but that happens with every incident. It kind of sets a precedent no matter what it is. So I don't think it will change that much, but we'll see.

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Max, I just want to go back to an answer to Phil's question. You're a three-time world champion, absolutely, but we're never too old to learn new things. Who do you listen to? Who are your advisors? Whose advice do you respect and trust the most? Who guides you when it comes to racing?

MV: People that are objective and close to me and not just there to stir… I can't say the word, because I'll probably get another… I mean, apparently it only counts for me anyway, because, you know, after the race in Mexico, someone was swearing. I didn't hear anything from it. So, it's better I don't swear again. But, yeah, you know, some people are just being very annoying. And I know who these people are. I don't really pay a lot of attention to them anyway. And I think I've got to this stage in my career with the right people supporting me and making my own decisions. Yeah, so I think I know what I'm doing.

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Who are these people?

MV: Good people, with a good heart.

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) From the outside, we don't know.

MV: Yeah, but I know. That's the most important. You know, some people are just a bit biased. And I mean, I get it. It's fine. But it's not my problem at the end of the day. You know, I just continue with my life and I keep performing.

Q: (Gabriel Carvalho – Grande Premio) My question is for Max. Max, Checo hasn't scored a podium since China. Sometimes, do you think you're a little bit lonely in this fight? We know we've seen a good McLaren pair, a good Ferrari pair, but Pérez has been struggling so much this year. Do you feel lonely at Red Bull right now?

MV: Well, I think since China, you know, for us it's anyway been quite difficult. Other teams have definitely caught up. They have had quite good performance upgrades. And even for me it's been hard to be on the podium consistently. So, yeah, I think as long, you know, we improve our card and it will also help Checo, naturally. So that's what we're trying to work on.

Q: (Gabriel Araujo – Reuters) Max, is your three-time world champion father-in-law someone who listens to you? And if so, what does he say to you?

MV: We don't really talk about Formula 1 too much. I don't think he wants to. I don't think I want to. We talk about other stuff in life, which is anyway way more important.

Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Max, going back to David's question, could you name some advisors? I believe your father, but anyone else that you could name?

MV: Well, there are many, but there's no need to name them right here. I mean, I just trust the people around me that are honest with me and that have a good heart, you know, that mean well and not just there to stir some kind of stuff. Yeah, that's how I'll name it.