Welcome, Carlos Sainz. Another podium in your career, and it was a relatively smooth weekend in terms of overall performance, but things got exciting towards the end. Were you aware of the action happening ahead or were you just focused on bringing your car home?
Carlos Sainz: Yes, it was quite a busy race at the front. Our main goal was to keep up with George. We knew Mercedes could have an advantage in terms of race pace, but we did everything we could to stay close to him. Oscar was closing in very fast towards the end, and finishing in third place is a good result. Considering the challenges we faced this weekend, we can be happy and proud to leave with 15 points and a podium.
We are currently in the middle of this triple header, having just come from your home Grand Prix. Silverstone is next in a week’s time. Can we expect an improvement in performance there? Without the incident between Lando and Max, it didn’t seem like you would be on the podium today.
CS: Formula 1 is fortunate to have some exciting battles happening at the front, which is great for the sport. Unfortunately, we’ve had some tough races where we haven’t been able to fight for the win yet. However, as a team, we are doing everything we can to regain our form and be competitive in Silverstone and the upcoming races. Even if we can’t secure wins, podiums like today’s are always positive news. We will continue to strive and fight.
P: Well, we look forward to seeing the great effort from your team. Congratulations on the podium.
CS: Thank you very much.
P: Moving on to the second-place finisher, who must be thinking about what could have been. It all unfolded even before the start of the Austrian Grand Prix with your qualifying penalty for track limits.
Oscar Piastri: Yes, there are a lot of “what ifs” and “maybes”. Starting from yesterday, it was a setback. It’s only my fourth podium in F1, but being so close to the win is a bit painful. However, it’s still a great result in terms of points. We were strong in the second half of the race, and I’m happy with another podium. When it’s so close, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed.
P: I hope you can carry this momentum to the McLaren’s home Grand Prix at Silverstone in a week’s time.
OP: Yes, it’s not my home Grand Prix, but it’s McLaren’s home Grand Prix. I have good memories from last year, and I hope we can be competitive again. I didn’t see what happened with Lando and Max, but it seems like the battle at the front was intense. We are definitely in the fight, and I always enjoy racing at Silverstone. It’s the team’s home race, so I’m excited about what’s to come.
P: Well, congratulations on earning valuable points today.
OP: Thank you very much.
P: Ladies and gentlemen, our winner of the Austrian Grand Prix, celebrating his second victory in the Grand Prix, George Russell.
George Russell: It’s incredible. It was a tough fight in the beginning of the race just to hold onto that third place. I saw on TV that Max and Lando were going all out. I knew Lando would be aiming for the win, but the team did an amazing job to put us in this position. You have to be there at the end to take advantage of the opportunities, and that’s exactly what we did.
P: Amazing. So you were watching the big screens, focused on your own race, while witnessing the battle happening up front, waiting for the result that actually happened.
GR: Yes, they were really going for it. I couldn’t believe how close we were to Lando and Max. We were only about 12 or 13 seconds behind them. I knew there was a possibility. You always dream of it, but as I mentioned, I’m just so proud to be back on top. The team put in such a great effort, and we’ve made significant progress since the start of the season. These last three races have been incredible, and there’s still more to come.
P: You did everything necessary to put yourself in this position. The other two seemed to have the overall pace today, if it wasn’t for the contact between them. But all you can do is focus on your own race and seize the opportunities that arise. You must be very proud of your second Grand Prix victory.
GR: Absolutely. It’s no secret that Red Bull with Max and McLaren with Lando are still a bit ahead of us. However, we consistently positioned ourselves in third place in the last few races. If something happens up front, we’re ready to take advantage of the opportunity. I’m really proud of everyone involved. It’s an exciting moment for us.
P: E, George, we are just one week away from the Great Britain Grand Prix. It would be great to take this moment and secure another podium there.
GR: Definitely. We are on a momentum wave right now. These last three races have been incredible. Realistically, we could have won the race in Canada, so this victory makes up for some of the mistakes I made there. I am really proud to be back on top.
George, congratulations to you. What a moment. It was quite unexpected, but what does this victory in the Austrian Grand Prix mean to you? GR: Yes, it’s really amazing. In these last three races as a team, we have really stepped up our game. I believe Montreal was a victory that slipped through our fingers, and we settled for P3. Today, we really deserved P3 and came out with the win. It’s interesting how this sport can turn around, and I give credit to the whole team for their hard work. We have made tremendous progress since the beginning of the year.
This track has always brought out the best in you. You are the first driver to win here in GP3, Formula 2, and now in Formula 1. GR: Yes, that’s true. It’s a track that I like. The last two years have been quite challenging for us as a team. We didn’t have high expectations for this weekend. However, we managed to qualify in third yesterday and were in the fight. As I mentioned before, we were fighting for a place on the podium. Realistically, I think we still have the third fastest car behind Red Bull and McLaren. But in the last three races, Lewis and I secured that third place. We are really making the most of it, and sometimes luck is on your side in races.
Now let’s talk about the race itself, starting before the lights go out. You expressed some concerns about the car on the way to the grid. How was the car behaving? GR: It was quite windy out there, and the car felt a bit strange. We checked everything during my laps to the grid, and everything seemed fine. The pace was strong, and Lewis was attacking me at the beginning of the race. But once I managed to get ahead of him, I was able to create a gap to Carlos. I knew Oscar would be fast, and he surprised me at the end of the race with the hard tires. It was a challenge for me. And suddenly, Toto started shouting in my ear, ‘you can win this’. It was so loud that I almost crashed. But it shows the passion we all share. It has been two difficult years for us, so it’s amazing to be back on top.
You had a slightly different strategy, using the medium tires in the middle of the race. How much did that help in the battle with Oscar, who was on the hard tires? GR: Honestly, I don’t think it helped much. It’s always hard to say how the race will unfold. We decided to split the strategies with Lewis to try something different. You never know how things will happen, especially with the influence of Virtual Safety Cars and Safety Cars. The VSC at the end was quite advantageous for me. It allowed me to cool down my tires and maintain my pace against Oscar, who was on the medium tires. So overall, the car has been performing very well. We still have some work to do if we want to consistently fight for podiums. But compared to Ferrari and Aston Martin, we have made significant progress since Bahrain.
In terms of execution, would you say this was the best weekend for you and the team so far this year? GR: Definitely. I believe we executed everything perfectly. We maximized every session, qualified as high as we thought possible. Our starts have been good, and finishing P4 yesterday was the best we could do. Realistically, P3 was the maximum and a well-deserved result today. The team did an excellent job, and it’s gratifying to see all our hard work pay off.
What a result to take to your home race at Silverstone next week. Do you dare to dream of a repeat on British soil? GR: You always dare to dream, for sure. Anything can happen in races. Red Bull showed great speed in the high-speed corners this weekend, so they will be strong in Silverstone. But we have a few days before that, and I’ll be back at the factory on Tuesday, working on the simulator. I’m really excited for the next race.
Congratulations to you, George. Thank you. Oscar, let’s talk about you now. Going from P7 to P2 is an incredible result. Are you satisfied with your performance in the Austrian Grand Prix? OP: Yes, I’m mostly happy. The first stint didn’t go as well as I expected. I had a little incident in Turn 1 and overheated the tires. It was challenging to get to second due to the dirty air. But in the next two stints, things started to improve. I opted for longer stops and laps. In the end, I felt like I needed a few more laps. But starting seventh and finishing second is a good turnaround. Overall, I’m quite happy.
You expressed some frustration about the track limits during qualifying. GR: Yes, definitely. I was quite upset yesterday. We made changes to the track to address the issue of track limits, but for some reason, one corner was not adjusted enough. However, I made a small mistake going off track a bit, so it was my fault. But seeing the evidence of my deleted lap from a helicopter camera with questionable resolution was quite disappointing. It motivated me with determination for the race, and I think some of my overtakes came from further back than they would have been.
Let’s talk about some moments during the race. First, the contact with Charles Leclerc at Turn 1. Can you tell us about that incident and was there any damage to your car? OP: Yes, I didn’t have the best start, but I saw an opportunity on the outside and braked late. I couldn’t really see where Checo was on the inside, but I didn’t think he was so far alongside Charles. Unfortunately, the three of us met at the apex. I was lucky to come out relatively unscathed. There were some minor damages, but nothing significant. I had another contact with Checo later in the lap, so it was a busy race.
And what about the battle with Carlos in the final laps? You made a nice overtake on the outside. OP: Turn 6 was a successful overtaking spot for me this weekend. I made three overtakes there on the outside. It was a close moment going into Turn 4, but I had better grip on the outside of Turn 6 and managed to make the overtake. Overall, I’m quite happy with it.
Looking at Silverstone, how do you assess the team’s chances in the home race of the team? OP: Last year was an incredible weekend for us as a team, marking the beginning of our resurgence. As George mentioned, Max was impressive in the high-speed corners yesterday, so Red Bull will probably be strong at Silverstone. However, we have a strong car and have consistently been competitive wherever we have raced. We had some doubts about our performance on more traditional circuits like Barcelona and here, with its high-speed corners compared to Canada and Monaco. But we have shown consistency. We will fight hard and do everything we can to improve and be competitive at Silverstone.
Carlos, now it’s your turn. Congratulations to you too. You had a positive weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix. Do you feel that you and Ferrari made the most of the package? CS: Yes, I believe so. We did a good job in qualifying and in the sprint race. Our goal was to beat the Mercedes, and we managed to overtake one of them, even though one passed us. I was behind both, I overtook Lewis, and then it was a matter of trying to keep up with George. But, as we saw in the sprint race, they had a slight advantage in pace, which resulted in a few seconds difference throughout the race. It was a battle for a podium, which George ended up winning. We did our best, but Mercedes is a little faster than us at the moment.
You have been facing difficulties in the last few races. This weekend proves that Ferrari is back on track with the car and knows how to maximize its potential? CS: If anything, it shows that the last two weekends have not been easy for us. We have consistently been the first Ferrari behind the leading Mercedes. Even if we include Canada, you could argue that it has been three consecutive weekends. Red Bull and McLaren were in a league of their own this weekend, and then there was a gap. George and I were fighting for P3 and P4. That was not the situation at the beginning of the year. This highlights the need for hard work and understanding of the issues we have faced in the last few races. Hopefully, we can make improvements, possibly even before Silverstone, and enhance our performance.
Tell us more about your expectations for Silverstone. How do you plan to deal with the weakness in high-speed corners? CS: The factory is working tirelessly to understand the challenges we have encountered in the last few races. Our goal is to bring a package that improves our performance in high-speed corners, which have been our weakness. Max has demonstrated superior speed in these corners, and it wasn’t just him. Mercedes and McLaren were also ahead of us in these areas. Silverstone is known for its high-speed nature, so we need to take a step forward. We want to be competitive and will do everything we can to improve our performance.
Q: (Diletta Colombo – Automoto.it) Carlos was asked about the problem of bouncing in high-speed corners during the Austrian Grand Prix. He explained that it is less problematic in the race because the car enters these corners with less speed, resulting in fewer bounces. However, in qualifying, it can be a problem and requires a different car setup. Carlos acknowledged that it is not an ideal situation as it affects performance in both qualifying and the race. He emphasized the need to improve in order to compete with Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull.
Q: (Marco Canseco – Marca) Carlos was asked about his goal of surpassing Charles in the championship. He expressed that while he is aware of the championship standings, he is more focused on achieving podiums, victories, and highlights. Carlos highlighted his performance this year, with five podiums and one victory in ten races. He emphasized the importance of seizing the opportunities he has this year, considering the challenges of competing against the best drivers with one less race.
Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) George was asked about his reaction when he saw Max and Lando ahead of him during the race. He shared that he was focused on maximizing his driving and was aware of the engineers’ updates on their battle. George mentioned the challenge of managing his tires and the impact of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) in cooling them. He acknowledged that winning the race under such circumstances was unusual but emphasized the unpredictable nature of races.
Q: (Isabelle Barker – The Sun) George was asked about his plans to celebrate his victory. He mentioned that he would be flying back home that night and looking forward to celebrating with his girlfriend and friends. He expressed gratitude for the moment and the need to savor it, especially considering the dominance of a team and driver in Formula 1.
Q: (Mark Ivanov – Avto+Šport) All three drivers were asked about the difficulty and focus in the final laps when they were competing for a podium position. George mentioned the challenge of dealing with lapped cars and the potential impact on lap times. He emphasized the importance of securing his position and not taking unnecessary risks. Oscar shared a similar perspective, mentioning the focus on driving as fast as possible and trying to catch up to George. Carlos acknowledged the pressure of having a faster car behind him and the need to be content with his position on the podium.
Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) Carlos was asked about his future in Formula 1 and the pressure to make a decision. He emphasized the importance of seizing the moment and not being pressured immediately after a podium finish. Carlos expressed his intention to take the necessary time to make a decision and be honest with the teams. He recognized that it is his future and his decision, and he will prioritize giving himself the time he needs.
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