Monitor Interviews – Performed by Alex Brundle
Q: Carlos, nice lap. You appear to have the automobile beneath you at Ferrari this weekend. Is that the best way it felt to you? Actually, actually sturdy efficiency all through qualifying.Carlos Sainz: Yeah, I feel we had a strong quali, a strong day on the whole with the 2 automobiles. And I feel we put ourselves in an excellent place for tomorrow. I’ve by no means actually been 100% connected round right here in my profession. It is a monitor that I are inclined to battle a bit, so to be P3 is an efficient place for tomorrow, as additionally my race tempo yesterday appeared sturdy, so all to play for tomorrow.
Q: The monitor was shifting round in every single place beneath you. How tough was it to maintain up with the swift evolution of the monitor early on after which it tailing off in direction of the final a part of qualifying?CS: Yeah, undoubtedly. The monitor was ramping up so much and we have been getting increasingly more grip because the monitor cools down and the solar goes down. So it was all about adapting. I discovered one thing going into Q3 that gave me a bit extra confidence. Yeah, most likely wasn’t the perfect of build-ups to do this Q3 lap, however no less than I discovered one thing that allowed me to place it into the highest three, which is a good place for tomorrow.
Q: Was the Ferrari entrance row obtainable at present, or was Oscar a bit of bit distant from you?CS: If I might have been a bit faster, sure, however it’s Baku the place I’ve by no means been my finest model of myself round right here. However I feel tomorrow we may be.
Q: Nice job. Thanks a lot. Oscar, second on the grid. Sensible job. You appeared to seek out a bit of bit further into Q3. The place did that come from?Oscar Piastri: I simply received a bit nearer to the partitions and on the final lap received a bit of bit too shut! However yeah, simply tried to essentially get probably the most out of it. This monitor actually rewards dedication. So yeah, the final laps in Q3, I knew I had so much much less to lose. So simply attempt to maximise the automobile. I used to be feeling good all through. Simply did not maximize it that a lot within the first a part of qualifying. However no, very pleased with Q3.
Q: Taking a look at your race tempo, are you going to have the pace to be sturdy and problem for the victory tomorrow?OP: I feel from the place we’re beginning, sure. However I feel following round right here goes to be actually powerful. We noticed yesterday that it was fairly powerful when you get behind somebody. So hopefully I can get some clear air and that might be good. However yeah, we’ll see what we will do. I feel our race tempo is sweet. However once more, the Ferrari is definitely not sluggish.
Q: And given the qualifying efficiency, it goes with out saying, you will have the inexperienced gentle to go all out for victory tomorrow.OP: Positively.
Q: Charles Leclerc, mesmerising lap. From an evocative win for the workforce at dwelling in Monza to persevering with your superb run of kind in qualifying right here. Simply discuss us via the problem of setting a lap like that between the partitions. It has been so low grip all weekend, however you completely nailed it.Charles Leclerc: Yeah, nicely, I imply, it is considered one of my favorite monitor of the season. I actually prefer it. It hasn’t been a straightforward weekend as a result of clearly the crash in FP1, which did not make me lose confidence, I knew that the tempo was there, however clearly you have to construct again up to the mark. Then in FP2, we had an issue on a brand new half we introduced on the automobile and there was one thing mistaken there. So we misplaced one other half an hour after which it is laps that you do not actually recuperate. So I used to be not apprehensive, however I knew that we needed to make up a while. However the tempo was all the time there. After which in qualifying, till Q3, it was all about making an attempt to remain so far as attainable off the partitions. After which in that final lap, I went for it a bit extra. And the lap time got here very properly. I imply, the automobile felt actually good and every thing felt nice. So, yeah, it is superb to be on pole.
Q: You will have your self and Carlos up within the high three positions. Is {that a} profit strategically shifting into tomorrow with two Ferraris close to the entrance of the sphere?CL: For example it is the perfect we might have hoped for. I imply usually the even aspect of the grid has a bit of bit much less grip, so first and third is the place you wish to begin and hopefully we will play a workforce recreation tomorrow to win that race. However it’ll be an extended race. Up to now we have been very sturdy in qualifying struggling a bit within the race. This yr we now have a stronger race automobile, so I hope that we will lastly make it tomorrow.
Q: Extra whispering with the tyres, identical to in Monza, to take it via to the top of the race maybe?CL: Oh, undoubtedly. I imply, tyre administration will likely be a giant factor tomorrow as nicely. So we have got to do job. We have accomplished a very good job in Monza. However yeah, as I stated, we now have to reset each race as we do. And that is what we did. So tomorrow is one other race with different points, though tyre degradation is there. It is with totally different tyres. So you have to adapt to that. And we’ll do our homework tonight to prepare for tomorrow.
Press Convention
Q: Sensible job, Charles. Each of your laps in Q3 have been adequate for pole. The automobile appeared very connected. Simply discuss us via that closing lap.CL: Nicely, it was lap. I simply took a bit of bit extra danger in comparison with the primary try in Q3. It was necessary to simply have a lap on the board, after which within the second lap, you simply take extra danger and see what occurs. Fortunately, I completed each of the laps, they usually have been good laps. The automobile felt actually good since FP1. Actually, we barely modified the automobile from FP1 to now. Right away, I felt completely satisfied and the stability remained actually good. We needed to counter a bit of bit the monitor evolution as a result of there’s a number of monitor evolution right here, however the feeling was there right away in FP1, though there weren’t many laps in FP1 and FP2. That did not cease us to recuperate after that and to be comfortable for all of the weekend.
Q: What’s it about you and this racetrack, 4 pole positions, the place do you discover the time?CL: This I do not know. I have been fascinated about it. And clearly, every time you will have weekend, you attempt to analyse. However I do not actually have a robust reply to it. I suppose it simply goes with my driving fashion very naturally, as a result of more often than not, it’s a must to work so much to attempt to acquire lap time. However there, I simply really feel good with the rhythm of this monitor for some purpose. And yeah, that makes it a very good monitor for me.
Q: You stated you have not needed to change the automobile a lot this weekend. So what about your race tempo? Let’s throw it ahead to tomorrow. How assured are you?CL: I imply, I did not do a lap with excessive gasoline, however it’s been a reasonably sturdy level of the automobile this yr. So I’m not apprehensive going into tomorrow’s race, however clearly we have to do issues proper. So I will need to do a little bit of homework tonight as a way to prepare for tomorrow, however I am not too apprehensive that we’ll do the perfect job with our package deal after which we’ll see whether or not it is adequate to win the race tomorrow or not.
Q: And in spite of everything these pole positions at this racetrack, what wouldn’t it imply to lastly win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?CL: It might be good. I imply, in ’21 and… No. Yeah, ’21 and ’20, I feel, it was fairly surprising, the pole place. So we did not have the tempo within the automobile to win. No, sorry, ’21 and ’23. In 22, we had automobile, after which the engine blew up. So, hopefully tomorrow the tempo is there, and we do not have something that stops us to win it. However once more, earlier than fascinated about the ultimate consequence, there are nonetheless plenty of laps round this monitor, and it is a very tough monitor. So we’ll see tomorrow. However within the meantime, I will simply ensure that I’m doing the perfect preparation attainable.
Q: Alright. Very nicely accomplished at present. Thanks, Oscar. Let’s come to you now. Entrance row begin. However you stated over the radio that that second lap of Q3 was the messiest one you have ever accomplished. Actually?OP: Possibly not the messiest ever, however it definitely wasn’t the cleanest. Just a few huge moments in there and a few love faucets with the wall. So, yeah, I imply, I pushed to get every thing out of it that I might. And, yeah, perhaps a bit of bit an excessive amount of in some locations, however I do not assume I had sufficient to get polled at present, so… I am fairly pleased with the entrance row. And yeah, hopefully we will attempt to put up a struggle tomorrow.
Q: You solely had the one set of recent tyres for Q3. How a lot did that maintain you again?OP: I do not assume that a lot in the long run. I feel the used tyres I did, I did roughly half a lap on it. So it wasn’t utterly used. And round right here, the tyres have been a bit of bit unusual, I might say. And simply with the monitor evolution, it is extra about doing lap slightly than having the proper set of tyres. So I used to be fairly pleased with P3 after the primary set. After which I discovered a bit of bit extra on the second set of tyres. So yeah, I used to be fairly pleased with that.
Q: You have talked about the monitor evolution. Charles talked about it. How a lot did it ramp up in the course of the session? And did you get to some extent the place it stabilised?OP: No. It was simply getting sooner and sooner. I feel from the beginning of FP1 to now… Usually we go perhaps three seconds sooner or perhaps 4 in some locations, however right here it has been, I do not know what the quantity is, however it’s like seven or eight. So, you actually needed to adapt so much via the weekend and attempt to adapt your driving to the monitor you have received and adapt the automobile to what the monitor goes to be, which all the time makes life a bit of bit harder for the engineers and for us. However, yeah, it is by no means stabilized. And I feel on a avenue circuit, it by no means will. It should simply proceed to get higher and higher.
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