Today's press conference from Imola with all twenty drivers.

Group 1: Valtteri Botas, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and George Russell

Carlos, please, let's start with you. Many congratulations, two more years at Ferrari. Tell us what this new deal means to you and what your goals are for the next thirty or so months.
Carlos Sainz: Thank you very much. Very happy, as you can imagine. After such a good first year with Ferrari. I think it was pretty straightforward that we wanted to continue together for another few years, and the fact that I've just signed a new contract with the team of my dreams since I was a kid, and the fact that now, even this team is fighting for more important things. We are on the way up, and we have a strong car, it's just a perfect situation for me. So, I'm very excited for what's coming and I'm looking forward for the future.

Have you ever spent four years with the same team?
CS: No, never in my life. Longest was two years in McLaren and that's it really. So, I'm going to double it up this time.

And let's bring it onto this weekend. Now you're racing for Ferrari at home in a competitive car. Just tell us what that feels like.
CS: It feels amazing. I think that was part of the beauty of announcing the contract extension here in Imola. Because we felt like it was a perfect occasion to do it. Ferrari; Imola; full grandstands, I think it's just the perfect scenario to try and put together a good weekend. I cannot wait. And yeah, can't wait to give the fans a good time.

Charles, if we could come to you now. So you and Carlos are teammates for a few more years, can we just get your reaction to that news?
Charles Leclerc: I'm very happy. I mean, with Carlos, other than being a great guy, he's also a great driver and I think one of the most important things is that we feedback the team with the same things, we want the same things from the car. And this helps the team massively to work in the same direction for both of us. And it's also an advantage, I think, for both drivers to have a long-term vision in the team, and that we can work long term. So, it's great.

Can we get your thoughts on this weekend? Just from a competitive point of view? Do you see any reason why you can't be battling at the front again this weekend?
CL: No, we don't see any reasons. I think the last two weekends, we were a bit pessimistic on the numbers we had. Here. It looks a little bit better. But let's wait and see. Obviously, it's raining today. Rain hasn't been one of our strengths in the last few years. So, we need to make sure that we start the weekend on the right foot and that we develop the car well for these conditions too.

Max coming to you, please. So, the return of the Sprint this weekend: can we just get your thoughts on that and how rain today is going to affect your preparations.
Max Verstappen: I'm not a fan of the sprint but, I mean, it is what it is. And, of course, I came to Italy basically for a bit of sun but I don't know what happens. I mean, it's wet today. And well, I've never driven in the wet with this car. So, it's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen in practice and of course also later today with Qualifying. See what the weather will do. So, quite an important day.

You won here last year: Does the RB18 have the performance to repeat that this year?
MV: We haven't driven, so I don't know.

Max, you're confident that you can take that car to any racetrack this year and be competitive?
MV: I mean, so far we've been competitive at every track. Some a bit better than, of course, other tracks but yeah, we just have to keep on trying to improve the car and, of course, finish the races.

Well, what assurances do you have from the team that the reliability issues are now behind you?
MV: I mean, I know that they always tried their very best and learn from the problems we had. Just looking forward to the weekend and see what will happen.

George if we can come to you now. Fourth, fifth and third in the opening three races this year and you're now second in the World Championship. Has that been the maximum of what this car is capable?
George Russell: I think in terms of results, probably. There's obviously always more performance you can get from every single time you hit the circuit. I think it's been a reasonable start with the package we've got. I think we can come away from the first three races thinking we got some good results with the pace deficit we have to Ferrari and Red Bull. We think we're seven-tenths to a second behind them, yet we're sitting P2 in the Championship. But we know that we won't maintain this position unless we find more performance. So, you know, we need to keep on pushing.

Do you have reason to believe that you can close that gap this weekend? Have you got new bits coming Do you think this track will suit the car better?
GR: No. I mean there's nothing substantial that's going to make a drastic difference this weekend. We're constantly trying new bits and pieces but in terms of an overall result, we are just too far behind to make a substantial difference in terms of overall results. So, we hope we are going to continue to close this gap but I still think it's too early in the season for us to make that deficit close up. We just need to keep going out there this weekend, another opportunity because it's going to be mixed conditions and we need to make the most of that.

Valtteri, coming to you. How do you reflect on Melbourne? A bit bittersweet, I would imagine. Your Q3 run ended, but you got more points.
Valtteri Bottas: Yeah, definitely. I mean Sunday was positive. We again found out the race pace in the car is not bad and could make up some positions. But yeah, definitely the weakest point of the last race was the qualifying: not having just quite enough single lap pace. Maybe also compromised the setup a bit too much for the race, but yeah, still got some points. But again, pretty clear on areas where we need to improve and that's what we've been trying to do ahead of this weekend. Hopefully, we can have stronger quali. Obviously, the weekend format is different but hopefully we can be stronger.

As you say, the weekend format is different. Can we just get your thoughts on the Sprint as well please?
VB: Obviously today, especially with mixed conditions. Having only one session to set up the car for the whole weekend is gonna be a bit of a challenge but at least we've had few races to understand the car and I think we've done good preparation for this weekend but it's gonna be interesting, definitely, with this format and this weather how it goes but we're ready for it.

An opportunity?
VB: Absolutely

Questions From The Floor

(Mattias Brunner - Speedweek.com) Charles, when you are in the race simulator, do you actually practice also driving in the wet?
CL: No, not yet. Maybe one day but for now, we don't have this available yet on the simulator.

(Dieter Rencken - Racing News 365) To all drivers, with a related question for George specifically. Now we're back in Europe, we've got the first chance of this new weekend format, so your individual thoughts please. And George, I believe the GPDA addressed a letter to Formula 1 and the FIA regarding the format and various other things. Could you elaborate please?
GR: Obviously with the GPDA, I've only been around for three years, but I think between all of the drivers we are incredibly united and we've got a constant communication with Formula 1 and FIA to try to improve our sport in every single aspect. It's forever developing, forever changing and I don't think there's anything more to elaborate at the moment. I think it's important that between the drivers, F1 and the FIA, we've all on the same page and we're all pushing in the same direction.

CL: On the format, I quite like the Friday, to be honest. Just because a normal Friday is normally pretty boring: we have FP1, FP2, FP3, lots of practice. Now, it's straight to the point so I quite like this. Then, for the Saturday I believe we could do something better. Either having a standout race that doesn't affect Sunday's race, to have a bit more action on the Saturday and people taking a bit more risk, but yeah, apart from that, for the Friday itself, I quite like it.

VB: I agree with Charles. In a way, it's nice to get going immediately. Like qualifying already today and everyday there's a session that is crucial for the weekend. I have a feeling with the current cars, with definitely being able to follow closer, I think maybe we have a chance to get a bit more out of the sprint and hopefully see a bit more action. So, from my side, yeah, let's wait and see how it is this weekend, and we discuss later.

MV: The format, with the Sprint, it is what it is. Some like it, some don't. But I think it's more about how we are doing the press conferences and the media activities. I think it was better before, because now, our Thursday is very long, which officially is not really a day any more but actually for us is the same - or even more on a Thursday, and even more now on a Friday when you come in early. Coming in early is not a problem but your whole day is longer. So, I... with going to more races you would like to have a shorter weekend - but actually now with more races we are also having longer weekends, or at least more days that we are actually at the track and doing stuff. So, yeah, that definitely needs to change.

CS: I agree with Charles on the Sprint idea. It's something that we are discussing with FOM and FIA to maybe spice up a bit the Sprint weekend. I think there is good potential there, and obviously on a standard weekend, I agree with Max, we are going towards more number of races but for some reason that maybe we didn't expect this year, both Thursday and Friday have become a lot longer for the drivers and the amount of media that we are facing every day, and the amount of time that we are spending at the track in meetings and activities has increased a lot, even as we are going towards a higher number of races. So, we are going to need to find a way to control this in a more efficient way, let's say.

(Ronald Vording - Motorsport.com) Question to Max. Usually at the start of the European season we see a lot of upgrades being introduced. Do you feel that's a bit more tricky now with the Sprint format, only one session ahead of qualifying and also with the weather we are facing today - so a bit more tricky perhaps, bringing new bits to the car and finding a good balance straightaway?
MV: It depends on how big your upgrade is. If you are confident in your package, or what you see in the wind tunnel, for example. It all depends also a bit how much risk you want to take. I guess that's different for every team.

(Joost Nederpelt - NU.NL) Question to all drivers. This new generation of cars is a lot stiffer and lower to the ground, lower ride-height. So, does it make then harder to set-up for the rain?
CS: It's a good question. I think we need to run the cars first in the wet for the first proper time in a full wet circuit. Being cold, like it is today, I think it is going to be a good test to see how the new cars are behaving. How the new Pirelli tyres are behaving and what compromises we are going to need to take going into wet sessions. In the past, you would barely change the set-up for the wet. Now, I don't know if you would. Honestly, I just don't know what we will end up doing.

MV: Like Carlos said.

VB: Yeah, we'll find out today - or learn a lot more today.

Valtteri, do you think visibility might be better with the wake of the cars doing something different.
VB: It's a good question as well! I have no idea - we'll find out today! We haven't really run the cars in the wet.

GR: I think it's going to be interesting with the porpoising issues. Obviously we've seen it's been pretty violent for a lot of teams and a lot of drivers and obviously the DRS was removed in Melbourne for safety reasons to avoid anything happening. Obviously in the wet, over the bumps, whatever it may be... if we're porpoising, who knows? I don't know what the long-term solution is for Formula 1 - if there truly is a solution for removing this porpoising, or there is not. So, yeah, I don't know what the long-term future is: if we're going to have to just deal with this for the next three years or so.

CL: Yeah, I think FP1 will be very important to see all of these things. There are a lot of unknowns and it will be a bit clearer for everyone after FP1. But will be obviously a very important session for the rest of the weekend.

(Jonathan Noble - motorsport.com) To Max primarily, and anyone else who wants to answer it. Regarding this Thursday and Friday now being busier for everybody. What format do you think would work better? Do you do all your media stuff on Thursday and change Friday's timetable? Or do you ban everyone coming to the track on a Thursday and it's a very strict three-day weekend?
MV: I think it doesn't matter if it's all on Thursday or all on Friday. It's more about... we do this, then we go outside, then we have to speak to all the individual medias... but they all ask the same question, and you're basically repeating yourself six or seven times. And you try, of course, to keep it interesting, to try to word it in a different way - but at the end of the day you say the same thing, right? So, we see in other sports as well, when they have a press conference, there are a lot of mics just brought together and, instead of giving the broadcasters, like two questions each, they all have, basically, whatever, six, eight, ten questions, just in one go and they can all broadcast it. So, I think that's also way more efficient and nicer for everyone. It doesn't matter if you have 20 mics lined-up all from different companies. You get a lot more out of the drivers. We already know that, if we leave here, we have to go outside and we have to repeat ourselves at least six to eight times. And it's just... when you start, it's exciting, the first two, when you continue to the other ones, it's going to be boring. It's not nice for them, it's not nice for us. So, I think we can be a lot more efficient with that.

(Luke Smith - Autosport) Max, Charles spoke yesterday about your karting rivalry, said there were points where you guys hated each other, it was always you and him fighting at the front, back in karting. What are some of your memories from fighting Charles, and how cool is it to now be back, fighting potentially for World Championship this year?
MV: Yeah, it's good. I mean, we basically grew up, through go-karting from, I think, 12 years old. And of course, we were very similar in age. So, we already had, of course, a lot of go-karting battles, but also, we made our way through Formula 1 and not, of course, only the two of us, a lot of drivers we know including of course George, Carlos, we already saw each other at the go-karting tracks, and now we're all here in F1, basically fighting with top teams. And yeah, it's really nice to see that and I hope, of course, it can continue for a long time.

(Claire Cottingham - Racefans.net) Questions you, Max. Obviously, it's been a couple of retirements that the team. How confident are you that the team have sorted out those niggles and what reassurances have they given you? Thank you.
MV: I mean, it's been different issues. So, we have been solving them but, of course, time will tell if it's working or not. I mean, it's difficult to say at the moment, but I know that the team always does their very best in solving all the issues. They are a bit unexpected, because testing actually was very smooth for us before we started the first race of the season. So yeah, well, we'll find out this weekend.

(Ian Parkes - New York Times) To both Charles and Max. Charles, you obviously spoke about the karting rivalry yesterday. You mentioned at one point - jokingly of course - how much you hated one another because of the way things have gone, and Max, obviously just following on, how is the rivalry changed now? When do you recall the respect maturing between the pair of you from those karting days and how do you feel now going into this season now you're back, battling at the front again against one another? Thank you.
CL: I think it's a very different situation. We have matured a lot, we are much older even though we are still 25 years old, which is still quite young, but at this time there were episodes which make us hate each other, I'm pretty sure, in some occasions, but then you grow up. Obviously, we've both achieved one of our dreams, which was to arrive in Formula 1. And at that time, it was it was just a dream. Everything looked impossible. So it's, it's great now to be fighting in Formula 1. And there's a lot of respect for each other. So yes, it has changed for sure.

MV: Like Charles said, I mean, we've matured a lot! And we're both in Formula 1. We're we are two top teams and are fighting for race wins. What happened in go-karting, you can laugh about it now. Yeah, good times!

GR: Charles isn't laughing!

MV: He's laughing now! You made him laugh, George.

(Adam Cooper - motorsport.com) For all of you. Have you had a chance to try Miami in the sim? Any thoughts on it? What kind of race we're going to see there?
CL: I don't even know how it looks like, to be honest. And I haven't tried it on the sim yet.

GR: I've done three laps when I was there for an event last year on a local sim but I actually forgot by now! So, no. We'll do that next week.

VB: I did last week. Proper running there in the sim. And actually, was nice to see, that it seems to be a really good track for overtaking. Like, I think the way the track has been planned, I think, from my side, it looks positive. It should be good ood racing. Yeah, pretty long straights and a couple of really good overtaking opportunities. So, let's see how it is done in real life but to me on paper, it looks good. And I'm sure as an event it's going to be pretty amazing.

MV: I haven't driven it on the on the simulator yet. But I mean, at the end of the day, it also doesn't matter how to track looks like, as long as we're quick, that's what I care about.

CS: Having run it but look forward to doing it in the sim, I think next week, and have a first look.

(Umberto Zapelloni - Il Foglio) Question for Charles, two days ago, you test... you made some laps with the older Ferrari of Gilles in Fiorano. Which are your feelings about that car, and your thoughts about Gilles?
CL: Gilles was a legend for Ferrari and for Formula 1. For the personality he had outside the car, and for changing the way people perceive him whenever he was in the car, with so much passion, aggressivity and obviously the fight with... so yeah, it's it was a lot of emotion to be driving his car. And the cars back then was crazy. I mean, we keep speaking about safety. But I think for us drivers until you actually drive one of those cars... you can feel what they were going through while driving. I mean, it's unbelievable. And yeah, it was a very playful car. Very oversteer-y car but very fun to drive and I really really enjoyed it

How hard did you push?
CL: Not very hard, because they kept the same tyres as the one they had on the car for the last few years in the museum! So it was like wood! But, but it was fun.

(Dieter Rencken - Racing News 365) When Ayrton Senna was asked who the best driver and his opinion was, he identified a karting driver, Terry Fullerton, who didn't make it beyond karting, basically. From your karting careers, who do you think was the best driver who didn't make it into Formula 1?
CS: It is difficult. Is a very difficult question. There's so much talent out there that could have made it to Formula 1 but in the end Formula 1 is 20 guys and there's never going to be space for all the talent out there. I don't know I've raced against so many good drivers that is so difficult to put one of them. I feel like if I say one maybe... I'm friends with all of them, and maybe one is going to tell me 'how you didn't mention me!' you know what I mean? I'm good friends with a lot of people that are that I raced against in the lower categories, and I have obviously three to five guys that I think they would have done a very good job in Formula 1 but they couldn't make it. I mentioned one now, then the other one maybe might tell me no. Maybe I can tell you in private.

MV: For me, it's more about that karting is not Formula 1. So, if you are very good and go-karting, there is no guarantee that you will be good in Formula 1. Of course, a lot of good racing drivers in, all different kinds of categories. Not only of course, Formula 1, but there were a lot of good go-karting drivers who jumped into a racing car and actually didn't live up to their potential. And also, the other way around. Some drivers who were not that amazing in go-karting but were actually really good in cars. So yeah, it's very difficult to say that, when this guy was really quick in go-karting, he would have made it to Formula 1. There is just no guarantee.

CS: I agree with Max, it was more lower categories instead of karting.

VB: Yeah, similar lines to Max. It's really such a steep learning curve throughout your career. And obviously, some drivers develop earlier, some might develop a bit later. And the ones who keep working, keep learning, eventually they might get there. But yeah, it is sad in a way that there's so much talent always... almost like wasted and not having the opportunity to get to Formula 1. In my karting days in Finland, there was so many promising drivers, but zero financial support. And yeah, it's a shame and it's not a fair sport, for sure. And also, you need to be right place at the right time. But best go-kart driver I ever saw on track the same time, was a guy called Jussi Kohtala. He actually runs a go kart team nowadays. He was amazing - but he never had the chance to even go to junior formula.

GR: I think similar comments to all of the guys next to me, I think, it is so difficult to make that step from karting, and every single year you progress, the budgets are just getting larger and larger and larger. And sometimes that talent is diluted. And I think as a sport, we need to find a way to make sure that we have the very best talent and progression through the ranks. But I mean, for me when I did my first year in European karting, you know, the guys who were winning and who were at the front, was Max, Charles. And Alex Albon, was winning the years before us as well. And here we are together in Formula 1. So, you know, there's been some exceptional drivers we've all come up against, but I think the drivers who I would rank at the top are all the ones who are sat alongside me at the moment.

CL: In karting, it's a question that I asked myself when I was younger. You arrive to all the races and you ask yourself, how many of us will one day be in Formula 1? The many names that I thought about are now in Formula 1 - most of them here - but then there are three of them, where I remember thinking that they will get Formula 1, and at the end for luck, and also for different reasons, they didn't make it. Dennis Olson, Ben Barnicoat and Nicklas Nielsen. But they all still in racing, I think, and they are doing very, very well. But it also shows that even when you have, I think, most of the things you get to Formula 1, sometimes there's also the luck that plays into it: to be at the right place at the right time. And all of these plays a part in it. I'm pretty sure, I've forgot some names too from back then. I definitely remember being young and asking myself who of us will be in Formula 1. It's great to see that so many of us now are.

Check out our Friday gallery from Imola, here.