Today's post-qualifying press conference with Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
Track Interviews - Conducted by Alice Powell
Lando, congratulations, another pole position to add to the list. it was so close out there. Real fine margins. So you must be over the moon.
Lando Norris: I am, yes. Very, very, very happy. Not an easy qualifying. Different conditions, like you said, but always ending up on top is the best part of it. Also happy, especially, for the team, a one-two is even better to see. So congrats to the team.
McLaren are really cementing themselves as a front-running team. A lot of hard work has clearly gone on behind the scenes. So this must give you lots of confidence heading in tomorrow and for the remainder of the season?
LN: I mean, it does, but we've already got confidence. So it's not like we need a lot more of it or we're searching for it, you know? I think we've come into this weekend and the last few happy and confident that we can do a good job and we have a good car to fight for pole, and that's exactly what we did today. So, yeah, like I said, a great job by the team. We've been improving every weekend, and to end up on pole today is sweet.
And race pace earlier on in the weekend from the long runs looked pretty decent. It's going to be a slightly different weather conditions we're expecting tomorrow. So is that going to give you confidence either in the hotter conditions?
LN: I mean, we're in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us. So I'm looking forward to it. Two cars at the front row, we can control it from there. So as long as we stay where we are, we'll be happy.
So you finished P2 here last year. You're expecting to go one more, clearly.
LN: I mean, I'm expecting to. So if I don't, it's not been a good day. No, the car's doing well. I feel like I'm driving well. So it's obvious what the aim is for tomorrow.
Brilliant. Congratulations.
LN: Thank you. Cheers.
Oscar, a big congratulations. A big cheer when you walked over here. A big crowd of Papaya fans here. There's a lot of support for you and Lando this weekend.
Oscar Piastri: Yeah, it's cool to be here, especially when you get a result like this. I think the first one-two in qualifying for McLaren for a very long time, so very happy. Of course, when I miss out by two hundredths, you think of all the little things you can do a bit better, but an amazing result for the team. We had a bit of a tricky day on my side yesterday, so it was nice to bounce back this morning, and then obviously this afternoon in quali, it wasn't easy. A lot of decisions on the fly, and to end up with both cars on the front row is an amazing result.
You said it's super close, it certainly was. Is there anything that you could have done slightly different out there? Anything sort of left on the table? Was there a small mistake along the lap?
OP: Not really. The first lap, yes, but the second lap, honestly, it was pretty good. I've already seen where I was a little bit slower, and then you think, 'ah yeah, I could have done this a bit better, that a bit better', but still a good lap. I'm happy with my day's work, and it's a long run down to Turn 1, so everything is still to play for tomorrow, and a lot of points are on the table.
So Lando's just in front of you. What's the mind-set heading down into Turn 1 tomorrow?
OP: I mean, of course, I want to get into the lead, but, yeah, we have both cars on the front row. We've got a big task ahead of us trying to win this championship as a team, and we'll be smart. We've got a very quick car. It's been working extremely well this weekend, and, yeah, we want to keep it one-two, and I think we'll fight amongst ourselves for who gets one.
Max, well done. A bit of frustration there though at the end of that run, a bit of frustration over the line?
Max Verstappen: Yeah, I mean, I tried. The whole weekend I think we have been a little bit behind, and I think that was also the case in qualifying. I tried to make it as close as possible, but unfortunately, yeah, just not enough. A bit difficult to pinpoint why that is. Yeah, I would have liked a bit more grip, but it's not there at the moment. But P3 is still very close. I just hope that for tomorrow, of course, the car is good in the race, and at least that we can follow them and see what we can do there.
It is very close, a lot closer than we have seen in previous years. Are you enjoying having this battle with other teams joining you for that battle for pole position?
MV: Of course, I love competition, but I would like to be on top of the competition. And at the moment, I feel like we are chasing and having a few more difficult weekends. But, you know, I don't back out of a fight. But, yeah, we're just in a bit of a tricky situation, I guess.
And it's a long race tomorrow. It's going to be a hot race tomorrow. It's hard to overtake here. Do you feel you've got the car underneath you to move forward?
MV: Let's see. I mean, the last few races, I think, especially McLaren, has been really, really good in the race, even compared to qualifying. So, of course, today was a lot colder than expected, I guess, with the clouds and a bit of the rain. Tomorrow is going to be quite a different day, and I just hope that that will help us.
Press Conference
Lando, many congratulations. That was a difficult qualifying session to navigate. How satisfying is it to come away with pole position?
LN: I mean, always pole positions are satisfying, I guess. So yeah, good. I think great for us as a team. We're first and second. I don't know when we've last locked out a front row. But yeah, great run for the team and tricky conditions to do it in especially. So not easy, but always good fun around here. And same time, as much as the conditions are difficult, it's still fun out there. So yeah, some nice laps, especially my Q3 lap. I only had one set of new tyres. And we decided to put them on early just in case the rain came, which it kind of didn't. But it was still have a good enough lap to stay on pole, so happy with it.
McLaren's first front row lockout since 2012. Tell us a little bit more about grip levels. They seemed to change from lap to lap. Just how difficult was it to find the limit without going over it?
LN: Honestly, it wasn't too difficult, apart from I think when the rain started to come back at the end of Q1, I think it was. Yeah, before there was the crash, that was the only time when I backed off probably a bit more just to be safe. It's that time when you're like, 'do I push and take the risk or do I not?' But apart from that, honestly, the track dried so quickly. So as soon as it stopped raining, it was perfect. And yeah, it could push. I mean, the grip was high compared to yesterday. It was night and day. It was like two-and-a-half or two seconds quicker. So it felt a lot better today in general. The car came alive a lot more today than it was yesterday as well. So I think maybe that played into our hands a little bit. And then tomorrow it flips back to being pretty hot. So yeah, looking forward to it.
Well, let's throw it forward to tomorrow. How confident are you in the long run pace of the car?
LN: As confident, I think, as we have been for a while, like both quali and races, we've been strong. I think our bad one is still, you know, it's been third or fourth, but our good ones have been chances to win. So definitely, once again, a good opportunity for that, for both of us and for us as a team to score some big points. And that's our target tomorrow.
And Lando, this is the first time you and Oscar have been on the front row together. What are the rules of engagement? as you go down to Turn 1?
LN: I mean, we'll get... We did have a front row somewhere, or we were just side by side at another time? Maybe Qatar, yeah. [To Max] You're coming over the back of my car? That's not very nice. The Bottas! Honestly, it's something we'll talk about, and the same as we've always done. We've always kept it clean. I think we've treated each other well and given each other respect, helped each other when we needed to. So, yeah, no worries from our part.
Alright, look, very well done. Thank you. Oscar, let's come to you now. Just a couple of hundredths off your teammate. You found a lot of time on that second run in Q3. Where did you find it?
OP: Turn 4. In the first lap of Q3, I made a massive mistake in Turn 4. Yeah, it was just a pretty poor lap. And yeah, the last lap was pretty solid. Of course, when you cross the line and see it's so close you think of all the little things you could have done better. But honestly, it was a solid lap. There's nothing I would massively change on it. So no, pretty happy with it. Obviously, the car's been really quick this weekend and a good opportunity to win.
And was it a smooth session for you through Q1, Q2?
OP: Pretty smooth, yeah. I think, you know, the rain was a bit tricky at the start of Q1. You know, some of the kerbs were a bit wet and it was just enough rain that you couldn't actually improve. And then DRS got disabled and then... It was a bit of a weird session. And from that point on, it was relatively smooth. But yeah, not the easiest of conditions.
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