Q: Franco, if we could start with you please. Welcome back, good to see you again. Just how excited are you to go racing again in Formula 1?

Franco Colapinto: Really excited. You know, everything is new again. We start from zero. It wasn't the nicest to be... after doing the last nine races of last year and then having to step out. It was not what I wanted, but it was a good time to reflect on what happened and to learn from it. So, happy to be back. Of course, it's never nice circumstances when it happens like this, when you step in another driver's seat, but you never really choose the moment you do it in Formula 1. I just take it, try to do my best and try to maximise it for the job.

Q: Tell us about your preparation. What have the last 10 days or so been like for you?
FC: There has been a lot of work in the background. Apart from the last couple of days, also before. I've been doing a lot of sim work for the team. Of course, not trackside but still helping the team to try to develop the car during race weekends. It has helped me a bit to learn the car, the tools, the different settings the team is running, because I'm not very used to it. It's quite a big switch from one team to another, so it has been helpful. And then, of course, the prep since it got announced has been very strong. We've been doing a lot of things in the sim. So happy. It's been a really long time since I've been in a race weekend. A bit rusty maybe, but I think it's going to come off very quickly.

Q: Franco, a long time since you've been at a race weekend. But when was the last time you drove a Formula 1 car? Has there been any TPC running or was it Abu Dhabi?
FC: I drove the day after it was announced, in Zandvoort. So I think it was one day before you guys were there. A lot of fans, it wasn't really a private test.

Q: How was the neck?
FC: It was OK. Still getting kind of used to it. The body had to adjust. So it was tricky at the start, but it just takes a while. Imola is a tough track physically. It's not like my start in Monza, which is the easiest one of the year. But it's great to be back. It's great that it happens in Italy as well. I have really good memories here and in Monza too. So yeah, excited about the weekend.

Q: What are your goals for this weekend?
FC: I think just try to focus on myself. It's very tricky to have any expectations. I haven't even driven the car yet, so lots of things to learn. But I think we are doing the right steps and if we go little by little, I think I'm going to arrive to a decent place.

Q: Thank you very much, Franco. Lance, if we could come to you now. You've finished in the points here at Imola for the last three visits. You were unbeatable here in Formula 3 as well. Just tell us the secrets of Imola. You clearly go very well here.
Lance Stroll: Yeah. I mean, it's a track I just always enjoy coming back to. It's got great character. It's one of those old-school tracks. It's just fun to drive and somewhere I've always enjoyed racing, so it's good to be back.

Q: Talk to us about the season now. There were those points finishes in the first two races. Obviously the Sprint went well in Miami last time out as well, but it's been tougher going both for you and Aston Martin these past few races. What are the limitations of this car?
LS: We just need to find more speed, more performance. We picked up a few points in Miami, which was good, but it was just circumstance, with the rain and stuff in the Sprint, so we took advantage of that. But we're not in a position to score points every weekend just on pure pace. We need to look for performance in all areas and just keep pushing.

Q: Performance in all areas, but if we were to compare this year's car with last year's car, where is it?
LS: I just don't think it's too different. We just haven't made progress. It's just kind of the same.

Q: Is it more difficult to drive, the 2024 car?
LS: No, it's not. It's just the same. But if you're not putting a lot of lap time on the car every week and developing the car, then you just kind of fall backwards. I think that's where we've ended up. We're just not putting the lap time on the car that we hope to be putting and that's why we're in a tricky spot right now.

Q: Are all the issues track specific or can we be hopeful for Imola this weekend? We've already discussed how much you like the track.
LS: Yeah, I think naturally there are tracks that suit the car better than others. But we've been to a lot of different kinds of tracks this year and we haven't been extremely competitive at any of them. So yeah, we'll see how we go this weekend.

Q: Thank you. Oscar, we'll come to you now. You took the scenic route to Imola yesterday. You went via Brisighella to collect your Lorenzo Bandini Award. Just tell us about that.
Oscar Piastri: It was very cool. Definitely an experience that I probably won't have again. It was a special day, obviously a real honour to receive the award, but even more so than that, just seeing some of the really passionate Italian fans. Considering I don't drive for the team in red, it was impressive to see how many people were there. Also, to meet some of my now very, very distant relatives, from where my family name originated, was very special. I'm now an honorary citizen of Licciana Nardi in Italy, which is where my great, great - maybe great - grandfather was from. So it was a special day. Another home race. Another one!

Q: Let's bring it on track. You've won four of the opening six. Just how much are you enjoying the ride at the moment?
OP: I mean, it's pretty hard to say that I'm not. When you've won four out of six, it's been a great start. I've been enjoying the success we've been having on track, but for me what's been very satisfying is all the work we've done behind the scenes to achieve that. It's quite a different feeling when you win a race because you feel like you've just gotten by or had good circumstances. But to now be winning because we have an incredibly quick car and I feel like I'm driving well, that's very satisfying. Of course, I've been enjoying standing on the podium as well. But more so the hard work behind the success.

Q: On the Sunday of Miami, you were 37 seconds ahead of the first non-McLaren. Can you explain to us why the gap was so big? Was that the first time this year that you've unleashed the true potential of the car?
OP: I think we saw a similar thing in Melbourne in the wet conditions, but Miami was potentially a circuit we were looking forward to from pretty early on. With the hotter temperatures, given some of the sessions we'd had earlier in the season, we thought that might play more to our strengths. And I think Sunday in Miami proved that. I'm not expecting that to be the case every weekend. I would love that to be the case, but in those hotter conditions and that circuit characteristic, it worked well for us. I think it'll be difficult to repeat that consistently. We'll see what we can do.

Q: Repeat that result here in Imola?
OP: I don't know. We've got very soft tyres this weekend, so maybe that will help us. But it's a lot cooler than it was in Miami. The track is also incredibly different - much bumpier, much higher speeds in general. I expect the competition to be closer than it was in Miami. We saw in qualifying that the competition was on our heels and ahead of us. So we still have to make sure we go out and execute everything as well as we can, because if we fall through a little bit, then we've got plenty of competition that can beat us.

Questions From The Floor

Q: (Craig Slater - Sky Sports) Welcome back, Franco. Can you explain to us why it says it's five races you're back for initially? And what kind of targets or guidance have the team given you so that you can extend that to at least the end of the season?
FC: I think as a driver, I'm just trying to go step by step. I don't really know the car, so a lot of new things coming and I just want to do the basics right and then the results are going to come. I'm not really expecting any kind of result. The performance of the teams is so tight and it changes from track to track. At the end, in FP1 and FP2 we don't really have a clear view of where we are at. We're still working a lot with the team. The main goal is to make the car quicker as well. We need to find a lot of performance, and I think that's going to come with a lot of work from everyone. So that's the main goal - to try and improve the performance and then of course, after these five races, we'll see.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio - Sky Sports Italy) A question to Oscar. You've already won four races. Do you feel you can run away with this World Championship? Do you feel you have the strength to do it?
OP: I mean, I think we have the strengths and characteristics to keep winning races, definitely. I think we've seen at various tracks that the competition is close. I'm not expecting every weekend to look like Sunday did in Miami. Friday and Saturday in Miami didn't look as good as Sunday, that's for sure. So I think there will be a lot of competition, but I feel like I'm driving well at the moment. I feel like the team's doing a really good job helping me get the most out of myself, get the most out of the car. Clearly the car is very strong. So yeah, I think we have the potential to have a really good year, but I'm not too concerned about that at the moment - just trying to win more races.

Q: (Harry Benjamin - Sky Sports F1) Question to Oscar, and actually all of you if you want to speak on it. I'm going to bring up the update to the swearing penalty - the race ban has been removed and the fines are cut in half. Do you feel like you're being heard by the FIA? Are you pleased to see some movement around this?
OP: I think the fact that there have been changes made is good. Also, the things in fine print, the stewards have a lot more control now, which I think is a good thing because the circumstances definitely need to be taken into account. So I think it's a good step forward. That's all I've got. I think one of the big things for the FIA was putting something in for abusing officials, which I think is very fair and reasonable. I think maybe some of the other areas got a bit caught up in that sentiment and felt a bit harsh. But I think there are some genuine reasons behind what they're doing. I think they've listened to some of our feedback and the changes are in the right direction.