Q: Laurent, if we could start with you, please. Many congratulations on the new job, first of all. You've been in it about two weeks. Can you start by giving us your first impressions of Red Bull Racing?
Laurent Mekies: You know, the first impression is that you get into the building - a building Jonathan knows very well - you get through the trophy room and how can you feel? You just feel honoured, privileged. It's unbelievable achievements that the team have been getting the last 20 years. So that's the first wow effect you get. And then, of course, what these two weeks have been about is really trying to meet as many people as possible from the team. There is no other way, I think, to try to get to know the team, to start to understand the strengths and the weaknesses, to understand how we will be able to eventually support. That's what I've been doing the last two weeks, trying to meet as many of our people as possible. And the good news is it's an incredible team. They didn't win by luck or by mistakes. They won because of the accumulation of talents that there is in the buildings. Every small box you open and you look at how they go about a given topic or another thing, every time you say, "Wow, that's really nice." And that's all coming from the people there at all levels that have been doing amazing jobs for all these years. Maybe that man [Wheatley] as well. So really, that's how the first two weeks have been.
Q: And have you seen enough to be able to tell us what you think the biggest differences are between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls where you were before?
LM: The short answer is no. I think it would be wrong to compare teams at this stage. But it's fair to say that the game is changing when you try and fight for wins, when you're trying to fight for championships, and how extreme you have to go in every single area to grab the last bit of performance. That means you need to make some very bold choices, very bold decisions. This is what you find in all these small boxes we were talking about before - how extreme the team goes about every single detail in order to eventually get that ultimate performance that you need for the sort of ambition the team has.
Q: Jonathan, if I could come to you now, you joined Sauber mid-season. How difficult is it to pick up the baton during a busy racing season?
Jonathan Wheatley: I think it's a challenge, but everything about being a team principal of a Formula 1 team is a challenge. You can't always choose when you start the position, and you have to make the most of it. It's been a very intense period of time, my first four months or something with the team. I have to say I've loved every second: the new challenges, the energy, the atmosphere in the team. And of course, that's just getting stronger, and the energy is just getting more intense as a result of our performances recently.
Q: Just on the topic of Red Bull Racing, it's a team where you spent many years. Can you just give us your thoughts on the news that Christian Horner has been relieved of his operational duties?
JW: I'd like to start by saying look at what Christian achieved in that team. Look what the team that he was part of achieved over the last twenty years. I had a fantastic time in Milton Keynes. I have a slightly more scenic drive to work now, but I know the strength and depth of the people there, and I know the task that Laurent's taken on is going to be exciting for him. I want to say on a personal level that I wish Christian absolutely the very best in the future, but also that two really good friends of mine, this gentleman sat to my right here Laurent and also Alan Permane, it's provided opportunities in their careers and their career development. Honestly, out of everything comes something hugely positive, and I'm really, really pleased for Laurent and Alan.
Q: Jonathan, your team has scored more points in the last four races than Red Bull Racing. In terms of performance, do you feel you're building some momentum now in Hinwil?
JW: Yeah. I mean, look, let's face it. I doubt we're going to be regular competitors for podiums. But what I think it showed is that the small gains we're making behind the scenes, the things people can't see necessarily, on top of the performance we're putting on the car towards the end of a set of technical regulations where normally things are stale, all show good signs for the future. Like I said earlier, there's a great energy in the team. We're moving forwards. I'm not entirely sure we could have delivered that result earlier on in the season because you have to get everything right to get a podium, as these gentlemen know. But we got a great time to enjoy it and actually got to breathe and enjoy it at the factory before coming to the next race.
Q: Ayao, thank you for waiting. Let's come to you now. Am I talking to a team principal or a racing driver? Just how much did you enjoy driving the Haas at Goodwood last week?
Ayao Komatsu: I think everyone knows I'm not a racing driver! Far from it. I'm very grateful. Amazing opportunity. I used to go to Goodwood all the time, seeing those cars going up the hill, and I never thought I'd drive a car one day [there], let alone a Formula 1 car. When we asked Gene to drive and he said yes, we decided to do the preparation together, but I still wasn't going to drive it. Then he very generously let me do it with him. I'm very grateful about that. The best thing is we celebrated our ten years really in style, and Gene absolutely loved it. I've never seen him smile so much, shaking hands with everyone, interacting with fans. That was a great experience all around.
Q: You said after Silverstone that the team had underperformed in the race. What were the issues there?
AK: Issues, honestly, starting from myself really, the whole team including myself. I think we had a wrong mindset. I think Jonathan's team and Nico showed us how to do it. We knew we had a fast car. We knew we had fast drivers. What we should have done was just focus on our race, look at what's in front of us, and do the best. Don't worry about the results because the result will come.
I think Nico and Sauber made all the right decisions, judged the conditions very, very well, and then executed it. Such great teamwork. So honestly, congratulations for you guys and also very happy for Nico as well. It's a shame that Nico couldn't do it with us when he was with us, but again, it just shows it's so important to work as a team with the correct mindset, correct objectives. Just our approach was wrong. The good thing is we've got the machinery to do it. We've got the drivers to do it. We just need to put it right.
Q: I hope we might get mixed conditions this weekend here at Spa. Are you entering the race weekend with a different mindset?
AK: 100%. Yes.
Questions From The Floor
Q: (Ian Parkes - RacingNews365.com) Question for you, Laurent. Can you just give us an idea as to how things played out in the days following the British Grand Prix as much as you're allowed to, of course, with regard to the approach that was made to you to take over and, of course, your reaction to the news that the owners had decided to relieve Christian of his operational duties?
LM: Thank you. Well, it was not very different for me than it was for you, really, guys. I got a call a few hours before you guys were made aware. I got a call from Oliver [Mintzlaff] and Helmut [Marko], and they asked me if I would be interested to do the job. Obviously, it came out of the blue at that moment for me. I was actually in the UK at Racing Bulls and it came in a completely unexpected way. I actually asked them to think about it for a few hours and hung up the phone. It's difficult to digest. But the first thing that comes into your mind is, "Wait a second. It's Red Bull. They are calling you. They ask you to step in to do that job , with everything that Red Bull means - its energy, its spirit, how they go about their racing teams" and that's how you pick up the phone and you say, "Of course, it's an honour. It's a privilege." First thought obviously goes in this moment as well to Christian because it's not something I could have expected. And he had been nothing else than extremely supportive with me these last two years. It's not a secret that he's the one with Oliver and Helmut that brought me back to the Red Bull family a couple of years ago. So that's the sort of mix of emotions you get at that moment. But as I said, the dominant one is: it's Red Bull calling. I guess it's a matter of loyalty to go towards the brand and you just say, "Of course, if you think you need me there, I will go there."
Q: (Luke Smith - The Athletic) Laurent, another one for you. Max Verstappen's future has obviously been a big talking point in Formula 1 over the past few months. For you, how much of a priority is ensuring that Max will be remaining with the team for next year and the foreseeable future? And what conversations have you had with Max about his future?
LM: In terms of priority, I'm sure what Max wants is a fast car. If we get him a fast car, it cancels out all the other considerations. So really, the focus is very much, as we said earlier, to get to know the team as quickly as possible in order to see how we can support, how we can build the next step of competitiveness in order to get a fast car and hence make it an easy call for Max.
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