James, if we could start with you. Let's start by talking about the business here in Zandvoort this weekend. The team has been very quick here these past two seasons. How's it looking this year?{/i
James Vowles: The good news is it looks like it's continued on as it has done. The car works well here. It's a mixture of the speed of the corners and the layout, and I think the banking helps us as well. I don't quite think where we are in the timing sheets this morning is representative. We're a little bit further away than that, but we should have a car that's fighting for points here.
Let's go bigger picture now. Ten races to go. We've all just come back from the break. You're involved in a very tense battle... Bigger picture: the battle for P5? Give us an idea of what the message is as we go into these last 10 races.
JV: Yeah. I think we put an upgrade on the car in Spa. That's our last upgrade, but it should put us in a position now where it's going to be tough. But we are in the fight for fifth to the end of the season. That's the reality behind it. We just have to do everything perfectly well. Now, of course, nothing happens perfectly in Formula 1, but the message to the team was: we know we're focused on '26, we know we're asking a lot of you here at the track to deliver everything you can with the car we have, and we know that other teams like Aston and potentially Sauber will keep pushing that car further forward. But you can see, race-on-race, what happens. If you get the car in the right position at the right time, especially in mixed conditions, you can walk away with a bag full of points, which will protect you at the end of the year. So, I mean, the main message now is we have three races - here, Monza and Baku - where I know our car will perform. So we need to maximise that. Then beyond there, let's take every opportunity that comes our way.
You say the focus is 2026. Of course it is. So how important is P5 in the Constructors' Championship? If it's P5, P6... does it actually matter to the team? Or as long as you make the step forward next year, that's the only thing that matters?
JV: I mean, the money's nice, but that's honestly the only difference between those two. I don't care where we start up and down the grid. It doesn't make a single bit of difference to me. Internally, the reason why we made decisions we did on cutting the investment in this year's car was quite straightforward. If we finish sixth or seventh, so be it. We have to make sure that we're making big steps forward. We have to remember where we came from - is last. That's where we were. And we have a long way to go to even get close to the likes of someone like Mercedes. So let's forward invest in the future. And if that means we compromise fifth, so be it. But we'll fight with our heart until the end of it.
James, thank you for that. Toto, let's bring you in. P3 in the Constructors' Championship, everyone back to work. What is your message to your racing team as we go into this second part of the season?
Toto Wolff: Go for it. Well, I don't know what Flavio said before, but clearly James' perspective is the right one here. We're embarking on a completely new set of regulations, and they're extremely complicated. Nobody really knows where you're going to fall out, and therefore you need to give it the highest priority. And at the same time, no racing team will want to give up a season. So how we try to do it is to deploy our trackside engineering team, a small group of engineers back at base, on that current project without bringing any more major upgrades, but really optimising the product, trying to learn as much as possible for next year. Also, there are certain variables and then there are certain topics which will continue - like the tyres. And we're giving it everything to perform, but also, it's all about winning a championship. Nobody remembers who came second, third, fifth or last. And that's why you need to see the positives. The further down the chain you are, the more wind tunnel time you're going to get for the following year. And that, under the new regulations, is of a massive advantage.
Does the car - or the product, as you call it - have the underlying pace to beat Ferrari this year?
TW: There are big fluctuations in performance. You know, in this sport, we tend to be manic-depressive. One weekend, Ferrari is great, and everybody says, well, now they're on a trajectory to challenge McLaren and finish second. And the next weekend it's us again. I think it's very difficult to predict.
Now, I'm sure we're going to hear who your driver lineup is in 2026 soon. But can I talk about a driver who has recently been announced as a Cadillac driver: Valtteri Bottas? What does he bring to a new team, do you think?
TW: Valtteri is a very, very interesting one because he had the fortune and misfortune to go against Lewis Hamilton as a team-mate when Lewis was at the peak of his game. James and I, we've been in this for a very long time. Valtteri has tremendous speed and is, in our opinion, one of the best drivers on the grid. Valtteri left the Mercedes team because we promoted George Russell - similar to Kimi today - a young gun that was with Williams for a time because he was in the junior programme and looked very promising. That was Valtteri. And since then, he's dominated every team-mate he's had in whatever car. I'm really happy. Obviously, we love Valtteri as a third driver and as a reserve. I said it before - if one of our works drivers were to have fish poisoning, we know we [can] put someone in the car that can be as fast and competitive. There is no compromise by putting Valtteri in the car on a given Saturday or Sunday. That obviously goes missing now because he's going to Cadillac. But at the same time, we're racers, and we love for him to have the opportunity of going back onto the grid in an exciting new project, and I'm sure he will shine.
Thank you for that. Flavio, good to see you again. Can I bring you in on the subject of Bottas, first of all? Bottas and Pérez - were they ever an option?
Flavio Briatore: No, really. I talked with a lot of people. I talked with Bottas as well. We talked with Toto as well at the time, but really, there was never a discussion for Bottas to drive for Alpine. I think so Alpine helped Bottas a little bit to sign the contract with Cadillac. We did some marketing. But this is the reason, honestly. I like Valtteri because he's a super driver. And what Toto says is exactly the same. He was unlucky to be in Mercedes at the same time as Lewis, when Lewis was really at the peak of his driving. We have a different idea, but it's nice to have Valtteri back. It's nice to have a driver back with a lot of experience, but I'm looking for something else.
Can we talk about the incumbent now in your second seat - Franco Colapinto? What do you need to see from him for him to retain that seat?
FB: I think I see everything already. I don't need to see anything anymore. It's difficult. For this driver, it's very difficult to cope with this car. These cars are very, very heavy, very quick. And for a young driver to put in Formula 1, maybe it was not the timing to have Franco in Formula 1. Maybe he needs another year or two to be part of Formula 1. And I know that, in the end, what is important is the result. He tries very hard. He tries very hard with the engineers to please them in everything, but it's not what I expect from Colapinto.
Final one from me. Steve Nielsen starts work for the team next week. What do you see as job number one for him?
FB: Not just job number one. When you're in Formula 1, in one team, it's a job for the team. And it will be good. I've known Steve a long time - he was with me at Renault. We need somebody like Steve. We need a team manager. We need somebody who knows the system and knows the people, and someone who coordinates the team from A to Z. It's not just one job I expect from Steve. I expect Steve to be in charge from A to Z. Basically, it's what the managing director is doing. And I'm happy to have Steve next week. I believe the first day is Monday, and our first race with Steve is in Monza.
Questions From The Floor
(Diletta Colombo - AutoMoto.it) A question for Flavio. Pierre has done an outstanding job in what has been a very difficult season for your team. Do you feel like he's the right person to steer the team into the future?
FB: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely, yes.
Flavio, what impresses you the most about Pierre Gasly?
FB: He's good. He's consistent. He's a team player. I know him very well. We need some base in the team, and Pierre is a base in the team for the future.
(Christian Menath - Motorsport-magazin.com) Flavio, another one for you. Christian Horner could be available for your team. Did you consider him taking on board the Alpine project? Did you already talk to him as he's a good friend of yours as well?
FB: I no consider in this moment anything. Christian is not in Formula 1 in this moment anymore. I hope he comes back soon. But for the moment, he's not in the picture of the team.
Check out our Friday gallery from Zandvoort here.
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