Track Interviews - Conducted by Giedo van der Garde.

Max Verstappen, second today. I think that was probably the thing that you could do, not more.
Max Verstappen: Yeah, it wasn't easy. I gave it everything at the start to move forward. Little moment in Turn 2. But yeah, after that, we just had to do our own race. Unfortunately, we didn't have the pace of the McLarens. We got a bit lucky, of course, with one retiring, but in general, to be on the podium here is a great result. So to be in second, I think is a really, really good achievement for us.

Tell me about the moment, because it looked like quite a bit oversteer. In Turn 2, you tried also with Oscar on the outside in Turn 1, but then you went also outside of Lando in Turn 2, but you had a huge moment there.
MV: Yeah, I tried to send it into Turn 3, but unfortunately there was too much sand in Turn 2 from the middle of the track to the outside. I knew that we had the softer compound, so I tried to make it work on that first lap.

Isack Hadjar, your first ever Formula 1 podium here in Zandvoort. You must be over the moon.
Isack Hadjar: Yeah, it feels a bit unreal. What was most surprising to me is keeping that fourth place for the whole race. Unfortunately for Lando, we took advantage of his [sic] puncture, but yeah, we did no mistake. The car was on rails the whole weekend, and I'm really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had. Made no mistakes and brought home the podium. So yeah, I'm so happy for my guys.

Could you have ever dreamed this before when you were a young kid, to stand here, to have your first podium?
IH: Yeah. That was always the target since I was a kid. So, this is a first step, my first podium, and hopefully many more to come.

Oscar, you are a Heineken Dutch Grand Prix winner. How does that feel?
Oscar Piastri: Yeah, it feels good, obviously. I feel like it's a pretty hard act to follow Isack standing up here, so I'll try my best. But yeah, I controlled the race when I needed to and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end, but I felt like I was in control of that one and just used the pace when I needed to. It was a bit of a different race to 12 months ago. So very happy with all the work we've done to try and improve around here and very satisfied to come out on top.

Last year, you struggled a little bit here. What did you change to have the success and the win here?
OP: Nothing special. Just trying to improve everywhere we can. The start of this weekend was looking like a difficult one and managed to get it together in qualifying. I was happy with the pace I had today. Very, very happy. Obviously, a couple of safety cars spiced it up a little bit, and we weathered it all. So, I'm very proud of the whole team. It wasn't just myself that improved to get here. It was the whole team around me and without them, none of this is possible. So, it's a big team effort.

I think it's a perfect start for the second part of the season, no?
OP: Yep. Starting out on top is a good way to go. If we can keep it running then that'd be great. But there's a long way to go yet and we'll keep doing it one race at a time.

You looking forward to next week already?
OP: Yes, I am.

Press Conference

Oscar, very well done. You were never headed in what was a tricky race, and you got a huge haul of points to boot over your teammate as well. Can you start just by summing it all up for us?
OP: Yep. I've got lollie stuck in my teeth now, so... It's already the best press conference ever, we've got food! It was a really good race. Felt like I was in control the whole time. Obviously, the restarts are always tough moments to get right, but I felt in control. Obviously, the ending was unfortunate for Lando and the team to not have a one-two when I think we really deserved it. But from my side, very proud of the week we put together, being quick when it mattered. So very happy.

You say you're proud of the week that you've put together. Think back twelve months to this race last year when you were half a second off Lando in qualifying, you came home P4. Just how satisfying, considering where you were then, is this weekend?
OP: Very. I think qualifying was the key this weekend. Through the free practice sessions, it was looking like a difficult Zandvoort again, but we chipped away, tried to find time, tweak the car here and there, but just tried to really improve how I was driving because, let's be honest, it's pretty hard to complain about the car we've got. So just tried to chip away with that and it came good when it mattered. And through the race today, I felt like I had good pace as well and used that when I needed to. So massively proud of firstly myself, but also the whole team around me in turning it around from 12 months ago.

The closest anyone got to you today was at the start. Can you just talk us through those opening few corners?
OP: Yeah. I mean, it wasn't the best start I've ever had and had to cover the inside. Obviously, I knew Max was on softs and was keeping an eye on him. And then going through Turn 2 and into Turn 3 I saw Max very sideways in my mirrors. I was just hoping that he wasn't going to run into the side of me, but it worked out fine. From then on, I could bring the tyres in and control it. And then I was pretty happy.

Can you tell us about the Safety Car restarts? You went early all three times, nailed it each time. But did you consider leaving it until later down the pit straight?
OP: Not really. I mean, the first one worked very well, but then the next two, you don't have many options left to you. I think the longer you leave it, especially once you get into the pit straight, everyone knows you're going to go sooner or later. So, I was just trying to change it up as much as I could. Didn't work that well on the last two, but it was just enough. That was probably the hardest part, but I think we managed it well.

Finally, can we just get your thoughts on the 34-point lead you've got over your team-mate in the championship now. It's still a long way to go, but is that a gap that you can now play with and play the percentage game at the Grands Prix?
OP: No, I don't think so. There's still a long way to go. I need to keep pushing and trying to win races still. I wouldn't say it's a very comfortable margin. As we saw today, it can change with one DNF very, very quickly. So this far out from the end of the year, it's not a comfortable gap.

Max, if we can come to you now. Another podium in front of the Orange Army at home. And given where you were on Friday with the car, just how satisfying is this P2?
MV: Yeah. I mean, we take it. Qualifying was good. I hoped for a little bit more today, but quite quickly I realized the pace was not there. It always seems like in the race we just struggle more than over one lap with the tyre behaviour, with the car, and that was very obvious again today. So, I just tried to manage my pace, but that basically meant it was more of a fight with the cars behind me than whatever was happening in front of me.

Tell us about the strategy. You went for the soft tyre twice.
MV: Yeah, that for me felt the best after Friday. So that was planned. And of course, with the Safety Cars everyone has to box again to take fresh tyres. But yeah, it was all according to plan.

Oscar referred to the opening lap. You made a brilliant start and then you had the huge moment going into Turn 3. Just talk us through the opening lap from your point of view.
MV: The start was alright, to be honest. Then I tried to go around the outside in Turn 1. Then into Turn 2, but there's always a lot of sand in that corner from the middle of the track to the edge. With the soft compound I just still pushed the entry and then went a bit sideways heading into Turn 3, but it was all okay.

Once ahead of Lando, how confident were you of staying ahead?
MV: Not at all. But I still wanted to have a bit of fun out there. When I got ahead, I just followed my pace and that meant at one point Lando got ahead again. You could see, I mean, it's a different league. There's no point trying to ruin your own race defending really hard or losing two, three laps defending for your life. Unfortunately, there's no point in that.

Finally, before we go to Isack, who's just had his first podium in Formula 1. He's part of the Red Bull family. Can you just give us a few thoughts on the job he's done today and this year so far?
MV: Yeah, it's fantastic. Honestly, coming in as a rookie is not easy with these cars. For him to be on the podium here is fully deserved. I think he had a great weekend, but also drove a great race. And of course, also for the team, I think the whole season already they have been on it. And Isack is then finishing the job and that's just fantastic to see.

Isack, many congratulations on the first podium in Formula One. Can you start by giving us your emotions and what is a huge day in your career?
IH: Yep. I mean, outstanding day. I did not expect that waking up this morning. I was being very realistic. I knew there was George behind me and both Ferraris. Also didn't run on Friday, any long run, so I didn't have a clue. So, to cross the line third is just unreal.

How difficult was it to deal with the pressure of George Russell, as you say, both Ferraris breathing down your neck all race?
IH: Yeah, it was very tricky. Thankfully I had an okay start to keep fourth and from there, on the opening laps, I knew Charles would be trying to go for the move, which he did. I was really comfortable on the brakes, made sure I defended the right way and that's what we did. Once I was holding him for a while, I realised that we had the car pace to fight for big points. Towards the end of the race I thought if anything happens at the front, actually I'm on a podium finish position, and that's what happened.

Let's go big picture now. As I say, it's your first podium. When you look at your career to this point, is there one person you can think of without whom it wouldn't have been possible for you to be sitting here today?
IH: There's more than one person, obviously. First of all, my parents, my mum and my dad. And more sporting wise, Helmut who gave me this shot. I remember four years ago he signed me back in FRECA it was and he gave me a path, a trajectory, and I'm actually following it pretty well right now.

Final one from me. You go to the team's home race at Monza now. You've been consistent all season saying the car is fast. Just how much can you achieve at Monza?
IH: It's going to be tricky considering the very long straight line. But we can always be a bit surprised, and let's hope for a good result. Historically they had good car pace around here. Pierre won a few years ago, so they always bring back good memories.

Check out our Sunday gallery from Zandvoort here.