Track Interviews - Conducted by Martin Brundle

Max, unbelievable. Congratulations. You've been the reigning world champion since Abu Dhabi 2021. And you still are. You're still in the game for this year's world championship.
Max Verstappen: Yeah. This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call there as a team to box under that Safety Car, and yeah, that was smart. And of course, super happy to win here. We stay, of course, in the fight 'til the end.

But your pace was great as well. You could keep the McLarens in sight all the time.
MV: Yeah, I think of course it was a little bit offset because of it all, but for us I think it was a very strong race on a weekend where I think it was a little bit tough. But yeah, we still won the race and that was the most important.

When McLaren didn't pit, did you think, I've got this, I can do this?
MV: Yeah, I was like, 'that's an interesting move'. I knew that then, of course, we had a bit of a gap but still you need to keep the tyres alive for 25 laps as well. The wear is very high around here, but luckily it all worked out.

Thank you. Oscar, P2, you gave it your best. You closed to within eight seconds. You had to make that extra pit stop up, but it wasn't quite enough on the night.
Oscar Piastri: Yeah. You know, clearly, we didn't get it right tonight. I drove the best race that I could, as fast as I could, and yeah, there was nothing left out there. So tried my best, but it wasn't to be tonight unfortunately.

Do you think the team maybe should have split the strategy, or obviously now in hindsight you'd like to have come in on that Safety Car?
OP: I think in hindsight it's pretty obvious what we would have done, but I'm sure we'll discuss it as a team.

But once again, you're still very much in the championship hunt.
OP: Yep. Yeah, I mean it's not all bad, obviously. It's been a really good weekend. The pace has been very strong, but yeah, obviously a little bit tough to swallow at the moment.

So, Carlos, I am so happy for you. So happy for your team. What a brilliant drive. Once again, onto the podium for Williams. Congratulations.
Carlos Sainz: Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I'm so happy. So proud of the whole team for what we've done today because we came into this weekend thinking it was going to be the most difficult weekend of the year and suddenly, we came out with a podium out of it. We nailed the race pace. I was super quick, much quicker than expected. We nailed the strategy. We nailed the tyre management, nailed the start, nailed all the defending and management, and that brought us an unexpected podium. So, I cannot be more proud.

And the team delivered you a great pit stop and somehow fed you back into the pit lane.
CS: That's why we got everything right today. You know, we had a tough first half of the season where things didn't come together, but we improved in so many areas during the year. And today, there were a few opportunities out there to grab, and we grabbed all of them by executing a perfect race. And yeah, honestly, I'm over the moon with this podium because I absolutely didn't expect it.

Well done again. Max, final word. Can you do this? Can you still take this world championship?
MV: Well, it's all possible now. We'll see. I don't really worry about it too much.

Not too long to wait now.
MV: Exactly. Next weekend.

Press Conference

Max, a brilliant win by you. Very well done. After starting P3, just tell us how this race ended up coming to you.
MV: Yeah. I mean, the start was decent. So, I got one spot, and then from there, I was, of course, just looking after the tyres a bit. But then, yeah, of course, the Safety Car came out basically at the right lap. So, we opted to box, and I guess a lot of people behind me had the same idea. So, yeah, the team did a very good job there. Stayed out of trouble also with the pit lane. You know, it was quite a busy pit lane. And from there onwards, I knew that we probably did the right thing. I think I also knew that the two McLarens needed a lot of pace to overcome basically that kind of pit stop. So I think when the Safety Car went away, of course, initially they pulled away quite a bit. But for me, it was just making sure that these two stint lengths were in the best possible pace from the first step until the end. And I think we managed that well. Just trying to do my own pace and look after the tyres, and it was enough until the flag.

That Safety Car, just how surprised were you when you saw the McLarens stay out?
MV: Well, I mean, first of all, when they called me in, I had to look and remember that it was lap-like, we were going into lap seven. So I was like, okay, now we can go to the end. So then, yeah, I was a bit surprised once I did the whole pit stop because, I mean, when they call you in, you focus on the box and making sure you're not in trouble with releasing and whatever. So when I came out of the pit, I was like, okay, I think this is a very good opportunity now for us to win the race.

Was staying out even discussed over the radio?
MV: I don't know. I didn't hear anything. So maybe they were talking on the pit wall. But to me, it was very clear. I just got the call to box.

Did you think at that moment this race was yours to lose?
MV: I thought at that moment that there was a big chance of winning it, yeah. I don't think about losing. That's not in my head. I think about how to win.

Look, Max, the car looked really strong today. Can you just tell us in what areas it was better in the race than it had been earlier in the weekend?
MV: I mean, it was still the same as in qualifying. I'm struggling with the same things, but we won the race today by the strategy. And then, from there onwards, just trying to manage your issues in the best possible way, and I think we did that very well.

Let's throw it forward a week. Just how hopeful are you about the car's potential in Abu Dhabi next week?
MV: I have no idea. I mean, again, I hope that we start the weekend well. Let's say like that. That would help a lot. I think on pure pace, it will be tough, but a race like today also shows that it's not always straightforward, a Grand Prix, and a lot of things can happen. So I'm probably relying a little bit on that.

You're 12 points behind Lando Norris. Given the season you've had, how much are you relishing this opportunity?
MV: I'm excited. I mean, I'm happy to go there and have a go at it. But like I said before, you need to also be realistic, that I think on pure pace, we're not at the same level. But at the same time, when strategy maybe comes into play or making the right calls at the right time, we might have the opportunity.

Alright. Very well done today. Thank you for that, Max. Oscar, if we could come to you now. 'Speechless - I don't have any words,' that's you said over the radio on the slowdown lap. Can you describe your level of frustration after this P2?
OP: Pretty high - and that's saying quite a lot given the last few races I've had. But, yeah, I mean, clearly, we didn't get it right today, which is a shame because the whole weekend went very, very well. We had a lot of pace. I felt like I drove well. So, yeah, it's pretty painful.

Which hurts more: the disqualification last weekend or the loss of a win here in Qatar?
OP: I mean, I think on a personal level, I feel like I've lost a win today. You know, in Vegas, I lost a P4. Obviously, for the team, it was a pretty painful weekend. But, yeah, I think for me personally, this probably hurts more.

Can we delve into the Safety Car decision to stay out a little bit? Did you ask to pit yourself, and how surprised were you when you were aware that everyone behind you was pitting?
OP: I asked, what are we doing? Because we were getting pretty close to the pit entry and I hadn't had a call yet. So, you know, I think when you don't get a call instantly when the Safety Car comes out, clearly there's probably some discussions going on about what to do. And in that situation, you have to trust the team because they have a lot more information than the driver in the car on where gaps are and stuff like that. So, yeah, I mean, in that scenario I have to trust what the team decide.

Let's look at the positives. You were on pole, you won the Sprint, and you were brilliantly fast all weekend. Just how much of a consolation is all that?
OP: I think in the next few days, probably, yes, that will be quite an encouraging thing. I think this weekend is probably one of my best of the season. There are one or two others that I can think of being on the same level as this weekend. So, from that side of things, I'm very, very happy and very pleased to just be back in terms of pace. But unfortunately, it's another weekend where something's just not gone our way.

Alright. Oscar, thank you very much for that. Carlos, let's come to you. Brilliant performance by you. Now, you came into Qatar saying that you were probably going to have the most difficult weekend of the season, yet here you are in P3. Can you just explain what's happened?
CS: Yeah, I don't know. I think it's obviously partly due to-or mainly due to-the hard work I think everyone's done trying to prepare this race after the very difficult weekend we had in Budapest, which is kind of, sort of, this long, medium-speed combined corners that we always seem to be very, very weak. We put together a plan with the team to try some different things in the simulator and in the factory to try and switch on the car for these kinds of track. And to be honest, right from the get-go in practice, the car was a lot better than expected, a lot more competitive.
And then we did another couple of changes going into the main quali and the main race after our learnings from the Sprint that really switched on the car, especially in the race pace. Yesterday, we struggled a lot with front deg. Today, the car felt a lot better, and we went from seeing Antonelli checking out in the Sprint and giving us ten seconds, to all of a sudden, today having a chance to keep him behind, race him, and even, obviously, with the strategy thing of the McLarens also keep Lando behind.

Compared to Hungary, just how different was the set-up on the car here in Qatar?
CS: Very different. Very, very different. I had a few ideas for the team to try and simulate, or the team came up with some other ideas and together we put together, I think, a car that honestly since the first lap was a lot better than what we thought. Already in the simulator it felt OK, but you never really trust the simulator fully. You say, no, it cannot be this good. And suddenly from the first lap of FP1, I think I was trading P1s, P2s, and P3s with these guys, and I was like, yeah, this might be working. And then we did some good progress through the weekend. Then we executed a really good race, with a good start from P7 to P5, great pit stops, great strategy, great management of the gaps, and the tyre management that we have to do with cars that are a bit quicker than us around us, you know, they're forcing us to push on that front left tyre, which here is never easy. We managed that really well, and that brought us the P3.

If only you'd made these set-up changes earlier in the year...
CS: But it's not possible because in order to make them, you need to know the car, and you need to try multiple things-trial and error. You need to get it wrong many weekends to know that this doesn't work, to then try the other direction that might work. And the other direction sometimes doesn't work either. And you need to try a completely different thing and you make another mistake. So, I always say the same thing: it takes time. When you switch teams, it really, really takes time - and races. There is no testing. So, you need to try things on a race weekend and you need your first 10-15 races to understand these kinds of things-your simulator sessions to try things. And you need the team to be brave. You need also people to be bold and come up with ideas. And in the end, it always pays off. There are no secrets in this sport. I think hard work and good understanding, good conclusions always pay off. And to be honest, the second half of the year, we are performing at a very high level.

Given everything you've just said, does this P3 feel sweeter than Baku?
CS: It feels different. Baku was a bit of a relief because I'd had such a difficult 10 races. I was very quick in the first few races, but always things happening to me. No results coming my way. One of those seasons. I think in the career of an F1 driver, you always have years where, for some reason, things don't come your way. Doesn't matter if it's luck, racing incidents, whatever. It just never comes together. But Baku was a relief-as soon as I got a chance to fight for a podium, I took it, and I gave the team the podium that I felt we needed and we deserved. And here, it's more a combination of hard work and understanding. I'm extremely proud of the team because we've also struggled a bit at the beginning of the year with race execution, team calls, quali execution. And this weekend, everyone's done a perfect job. Also, the pit stops were perfect. Everyone was perfect, and it's exactly what we all needed.