Dutch GP: Post Qualifying press conference

Parc Ferme Interviews – Performed by Giedo van der Garde

Q: Max Verstappen, for the second time in a row, pole place. That have to be feeling nice by yourself soil.
Max Verstappen: Unbelievable, particularly after yesterday as effectively. We had a tough day however I feel we labored rather well in a single day with the entire staff to show it round and in the present day we had a fast race automotive once more, nevertheless it was very shut and a lap round right here, a qualifying lap, is insane.

Q: Did you make a whole lot of adjustments from yesterday to in the present day?
MV: We modified lots as a result of yesterday it was a bit rushed in FP2 to get the automotive collectively however yeah, in the present day it was once more pleasant to drive.

Q: Charles, that was shut!
Charles Leclerc: Yeah, very, very shut. I imply, Max did a fantastic lap in the long run. Our automotive was getting higher and higher via qualifying. At the start I used to be fairly scared, as a result of Max was a lot, a lot faster than us on used tyres. However then in Q3, the automotive got here a bit extra collectively and I managed to do this lap, which was shut sufficient for P2. However tomorrow is the race and we’ll give all of it.

Q: I imply the automotive is working a lot better this weekend than final weekend, clearly. There’s way more downforce wanted right here. What do you suppose you are able to do tomorrow?
CL: Yeah, I imply we’re a lot stronger right here in comparison with final weekend in order that’s good to see. And for tomorrow, I feel our race tempo seems to be fairly robust. It’ll be shut with the Purple However however we simply have to do a fantastic begin after which we’ll see.

Q: Carlos, have been you proud of that lap?
Carlos Sainz: Yeah, it was a clear lap with no errors, simply lacking that final half a tenth to a tenth to beat Charles and Max. It was on the restrict on the market, each little metre of observe that you can use and that you can push was counting. It wasn’t a straightforward quali from Q1 to Q2 to Q3, however I feel in the long run we did an honest job.

Q: How is that this observe bodily? As a result of you do not have a whole lot of straight line to get well your self. Is it arduous?
CS: It is extremely powerful on the market, particularly with these heavier automobiles. The observe is very demanding on the tyres. We’ve a whole lot of overheating through the lap, even within the lengthy runs, a whole lot of degradation. I feel tomorrow goes to be an attention-grabbing day. There’s going to be lots happening even when it is a tough observe to overhaul. There’s going to be nonetheless many choices with the methods.

Press Convention

Q: Max, pole for the second 12 months in a row right here at Zandvoort. You heard the roar from the gang as you crossed the road, simply how particular is that this for you?
MV: Yeah, it was a particular qualifying, particularly after yesterday, you recognize, it was actually powerful, and we needed to change the automotive round fairly a bit, as a result of we did not actually have any info. So, mainly, this morning was nonetheless about studying fairly a little bit of the automotive and all about simply making an attempt to nice tune it a bit in direction of qualifying. And yeah, we have been fast in qualifying, nevertheless it by no means actually confirmed, as a result of generally I went a bit early then did not go for one more run. Q2 was on a scrubbed tyre solely, so yeah, actually pleased in fact with Q3, it was actually nice margins. And likewise the final run was a bit compromised with the out lap due to simply getting one additional automotive in entrance of me after which I needed to decelerate a bit an excessive amount of within the first sector. So after I began my lap, I felt just like the tyres have been probably not switched on, however I managed to get well a bit in Sector 2 and that was simply sufficient for pole.

Q: And it was Sector 2 on that second lap that received you the pole?
MV: Yeah, I knew that I used to be shedding a little bit of time there. So yeah, simply full danger in fact in Q3.

Q: Max, what does it say about you and your racing automotive you could take pole on two such totally different race tracks as Spa final weekend and Zandvoort this weekend?
MV: Yeah, that I feel we have now a whole automotive. I imply, you possibly can see how rapidly it adjustments although as a result of in Spa we have been dominant. Right here, it seemed a bit tough initially and now it was very shut in qualifying. So, you possibly can clearly see on the upper downforce tracks that we appear to, for instance, wrestle a little bit bit extra to extract the most effective out of the automotive. But it surely’s nonetheless a fast automotive and in addition after final evening you see that the entire manufacturing facility and in addition right here on the observe we made the suitable decisions with the automotive on easy methods to make it sooner.

Q: You are going to be beginning the race in the very best place on the grid however how shut is it going to be with these guys in crimson tomorrow?
MV: I feel it is going to be shut, however mainly for many of the races this 12 months it has been like that, so I am wanting ahead to it and I hope that we are able to have a superb race.

Q: Alright, very effectively achieved to you, thanks. Charles, coming to you now. Quickest in two of the three sectors in Q3. Are you annoyed to not be on pole?
CL: Effectively, annoyed? Clearly you all the time concentrating on to be on pole, and in taking a look at my lap, in Flip 10 I did a mistake however yeah, aside from that, to be trustworthy, wanting on the hole with Max in the present day, I didn’t anticipate that coming into Q3, after the Q1 and Q2 that we had, which was way more way more tough… However on the finish of Q3 the automotive felt fairly good, I may push. I have never been utterly comfortable with the steadiness of the automotive since a couple of races on the quali runs. However in the present day felt a little bit of a step higher, so it is good and now I am wanting ahead to tomorrow.

Q: Why did the steadiness come collectively in Q3? Did you alter something on the automotive or did the observe come in direction of you a little bit bit?
CL: I do not actually have the reason but. We tried various things on the out-laps and on the finish it was a little bit bit higher. A little bit of a stronger entrance, which I struggled with understeer since a bit now. So, we have to work on that however for the race as an alternative I felt assured in the previous couple of races. So, I am a bit extra assured for tomorrow.

Q: So, I used to be going to say, you are assured over your lengthy runs. Do you suppose you possibly can problem Max, even when you do not get to Flip 1 first tomorrow?
CL: Let’s examine. I imply it is a observe the place it’s extremely tough to overhaul. I hope that we’ll be as shut as we have been in the present day, and hopefully we are able to play a little bit bit with Carlos and I to place Max underneath stress.

Q: Carlos, coming to you. We noticed an enormous enchancment on that second run of Q3. It appears your automotive improved through the session similar to Charles.
CS: Yeah, similar to Charles really, after Q1 and Q2. It seemed like we have been fairly an enormous chunk behind Max and the Purple Bull. They seemed like they clearly had the higher hand – however then I used to be stunned at how a lot grip we gaining in Q3. In all probability that first banker lap in Q3 wasn’t very robust, or ought to have been a bit stronger to present me higher references for the final try in Q3, which I used to be possibly chasing a bit an excessive amount of. And yeah, I improved lots. I improved, I feel, three-tenths however I am fairly certain that a greater banker lap would have may have given me a little bit of a greater run for pole on the finish.

Q: Proper, so what about the long term tempo of the automotive and the battle with Max Verstappen tomorrow?
CS: I imply in Quali we have been inside a tenth of each-other, so within the race, if it is like that for 70 laps, it is going to be a decent a race. Usually, the Purple Bull tends to… currently on Sundays, along with a Mercedes, they appear to have one thing there that we have not had lately, but when we return to France and Austria, we had one thing on Sunday, no? So yeah, hopefully, it’s extra like these two races and we are able to problem Max throughout the entire race.

Q: And do you anticipate Mercedes to hitch the social gathering on the entrance tomorrow?
CS: Sure, I feel they will be not less than as fast as us within the race. And I feel they will be within the combine across the pit stops. And yeah, it is going to be a superb battle with the opposite 5 automobiles.

Q: Do you anticipate the rise within the size of the DRS to make overtaking simpler tomorrow?
CS: A little bit bit simpler. I feel there is a mixture that these automobiles needs to be a bit higher to comply with, in comparison with final 12 months, plus a pair hundred metres additional DRS, for certain it is going to be simpler than final 12 months. It is nonetheless not going to be straightforward, as a result of it is nonetheless a really tough observe to overhaul. But it surely’s not going to be as powerful because it was final 12 months, hopefully.

Questions From The Flooring

Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) It is a query to Max, simply on the acute turnaround. Simply how huge have been the adjustments you made, in comparison with the set-up you began with yesterday. And secondly, did you discover the answer yesterday night right away? Or was it nonetheless about making adjustments even throughout FP3 this morning?
MV: Two issues. I feel, as a result of we needed to rush the automotive in FP2, some issues weren’t as we anticipated them to be when it comes to set-up, so that did not assist. In order that’s why FP2 was additionally probably not consultant on the finish. After which a couple of issues to fine-tune as effectively. Within the night, in a single day, however yeah, many of the adjustments have been made within the night.

Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Charles, you talked about a mistake in Flip 10 May you simply discuss us via that please – and do you suppose that value you pole in the present day? Thanks.
CL: Effectively, I imply, I am certain no person did the proper lap, particularly in these circumstances. Flip 9 and 10 are two extraordinarily tough corners with the tailwind there, and they’re much extra affected than wherever else on observe. So it was very, very tough and with the steadiness of my automotive, I struggled fairly a little bit bit in Flip 10 and, yeah, and I misplaced the rear and I misplaced like a tenth or one thing. So, yeah, taking a look at it, for those who do the proper lap then you will get pole however then again, I am certain Max and Carlos did not do the proper lap both. So, the top result’s that we’re P2 in the present day.

Try our Saturday gallery from Zandvoort here.