Group 1: Otmar Szafnauer, Andrea Stella and Franz Tost.
Franz, can we begin with you please. The most important information story coming into the weekend was the return of Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri. How’s he settling in?
Franz Tost: Superb. He got here on Friday to the manufacturing unit. We had a really emotional comeback for him. It was good to see him as soon as extra in our crew, as a result of as he was driving for us two years, and we’re very blissful he’s again.
He is 10 years older, he has eight grand prix victories to his title, however apart from that how do you are feeling he is modified as an individual and perhaps as a driver as properly?
FT: How a lot he has modified as a driver I can let you know after a number of grands prix. As an individual, in fact he’s now more experienced and I need to say that he was all the time a really pleasant particular person, we had an excellent relationship previously and I feel that this may also be the case now. He’s a pleasant particular person, character and I am actually blissful we’ve him within the crew.
How is Yuki relishing having a brand new team-mate alongside him?
FT: Yuki is open to this, and though Yuki had relationship with Pierre Gasly in addition to with Nyck De Vries, I feel that there might be no friction between him and Daniel Ricciardo: each of them wish to be quickest, sure? That is ordinary in Method 1, and we are going to see how this attention-grabbing recreation will finish.
Can we’ve a phrase on Nyck De Vries? What’s it about his performances within the opening ten races that wasn’t hitting the mark?
FT: This was additionally a really emotional determination, as a result of we’ve a very good relationship with Nyck, I simply spoke with him on the phone final week, and he did not have a simple time with us. Initially, as a rookie – and that is usually for rookies, additionally for the long run, the primary half of the season just isn’t really easy as a result of they’re racing at many race tracks which they do not know, like Melbourne, Miami, Saudi Arabia. Then they arrive to Baku, the place it is a Dash race, meaning it is solely FP1 after which it is already the qualifying. Which means, these days, if a younger driver involves Method 1, he actually must be ready in the absolute best method, which for me means at the least 5-6,000km of testing, personal testing with an outdated automobile. Like Alpine did it with Piastri, that is the way in which the way to go. Coming again now to Nyck, it was tough for him, additionally our automobile was not so aggressive, and if a automobile just isn’t so good, it is much more sophisticated. I anticipated a significantly better efficiency in Austria and in Silverstone as a result of each of those tracks, Nyck knew fairly properly – however the efficiency did not come up and we determined to alter him. Additionally, pondering to the second half of the season the place he would not know Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Austin and Qatar, which might not have made it fairly simple. Now, with Ricciardo we’ve an skilled driver in there, which additionally helps us to develop the automobile, to seek out out higher the place are the deficiencies of the automobile and hopefully to enhance the efficiency of the automobile.
Let’s discuss efficiency rapidly. You had upgrades on the automobile at Silverestone, additional upgrades right here on the Hungaroring, what are your hopes for the weekend forward?
FT: The hopes are that at the least one automobile is in Qualifying 3 and the hopes are that these upgrades work as anticipated, because the aero group calculated within the wind tunnel and CFD. However , decisive is all the time the lap-time and I hope that we made a step forwards with these upgrades.
Andrea, coming to you now. The MCL60 was extremely quick at Silverstone. You scored 30 factors. Simply how essential was that race consequence for McLaren?
Andrea Stella: It is clearly a little bit of a milestone in our journey. It is essential for McLaren. It is essential for the those who work very onerous to develop and ship these upgrades, and for our followers that lastly might cheer consequence and a McLaren on the rostrum. However, having mentioned that, it would not actually change what we’re doing. It is… as I hold saying… it is all about working more durable to ship upgrades to the automobile after which let the outcomes come to you and attempt to have these as common as doable.
You discuss in regards to the work that everyone is doing within the manufacturing unit. Did that consequence ultimately justify the modifications that you’ve got made to the technical crew in the previous couple of months?
AS: I would not use the phrase ‘justification’. I might say that, by having enabled some circumstances, particularly when it comes… I might comment the aerodynamic improvement, we’ve undoubtedly accelerated the event of the automobile, and this has allowed us to take this efficiency step and, as we all know, we’ve additionally taken the chance to reorganise, from a purposeful perspective, the technical division, figuring out numerous areas wherein we wished to have focus and wherein we wished to have clear management. So, undoubtedly an essential change which has – form of – enabled the expertise that was already accessible at McLaren.
So second quickest automobile at Silverstone. Will that tempo translate right here on the Hungaroring?
AS: I feel what we noticed in Austria, and in Nice Britain comes with some premium. So, it is not solely the efficiency of the automobile, we took advantage of the monitor structure, high-speed corners, chilly circumstances. So, right here in Hungary, I feel we’re way more reasonable, due to the monitor structure, as a result of it will likely be a sizzling Sunday. We’ll see in qualifying what the climate will do. For right here in Hungary, we might be proud of being a stable contender for factors, which already means that you’re in situation to struggle Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes, leaving Crimson Bull alone. I hear Franz saying ‘we wish to be a Q3 contender’, so it is robust. So, we might be blissful to be a stable factors contender.
Now it was a incredible race by Lando Norris at Silverstone. However can I ask you about Oscar Piastri? So near his first podium. Do you perceive among the frustrations he had after that Grand Prix?
AS: Properly, I feel all of us perceive as a result of he undoubtedly deserved to be on the rostrum. And it was only for the unlucky timing of the Security Automobile that he could not obtain it. I feel, for Oscar, whereas we see this peak in his consequence, truly, for us is simply affirmation of his trajectory. If we return even to Bahrain, we had been already speaking about his progress from session to session, and from testing to the primary race as properly. I feel that is simply capitalising on this gradient that appears to be so sturdy and constant for Oscar.
After two tough seasons with Daniel Ricciardo, how has Oscar lifted his facet of the storage?
AS: Properly, the facet of the storage, they saved working in the way in which with the very best follow, with the eye that they’ve had within the earlier years. However undoubtedly, it is essential from an engineering perspective that you just study as a lot as doable, having labored with totally different drivers, having gone by highs and lows. What’s essential on this sport is that day by day you’re higher than yesterday. So, even by way of the engineering that supported Daniel and now could be supporting Oscar, there’s undoubtedly been various studying and self-criticism, in a method, which is the way in which that you just truly cash-in the training from expertise.
Andrea, can we simply get a phrase or two from you on the return of Daniel Ricciardo to the grid this weekend. What are your ideas on that?
AS: Properly, truly, I discover it fairly thrilling and attention-grabbing. You understand, Daniel is, to begin with, one of the common drivers. Even when he was not driving, we might see, anytime he was on tv, you could possibly hear the gang cheering, in order that’s excellent news, I feel, for Method 1 on the whole. We at McLaren, we left with an excellent relationship. We love Daniel. So we undoubtedly help him and we want him all the very best.
Andrea, closing one from me. McLaren was concerned within the FIA’s spray guard check at Silverstone final week. How do you are feeling it went?
AS: So, to begin with, let me comment how essential it’s that the FIA has taken the initiative to take a look at how we will enhance the scenario with the visibility related to the spray. In order that’s, I might say, a excessive precedence matter within the agenda for motorsport. And due to this fact, we welcome this initiative and we’re blissful to help the FIA. It seems like we might purchase various information that had been essential to validate the fashions, since you do quite a lot of the design based mostly on the event fashions, particularly laptop simulation and as of late, I feel, are invaluable by way of having the ability, sooner or later, to make use of these instruments to fine-tune the design of those units. And I am certain by the practicality of the exams, you could possibly study additionally, like, can these units keep on a regular basis on? What’s the implication for pit stops, and so forth. So, an important step in making an attempt to enhance the scenario with the spray.
Otmar, thanks for ready, coming to you now. Can we begin by speaking about administration modifications? There’s been a good bit occurring at Alpine, Bruno Famin in coming as vice chairman of motorsport, then there is a new CEO of the Alpine model as properly. How is all that impacting the Method 1 crew and your administration of it?
Otmar Szafnauer: So, I am going to begin with my administration of it: should not have an effect in any way. I have been there for a couple of yr and a half now and the plans that I’ve already put in place, we will proceed to pursue. The infrastructure that we have launched into, the place we’re persevering with to pursue and among the hires that we’re in search of, some like-minded people, that is nonetheless taking place. Bruno’s been with us for over a yr in Viry and likewise in endurance racing and Dakar and this simply provides Method 1 – though he was a part of Method 1 already. So, it is not likely that large of a change. After which on the company facet, the there is a new CEO of Alpine Vehicles, whose focus might be Alpine Vehicles and never Method 1.
And Laurent Rossi has moved to particular initiatives. Will he have any involvement in F1?
OS: So I have been instructed that he is transferring to particular initiatives, and not more than that, however I do not suppose his involvement might be Method 1.
Try our Friday gallery from the Hungaroring here.
