Half 1: Kevin Magnussen, George Russell and Esteban Ocon.
Esteban, let’s begin with you, and good to see you. Let’s replicate again just some weeks, to start with. Sensational end result, each for you and the workforce at Interlagos. Would you say that’s one in every of your greatest races in Components 1?
Esteban Ocon: Thanks. Yeah, it has been a enjoyable race, positively. An surprising one, that is for certain. our dry tempo, that is not the place we had been in any respect. However when the rain got here, it positively opened up alternatives. Yeah, I imply, I felt good in these circumstances. It jogged my memory just a little little bit of 2016, you recognize, on the time the place I used to be preventing for some extent with the Manor. And yeah, we had been main the race for some time, which felt good, positively. And yeah, I feel it has been a really good one as a result of it spiced issues up for our finish of season. Now that we might be, you recognize, preventing close to the opposite groups. groups, you recognize, within the Constructors’ Championship. So it will be a giant battle, which is much more entertaining for us. And yeah, it brings up, you recognize, enjoyable and pleasure for all of the folks across the manufacturing unit.
It in all probability will not be moist right here in Las Vegas this weekend, however it is going to be chilly. Does the efficiency in Brazil provide you with some hope coming into the weekend?
EO: Nicely, I feel we have to preserve the foot to the bottom. That is going to be essential. I do not assume we’re going to have the ability to battle for podiums and nearly wins like in Brazil. However final yr right here, we completed fourth, which was additionally a really robust race. However yeah, this yr can be rather more troublesome with the automobile tempo we now have within the dry. So, yeah, we have to do one of the best we will, take all of the alternatives that there’s, and hopefully it is going to be a optimistic one for us.
Now, you alluded to the battle within the Constructors’ Championship. You are sitting in sixth in the mean time. The battle for the remainder of the season is partly with the workforce you are transferring to subsequent yr. What is the temper within the camp? How assured is the workforce of retaining sixth?
EO: I can solely speak for myself right here. I am not very assured, to be honest, in the mean time. you recognize our dry tempo, we have improved lately, getting some updates to the automobile. It has been getting higher, however as I stated it will probably flip fully from one aspect to a different, having an honest end result and these races are normally when the alternatives arrive. So we should be on prime of that if one thing occurs to have the ability to rating some factors and shut the season that approach.
Esteban, thanks very a lot. Kevin, can I come to you now and begin by speaking about that battle within the Constructors’ Championship? What is the temper at Haas? How assured are you guys?
Kevin Magnussen: Nicely, you possibly can’t be assured in any respect. You understand, we weren’t even interested by Alpine, actually, in that battle, after which out of the blue they’re forward of us. So I feel we really feel like we’re in place with the automobile. And lately we have form of persistently been within the run for factors. Now that Aston Martin are struggling, there’s really some factors accessible at every race. So, it is thrilling. I imply, we’re now three groups for that P6, which, for the groups imply so much. You understand, whether or not you end eighth or sixth, it is a large factor. And yeah, for a driver, in fact, it is not like one thing you place in your CV, however it simply means a lot for everybody that it is price preventing for.
Can we speak concerning the efficiency of the automobile? As a result of the improve that the workforce delivered to Austin appears to have reworked your season. What’s modified?
KM: I simply assume the upgrades that we have had this yr have been good in all areas. It is simply made the automobile barely quicker over one lap, just a little bit simpler to drive, and higher on the tyres. It is simply form of given the automobile a little bit of a broader window each time we put one thing on. In order that’s been a extremely good job from the workforce. It has been form of the headline for this yr, I feel. In the event you take a look at what we have improved probably the most it is how we have been in a position to develop the automobile via the season, whereas most different years or mainly all different years, we have not been ready to try this. We have, I feel, had automobile to start with as a result of when the entire workforce is form of accessible over the winter. They have been doing job, however over the season, not a lot. In order that’s actually a giant step ahead to see the enhancements we have been in a position to make.
You say the automobile is simpler to drive, however the place has it come alive for you particularly?
KM: I feel it is… Clearly you place extra downforce, you go faster, but additionally I feel while you make the automobile extra predictable, that offers lots of lap time too, and particularly on the tyres, it helps so much when, you recognize, you are not, it is not as simple to overdrive the automobile when the window and, you recognize, the steadiness is extra constant. In order that’s simply been a assist and one thing that is been good to see.
And Kevin, how hungry are you to get again within the automobile this weekend after lacking Interlagos, your second miss in solely 5 races?
KM: You make it sound like that is not so much! It is so much. I imply, yeah, it has been unusual to… I’ve watched Components 1 on tv an excessive amount of lately, and yeah, it will be good to be again, hopefully, within the race.
Nicely, good luck this weekend. Thanks, Kevin. George, let’s come to you now. Brazil final day trip appeared like a missed alternative for you and Mercedes. What classes had been realized?
George Russell: Yeah, it positively felt like a missed alternative. I feel having reviewed the race, you recognise how shortly issues can change. We made the pit cease, which with the proper good thing about hindsight, that was incorrect. However had that Digital Security Automobile stayed for 10 seconds longer or 15 seconds longer, it will have been completely the precise factor to do. So it simply reveals how shortly an exterior choice can change your race and the way you must be very fast to adapt to that. And we form of had been just a little bit too targeted on that pit cease and never really seeing {that a} automobile that was beached on the highway was being pushed off and the VSC was ending.
And the way a lot encouragement do you are taking from the tempo of the automobile in Brazil, the front-row begin? I imply, you have had a stack of factors finishes for the reason that summer time break, however how shut are you to having a race-winning automobile once more?
GR: Brazil was positively a little bit of a one-off, I feel. When it rains, it presents alternatives. And for ourself, it was a chance. For everybody at Alpine, it was an enormous alternative, which they capitalised. And I feel we have to look again to the Dash qualifying and the Dash race for a little bit of a fairer image of the place we’re. And that was behind the entrance 4 groups.
George, remaining one. Once you take a look at this season as a complete, take a look at the races you have gained, however take a look at additionally the frustrations as properly. How will you assessment the season?
GR: I feel now we have performed nearly a full season, we completely perceive why the automobile is so up and down. It has simply such a slender window and after we can set the automobile up in a approach that we exploit that window, we now have a race-winning automobile. However while you go to completely different circuits and you must change the place you place the set-up, we completely fall exterior of our working window. So It is clearly irritating when you recognize the automobile has that potential. However I feel for everybody, you’ve got these fluctuations in efficiency. We have performed job to capitalise on races that we did, had the pole positions when the automobile was able to pole positions. And in the end, we simply must make a extra constant automobile over the course of 24 races.
Questions From The Ground
(David Croft – Sky Sports activities F1) George, to you and together with your GPDA hat on, please. In between the final race and this, the FIA have allotted with the providers of Niels Wittich, the Race Director. Is that this one thing that the GPDA had been conscious of earlier than it occurred? Are you involved that there are three races to go and we now have a brand new Race Director, particularly coming in to a avenue race like Las Vegas, which we noticed final yr, can have a complete load of unexpected issues?
GR: Yeah, we positively weren’t conscious. It was a little bit of a shock, I feel, for everyone. And, you recognize, it is a hell of lots of strain now onto the brand new race director. Simply three races left. So I feel for us… Typically as drivers, we in all probability really feel like we are the final to search out out this kind of info. And when it includes us form of straight, it will be good to be stored within the loop and simply have an understanding of what choices are being made. So, yeah, time will inform. I am certain the brand new man will deal with the place simply tremendous, however positively not a simple race for a brand new race director.
(Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) Additionally for George, however I might love for you each to chime in as properly. Final week, a pointed assertion from the GPDA in direction of the FIA and particularly in direction of the President. The tone appeared stronger than I anticipated. Does that replicate the temper within the discipline of drivers as properly?
GR: I imply, speaking as a fellow driver versus kind of my function with the GPDA, I feel everyone felt with sure issues which have occurred over the course of this yr that we wished to kind of stand united. On the finish of the day, we simply wish to be clear with the FIA and have this dialogue that’s occurring, and I feel the departure of Niels can be a first-rate instance of not being part of these conversations. And in the end, we solely we wish to work with the FIA to make one of the best for the game that all of us love. So, I feel it is form of us now placing the strain again on them to work with us and work with everybody, together with F1 as properly, simply to maximise this chance, which Components 1 is in in the mean time, which is, you recognize, a tremendous time to be part of.
(Roldan Rodriguez – DAZN Spain) A query to Kevin. This yr is arriving to the top and most likely you are not going to be subsequent season in Components 1. Are you having particular emotions at this second of the yr?
KM: No, I do not assume so. I imply, for myself, I have been on this scenario twice earlier than, so it is form of the third time that I really feel like that is going to be the final race. So I simply know that you just by no means know. So, it is form of tremendous in a approach. I do not actually give it some thought. Subsequent yr I am not going to be in Components 1, that is fairly clear, however I’ve realized over time and with my experiences from one that each race you do, you simply must get pleasure from it. And, you recognize, yeah, properly, so long as it lasts, get pleasure from it. In order that’s my plan.
Kevin, you and the workforce have been quoted as saying, you recognize what you wish to occur for 2025. Are you able to shed any mild on what you may be doing close to Haas?
KM: I do not know. I can not bear in mind saying precisely that, however I feel we now have been clear that we wish to work collectively in some capability and I feel that is… We’re speaking about how we might do this, in fact. A little bit bit it is come from Ayao and I am open to listen to what he’s considering and see if I might be useful in any approach.
