Half 1: Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly
Q: Checo, I really feel now we have to start out with you. Simply describe the build-up to this Grand Prix for you? It appears to get larger and larger yearly.
Sergio Perez: It is fairly spectacular. You at all times neglect if you end up on the opposite aspect of the world with so many races, you actually neglect the quantity of help you could have in your individual nation. And yeah, it is wonderful. It is an ideal alternative. It is an ideal expertise each single Grand Prix. , it is loopy to assume that that is the ninth Grand Prix that we have had. I used to be simply joking with a few of my sponsors yesterday, yearly we used to do a soccer recreation for the for the lead as much as the grand prix and now no one can play as a result of everybody has points with the knees, with the again, you already know, so everyone seems to be getting older a lot! It is simply nice you already know to look again at it and clearly this 12 months once more I feel this Mexican Grand Prix, to me, I feel it is one of the best on the planet by fairly a piece.
Q: Properly, you’ve got been on the rostrum right here earlier than. Let’s speak about efficiency. Simply how assured are you within the automotive and of getting again up there this weekend?
SP: Austin wasn’t a very good weekend for us. We did lack a few of the upgrades. We principally thought that the brand new flooring wasn’t as huge as It turned out to be in the long run with Max. We had a little bit of that, and we simply did not get a very good weekend. It wasn’t a very good weekend the place I constructed a variety of confidence. However Mexico is completely different. It is a completely different recreation. It is a completely different monitor. So, yeah, let’s examine. We bought some adjustments right here. So let’s examine. Hopefully we may be within the combine for the win.
Q: And traditionally, Purple Bull Racing has completed very nicely right here. Does that offer you some confidence?
SP: Yeah, undoubtedly. I feel we have had good races up to now. We have at all times been aggressive. Yearly I have been right here with Purple Bull, we have at all times fought for the win, for the rostrum. So, yeah, I actually hope that we may be at that degree this weekend.
Q: Alright, nicely, better of luck this weekend. Get additional than Flip 1 this 12 months.
SP: Thanks.
Q: Alright, Checo, thanks. Nico, let’s come to you now. What a weekend for you and for Haas in Austin. Simply give us your reflections on that, to start with.
Nico Hulkenberg: Yeah, it has been very constructive. Scored factors twice, and with each vehicles within the Dash. So, yeah, I feel, you already know, we really feel very blissful popping out of there. Additionally, you already know, taking P6, clearly, in the mean time within the championship. So we need to clearly cling on to that, repeat it as usually as we are able to and take that momentum into this week and to subsequent week and simply maintain constructing on that.
Q: You have been working upgrades final weekend. After all, you may have them right here as nicely. Simply how a lot of a step ahead have you ever taken with the automotive?
NH: Yeah, we have taken… I feel all all year long, we have, you already know, constantly progressed. Very completely different to final 12 months, the place upgrades did not actually come and infrequently did not work. This 12 months they do one thing to the automotive they usually do improve the efficiency. We have began early within the 12 months round China with some upgrades, Miami. Silverstone was clearly an enormous one. That was an enormous step ahead and final weekend once more it felt fairly constructive. However then I feel there’s extra issues to be taught and hopefully to discover. It has been very constructive, particularly when you think about and bear in mind how we completed on the finish of final 12 months and races on Sundays, so a hell of a turnaround for us. Like I stated, it is nice enjoyable, everybody within the workforce clearly having fun with it, and we need to maintain that rolling.
Q: The workforce has now completed within the factors 4 consecutive races. How a lot confidence does that stat alone offer you coming into this weekend?
NH: Yeah, I feel it is a good, constructive environment. Clearly, everybody may be very upbeat and a variety of constructive issues occurred up to now few months. And I feel that is excellent. However then weekend in, weekend out, it’s a must to do a very good job. You must earn it. You must make no errors as a result of it would not take a lot to come back out on the incorrect aspect in midfield. If in case you have just a little mistake right here or there, you might be simply P15, 16 as a substitute of P10. We now have to transform it once more. I feel the efficiency of the package deal is first rate, nevertheless it’s right down to us now on the operations aspect to maintain performing.
Q: And from a cooling perspective, we noticed a couple of points final 12 months, significantly on Kevin’s automotive. Are you assured there will not be a repeat of that this 12 months?
NH: Very assured.
Q: Alright. Thanks, Nico. Good luck this weekend. And Pierre, let’s come to you now. Let’s get a overview from you about Austin. You have been working upgrades in your automotive. Qualifying appeared nice. Just a few points within the race. Simply discuss us by means of it?
Pierre Gasly: Yeah, I imply, finest qualifying of the 12 months. So I’d say undoubtedly some good positives to remove from the weekend. , trying again at a few months in the past, we began in Bahrain on the final row. Nonetheless, we saved specializing in growing the package deal now we have and, you already know, ultimately bought to P7 final week in quali. So very happy to see some good evolution with the automotive. The opposite aspect on Sunday, it wasn’t a very good race, not nicely executed. Sadly, we misplaced fairly a little bit of time with the pit cease, struggled quite a bit with the Onerous tyre and misplaced the great begin we had. So fairly gutted to not convert this good quali into factors, however at the least there may be undoubtedly some hopes. you already know encouraging indicators that we we’re going to have the ability to struggle barely additional up the highest for the remaining races.
Q: You speak about automotive evolution. Simply the place was it higher in Austin?
PG: Properly, to be truthful, throughout the monitor, like simply when it comes to general potential, simply can carry a bit extra velocity, a tiny bit higher on braking. It is simply to have a bit extra grip out there. So nonetheless I would say the steadiness, bought a couple of issues to enhance there and there that we set to work on. However like all of the vehicles, you already know, down the pit lane, nobody’s going to get that excellent steadiness, however when it comes to general potential, you already know, I used to be happy to see, Q1, Q2, Q3, we have been in a position to put laps ok at all times for the highest 10 and that was undoubtedly encouraging.
Q: Bear in mind the European season once you bought these consecutive factors finishes? Do you are feeling you’ve got now bought the automotive beneath you to get again someplace near that?
PG: It isn’t going to be straightforward. I feel on the minute, trying on the Haas, the highest 4 is out of attain, however after that, really a really tight battle between the Haas, AlphaTauris (sic), we noticed the Williams performing very nicely in the mean time, and I nonetheless consider we’re most likely missing a tiny bit to be constantly there, however we will have our probabilities. It is 5 extra races. I am positive there are going to be one or two tracks the place we’ll be capable of be in that blend. For the blokes, personally, it is necessary for me to get a couple of extra factors earlier than the top of the 12 months.
Q: Closing one from me. Information broke this morning concerning one thing that is not System 1. You have got a soccer workforce. You now have a padel workforce. Inform us extra?
PG: Yeah, very thrilling information. Simply grew to become a padel workforce proprietor this morning, coming into the eighth workforce within the Hexagon Cup. So it is a new competitors that began final 12 months in Madrid. There are huge names in there, Leo Messi, you already know, Andy Murray, Rafa Nadal, they’ve all bought their very own workforce and lots of others. And it is going to be thrilling to have my very own workforce competing in opposition to these guys. So it is going to be finish of January subsequent 12 months. So for whoever is on the market on that weekend, they’re greater than welcome to come back and watch the occasion.
Q: Are you going to play?
PG: I am not going to play myself. These guys are skilled and it is fairly a enjoyable format the place you’ve got bought skilled gamers with additionally like amateurs and kids. So that you get eight gamers in complete and it is fairly a enjoyable match. However yeah, I will attempt to be there to help my workforce.
Q: Nico’s good with a racket. Are you going to ask him to play?
PG: I have not seen him but, however why not? Attempt to get his focus away from F1 a bit.
Questions From The Ground
Q: (Roldan Rodriguez – DAZN, Spain) A query to Checo. Checo, it has been 10 years since gthe Hermanos Rodrguez got here again to the calendar of System 1. I want to know the way you felt the evolution of this Grand Prix, residence Grand Prix for you.
SP: Yeah, it has been unimaginable. I feel already since first 12 months was very huge, the occasion, the individuals have been actually enthusiastic. And I feel it gained the award for one of the best Grand Prix for like 4 or 5 years in a row. And I feel now it is only a lot higher. So yeah, I feel it is nonetheless one of the best Grand Prix within the calendar.
Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports activities F1) Checo, I feel you have been hinting that your automotive was fairly a bit completely different to Max’s in Austin. Can you place a determine on how a lot time you have been shedding per lap due to the distinction within the vehicles? And likewise, as a result of the Ferraris gained, too, you are now in a three-way struggle for the Constructors’ Championship. How a lot further strain does that placed on you this weekend on what’s already a massively pressurized weekend, and the way do you deal with that?
SP: Properly, I feel the numbers and the details will stay inner with the workforce, with the engineers. We all know what was the delta. And having Ferrari there, I feel would not change something. , I feel we need to win the Constructors’ ending second or third. The tip is not any distinction, you already know, so we actually need to win it. for that. We have to have each vehicles with the With the absolute best efficiency and absolute best package deal as nicely.
Q: (Diego Mejia – Fox Sports activities Mexico) Pierre, there’s been a variety of discuss in regards to the tips for racing following all of the penalties in Austin. Are you pleased with these? Are they delivering what is meant? Perhaps the opposite drivers can touch upon it.
PG: New tips You say? After Austin? No. Ah, you imply the one beforehand to Austin. I feel Austin highlighted that there’s undoubtedly one thing that is bought to be modified. I feel there may be the rule because it’s written and there may be extra the frequent sense on the way you need to method racing. I feel there may be this grey space in the mean time which permit us drivers to learn from the regulation in a form of unfair manner of approaching racing. And I feel that is one thing which I assume all of us agree and which shall be labored on with the FIA on enhance issues as a result of there have been a few incidents which bought us on a cut up or with combined emotions on the choice that got here out of it. I feel all of us want some readability and a bit higher written guidelines to enhance the racing for the longer term.
