At present’s post-qualifying press convention with Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Monitor Interviews – Carried out by Johnny Herbert
Q: Effectively, Sergio Perez pole place right here in Saudi Arabia. How does that really feel?
Sergio Perez: Effectively, it took me a few races, however what a lap, man. Unbelievable. I might do 1000 laps and I do not suppose I might beat that lap. It was unbelievable.
Q: And you have to be blissful for tomorrow since you’re within the excellent place.
SP: Yeah, we weren’t actually anticipating to match the Ferraris in qualifying we had been focusing primarily into the race, so hopefully we get them tomorrow.
Q: Charles Leclerc, second, how are you feeling after that lap?
Charles Leclerc: The lap felt good truthfully. I am very pleased with the lap. All qualifying it was all about simply conserving it on observe and never doing any errors, which might have been very pricey, after which in Q3 in a second lap, I simply went for it and I kind of put all the pieces collectively. There is a bit right here and there, however, yeah, I undoubtedly didn’t count on Checo to return with that lap time, so congratulations to him. And I am fairly positive he did an unbelievable job at this time.
Q: One other day tomorrow, eh?
CL: Yeah, it is one other day tomorrow and hopefully we’ll have begin.
Q: Carlos, third place, how was the lap?
CL: The lap for P3 was fairly good. It was on a used tyre as a result of a used tyre for some cause this weekend is giving me a greater feeling. The brand new tyre for me could be very digital, very tough to deal with. And once I went on new for the final run of Q3, I simply did not have any rear grip and I struggled, so for a used tyre it wasn’t that dangerous. However once more, Checo and Charles beat me by slightly, so it is nonetheless OK.
Q: It is going to be an awesome race tomorrow, eh?
CS: It is going be thrilling. All 4 vehicles blended up, between the Ferraris and the Purple Bulls, so we’ll mess around I feel with one another with technique and passes, which needs to be an thrilling race.
Press Convention
Q: Many congratulations to the highest three qualifiers for the FIA Components 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In third place, Carlos Sainz. In second place. Charles Leclerc. And taking the primary pole place of his Components 1 profession, our polesitter, Sergio Perez. Checo, it has been some time. That is begin quantity 215. Many congratulations. First up. How do you’re feeling?
SP: Yeah, to begin with, I’ve to say, effectively carried out to the entire staff. It has been a troublesome weekend in Bahrain, the place we had been so upset to overlook each vehicles. However the staff did not put their heads down and we stored pushing. We felt we weren’t as robust as we really feel we’ll be within the race. So it is already an excellent signal to be on pole. And yeah, general, I feel it was so troublesome this qualifying as a result of for those who bear in mind, in Q2, we stopped like for half an hour and simply conserving your head, conserving in focus. It is fairly troublesome and it is a variety of time that it’s a must to keep targeted to be pondering what it’s a must to do to be sure to put that excellent lap and I put it when it mattered. I imply, I can do one other 1000 laps, and I do not suppose I can enhance this lap time.
Q: It was a 57 minute delay, Checo. However does it imply much more to you to get this primary pole on such a demanding road observe?
SP: Positively. I feel there is no such thing as a different circuit like this. If I can get pole right here, I can get pole anyplace on this planet. So that is undoubtedly essentially the most demanding place to get the right lap, you realize, the extent of danger, the extent of precision you have to have round this place is simply great.
Q: And also you had been third quickest after the primary runs of Q3. The place did you discover the additional time?
SP: I feel the quantity of danger that I needed to take, you realize, however I feel danger along with precision, you realize, simply nailing it on all of the entries. However the degree of danger was extraordinarily excessive. It might very simply go on.
Q: Effectively, many congratulations to you. Charles, coming to you now. First up, had been you anticipating that lap from Checo and Red Bull?
CL: No, I wasn’t and honest play to Checo. It must be an unbelievable lap as a result of I knew I had carried out fairly lap. After which Checo simply got here out and did higher. So yeah, an awesome job to him. I struggled a bit extra within the final sector and I feel the danger that he took have in all probability paid on the finish.
Q: What about your preparations for the race tomorrow? Do you’re feeling you’ve got bought race automobile beneath?
CL: Sure, I feel we do. I feel it’s totally unusual as a result of we’re really faster with the use tyres than the brand new tyres and we have to perceive that as a staff, simply to be a bit higher ready for subsequent race with these new tyres, and to place them in the best window. However general, I feel for the race tomorrow, I am fairly assured. I feel we had been fast this morning in the course of the race simulation. So yeah, fairly assured for tomorrow.
Q: Carlos coming to you. Effectively carried out to you as effectively. Quickest in Q1 and Q2 and the primary runs of Q3. Did you suppose pole was on?
CS: I believed pole was on, yeah after in all probability the primary run of Q3, as a result of I knew that I had carried out the lab on the used tyre in Q3 as a result of this weekend, for some cause, as Charles stated, I really feel quite a bit higher with a used tyre than what I what I really feel with a brand new tyre, which ultimately, in all probability it has price me pole place, doing my quickest lap of qualifying in Q3, run one with a used that’s giving me a greater feeling, and never with the ability to enhance on a brand new, is simply what I must dig into with the staff and see why these new tyre is giving us these additional snaps of oversteer in excessive velocity, that ultimately, they take out a variety of confidence and so they do not let you enhance on lap time. So, general, fairly happy as a result of I have been there or thereabouts once more the entire quali – however ultimately it is honest play to Checo for that mega lap that he did, and clearly to Charles for practically beating him. So, all good.
Q: As you say, nonetheless a bit to dig into, so far as the tyres are involved however are you happier with the automobile this weekend than you had been in Bahrain?
CS: I have been making an attempt a variety of various things, significantly Friday, I performed with the setup round much more than perhaps I might do on a standard Friday, simply to discover a bit the automobile. So now, for me, the Friday’s are going to be a bit extra in that facet: experimental – to attempt to perceive the automobile and attempt to put it a bit extra to my liking. After which for Quali, I simply put all the pieces collectively, to be fairly robust. And I felt like, yeah, in all probability this weekend, significantly in qualifying, I felt even stronger than Bahrain. Now I must see on this tempo I can replicate tomorrow within the race, which needs to be attainable and yeah, I am excited to see what progress we have carried out.
Questions From The Ground
Q: (Matt Kew – Autosport) A query to all three drivers. This week’s Stefano Domenicali has stated there’s probably 30 circuits that might be on, as a part of a 24-race calendar. So, given the crashes appear at this time, the occasions of the previous 24 hours, ought to this circuit be one of many ones that’s stored?
SP: Effectively, I feel it is one thing that is not sensible, you realize, to waste any power on that. In the meanwhile, we’re simply carried out qualifying. I feel there’s undoubtedly some issues that we should do as a bunch and see what’s greatest for the game going forwards.
CL: Yeah, I agree. I do not need to go an excessive amount of into particulars on this topic now, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a dialogue that we must always have after this race, as soon as all the pieces calms down and we’ll look again at it, after which we’ll see.
CS: I agree. I feel there’ll must be discussions after this race. As a result of clearly what has occurred within the final 24 hours is… is certainly a degree of debate and issues that we have to take going into the longer term.
Q: (Jeremy Satis – AutoHebdo) How troublesome was it to deal with such a protracted interruption, after Mick’s crash in Q2. For all three drivers.
CL: Yeah, it was, it was very tough as a result of, particularly on a road circuit, it is all about constructing as much as that final lap in Q3 and truly placing all the pieces collectively in Q3, and all of the laps earlier than are simply helpful for the motive force to only push slightly bit extra the restrict each time, however then with such an enormous break, it is a bit like a reset. So, then it’s essential to restart this build-up. So yeah, it was it was it was undoubtedly tough to then go on it, immediately out of the field.
CS: Yeah, I did not realise that it was practically an hour. I stayed within the automobile and possibly ought to have jumped out as a result of I used to be for one hour within the automobile doing nothing. I stayed there simply ready. I believed it was going to be shorter.
CL: I feel we’re the one two staying within the automobile!
CS: I really feel like stepping out of the automobile shouldn’t be good as a result of I really feel like I disconnect once I leap out of the automobile, and I desire to remain in – however in all probability this time was a bit too lengthy for staying in. And I took off the helmet in some unspecified time in the future, simply to get some contemporary air. However aside from that, robust. Sure, in fact robust as a result of, as Charles stated, in a road circuit, it is all concerning the warm-up and the build-up. And unexpectedly, to have an hour break is like, hmmm… yeah, go and discover the partitions once more. And the eyes must adapt to the speeds that we do. You guys must suppose that we’ll 300kph in between partitions and the attention and the reflexes adapt to that. So yeah, it was a troublesome state of affairs however we’re Components 1 drivers and we simply exit and do it I assume.
Q: Checo, these guys stayed of their vehicles. What did you do?
SP: I went out and…
CS: …Couple of tequila photographs and pole place!
SP: …couple of tequila photographs and put it on pole!
Q: (Niharika Ghorpade – Sportskeeda) Checo, for tomorrow’s race, how do you suppose your race tempo is in comparison with the Ferrari drivers. And to all three drivers, do you suppose the circuit wants additional tweaks, given at this time’s incidents?
SP: I feel it is undoubtedly essentially the most harmful place within the calendar. That is no secret about it. It is a circuit that actually calls for quite a bit from the drivers, from the vehicles, from the groups. Should you get it unsuitable, it may be an enormous accident. I really feel like, I do not know if there’s one thing we will do into [Turns] 22 and 23, as a result of these are actually high-speed sections. And it is extra concerning the going into the race, however I feel it is the identical after qualifying. The very last thing I need to suppose is concerning the observe, and I feel going forwards it is once more a dialogue. In all equity, they’ve carried out effort in couple of months to vary a bit the circuit.
Take a look at our Saturday gallery from Jeddah, here.
