In the present day’s post-qualifying press convention with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.
Monitor Interviews – Carried out by Billy Monger
Q: Checo Prez, a very good qualifying for you there. P3, however you’ll line up second on the grid for tomorrow’s race along with your team-mate’s penalty. How was it on the market for you?Sergio Perez: Yeah, it was very difficult at occasions. Clearly, as at all times, , in these circumstances, it is really easy for it to go fallacious, as it has been stepping into the previous few qualifyings in these circumstances. And, yeah, I imply, it was good to lastly put it collectively. Sadly, we did not have any new tyres for Q3. We had been a bit out of sync in Q2, so we had been additionally fairly fortunate to make it in P10. And I believe P2 might be the very best place you possibly can want for in Spa, . It was the identical with Charles final yr, so I’ll be making an attempt tomorrow to be the identical. And, yeah, it is a lengthy race forward of us. It appears like it should be dry, so we’ll see.
Q: And going into the race tomorrow, clearly qualifying has been part of your season that has been beneath strain, particularly the previous few races, it hasn’t gone to plan. What was your mindset going into this weekend, understanding that Spa is a circuit that in earlier years has suited your automotive fairly effectively?SP: Yeah, , I imply, like I’ve at all times mentioned, , each weekend it is a new alternative to do higher, every single day, . Tomorrow is a brand new alternative for us to do even higher than as we speak and go for that win.
Q: And that chance… You talked about the race tomorrow. You’ll be beginning on the entrance row. What are you able to do tomorrow, Sergio? Are you able to successful this race?SP: We’ll see, , it is a very lengthy race forward of us. I believe tomorrow degradation will likely be fairly difficult, and graining with this new tarmac. I believe there are a number of unknowns nonetheless, however I’ve received a very good feeling for tomorrow, so we’ll see.
Q: Congratulations. Good luck tomorrow, Sergio. Charles Leclerc, second in qualifying as we speak, however you’ll line up on pole place tomorrow. Fairly much like final yr in that regard.Charles Leclerc: Yeah, I imply, precisely the identical. It is good. I imply, I positively didn’t count on that this weekend. Clearly, with the difficult circumstances, we might do one thing above our expectations. So, yeah, it is a good day for the group. Now we have to deal with tomorrow and see what is going to occur each time the rain is gone.
Q: So do you assume the circumstances as we speak, the actual fact we had the blended circumstances on the market – and it regarded difficult from the driving force’s perspective – do you assume that helped you make the distinction as we speak?CL: Yeah, I believe that with out this rain, in all probability P5 was the place we had been preventing for, with the Mercedes particularly. However clearly with the rain, it helped us just a little bit. However I am not going to complain. I am actually comfortable. I am very pleased with the lap in Q3. And it is good to be again on the entrance a part of the grid. However now we have got to finalise that tomorrow.
Q: And tomorrow you may be ranging from pole. What’s your method going to be going up by way of Eau Rouge on that first lap when you’re nonetheless within the lead? As a result of it could possibly be a difficult race to steer the primary lap round right here.CL: Yeah, it isn’t the best first place to maintain on the primary lap right here. However actually, I’ll see it. Each begin is totally different. After which as soon as I will be within the automotive tomorrow by way of Eau Rouge, I am going to determine what’s the very best factor I can do. However clearly, I am going to attempt to maintain that first place.
Q: Good luck for tomorrow.CL: Thanks very a lot. Thanks.
Q: Max Verstappen, one other pole place for you this weekend. Sadly, you will not line up in pole place due to the grid penalty. However speak us by way of that lap as a result of that was distinctive on the market.Max Verstappen: Yeah, it was a pleasant qualifying. Fortunately, the climate was okay. It was simply raining just a little bit, however at the least we might do a good qualifying. Yeah, every little thing labored effectively. Each tyre set that we had been on, we might simply do good lap occasions. I used to be, after all, additionally fascinated about Q3, not understanding if it was going to dry out, so I used to be making an attempt to maintain two new units for Q3, and fortunately we escaped in Q1, Q2, so… Yeah, very comfortable. I imply, the automotive was working fairly effectively within the moist. Yeah, I might simply do my laps and attempt to do clear lap occasions within the moist, which is at all times fairly difficult. However tomorrow, after all, I do know that it is fairly a distinct day. It may be hotter, usually no rain. So it is all about tyre degradation. And, yeah, we simply want to verify we’re good on that. I do know that, after all, I’ve to begin additionally ten locations again, so this was the very best I might do as we speak. After which go from there. I do not understand how fast we’ll be. I hope that we will be within the combine, , to attempt to transfer ahead.
Q: Coming into this weekend, you in all probability knew throughout the group that you just had been going to take this grid penalty and make the choice that you’ve. You’ve got began out of place right here in Spa. What’s your method going to be down into Flip 1? As a result of it is a tight nook. It could actually actually get a bit chaotic at occasions there.MV: Yeah, the race will be misplaced, after all, in Flip 1, so simply must see what occurs, , within the begin, naturally, and simply go from there. It is a very lengthy race, it’s totally onerous on tyres, and simply must attempt to handle that pretty much as good as we are able to, and hopefully then we will be aggressive tomorrow.
Q: It has been a few races since you’ve got received a Grand Prix. Beginning the place you might be tomorrow, do you assume you possibly can bounce again after final weekend and get a race victory? How fast is your automotive in race trim?MV: We don’t make it straightforward on ourselves, and particularly, after all, within the battle that we’re in. I do know that as we speak was an ideal day, however it’s within the moist. We should be fast within the drive tomorrow. However yeah, it should be a troublesome battle. Yeah, we’ll attempt to do the very best we are able to. Hopefully, we are able to battle the Ferraris and the Mercedes, after all, forward. And if we’ve a little bit of luck, after all, perhaps we are able to problem the McLaren.
Press Convention
Q: A really heat welcome to the quickest three drivers in qualifying for the FIA Components 1 Belgian Grand Prix. In third place, Sergio Prez. In second place, Charles Leclerc. And quickest in Q3 as soon as once more right here at Spa, Max Verstappen. Nicely, very effectively accomplished, Max. You had been extraordinarily fast in all circumstances. How connected had been you and the RB20 as we speak?MV: Yeah, it was a very good day. After all, yesterday we tried a number of issues with the automotive. I believe we realized from that. And as we speak we tried to placed on the automotive what we thought was greatest. And I believe, as you possibly can see, we ran perhaps additionally just a little bit extra downforce in comparison with some rivals. So naturally, after all, within the moist, in all probability it is just a little bit extra secure and that may assist, after all, round right here. However total, I believe the laps had been good in qualifying all the best way from Q1 to Q3. I handed Q1 and Q2 solely on one tyre set, so I believe that was necessary as a result of that gave me, after all, a greater alternative for Q3. Yeah, every little thing was working effectively, however, after all, as we speak isn’t as necessary as a result of tomorrow goes to be dry, it should be hotter, and we should be good on tyres and, after all, beginning 10 locations again. It will be, after all, just a little bit extra difficult. I do not count on it, after all, to be just like the final two years. Naturally, trying on the automobiles round us being fairly fast. So, yeah, we’ll simply attempt to transfer ahead, attempt to battle Ferraris, Mercedes, and optimistically, perhaps the McLarens, however it all relies on our tempo ourselves.
Q: Max, one query about Q3. You had been six tenths quicker than anyone else after the primary runs. Why did you exit once more? Was it simply to make sure?MV: I had one other tyre set, so I used to be like, let’s attempt to go quicker. I am undecided what occurred. I used to be very near my lap time in locations, like gaining, dropping. Possibly it simply rained just a little bit extra and it simply did not give me the identical grip. However I imply, each laps are virtually similar. So when you’ve got the tyres, I imply, you possibly can attempt to get a greater lap out of it.
Q: You’ve got mentioned who you hope to be battling with within the race tomorrow. Simply strategically, what will be your method?MV: Survive lap one and simply go from there. I imply, we even have a little bit of a distinct tyre technique to the opposite automobiles, so we’ve to attend and see how that may evolve within the race. However, yeah, we’ll see what we are able to do. I imply, I am not as assured as I used to be the final two years round right here in coming again to the entrance. I nonetheless see it extra as a harm limitation race. That is how it’s. However at the least as we speak was the very best we might do by way of the beginning place for tomorrow.
Q: Are you extra assured within the automotive right here than you had been on the Hungaroring final weekend?MV: I believe total the stability is a bit higher, yeah. If it should be sufficient to be the quickest, I am undecided. However yeah, hopefully we are able to simply have all of it a bit extra beneath management.
Q: Alright, very effectively accomplished as we speak. Charles, let’s come to you now, tomorrow’s pole sitter. However let’s discuss Q3. You pulled collectively a wonderful lap proper on the finish of the session. Simply how good was it?CL: It was a very good lap. As Max mentioned, the rain picked up just a little bit on the finish of Q3, which perhaps there was a bit extra to search out on the primary a part of Q3, however clearly anyway, P1 was out of attain for us as we speak. It is quite a bit higher than what we anticipated coming into the weekend, and particularly after yesterday, that was a really troublesome day for the group as soon as once more. So yeah, the difficult circumstances helped us as we speak.
