Group 1: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda.
Alex, please inform us, Silverstone? Why is that this place so particular to you?Alex Albon: Effectively, I really grew up round this space. I discovered my ARKS check, which is the way you get your racing licence, I did it right here. So you can say this was the very begin of my racing profession. I discovered tips on how to drive. They requested you what does your proper foot do? What does your left foot do? All that stuff.
What did you say? AA: I do not know what I mentioned. I am certain I mentioned it accurately. I mentioned proper foot is go and left foot is brake. They ask you concerning the flags as properly. No monitor limits there although…
Look, you gained the Components 2 characteristic race right here again in 2018. Simply inform us a bit of bit about what it’s worthwhile to be fast round Silverstone?AA: Effectively, firstly, clearly, excessive pace is the place it stands out. It is also very windy right here. I really feel like round this sort of circuit, the place it’s fairly open, and I am certain these guys will agree with me, however wind may be very tough to grasp in tracks like right here, the place tailwind, headwinds, it is altering the steadiness a lot, so to be on the restrict all through the entire nook, it is very simple to underdrive part of the nook which has a little bit of a headwind and you should use a bit of little bit of that wind to push a bit of bit extra right into a nook. So, yeah, that is actually it.
Alex, there was plenty of pleasure round your seventh place end in Canada. Austria proved a bit of bit more difficult. Simply what can we anticipate from you and Williams right here?AA: To be sincere with you, I feel Austria was nonetheless an excellent weekend for us. I simply assume Canada was a brilliant weekend. So we have been nonetheless proud of Austria. The tempo was nice. I feel, you realize, throughout the entire weekend our worst outcome was thirteenth, which was the Dash race. And even then we have been operating in seventh. So I’ve to say, as a staff, we’re assured. We really feel like with this new package deal we’re in a superb place. There is no such thing as a secret that the final couple of circuits have suited us a bit of bit greater than those we’ll go to. Silverstone? Perhaps not fairly pretty much as good as Canada and the Pink Bull Ring, however nonetheless good. So let’s examine.
Alright, better of luck this weekend. Thanks, Alex. Lewis, if we may come to you now. Dwelling race. You could have a implausible document right here at Silverstone. Are you able to simply describe the connection that you’ve with this place?Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, good afternoon everybody. So joyful to be again. This Grand Prix is the most effective. Effectively, I bear in mind coming right here the primary time after I was lots youthful, racing cadets. I feel it is round just like the Brooklands space, they’d, like, straw bales. I bear in mind crashing. It wasn’t a superb race. However then, racing, coming right here for my first time in Components Renault. And coming and watching the race, I feel, for the primary time – I will need to have been like 13, or 14 or one thing – with McLaren, and simply standing in the back of the storage, dreaming of sooner or later being within the automotive, after which stepping into formulation one and having the primary yr and it has been phenomenal journey that I’ve had right here. I bear in mind the group the primary time, in 2007, after I obtained the pole. I feel that is most likely the one time I’ve ever heard the group over the sound of the automotive. In order that’s fairly particular.
You point out the group, simply describe what a capability crowd does to the work that you simply do within the automotive. Is it as Nigel Mansell all the time mentioned price half a second?LH: I want it was price half a second, as a result of we actually want that proper now! I imply, I hope so. I feel it is laborious to quantify. I feel, general, the group simply lifts you and the entire staff up. And there is this sort of feeling of floating if you come right here on that constructive power that everybody brings, and simply seeing so many flags, so many caps and other people supporting us. It actually simply helps spur you alongside. And if you’re within the automotive as properly, if you see them, you may see them by means of so lots of the corners on the skin of the circuit and it is actually simply actually encouraging. And I all the time bear in mind my first win right here, simply constantly being inspired by the group on the skin of Abbey and so…
Lewis, Austria was a bruising weekend to cite your boss, Toto Wolff. You have obtained upgrades on the automotive right here. What are you anticipating from them?LH: Yeah, so we’ve a brand new entrance wing. So it is only one step, hopefully, additional in the correct course. It is not an enormous, big package deal or something like that. However we’re simply [going] step-by-step, hopefully making an attempt to shut down the hole. Clearly, Austria was not a pleasant weekend for us all. However that is the place we be taught essentially the most. That is after we pull collectively essentially the most as a staff. So, I used to be within the manufacturing facility on Tuesday and Wednesday with the staff. And everybody’s again in, flat out, simply centered on turning that adverse right into a constructive right here this weekend.
Alright, properly, better of luck. Thanks. Charles, coming to you now. I noticed photos of an excellent chess match between you and your brother on the best way to the UK. Who gained? Charles Leclerc: He did, sadly.
Is {that a} common incidence within the Leclerc family?CL: Not likely. However we try to play right here and there, at any time when we’ve time. And yesterday was a type of video games. Usually I win, however yesterday I did not.
Effectively, let’s speak concerning the on-track bit now. Nice to see you and Ferrari again on the rostrum in Austria. With these upgrades, simply how a lot progress do you’re feeling Ferrari has made?CL: I feel since Barcelona actually, the sensation goes in the correct course. We could not actually show it at every other tracks since Barcelona, however in Austria, the sensation was good, and the tempo was a bit higher than what we had for the primary a part of the season. In order that was good. I feel it exhibits that there have been some steps ahead made. Nonetheless, we should not get carried away. I imply, Pink Bull remains to be lots in entrance. And I feel this monitor this weekend will expose a bit extra our weaknesses. So we would wrestle a bit greater than what we have seen in Austria. However it’s clear that the sensation and the tempo is a step higher.
You mentioned after the race on Sunday night time that the tyre deg was higher. Will the brand new constructions which are coming from Pirelli this weekend assist or hinder you, do you assume?CL: I am undecided but. I am undecided. I feel, once more, through the free practices it will be crucial to evaluate that, to see how a lot of a distinction it’s when it comes to tyre degradation, if we have to wonderful tune the automotive to those new constructions. After which we’ll see. However we do not know but whether or not it will be a profit or a weak point.
Better of luck to you. Esteban, let’s come to you subsequent. Now. Your retirement right here final time ended a little bit of a run for you. Since you’d all the time completed within the factors at Silverstone, till final yr.Esteban Ocon: Yeah, very true. Thanks for reminding me of that. However sure, it is often a superb weekend for us. It is often a monitor that I actually get pleasure from, that I have been driving properly on. And it has been only a enjoyable weekend as an entire. I feel it is the house of motor sport, you realize, if you come to the UK. I spend various time right here usually, working with the staff round Oxford, and it is a bit of a house race for all of us. Yeah, we’ll see the place we’re precisely. I feel Apex GP is bringing some upgrades this weekend. Sonny Hayes is in good condition. So we’ll see how that works.
How do you assume your upgrades are going to play towards his?EO: Yeah, I feel we have labored properly on bringing, you realize, elements for each automobiles. So yeah, we’re having a entrance wing this weekend. That needs to be serving to our efficiency usually. So we’ll check that this weekend.
Alright. Better of luck to you. Yuki, coming to you now. Austria wasn’t an easy weekend for AlphaTauri. How hopeful are you to have the ability to flip issues round right here within the UK?Yuki Tsunoda: Sure, most likely one of many worst races of this yr. However I simply overlook these. However I discovered plenty of issues from that race. So it is good. I feel it simply makes this race a [chance to] refocus once more. I feel we may also deliver fairly a superb quantity of upgrades. So wanting ahead to that. Hopefully that works properly. And in that case, I’ll simply attempt to maximise that chance and intention for the factors.
The place is the automotive missing for the time being? What do you want from these upgrades?YT: In Austria it was a little bit of every little thing. We’re having an excessive amount of drag. So at the moment, simply actually, straight line pace is absolutely poor, however on the similar time, as a result of we do not have a lot downforce, we do not have a lot load. We need to put downforce, however if you happen to put downforce, the drag goes to be worse. So we want much less drag. On the similar time extra load, so a little bit of every little thing. These sort of upgrades will deliver us a bit of bit completely different method, which, after all, usually, load as properly, however a little bit of distinction. So yeah, I am feeling optimistic, I feel. Yeah, within the information and simulator, I really feel fairly good. So, yeah, I simply need to attempt it on monitor and see the way it works.
