PART ONE – Yuki TSUNODA (Red Bull Racing), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren), Liam LAWSON (Racing Bulls)
Q: Oscar, good to see you. Now, you’re leading, but it is getting closer. The three of you now within 40 points. Just how is the looming presence of Lando and Max changing your approach?
Oscar PIASTRI: It’s not, to be honest. I think, obviously, the gap has shrunk a little bit in the last few races, but for me, the focus has always been on just trying to go as fast as I can and get the most out of every weekend – which in some of the weekends we have, some of them we definitely haven’t. So that’s really all I’m focused on. And I think if I do a good enough job of getting on top of that every weekend, then it doesn’t really matter what the picture looks like.
Q: Hunter or hunted? What do you prefer?
OP: I mean, both have their positives and negatives. I think everyone likes a good underdog story or, you know, trying to come back is sometimes a bit easier. But I’d rather have the championship lead than be in any other spot. So, yeah, I’ve always kind of said I enjoy that because it normally means you’re doing something right. And I think through the course of the season we have done a lot of things right, and there are some things that we can still do even better.
Q: Scoring points in every race is obviously crucial. So, no more Sprints like in Austin. Have you reviewed what happened on the Saturday in Austin and are there any repercussions for either you or Lando this weekend?
OP: Yeah, we’ve gone through it again – and we go through every weekend regardless of what’s happened. And I think there is a degree of responsibility from my side in the sprint. We’re starting this weekend with a clean slate for both of us. So, yeah, just going out and racing and see who can come out on top.
Q: So no repercussions for either of you. In terms of performance, do you think it’s going to be very close between you and Red Bull, or do you think McLaren does have the legs of Red Bull at this high altitude?
OP: Difficult to know. I think the form card and where we think we will be strong, and where we thought others would be strong, has not always lined up perfectly, which has often been the case in this generation of cars. But I think clearly over the last few race weekends, Red Bull and Max have certainly found consistency. I think more than anything, there were flashes of that kind of performance earlier in the season, but the last few weekends it’s been very consistent. So I’m sure they’re going to be a threat again this weekend, and we’ll try our best to get the most out of our car and see where we end up.
Q: Thanks for that, Oscar. I’m sure there’ll be more questions for you in a minute. Now, Liam, why don’t we come to you now? Frustrating one for you in Austin, so close to the points in both races. Just what positives do you take from Austin?
Liam LAWSON: I think we had quite a fast quali car. We struggled a little bit in the race, but it’s just close. It’s been close all year. It feels like it’s getting even closer now. So yeah, just important to extract everything, try and put everything together on each weekend, and I think we just didn’t quite do that in Austin. That’s probably why we came very, very close but missed out on points in both races. But I don’t think we need to drastically change. I think the car has been quick, so we just need to basically do our procedure and learn from the one or two things we probably made mistakes on in Austin and try not to do them here.
Q: What about the altitude here in Mexico? Do you think that will play to your advantage?
LL: I have no idea, honestly. I think last year we thought that, and we had quite a competitive car, but it’s just hard. Like Oscar said, quite often we go on past years and experience, and there are certain tracks we think might suit us. To be honest, we felt very good about Austin, and it was a tougher weekend for us. So I think that’s out the window. We just come here with the strongest package we think we have, and then we’ll try and go from there.
Q: Now it’s an important period ahead for you and the team, isn’t it? Because your future in Formula 1 is going to be decided, and of course, the team’s constructors’ championship position as well. Just how are you personally approaching the next few weeks?
LL: I mean, for sure, obviously, we know in the back of our minds that it is an important part of the year. But to be honest, it’s not really any different to the start. At least the approach doesn’t really change. Obviously, every weekend I’m going into it trying to do the best job I can, and I’ll do the same thing this weekend. We’ve done all the preparations, and it’s actually a track that I quite enjoy driving. So in terms of the approach, nothing really changes, and then we’ll see.
Q: Do you believe you’ve done enough to stay at Racing Bulls next year?
LL: I think hindsight’s amazing. You always look back on stuff that you’ve done and you always learn from things. We’re not perfect – I’m definitely not perfect – and for sure there’s things over a season that I’ll look back on and learn from mainly. But I think that’s the main thing – as long as I look back on those mistakes and I learn from them and try not to do them again, that’s the most important thing. So I think from that side, yes, I feel like I’ve done everything that I can, and I’ll continue doing that.
Q: Liam, thank you for that. And, Yuki, can I bring you in on this topic now – of your future and the team’s battle in the Constructors’ Championship as well? How are you going to play the next few weeks?
Yuki TSUNODA: Yes. Hi, everyone. It’s the same. I think Austin was a mixed race weekend, but good races in both races and I scored points. And yeah, I think definitely I’m on the right trajectory, improving lots of stuff. So I’m confident in what I’m doing now and just keep pushing to score points. I think there is still potential to be in P2 in the Teams’ Championship, and there’s still potential for Max to win the World Championship. So I try to be in front of these guys and help as much as possible.
Q: Yuki, as you say, the improvement is definitely there. Do you think you’ve done enough to stay at Red Bull next year?
YT: Yeah. Like I said, I’m confident in what I’ve done and the situation I’m in. Obviously, I try to give the best as much as possible to improve myself as soon as possible and score points. So yeah, I just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s up to them, really. It’s what kind of team line-up they want. But I think I’ve improved a lot of things, and I also keep improving myself to deserve… that I can be in the same team next year.
Q: You’re using the word ‘improvement’ a lot – and so you should because it is getting better and better. Can we just investigate where the improvements are coming from? How have you managed to unleash this new level of performance? Is it something to do with the set-up?
YT: A lot of things, I would say. I’ve been in this environment five years, and, you know, it’s just how the pressure is, things going on – and each team is different. And it’s not just set-up. Especially I was struggling quite a lot in the long run, I would say, in the beginning of the season, and now I’ve improved that, I’ve made quite a big step. Now, a little bit struggling to put it all together the whole weekend in terms of performance in the long run, so that’s what I’m focusing on. But the most important thing is I got support a lot from the team. And Laurent – yeah, the engineers. Without that, I wouldn’t be here and able to improve. The tools are there, and that’s why I started to be in the right direction, I guess.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) Oscar, given that you are the one being hunted and given the fact that this is such a long run to the first corner, it seems that it doesn’t matter where you qualify – there is going to be some chaos. How do you deal with it beforehand, and do you have a plan? How do you stay out of trouble and keep it clean going through the first and second corners?
OP: It is a tough place to start a race. You know, with such a long run, I’d still rather be starting from first and trying to get the best run you can and give yourself the best chance of still leading the race. But yeah, ultimately you have to try and make what you think is the right decision and trust your instincts. Sometimes the outside will work, sometimes the inside will work, sometimes the middle works. So you just have to deal with the situation you’ve got and try and deal with it as best you can because there’s no magic formula.
Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Another question to you, Oscar. How much of what you’re going through at the moment has any resemblance or similarity to your F3 championship-winning year where your points lead was whittled down to nothing by the final round? And are you using that as a reference point to help you race to race?
OP: There are some similarities, yes. I think ultimately in this championship, I feel stronger than I did in that year, and some things are a bit different. I think it’s also similar to the Formula Renault championship I had – in some ways, scarily similar. But the good thing I have is the evidence that I can pull it off – I won both of those championships. So those are nice things to look back on, definitely. But I also know that just because I’ve done it before doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to happen this time. But it is nice to look back on how I’ve handled those kinds of situations in the past, the experience I have now from that, and how I can apply that to this year. Ultimately, it’s about trying to go as fast as possible and try and qualify as best as you can and finish as high as you can. It’s obviously not simple to execute that, but the plan at least is pretty straightforward.
Q: (Tim Haureney – TSN) Another question for you, Oscar. Sorry. Does it concern you at all how much Max has been able to claw his way back into this championship? Is this something that you even think about? And if not, why?
OP: It’s not really something I think about, no. I think he’s been very consistent in the last few weekends and been strong as well – there’s no denying that. But for me, there’s no benefit in worrying about that or focusing on that. The thing that’s going to help me win this championship is trying to get the most out of myself, the most out of the car, the most out of the team around me, and worrying about anyone else on the grid is not focusing on that. So he’s there, he’s in the fight, but ultimately that doesn’t change how I’m going to approach my racing.
Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sport Italy) Oscar, five different tracks from here to the end. Which ones are in your favour, and which ones are pro-Max in your opinion?
OP: I think like I said before, it’s very difficult to read. For me, it’s difficult to predict who’s going to be strong where. I think if anything, it’s more about who maximises their car each weekend rather than whose car suits different things, because there were certain things in Austin that potentially worked well for us, but certain things that didn’t, and a lot of other circumstances. So it’s very, very difficult to judge, but I think it will be close everywhere we go.
Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN, Spain) Question for Liam and Yuki. You were both talking about your future, and three out of the four available seats for next year are part of the Red Bull family. Regardless of what happens or where you’ll be next year, would you like to know now your future or do you think it’s better to wait until the end of the year, until after Abu Dhabi?
LL: I have no idea, to be honest. I haven’t thought about that specifically. I feel like if it was something that was clear and the decision was made, I feel like we probably would know, and maybe that would be better. But at the same time, I think the main thing is it just doesn’t really change how we approach each weekend. So at the moment, as we’re obviously still waiting on everything that’s going to happen, I think our approaches will just stay the same and try and extract everything out of each weekend.
YT: Yeah. That’s a crazy question. I’ve been in this Red Bull family for five years, and I know how it works here. I’ve been in this kind of situation pretty much every year so far. I know how it’s handled in Red Bull. So I just keep proving myself and maximise the opportunity. My most important thing is I’m very grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and I just have to maximise it as much as possible. That’s the only focus I’m doing.
Q: (Laurent Dupin – Canal+) A question for Oscar. Last time after the race in Austin, Max Verstappen said he would have called an idiot someone telling him in Zandvoort that he would be in contention for the title. Back then, did you think that it would be only between yourself and Lando?
OP: I think probably, yes. But I think probably everyone did. The run of form that he’s had since Monza has been, I think, a bit of a surprise. Again, there were flashes of that kind of performance at certain points earlier in the season, but there were also some pretty big dips. So for him to now be consistent – that has been a bit of a surprise. We know they’ve still been throwing a lot of things at their car, trying to improve it, so in some ways, it’s not a huge surprise. But I think for everyone, he’s probably come into the fight quicker than I expected.
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) Question for both Liam and Yuki. Stakes are high for both of you. There was a little bit of aggro, it seemed, in Austin. Have you guys spoken after this weekend in America? Is everything clean? Are you happy with racing against each other? Or haven’t you spoken?
YT: I don’t think we have spoken in person.
LL: I don’t really know what happened in Austin to be honest.
YT: I apologised to the team, to VCARB. What I said, especiallt in the media was very unnecessary. And I think… yeah. That’s it.
LL: Yeah. I mean, it’s an intense part of the season. So for sure, obviously, each weekend’s going to be tough. It’s just incredibly close this year. So each session – especially in qualifying – we’re trying to extract everything. So it’s little things that make a difference.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Oscar, a question for you. You said it’s a clean slate now between you and Lando. Does that mean that the repercussions that were against Lando after Singapore have now been removed? And your degree of responsibility in what happened in Austin – was it the aggressiveness of the cutback that was deemed to cross the line?
OP: Yes, the consequences from Lando’s side have been removed. And yes, ultimately, it was that. There’s a lot of factors involved, but ultimately, yes – that’s what’s been decided.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) Another one to Oscar. With the analysis that was done after Austin, how confident are you that the feeling – or the lack of feeling – that you talked about on Sunday night was COTA-specific, or is it more linked to your overall feeling in the car over recent weeks?
OP: I think it’s very COTA-specific. It was just a messy weekend with everything that went on. So there’s an element of that hampering things. But I think the analysis we’ve done has highlighted that there were a lot of things specific to Austin. So I’m not really concerned that those problems will still persist. Obviously, I’m hoping that this weekend is a bit better.
Q: (Niharika Ghorpade – Sportskeeda) Oscar, you spoke about the rules of engagement between you and Lando before. Are they adding pressure into what is already turning into a three-way battle in the championship?
OP: Not necessarily, no. I think for us, it’s pretty clear what those rules are – which is don’t crash into each other. But I think regardless of what scenario you’re in, that’s kind of how you’re expected to race as team-mates. So I don’t think that adds any pressure into the scenario.
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) A question to Liam. Liam, it seems from the outside that you’ve been making a really good case to continue for next year. Is that how it’s felt for you? And if you look back to the start of the season – I know you wouldn’t want to go through what happened after the first two races – but do you think you’ve actually been better off for it? Has it made you a stronger person, a better driver?
LL: I mean, that I’ll never know, to be honest. I can obviously look back on the year, and I think we’ve definitely found a lot of progress through the year, found a lot of things that have helped us. I can confidently say I’m in a much more comfortable position now than I was, especially when I first made the switch earlier in the season. Obviously, you’re just playing catch-up, and as the season went on, I got a lot more comfortable. So I think so. As I said before, you can always look back on stuff, and I’ll look back over the season and there’s always things you can do better. From a stats point of view, it’s got a lot better, obviously. But from a personal side, there’s just things that I’ll always look back on and learn from and try to take that forward into any future racing I do.
Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365) Question for Liam and Yuki. The suggestion is that for next year, Isack could be promoted to Red Bull to join Max, and that Arvid Lindblad will be promoted to Racing Bulls. That would just then leave the one seat open that you two are vying for. Between Helmut, Laurent and Alan Permane, what are those guys looking for from your performances now? What are the deciding factors that you feel will swing things in your favour?
YT: Yeah, I mean, I guess the results, right? I think for me it’s more clear – it’s just like, it’s been a crucial moment as a team and also for the championship, especially with my teammate. So how much I can support that. And yeah, this is the potential, like I said, to be P2 in the Team Championship, which is very good. And what I scored in Austin was obviously a good step. So, yeah, I’m going to have to do more. Or, yeah, it’s basically more of the same and just keep scoring every race. Which probably, you know, others, especially last few years, Red Bull drivers struggled with that. So I think, like I said, I’m in the right trajectory, especially in the second half of the season. I’m showing good things each race. That’s it. I think I’ve proved a lot of things in past years and especially being on the season in different teams. So just… what I have to do is quite clear.
LL: Yeah, I mean, I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car. I don’t think that changes too much. I think obviously it’s a results-based programme – it’s always been performance-based since I joined when I was 16. It was always about performing and then you get promoted and stay in the sport. That’s literally as simple as I can put it.
Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) For you, Oscar. Coming back to the Austin struggles, Andrea said that the team would also look into the car data to see if there was something wrong with the car. I mean, you had this little crash in the Sprint. Did they find anything in that? And if not, did you even ask the team to change the chassis or whatever? Because drivers tend to believe that there is something wrong with the car when there’s not an explanation.
OP: No, I haven’t asked them to change anything. I think there were some things that were maybe not as good as they could have been, but nothing drastically wrong with the car. I think there were a few things in terms of how the weekend played out and how the race panned out that were different to our expectations from a few different angles. But, yeah, while the car maybe wasn’t ideal, if we could do the weekend again, we’d probably do a few things a little bit differently – but we wouldn’t be changing anything major.
Q: (Nigel Chiu – Sky Sports) Question to Yuki and Oscar. It emerged after Austin that Red Bull had been trying to remove tape from rivals’ cars in terms of helping with the starting position on the grid. What do you both make of that? Is it gamesmanship? Is it fine? Is it something else?
OP: I mean, I don’t have that much to add, but they’re within their rights to do it. But obviously, in Austin, they were on the grid too late doing it. So, yeah. I guess gamesmanship. But everyone will have their own opinion on whether it’s necessary or not.
YT: Yeah, I think bottom point is it’s just really difficult to see the orange line with this current generation. It’s really hard – it’s just almost like… I guess same for you, right? So I don’t know. That’s why. Hopefully it’ll be better next year with the visibility.
Q: (Victor Mattar – Excelsior) How crucial do you think Mexico is going to be for your aspirations of becoming world champion this year? And also, Pato O’Ward, the Mexican driver, will be in FP1. How important do you think Pato’s work will be for your success here this weekend?
OP: I think there are definitely things we can learn with Pato. It’s always another perspective in terms of driving the car. Ultimately, we can keep working on things with the car with Pato as well. How important is Mexico for the title aspirations? As important as the remaining four other races this year, I think. Obviously, you want to have the best weekend you can every time, but I don’t think there’s anything necessarily special about any of the races that’s going to dictate what the rest of the year looks like. So I’ll just try and do the best that I can. Obviously, I want to win, but, yeah, try my best to make that happen.
Q: (Don Kennedy – Hawkes Bay Today-NZ Herald) Sorry, Liam, a question for you. How much of a setback in terms of performance, or related to your driving, has it been not to be in FP1? And did you have a discussion with the team about that?
LL: I think why a lot of teams do it here is it makes a lot of sense. Obviously, it’s never an ideal situation when you step out of the car, but in this case, at least, it’s a track that evolves a lot over the weekend. It’s a track that at the start of practice is very slippery and quite green anyway. So if we go to tracks that we have to choose, obviously I’ve been here as well in the past – I’ve driven here in a Free Practice session, and I raced here last year as well. So it’s not a new track for me. In that sense, it’s just the one that makes the most sense. Obviously, for me, I would choose never to step out of the car, but it’s something that we all have to do. So it makes the most sense. And Ayumu is obviously somebody who’s driven the car a bit in the past and has a very good understanding of it. So it’ll still be a valuable session for us.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) One for Yuki. You’ve said a couple of times now that you’re willing to help Max in this title fight. So how do you see your own role – apart from taking points away from the McLarens? What are other ways in which you can potentially help? Is that strategy – going long to hold off people? Or is it also with setup, like what happened in Austin – trying different setups and giving Max some kind of direction?
YT: Yeah, I think I can help in a lot of areas. Setup, different resources. We’re still challenging to discover a lot of new setups that try to suit or maximise the current package, and that’s what we are doing very well this year so far. So that, for sure. And I think position-wise as well – especially being as high as possible – will create more opportunity to play around with the strategy, in favour of the team. You know, whatever – I don’t know – extend the stint depending on the situation. Right? Strategy that, if I can help Max to have a higher chance to be P1 or make our competitors’ life more difficult. So, yeah, that’s kind of the role I understand. And especially, I’m not fighting for the championship, my team-mate is. So definitely, yes. But also to do that, obviously, you have to be consistently performing well – as I did in the Austin Sprint race – and that’s what I have to do more in the short run.
Gallery6MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – OCTOBER 23: Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams speaks in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 23, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Close image galleryPrevious imageNext image
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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – OCTOBER 23: Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams speaks in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 23, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
PART TWO – Kimi ANTONELLI (Mercedes), Carlos SAINZ (Williams), Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber)
Q: Hulk, can we start with you? Can we start by celebrating Austin? It was a very strong weekend for you, even if the sprint didn’t work out. Just tell us how you unleashed that performance from the car.
Nico HÜLKENBERG: Well, it was just one of those scenarios and tracks, you know. From the first lap on Friday in practice, the car just seemed to be in a happy place and, you know, it kind of clicked. So, yeah, sometimes that happens – quite nice when it does. Very happy, obviously, and pleased that it was good and that we managed to get something out of the weekend on Sunday. Saturday was obviously a tough one to swallow with the chain reaction in Turn 1, in that incident. But yeah, all in all, happy to have scored some points again. We’ll obviously try to have a similarly good one here, but you never know.
Q: Well, can we talk about that? How much confidence does last weekend give you coming into this weekend? And do you think your car’s going to perform well in the high altitude here?
NH: Don’t know – it’s the short and truth. I think it gives a good feeling coming off last weekend, but that doesn’t guarantee or buy you anything for free here. I think you have to just find a good rhythm again, a good harmony with the car, and find the right window with tyres and setup. So yeah, we’ll see when we hit the track tomorrow and get the first few laps done.
Q: Nico, can we just throw it even further forward now and look at some of the remaining races – just the 10 points between yourselves and Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship. How do you see that battle? Do you think you’re going to have the advantage at most of the races coming up?
NH: I don’t think so. I don’t think any one of us there in the midfield has really an advantage. I think we’re all really close with each other and it really depends on the lap in quali, on the day form a little bit, and track-specific like it usually is. But I think it’s all to play for – for us and a few other teams as well. So it’s just about having clean, good weekends, maximizing the opportunity and potential.
Q: Alright. Well, look, best of luck this weekend, Nico. Thank you very much for that. Carlos and Kimi, great to have you with us. Just all good after last weekend between you?
Carlos SAINZ: Yeah. Why? For me, what happens on track always stays on track. Then obviously, the decision that the stewards made of giving me a five-place grid penalty for here after what happened there, I found it completely disproportionate to what the incident itself was. It exposes a bit the weaknesses in the rules that we have. But it is what it is. I have to take it. I obviously assume my responsibility or my share of responsibility for the incident. I wish we could have both continued the race, but honestly after looking at the data and all the onboards that we looked at, the fact that they still decided to give me five places for here is difficult to understand, difficult to accept – but whatever, I’ll take it.
Q: Kimi?
Kimi ANTONELLI: I mean, it was a shame because we were both in a decent position and obviously with the contact, we basically ended both of our races. I have a different view on the crash. Carlos has his view, but it is what it is. Now we move on.
Q: It was a frustrating afternoon for you in the end. Just what positives do you take from the Austin weekend?
KA: Well, I think despite it being a difficult track, we got up to speed fairly quickly. Just again, Q3 was a bit disappointing because I didn’t put things together. In lap one, the DRS – yeah, just with the button on the bump – kind of triggered the button so the DRS didn’t open. So there was a couple of places in the grid without that. It was a bit disappointing, but still, the race, I had a decent start, pace was looking OK. Especially, you know, after the contact, those laps in free air looked very strong. So yeah, there’s plenty of positives. Of course, we didn’t come out with the result we wanted, but we’ve got another chance this weekend.
Q: Kimi, you talk about the DRS problem in Q3, but can I ask you about qualifying? The performance differences between the cars are so close this year. Do you think qualifying now is more important than ever? And is there more to come from you in Q3?
KA: Well, for sure. Track position this year has been basically everything. Also lap one – it can really make a difference depending on where you are. If you’re able to gain some places at the start, there’s a very high chance you’re going to maintain them, just because clean air is so powerful and so much easier to drive in clean air. So I think qualifying is very important. Especially this year with the gaps being so close, it’s really important not to make any mistakes because otherwise you get very punished. And for sure, within me, there’s more to come when it’s about Q3. I think it’s more about understanding how to put more things together, especially when we come into the final stages of qualifying. If I can make that click, then it can be a different story.
Q: OK. Good luck with that, thank you. And Carlos, coming back to you, you’ve already spoken about the five-place penalty. Just how does that change your approach to this weekend?
CS: Probably doesn’t, because I still need to qualify as far ahead as possible. I mean that I start the race with that five-position offset as far ahead as possible and give myself the best chance to come back to the points. I don’t know. I feel like we’re in a great moment right now of the season where everything has finally clicked for me, and I’m quick on Saturdays, very quick on Sundays. I just hope that I can have a clean weekend. We managed to come back through the field in Singapore starting 19th, so hopefully here we start a bit further up and we can still come back.
Q: As you say, you’re enjoying a hot run of form at the moment. Can we throw it forward to the last five races? Are you going to enter every race believing that you can challenge for the thick end of the points?
CS: Track dependent, yes. Mexico is one of those that I hope we can be a bit stronger – similar to Austin maybe. Then Vegas is one of those that I’ll be targeting or put in my list as the tracks where hopefully we can get good points. Austin – honestly, that podium felt almost like a bonus in terms of results. I really enjoyed the podium in Baku, but after that podium I said, “Okay, now let’s just have a good run of points until the season finishes.” But the podium in Austin came and the pace in Austin was so encouraging to see that it obviously motivates me and lifts me up to be more hopeful of the last – how many races? Five? Four? Five left? Five.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1). Kimi, what a rookie year. Had a bit of everything, including a contract for next year as well – congratulations on that. I think you have clicked in recent races and things are definitely improving. How have you gone about addressing that kind of midseason pattern where you weren’t getting the results and bounced back? What were you working on – mentally, physically, simulator?
KA: I think a lot of the approach changed. Obviously, I had a very big and long dark time in the European season. And I think because the results kept not coming, frustration started to get over. I just started to realise that I wasn’t really focusing on the target, on the basics, and on the process. I was just focusing on the final result. But then, as the final result was never coming, frustration was starting to get over. And after Monza, there was a moment where I sat with the team – we had a big meeting – and we agreed that something needed to change. My approach has been a lot different ever since. Now I’m focusing a lot more on the task, which is driving well, putting things together. I know if I do these things well, then the result will come by itself.
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) For all three of you: given what we heard from George Russell this week about the importance of qualifying and Turn 1, what do you expect for this weekend? And is he right that there’s maybe not enough overtaking after lap one? For all three, please.
NH: Yeah, I think he’s got a point. Track position, clean air is king – it’s so powerful. It reminds me of the past a little bit in some ways, and year on year from ’22, ’23, ’24 and so on, it’s gotten worse and worse. Now it is very difficult. Sometimes it makes for static racing. So yes, quali is very important, and it is a race to Turn 1. Having said that, we obviously all need to survive Turn 1 and lap one to get something. But yeah, that’s just a side product of these fun aero cars – following is definitely not always fun.
CS: Yeah, I agree. I think it’s a combination of factors. Through the years, the cars have become – since ’22, which I remember, it was really easy to follow and you were, on some tracks, better off being behind than in front for the DRS catch. I remember Jeddah, Bahrain – there were a lot of on-track battles. But now, the cars have developed into being very difficult to follow. If at the same time you add the fact that the tyres have become more robust, less degradation, it’s more difficult to achieve any kind of tyre delta that allows you to overtake. So when those two patterns go in favour of less racing, you end up with one-stop boring races that we’re tending to have more of this year. As F1, I think we just need to try and be a step ahead of that and predict when that’s going to be the case – maybe work with Pirelli or the teams to know what we can do to make sure that the races remain always on the limit of the one-stop. At least have some kind of tyre delta, or maybe do something with the rule tweaks, maybe extend DRS zones a bit. But I always feel like in F1, we are chasing rather than trying to be a step ahead of what’s happening on track.
KA: Well, I don’t know how it was in previous years, but definitely as a driver you feel massively the difference when you’re driving in clean air or in dirty air. Also, because Pirelli has improved the tyre – it’s more robust – it allows you to do longer stints, so there’s less degradation. And with the pace of the cars being so close, it’s really hard to generate pace advantage. Even if you have a couple of tenths on the car in front, it’s very difficult to be able to overtake. I remember also in Singapore, Charles was having some issues, and because of that big pace advantage, I still did 40-something laps behind him. OK, Singapore is not the easiest track to overtake, but still, it was really hard to follow close. So I think it’s difficult, and that’s why qualifying and lap one are super important.
Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN, Spain) Carlos, we’re coming to the end of your first season as a Williams driver. I guess the main goal starting 2025 was to adapt – which you did fairly – side goal might be to have some good results. You had two podiums. Coming now to the last five races of the season, what is the goal that you have in mind? Do you have something specific that you want to work on, or is it just building momentum for 2026?
CS: I think you said it well there at the end – I think it’s building momentum. I feel that momentum has been building since the good result in Baku and things starting to click a bit more for me. Not so much from a pace point of view – I think I’ve had pace the whole year – but just putting results together and making more use of those opportunities that we have in our car to sometimes do a P10, like in Singapore, or other times we have the chance to do a top three or top five in any other race. Also just keep that momentum building, because everything else is being taken care of back at base – trying to put together a more competitive car for next year. And yeah, spending a lot of time in the simulator and with everyone back at home trying to be more competitive next year.
Q: (Tim Hauraney – TSN) Question for all three. With Max’s win at the end of the Austin Grand Prix, he’s cleared away a triple-digit deficit following Zandvoort to the end of Austin. Do all three of you think that he’s capable of winning this year’s Drivers’ Championship?
KA: I mean, if they’re able to maintain this form, for sure. They’ve been improving the car and obviously Max is doing the difference as well. I think he’s probably in some ways in a better position than the other two because he’s got nothing to lose – so he’s going for it. With Max in this form, I wouldn’t say never. I think he’s got a pretty good shot.
CS: Yeah, I agree. With that philosophy of nothing to lose, everything feels like less pressure on your shoulders and you just go and send it. I think he’s maximising his chances with that philosophy. With the tracks that are coming – especially Mexico, famous for its Turn 1, Vegas for overtaking and also a tricky Turn 1 – the whole championship is opening. The only thing I would say is maybe he cannot afford one bad race, because then all of your good work is undone and it’s back to McLaren alone. So yeah, they just need to keep the momentum going and not let one race go bad until the end of the year.
NH: Yeah, very similar. You can never write him off. But obviously it depends on what McLaren do and how they perform on track. But I think it’s doable – possible.
Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Italia) Carlos, coming here, how did you think about your last victory here, which was also Ferrari’s last victory?
CS: Well, it’s difficult to say how special that win was for me, independently of whether it’s Ferrari’s last win or not. That’s irrelevant for me, and it’s circumstantial, maybe, to the tough year that Ferrari is having. I’m pretty sure Ferrari will get to win again anytime soon. But for me, this win – I saw it as one of my last opportunities to win a race in the near future, before my switch to Williams and the process it would take to get back to that position. To be able to put myself under that pressure of having to win here and deliver the weekend that I did, it did massive things for my self-confidence, my own beliefs. And yeah, my whole family was here to witness it. All my friends were here – we all knew it was maybe my last chance. Great memories. And since then, the Mexican fans are loving me, which is great to see. So I’m enjoying it a lot.
Q: (Stuart Codling – Autosport) Question to all of you – sorry, I hate it when people do that, but I’m doing it anyway, Nico. Last weekend there was an incident where a Red Bull crew member tried to get back on the grid after it had been cleared to remove a piece of tape that McLaren had left to help Lando line himself up in his grid spot. In reporting on that, a lot of the reader feedback has been along the lines of: this guy wants to win the world championship, why does he need a piece of tape on the pit wall to help him park? So I was wondering what tricks you guys use to ensure that you line up in the grid box. How difficult is it? And in terms of marginal gains, how important is it to be right at the front of the grid box to maximise your start?
NH: I think it’s different from car to car how easy it is to see your grid box, because it depends on the side impact structure – how high and forward it is. So yeah, it’s different for everyone. It’s not easy with this generation of cars, I think, for anyone. Personally, I don’t use a tape. I just, last moment, see it – then I just judge where I think it is. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but haven’t overstepped it yet. But it’s a challenge with this generation of cars for sure.
CS: Yeah, I’m lucky to have a very nice line of reference in my car that helps me line up. But I’ve been in cars before that don’t have this possibility, and you need the tape on the wall to align yourself with the grid slot. So it completely depends, as Nico said. But yeah, I do know if I was Red Bull, or Red Bull in principle, what I would do for someone that tried to do that.
KA: Yeah, I go by visual. So I take my references in practice, and then when I arrive on the grid, I know roughly where I end up once I line up on the grid.
Q: Guys, do you think it’s necessary for Lando, or do you think it’s gamesmanship, the whole thing?
CS: I think it’s something that Lando needs in order to align himself with the grid box, and obviously someone saw a competitive advantage by trying to take that away from him. But as I said, I’m not going to elaborate. You’re not going to get a headline from me here, but I know values in sport and what I would do if that was me and my team.
Q: (Jack Smith (Motorsport Monday/MotorsportWeek.com) Question for you, Nico. The longer the season has gone on, the more competitive your package has become. So with that in mind, has that changed the preparations or indeed the expectations for the team next year as it transitions into Audi?
NH: I don’t entirely agree. I think it’s been a bit up and down for us this season. Obviously, before the summertime, we had a great run. Then in the summertime, Gabi had a great run, where I took a bit of a break. And then recently, obviously in Austin, we managed to bounce back. But it is a bit circumstantial and depends on a bunch of factors. And yeah, I think like every other team, we’re growing. We’re trying to build something – obviously for the short-term future, but also in parallel for the mid-to-long-term future with eyes on this year and next year. And we’re just in that process like everybody else.
Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) For you again, Nico. On your recent qualifying form: would you say you’re completely on top of the car now? Are the struggles you had earlier on one lap gone, or is it just that things have come together?
NH: We’ll see on Saturday, I guess.
Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) But how is the feeling in the car? Is it different on one lap now?
NH: I think recently it’s been better – the last few. But, like I said earlier, you never have a guarantee of a good feeling with the car. You need to work for it sometimes. But I certainly feel it’s beneath me now – I’m in control of things. I’ll try and intend to carry that forward till the end of the season.
Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365) Carlos, you mentioned at the very start that you felt your penalty in Austin was disproportionate – effectively, that the punishment did not fit the crime. Is it something that you plan to address in the drivers’ briefing tomorrow? And if at all possible, do you see the possibility of a rule change around that? And just a very quick addition: can you say what the line of reference is in your car?
CS: Answering the second question first: the line of reference is just something the sidepod has. Like, I don’t know how to – it’s not an aero part – it’s just where the two mountings fix, just like a line. And I am lucky that it coincides exactly with the yellow line. I align myself to that and it’s pretty much spot on.
NH: Can you tell us the technical…
CS: I will! Honestly, I don’t see any competitive advantage in that. So if you guys need it, I’ll give it to you, because I see that as basic racing stuff – basic racing fairness to go racing. For the first question – the penalty – I think it’s not something to discuss in the drivers’ briefing, because it’s not like you’re going to change anything. I think it’s something maybe to discuss more in Qatar, where we’re having a conversation about rules in general – about driving guidelines, I think they call them now – which is something I’ve been quite vocal about. A guideline is not a rule. A guideline can help you to see an accident or try and evaluate an accident, but it’s a guideline – it’s not a rule. And sometimes these guidelines are being applied for any kind of situation on track, which I find a bit interesting and not exactly the way I would judge an accident if I was a steward.
Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365) Another question for yourself, Carlos, on a completely different topic. It’s going to be 20 years next year since Fernando won his last world title. Longevity aside – and the fact that he’s managed to continue all these years – does it really surprise you that it’s been that long now and he’s not had another world title to his name?
CS: Well, in May, 20 years ago, I was 10 years old. I was a huge fan of Fernando, and I met him for the first time in the Spanish Grand Prix in 2005. That’s what made me want to become an F1 driver. Now, 20 years later, he’s still in F1, he’s still one of the fastest guys out there and delivering week in, week out. And yeah, what that basically tells me is that time flies – and that you need to maximise every year, every opportunity that you are in F1. It’s something to look up to. Because if I keep my energy levels high during these next few years, I would like to be in F1 for a long time.
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