Half 1: Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz
Q: Carlos, let’s kick issues off with you. Your final weekend as a Ferrari driver for now. How are you going to look again in your time with the crew?Carlos Sainz: Nicely, undoubtedly, properly, to start with, I believe this weekend goes to be fairly emotional, fairly intense, not solely due to it being the final weekend, but in addition for a way a lot is at stake with the Constructors’ title. On the identical time, it has been a troublesome 12 months typically with quite a bit occurring within the background. I believe I’ve to be fairly comfortable, fairly pleased with how I dealt with each state of affairs via the 12 months and the way I managed to push myself to get to the tip of the 12 months nonetheless in good condition, in good kind and able to combat for that.
Q: Let’s discuss in regards to the Constructors’ Championship. You and Ferrari are 21 factors behind McLaren. How do you see the aggressive order this weekend?CS: I believe it is actually very tight between us, however not solely between Ferrari, McLaren, but in addition Mercedes and Crimson Bull. I believe we’re all inside a few tenths of one another. And relying on the observe, relying on the tyre compound we use, relying on the observe traits, the wind, the situations, one automobile will come out on high that weekend. And final weekend seemed prefer it was going to be the McLaren. Ultimately, it was Max. the opposite weekend, George, the opposite weekend, me in Mexico, or once more, Max within the moist in Brazil. It is virtually prefer it’s so tight throughout the highest 4 groups that you just can’t decide one earlier than a weekend. And I believe we’re all ready to observe to see who all of a sudden appears the strongest that weekend.
Q: What would it not imply to you to depart Ferrari as Constructors’ Champion?CS: Would imply every thing to me, actually. It is, I believe, one of the simplest ways to say goodbye to my house these final 4 years and to the crew that I’ve given my very best to for the final 4 years and I’ve loved each single second with them. And to say goodbye with a Constructors’ title, I believe, can be the proper log off, the proper goodbye. I’m additionally sincere with you saying that it is nonetheless not an extended shot, however it’s a troublesome one. Being 21 factors behind two of the quickest drivers and one of many quickest groups and recovering these 21 factors in a single weekend requires perfection from our aspect and doubtless not optimum weekend or a foul weekend from their aspect. It is nonetheless going to be troublesome, however I’ve seen worse issues in racing occur earlier than, and we will give it our greatest shot.
Q: All proper. Carlos, good luck. Thanks for that. Oscar, properly, let’s kick off in regards to the Constructors’ Championship. What’s the temper within the camp at McLaren?Oscar Piastri: I believe nonetheless assured. Like Carlos mentioned, we’re nonetheless in a great place by way of the lead we have now. I believe it may be a really tightly fought weekend between most likely the highest 4 groups, not simply us and Ferrari, which signifies that a number of the different groups can doubtlessly play a job in deciding the championship. So let’s examine. We’ll concentrate on ourselves and attempt to get probably the most out of our sport our automobile that we have now and I suppose see the place we find yourself. However I believe we’re in a great place and nonetheless assured.
Q: With a lot at stake, does this race weekend really feel totally different to earlier ones this 12 months?CS: Sure and no. I believe via a number of the races within the second half of the season, particularly after we had been beginning to take some factors out of Max, there was sort of the urgency to make it possible for was nonetheless taking place for the Drivers’ Championship. And I believe, you understand, now it is clearly an identical state of affairs for the Constructors. , Qatar did not finish precisely how we wished as a crew however I believe the arrogance remains to be there. And sure, in fact, there’s quite a bit using on this weekend, it is apparent, however I believe one of the simplest ways of tackling it’s simply how we have now achieved and making an attempt to get probably the most out of our automobile, as a result of I believe it’s extremely early now to start out holding each eyes on what Ferrari do. We have to hold not less than one eye, most likely each for now, on our personal efficiency.
Q: Regardless of what occurs within the Constructors’ Championship, how will you personally look again on 2024?OP: I believe a superb enchancment from my rookie season. however nonetheless room to go. I believe a couple of races firstly of the season, a couple of races extra not too long ago haven’t gone in addition to I’d have favored. And I believe additionally as a crew, there’s some races via the 12 months that we’d have favored to have executed a bit higher. However I believe, particularly within the center a part of the 12 months, I used to be very proud of the extent I used to be acting at and I believe I confirmed some fairly clear progress from final season. I believe primarily in qualifying, I’ve made life too troublesome for myself this 12 months. However I believe final 12 months in a whole lot of the races, I would not have had the instruments to get again via. Whereas this 12 months, I really feel like I’ve. So I believe on a private be aware, it has been a superb enchancment. However yeah, nonetheless some room to go.
Q: Alright, Oscar, thanks for that. Better of luck to you this weekend. Lewis, welcome. Your final weekend as a Mercedes driver, how are the feelings?Lewis Hamilton: Fairly calm in the meanwhile. Feeling optimistic and excited simply to present all of it this weekend. Each second, like via the 12 months, it has been, you understand, each single race has been clearly the final time I will race and be in that particular place with the crew and I believe right this moment, already from just like the briefings that we have had, like, you are sitting there and also you’re realising these are the final moments with the crew, which is… It is exhausting to explain the sensation. It is not the best, in fact, however I believe largely I am simply actually pleased with what we have achieved. And I’ve a lot pleasure on this crew.
Q: Can I ask you extra about that? As a result of while you look again at your 12 years with Mercedes, all 246 races, what is going on to be your abiding reminiscence?LH: I believe it is the grins, after we’ve had the success. I believe it is these moments. Like I bear in mind one specific engineer, for instance, I bear in mind our first win in Australia in 2014, I believe it was Australia, and I simply bear in mind him being in tears after we had been on the rostrum. It is these moments that I take with me. It is the feelings that we had in Silverstone this 12 months. It is all the great bits. Naturally, you largely bear in mind the great bits. And I believe it is simply the… I am simply extremely proud, but in addition simply so grateful to each single particular person, each which can be right here on the observe, but in addition again on the manufacturing facility which have simply labored tirelessly and, you understand, been supporting me for all these years from day one.
Q: Lewis, how totally different does this second really feel to while you left McLaren on the finish of 2012?LH: If I am sincere, I do not actually bear in mind the… Clearly, I bear in mind assembly Niki. And I bear in mind making the choice. However I do not actually bear in mind the ultimate days, if I am actually sincere. I do not actually know. I’ve bought a extremely unhealthy reminiscence, as you understand. It undoubtedly wasn’t as painful and troublesome as this 12 months has been by way of the feelings. And I believe as a result of it was on the finish of the 12 months, it was a lot faster and there wasn’t sufficient time for it to essentially settle in for anybody, I believe, inside the crew. Yeah, this one is way more emotional as a result of I have been with the crew so lengthy and we have been via a lot collectively.
Questions From The Ground
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports activities) A query for Lewis. You sort of alluded to it there, Lewis. It has been an extended goodbye. You knew from the beginning of the 12 months you would be leaving. So did the crew… I believe Toto mentioned he anticipated perhaps a bumpy highway. Did it get awkward at any level, now we’re on the finish of that highway? And was it the important thing relationships enduring which enabled it to… It is seemed on the floor as if it has been OK all year long by way of holding a sort of steadiness inside the crew and never having any sort of fallouts or friction? LH: I imply, the primary assembly with Toto originally of the 12 months was awkward, in fact. So it was awkward from the get-go, to the day after once I took a number of the crew paintballing. And so they had simply discovered. So I imply, there’s been a great deal of moments via the 12 months… Yeah, I bought plenty of photographs from folks, yeah, a great deal of bruises. Yeah, folks went in on me that day! I believe finally I anticipated it will be troublesome, however massively underestimated how troublesome it will be. And it was straining on the connection very early on, took time for folks to get previous it. After which only for my very own self, it has been a really emotional 12 months for me. And I believe I’ve not been at my finest in dealing with and coping with these feelings. And I believe this 12 months, and so lots of you will have been right here my complete profession, so a few of you, I believe, you’ve got all seen the worst of me and seen the perfect of me and I am not going to apologise for both as a result of I am solely human and I do not at all times get it proper, and I’d undoubtedly would say this 12 months’s been one of many worst by way of dealing with that from my aspect, which I will work on making an attempt to be higher at. However I hope the great and the highs far outweigh the negatives and the way I’ve dealt with it or behaved. And as I mentioned, I simply bear in mind the great instances, you understand. I’ve constructed some unbelievable relationships. We have gone via. In case you think about, while you’re going while you’re going via a season along with so many individuals, you understand, not solely on these race weekends the place you are using the highs and lows collectively, however of their private lives, via marriages, via divorces, via lack of relations, via most cancers, via all types. You are going via these journeys with these folks. So it is a actually stunning journey you go on collectively. And being that it was so lengthy, the feelings run so deep.
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) We began this week with the information that we will lose the Dutch Grand Prix after 2026. Lots of you will have pushed at Zandvoort quite a bit – I do know Lewis, specifically, in 2005, successful the Masters of F3. However a query for all three of you. Ought to a observe like Zandvoort have the ability to keep on the calendar or given the monetary difficulties they’ve, is it a logical query now that they go away?CS: I believe it is a very delicate matter. , I do not perceive totally the entire image of why Zandvoort might or might not keep longer than the 2026 season. I believe as an entire, the game has undoubtedly moved in the direction of having extra races exterior of Europe than in Europe. Most likely for financial and clearly political and financial causes for the game. In a great world, In my view, the System 1 season ought to have round 20 races. Out of these 20 races, I strongly imagine six to eight of them needs to be in Europe as a result of that is the place the game comes from. And all the others ought to stay rotational. If Zandvoort can’t hold the funds to run a System 1 race when another races can, it does not imply I believe Zandvoort ought to fully disappear from the calendar, however perhaps come again each two or three years again to a calendar to present all of the Dutch followers and all of the supporter of Max the chance to observe Max dwell, you understand, and the identical would apply to Spain, the identical would apply to the UK if that is ever the case. So, yeah, discover methods to, even when these old-fashioned circuits, European circuits that perhaps do not have the massive budgets that exterior of Europe, they’ve these budgets, nonetheless discover a solution to give them the chance to maintain coming again to a calendar from time to time. I do not know if it is doable or not, however in my superb F1 calendar state of affairs, I’d attempt to match that in.