Podium Interview - Conducted by Eddie Jordan
What a great race, what a great finish - Lewis Hamilton, ladies and gentlemen, four race wins in a row; let's hear it from him.
Lewis Hamilton: A big thank you to my team, they've just done an incredible job this year. I'm really happy with the support I've had here in Spain, it's the best I've ever had, so thank you to everyone in the grandstands, it means the world to me. My first win here in Spain, it means everything to me.
We heard you grumbling, or not quite happy with your team about the graining and also about the time loss in the pits. Tell me, were you upset?
LH: No, not for the pits. I wasn't fast enough really today; Nico was quicker. I struggled a lot with the balance and really had to rely on my engineers a lot more to give me the gaps and to try to find where I could find time. And also with all my settings, I was moving them up and down, up and down really trying to find extra time. But Nico was just generally quicker this weekend but fortunately I was able to keep him behind.
Well, I needn't tell everybody out there but you've now taken over the lead in the championship. Nico, what a fantastic fight, just like Bahrain, right up there at the end. How many more laps do you think you needed to pass him?
Nico Rosberg: I think one more to be honest, one more I could have given it a good go. I wasn't close enough to give it a go there but next lap I would have. But unfortunately that was it. So, a bit gutted but still, second place, still close to the championship and many more races to go anyway.
I needn't remind you or anybody else, but you've been on this podium every race of this season so far. Going now to your home race, Monaco, where you won last year, surely you can make a massive effort for there?
NR: Definitely. I'll be going there to do it one better and try to come first there and repeat the win from last year. That's the aim and we'll see if it works out. And for those of you who don't know Eddie is my number one favourite neighbor in Monaco.
I don't they needed to know that! They want to know all about you. Ladies and gentlemen we'll leave my neighbourly friend here and move to young Australian superstar, the man who has lit up the season so far from a rookie point of view, Daniel Ricciardo. I don't want to be doom and gloom here, but you were 50 seconds behind, what are you going to do to catch these guys up?
Daniel Ricciardo: Thanks
I just thought I'd bring you back down to reality a bit.
DR: No, you're right. They were a long way ahead. I think coming into the race today we knew a boring race would be a pretty good one for us. We knew we didn't really have the paced for Mercedes. We looked like a third-place car and in the end that's what it was, we had a pretty comfortable third- place and we just had to focus on getting the tyres to last two stops ands that was it. Really nice to be on the podium and I'm sure I'll be able to keep it this time.
Lewis, are you surprised with the dominance, because a lot of people called into question your idea of coming to Mercedes maybe 18 months ago. Had you got this in the back of your mind that this was all the potential that was being told to you?
LH: Yeah, sitting down with Ross at my mum's house at the kitchen table, yeah this is the idea that I was given. I really, truly believed it was going to happen, but I could never have imagined us to have a 50-second gap to Red Bull in a race. So it's just an exceptional job from the team and I feel truly blessed to firstly be a part of this team, to be contributing, getting the results. This is our fourth 1-2 together, it's just unreal.
sign in