Podium Interviews - Conducted by Ted Kravitz
Lewis, congratulations, tell us your emotions right now. Does this make up for Monaco?
Lewis Hamilton: I love Montreal. I love this track; I love the city and really just a fantastic weekend and great to get back on the top step. For me personally and I'm sure I'm speak for the team, I want to dedicate this to my engineer Bonno's [Pete Bonnington's] father, who I know it's been a tough weekend for him but he has been amazing all weekend and he helped me win this today and this is really dedicated to him.
It was hard out there; it was hard-fought. It might not have looked it but tell us how close it was, how tough it was with Nico and what you had to handle in the car?
LH: I didn't feel happy or the most comfortable, I generally had a lot of understeer but I never really felt too much under pressure. Nico was quick but I felt like I always had it under control, I had a bit of time in my pocket to be able to pull it out when I needed to, so it was never too serious. But it was a great race. I don't know how it was to watch but it felt like it was intense and I really enjoyed it.
And tell me: you're back in business now, do you feel you needed this after Monaco?
LH: Did I need this? I think so. I think so. Again, just a big thank you to all the fans today. Every time we come here we have the most incredible support from all the fans, so I just take my hat off to you guys.
Thank you very much Lewis. Nico, coming to you: great race, you were struggling with all sorts of things; the team was telling you to save brakes and save fuel sometimes. How close was it?
Nico Rosberg: Yeah, it was a good race against Lewis. I was pushing like mad to try to put the pressure on but he didn't make any mistakes, so fair play. It was a challenging race, yeah, because we had to manage fuel, brakes, all these things, but it was the same for Lewis, the same for both of us. It was a good race. Unfortunately I couldn't make it happen but second place is still OK.
Well, you say it's still OK but it is another second place. You were coming off a couple of good races for you. Where have you been lacking this weekend do you feel?
NR: It was just that tiny bit I lost out qualifying in the end, because the race pace was there and just that qualifying position makes that big difference. That's what I need to try and make happen the next time.
Valterri, coming to you: Williams' first podium of the season, it must be a great result for you and everybody from Williams?
Valtteri Bottas: Yeah, really happy for us as a team, really proud. A proud member of the team and this was really good teamwork all weekend. And then the mistake Kimi made allowed us to get one position and we also changed the plan with the strategy during the race, which I thought was really dynamic, so really good job from the team and it was not a bad race from me either.
It must be satisfying to beat your fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen. Now, where can Williams go from here, two tracks that should be good for you, Austria and Silverstone, coming up?
VB: I think we really needed this result. Like last year we saw that it really boosts confidence. We know again now that we are a top team and that we can fight for podiums. I think from Austria, with the package that we have coming there, from then onwards we really hope that we can repeat at least these kind of results.
Thank you very much Valtteri. Lewis, final word from you. You see the flags, the crosses of Saint George, the Union flags, the flags of Grenada out there as well. What does this mean to you? Do you feel the momentum is back with you? And what are you going to do tonight, Lewis?
LH: Honestly, as I said, the support is incredible. Lots of British flags, people from out here in Canada supporting, Grenadian flags, Barbados flags, you know I'm so grateful. The team did amazing job and I'm really just proud to be up here and as I said, my first grand prix win was here back in 2007, so to be back up here feels really historic.
Press Conference
Many congratulations Lewis, you're fourth win here in Canada and the 37th of your career. In control really, I guess, in qualifying and the race is the best way to sum it up. Just a brief moment after the pitstop when the gap to Nico seemed to come down quite a bit, he got within DRS range of you. What was going on there?
LH: Well, I think because Nico was in my tow he was able to save more fuel. Naturally when you're behind someone you use less fuel. And for me, I thought I had saved enough but I needed to save some more, so through that period I was just fuel-saving. Managing the gap within a second but I was saving a lot of fuel, and then once I'd saved enough, I was able to get on it a little bit more. But I only really needed to answer to the lap times Nico would do. If I could do a tenth or two faster, that would be fine. So that's what I tried to do - just tried to manage it and bring the car home safely.
Nico, tell us a little about the start. There was a lot of radio messages about the brakes. So maybe you could tell us a little bit more about the management you had to do there.
NR: Yeah. The start was good but not quite enough to somehow try and challenge Lewis. And also tight from Kimi behind and even Valtteri I think - I'm not sure. But anyways, it all went OK and second place after that. And then yeah, a very challenging race because of fuel saving - but that wasn't so bad, more the brakes. And to adapt to the front brakes getting too hot. Adapting around that, changing brake balance, things like that. So that was the most challenging part - especially of course because I have Lewis in front, so I don't have any clean air to cool the brakes - so for me it was even more of a challenge behind. But it worked out OK. I was still able to put the pressure on but not quite enough.
Valtteri, welcome back. First podium of the season. Last year from this point onwards, you and Williams went on a bit of a spree on getting on the podium. Do you see that happening again? And also, obviously Kimi Räikkönen spun. You and the strategy team took advantage of that. Do you think you could have done it without Räikkönen's problem?
VB: That's really difficult to say really - for sure it helped us and it was good that we weren't very far away at any point in the beginning to Kimi, so we could always put a bit of pressure on them. And we also managed to change the strategy halfway of the race. I think that was really dynamic from the team. The team did really good work today with the strategy and just being aware of all the things what was happening around us and in front. Really pleased that we finally got a good result. I'm sure it's a big boost for the whole team.
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