Podium Interviews - Conducted by George Lucas
This is amazing, simply amazing. Congratulations Lewis, you did a great job. You told me earlier when I was kidding you about these close call races of one or two seconds, I said 'why don't you win by 20 seconds?' and you said 'I could do that, I think'. Well, you did it in spades; I bow to you, you did a great job.
Lewis Hamilton: Thank you. Today... look at this crowd, it's incredible. Unbelievable fans here. I couldn't have done it without my team. I couldn't have done it without my team. I don't know if anyone can hear us. This team is just remarkable and what we have achieved together is so special, so I'm incredibly grateful to them for really working so hard through the weekend, through the last weeks, through the whole year to give me the car I had today. These guys also did a great job.
Sebastian, I've been to the factory a few times and everybody has been talking about the new engine. Did the new engine live up to your expectations?
Sebastian Vettel: Well look at this. I think this says it all. Grazie a voi! Grazie tifosi! Questo anno è incredible... Grazie, a tutta la squadra dico ancora grazie.
Felipe, how did it feel when you were coming up to the finish line there and your team-mate was only inches away from you?
Felipe Massa: It feels very tough! I'm getting old for that! I even said to the team I'm getting old! The last three laps of the race I was fighting with my team-mate. It was very difficult but we managed to be here. Grazie mille a tutti. Sono molto contento di essere qui con voi. Questo podio é meraviglioso. Questo rettilineo è fantastico. Grazie davvero. Siete tutti nel mio cuore.
So Lewis, one last question: Do blonds have more fun?
LH: I hope so! Thank you everyone. Thank you to all the fans. You are the greatest fans here. Grazie a tutti.
Press Conference
Lewis, the technical delegate has referred the team to the stewards saying that "the minimum measured tyre starting pressure of the left-hand side rear tyre of car number 44 was 0.3 PSI below the specified minimum tyre starting pressure" and a representative of the team is asked to go to the stewards. Do you have any comment to make on that?
LH: Not really no.
You're not aware of it?
LH: I wasn't aware of it, so...
The team was asking you at the end of the grand prix to build a gap. You weren't sure what that was for, presumably that was linked to this issue?
LH: Maybe.
They still haven't told you?
LH: No.
Lewis, your 50th grand prix start for Mercedes, your third win here in Monza, seventh of the season, 40th of your career, now one short of Ayrton Senna, who I know was an idol of yours growing up. Really, obviously, the start was always going to be decisive. You took a defensive line, Sebastian had to go round the outside and from there on you seemed to be completely in control of the afternoon. Tell us about that and also the emotions of the afternoon from start to now?
LH: Yeah, this weekend has been just fantastic. It has been a perfect weekend for me. I don't know if I have ever had a weekend like this. This circuit is such a special one for... I think it's the same for all the drivers. When you stand on top of that podium you feel incredible pride and incredibly proud to be amongst the greats that have stood up there and when you see a sea of fans - a lot of them in red - but the sea of fans is just unlike anything I've seen. It's very emotional when you are up there. The race was fantastic. I got a good start. I think we all probably got a difficult start and managed to hold ground. Sebastian was really fair into turn one and after that it was really just chipping away, looking after the tyres, trying to look after the tyres whilst chipping away... trying to take time away, increase the time, the gap behind. I was generally able to control it really after that. I felt comfortable. The car balance I really got perfect for the race. Perhaps not so much for qualifying but perfect for the race. It was actually one of my favourite balances I've had through the year, in the actual race. The last few laps I was told to push and I'm thinking I've got quite a big gap already, so, for me, I was a little taken aback by it, but nonetheless I still managed to pull it out and do what they asked me to do. Big congrats to Sebastian and Felipe. I know these two have been pushing hard for a long, long time, so I feel proud to be up here with them as well.
And you were 29 points behind coming here last year. You're 50 points ahead going away, over 50 points ahead going away this year.
LH: I don't understand...
Rosberg retired
LH: I wasn't aware of that. Oh. Wow. I think our performance, my performance today, I have to really take my hat off to my team: they've done a remarkable job the last two years and I can't thank them enough. The constant attention to detail. Improvements they've been doing back at the factories in Brackley and Brixworth is just... I've never seen it before. Incredibly grateful for everything they've done.
sign in