Wednesday's press conference with Yuki Tsunoda, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
Q: George, why don't we start with you? Mercedes were difficult to read at the pre-season test, and it feels they were a little bit difficult to read at the first race weekend as well. What conclusions did you draw from the Bahrain Grand Prix?
George Russell: I think the conclusions we drew were that the car has potential. I think when we saw the pace on FP2, that was genuine, Lewis and I were P1 and P2. I think probably not everybody turned up, but we were genuinely fast. And then in the race, we had some really big cooling issues that caught us by surprise. And we know it was at least a 15-second loss just in the battery and the power. And probably more after you consider the effect it had on the tyres. and just an extra couple of seconds in stint one when I had Checo behind me would have been pretty handy. So I think we'd have been in the fight for P2, for the podium, with Checo and Carlos, but definitely we didn't show our true potential.
Q: Were those cooling issues a simple miscalculation or something that actually needs a fix?
GR: I think it was definitely a miscalculation. It would have been quite straightforward to just open the bodywork very slightly and make things much easier. But we don't know how we fell into that place... Sorry, I was just distracted by Charles walking in there. I've lost my lost my groove now! No, we don't really understand why, because we didn't change anything from testing, in FP2 as well, and then suddenly it caught us out on Saturday. So I'm sure it'll be better this weekend.
Q: Are you worried about it for this weekend?
GR: We need to get on top of it, and we've got some tests tomorrow to try and understand further what happened.
Q: Thank you, George. Charles, let's come to you now. We're just debriefing really about the Bahrain Grand Prix. What conclusions did you and Ferrari draw?
Charles Leclerc: Well, it was kind of what we expected, more or less. Maybe a little bit better, but we need to wait and see. I think drawing conclusions after the first race is a bit too early. One thing for sure is that our focus is on the brake problems we had in the race. We've been working on it and I hope we can solve them.
Q: And what about the raw pace of your car? Do you think you've got something that can challenge Max Verstappen this year?
CL: Not for now, but I think we are in a much better place compared to last year, where after the first race we were more trying to fix the issues rather than focusing on the future and the next upgrades. Whereas this year, the car is in a much better place, in a place that we expected it to be. So now we can focus on the future upgrades. So that is looking better. However, for now, Max is still too far ahead.
Q: Thank you. Nico, can we come to you? Is your car in a much better place than last year?
Nico Hulkenberg: Yes.
Q: And where are those improvements?
NH: That also wasn't that difficult because the base was pretty poor last year. But, yeah, obviously Bahrain, you know, we've had all that testing there. We had race, so everybody is obviously very honed in and optimised around Bahrain. It did feel much better for me in the car. I think you saw that on Sunday [sic] in the race too, although I was quite far behind after that one incident, which was obviously a big pity. But yeah, we have to wait and see a few more weekend events, different characteristics like here, high speed, how much we've really improved.
Q: Do you feel that the car is something that you can go racing with this year?
NH: We have to, whether we want to or not!
Q: But you struggled last year is the point.
NH: Yeah, yeah. It does feel that way, you know, that we've done a better job on the aero map. It's more consistent, it's more predictable. It allows us to look after the tyres more. So I think it's definitely a step in the right direction. But again, like everyone here, it's early days. We've had one track, one specific track. So we need to wait and see what happens in a couple of next ones.
Q: Thank you. Lance, coming to you now. So last at the end of lap one, P10 at the end of the race. Was that the hardest earned point of your Formula 1 career?
Lance Stroll: No, I don't think it was the hardest-earned point. But yeah, it made for a pretty exciting race, just with a little bit more action than I anticipated. But yeah, it was nice to pick up a point.
Q: And what do you feel about Aston Martin's pace this year?
LS: I think we have some work to do. You know, we finished ninth and 10th. Couldn't really compete with the cars in front of us and yeah, you know, that's the goal. So have some work to do. But it's early days, very different kind of track this weekend. So we'll see how we go.
Q: And do you think this track will play to the strengths of your car?
LS: I don't know. We'll find out.
Q: Fact-finding mission. All right. Valtteri, what about you? If we forget the pit stop for one second, what conclusions did you reach from Bahrain?
Valtteri Bottas: I also had lap one damage in the first corner already, which, of course, compromised the race quite a bit. So, yeah, I mean, the pit stop would have been nice to be a bit faster, but we've definitely learned from that. And, yeah, we'll try to avoid those kind of situations in the future. But looking at the pace, calculating damage, everything, I think in the race we looked in a much stronger place than what we did on a single lap against the competition. So, yeah, some progress made there.
Q: How different is the team's approach this year? It feels like it's more aggressive than it was last year. Would you agree?
VB: Inside the team, in the end, yeah, it's a bit of a different feeling. Everything looks different, but also the mindset is getting to where it should be. So there's lots of hope with this current package. Still lots to unlock. And I think that's why people are excited and motivated.
Q: What do you mean by the mindset? You've won races for Mercedes. Where does the team need to get to in terms of mindset?
VB: I think we just can't have the mindset that we can be satisfied with certain results. For example, the result last weekend. We can't accept that that is where we are. We always need to try for more. I think that's the thing that always needs to push for - something further and something beyond what we're at the moment achieving.
Q: Thank you, Valtteri. Good luck this weekend. Yuki, coming to you. So it got a bit spicy between you and Daniel after the chequered flag last weekend. What was going on there?
Yuki Tsunoda: Yeah, we talked about it after the race with the whole team and we're still unified and, you know, we're on the same page now. We understand each other. So, yeah, I think that's it really.
Q: Did it just reflect your frustration about team orders?
YT: At that moment, yes. But in the end I understand what they're saying. And yeah, I think that's it. It obviously wasn't an easy race in the end. So, I think that's it, yeah.
Q: And what about the pace of the car?
YT: Pace was good. Pretty happy with the pace. I think I was fighting in the top 10. So, yeah, definitely there's a pace and we saw it in qualifying as well. We ended up quite close to the P10 as well. So that was good. So I enjoyed the first half. And yeah, obviously, lots of things to take from there as a positive and obviously for the future as well.
Q: And if, Yuki, there are team orders again this weekend, will it be a smoother thing for you to get your head around?
YT: Yeah. 100%.
Press Conference
Q: (David Croft - Sky Sports F1) I'll start with Yuki, if I may, and I'm sure we'll have time to talk to the other guys as well. You seem a lot more calm about team orders now, but for 12th place, was it really necessary? And why were the team imposing team orders for what was a scrap for 12th place? And were you on the verge of getting Kevin, or had you been tucked behind him for a while? Just talk us through that a bit?
YT: Yeah, I think we were on a different strategy to Daniel. And he had new tyres. Well, he had Soft tyres. And I was fighting with Kevin. So obviously, he had more free air and he had more pace. And I think probably the team thought Daniel had more pace and there's more chance to overtake Kevin. So they asked me to swap the position. Yeah, I think that's it. Yeah, in the moment, I was a bit heated. I was quite getting heating moments in my brain. But yeah, I still, in the end, let him through, probably a lap later or half a lap later. So probably that was the thing. So in the end, the team thought they had more chance, and I respect that, yeah.
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg - Viaplay) For George. The F1 media, everybody's obsessed with the possibility, obviously, of Max going to Mercedes. How would you feel if a driver who had some choice words for you a year ago would join the team?
GR: Yeah, I think, as I said last week in Bahrain, this is my third season now alongside Lewis, the greatest driver of all time, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job alongside him. So whoever were to line up alongside me next year or the years to come, I welcome anybody, welcome the challenge. You always want to go against the best, but ultimately for me, I'm just focused on myself. I believe in myself. I believe I can beat anybody on the grid. And, you know, you've just got to have that mentality. So, as I said, having Lewis as my benchmark for the last couple of years has been a pretty good benchmark for sure.
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