Track Interviews - Conducted by James Hinchcliffe
We're here with the winner of the first Spanish Grand Prix race here at the Madring, Kimi Antonelli. Kimi, it was not a straightforward race for you. Battling for the lead early, had to give the position up, pitted under the VSC. You're managing the gap to Charles in front, to Max behind. Just tell us about how difficult that race was from start to finish.
Kimi Antonelli: Yeah, it was a very difficult race, not straightforward at all, especially trying to manage tyres. But yeah, I think today, you know, it's good to win, but it doesn't feel as good because I think Lando today deserved the win. But overall, you know, we'll take it. Other than that, it was a very strong race. I think especially on the Hard at the end, with really good pace. And yeah, now we've got to keep pushing.
First race here at the Madring, first winner. That's always a cool thing to be able to say. Just talk to me a little bit about the track they've built here at this event and all the fans that showed up to watch you win today.
KA: Yeah, I mean, it's been an incredible weekend, and thank you so much for coming and for giving us such great energy. And yeah, really looking forward to being back next year here.
Alright, well, congratulations. Max, P2. It seemed like yesterday in qualifying P3 was maybe even more than you expected. A step better today. Is this better than you guys thought you were going to be able to achieve today?
Max Verstappen: Well, I think looking at the race pace, I think it's, for us, a great result. Of course, we know that Lando got unlucky with that VSC, so for us I think today P2 is an incredible result because you could see how much Lando was catching me. Around here you can't pass, so I could keep him behind. And for us, of course, to be P2 is incredible.
It's a challenging track. It's challenging when you're driving by yourself looking forward, but at the end, when you've got Lando catching you, how much fun was it? How hard was it trying to keep him behind?
MV: I just kept the car in the middle. I think that works quite well around here. And of course, yeah, just trying to keep the grip in the tyres, which I think was probably the hardest part of that final stint.
Alright, well, congratulations on P2. Lando, yesterday you said "lap of your life" to get pole position. You were leading the race, it was all going well. VSC timing really couldn't have been worse. Just tell me about the moment that you realised that the VSC was ending just before you got to the pit lane.
Lando Norris: No, the VSC was after, so I had nothing... There was nothing I could do. Congrats to Kimi and Max. They drove a good race today, so just luck not on our side. And I gave it a good fight, you know, to try and catch up with Max, but difficult to pass. He didn't really make any mistakes. And yeah, a tough race, one that just got away from us. I felt like we deserved it today, but that's racing sometimes. So we'll take it on the chin and try again next time.
Well, the pace was there. That's the important thing. You guys have been super quick in a bunch of the last Grands Prix. How confident are you that you and this McLaren team can continue to keep pushing for wins over the next stretch of races?
LN: It's tough. Tough to know. These things don't come easy, you know. I do feel like I'm working hard and I'm getting a lot out of the car. Yesterday was a pretty phenomenal lap to get pole. I feel like I drove a perfect race today. Just luck wasn't with me. So, you know, we'll keep it up. The team are doing an amazing job. We're working hard. We have to continue to work hard because these guys are doing a good job and it's tough at the top. So yeah, we'll keep pushing, keep trying, and more wins are possible. So we'll keep our head up and keep pushing.
Alright, well, congratulations on P3 today. Kimi, just back to you. Extending the lead in the championship, at what point do you give yourself thought to maybe this thing is coming your way? Are you ever able to take your foot off the gas and start thinking about that championship?
KA: Well, that's exactly what I don't want to do. I want to keep pushing race by race, you know, keep delivering and keep enjoying all the way, and then, you know, trying to do my best every race. And then we'll see where we end up at the end of the year.
Press Conference
Very well done, Kimi. A very well-executed win by you. What was the most satisfying aspect of today's performance?
KA: I don't really know. I mean, you know, it's good to win and I think the pace at the end was good. But if I have to be realistic and honest, you know, today we didn't deserve to win. Lando deserved to win today, and so I think our result was probably P2 or even P3. So, you know, I just didn't do a good enough job at the start, being a bit too aggressive and then putting myself in a bad position. So yeah, definitely things to work on. But all in all, you know, today went well and I'm happy with that. But yeah, we're just going to try to be better in Baku.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the start and what happened at Turn 1 and again at Turn 5?
KA: Yeah, I did try, but obviously, you know, Lando is not going to let me pass by. You know, he did what he had to do. I found myself, you know, cutting the chicane twice. In the second chicane I thought I could maybe make it, but, you know, I felt like it was too risky also for contact. So yeah, I decided to bail out. And yeah, then I was a bit in an awkward position because then Max could overtake me on the outside in seven. So yeah, definitely things to review, but it was still a great team effort.
What were you thinking when Max let you through, I think on lap four?
KA: Well, I was a bit confused because I didn't think he overtook me off track. He overtook me normally. So, I was a bit confused in the first place, but then he told me that he had to give the position back to Lewis. So, you know, of course it was a bit awkward, especially for him because also Lewis was experiencing brake issues. So yeah, that's why I think, you know, today the win is, as I said, great, but not the way I wanted to win.
Quick word on the tyres, if we could. Everyone was expecting a race of high tyre degradation. What was the reality out there?
KA: The degradation was much lower. There was still some degradation, but much lower than expected, of course, with the track rubbering in. And so, you know, it meant that one stop was possible. Tyres were pretty dead at the end, for sure, but, you know, it's also a difficult track to overtake, so you can hold on to the tyres and just go until the end. But we saw also with Charles doing basically 50 laps almost on the Hards and holding decent pace. So yeah, it was unexpected, but I think the main difference was that the Hard tyre was just more resistant, especially to graining.
Final one from me, Kimi. Can you just tell us about the run you're on at the moment? You've led 13 consecutive races. You're now 81 points ahead of P2 in the Drivers' Championship. How sweet is it to be riding the crest of this particular wave?
KA: Yeah, it's great, but, you know, we've just got to keep pushing, keep delivering the results and, you know, just trying to do the best job I can whenever I go on track. Because, you know, of course, yes, I have a big lead, but, you know, you never know what can happen. So just need to be ready for anything and keep maximising every opportunity I get, and then we'll see where we end up at the end of the year.
Okay, Kimi, very well done to you. Thank you for that. Max, if we could come to you now. Very well done. Another relentless performance from you. What are your take-homes after a race like that?
MV: Yeah, maximised the result. Probably a bit lucky with, of course, the unlucky situation for Lando because I didn't have the pace of Kimi and I definitely did not have the pace of Lando. So yeah, we're here on the podium and I think that's, of course, great, but yeah, we just still lack a little bit, you know, to really fight for the win. Because it might have looked a little bit like we were in a fight for the win, but that was more because Kimi was getting held up by Charles. Because as soon as he had clean air, he just drove away from me again and I was busy with Lando behind me. But around here, if you just drive a little bit in the middle, then yeah, you can't pass.
Max, it did look pretty convincing, your performance, and I was going to ask, if you hadn't had to let Kimi through, what might have been? Might you have been able to hold on to the win, given the nature of the racetrack?
MV: I would have had damage at the start if I would have stayed on track, so then the win was also not on. It's as simple as that. I just did my own thing in Turn 1, but Lewis went for a move on the first two and bottomed out on the kerb, so he just jumped back onto the track, and that's why I had to go off the road. If I would have stayed there, I would have definitely had contact. So, then my race could have potentially been over in Turn 2, and that's why I think, where we are now, I'm happy to be.
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