F1 - 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix - Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript Drivers.

F1 - 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix - Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript
Drivers.

1 – Lando Norris (McLaren) 2 – Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

Track Interviews

(Conducted by Alice Powell)

Q: Lando, congratulations, another pole position to add to the list. It was so close out there. Real fine margins. So you must be over the moon.

Lando Norris: I am, yes. Very, very, very happy. Not an easy qualifying. Different conditions, like you said, but always ending up on top is the best part of it. Also happy, especially, for the team, a one-two is even better to see. So congrats to the team.

Q: McLaren are really cementing themselves as a front-running team. A lot of hard work has clearly gone on behind the scenes. So this must give you lots of confidence heading into tomorrow and for the remainder of the season?
LN: I mean, it does, but we've already got confidence. So it's not like we need a lot more of it or we're searching for it, you know? I think we've come into this weekend and the last few happy and confident that we can do a good job and we have a good car to fight for pole, and that's exactly what we did today. So, yeah, like I said, a great job by the team. We've been improving every weekend, and to end up on pole today is sweet.

Q: And race pace earlier on in the weekend from the long runs looked pretty decent. It's going to be slightly different weather conditions we're expecting tomorrow. So is that going to give you confidence either in the hotter conditions?
LN: I mean, we're in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us. So I'm looking forward to it. Two cars at the front row, we can control it from there. So as long as we stay where we are, we'll be happy.

Q: So you finished P2 here last year. You're expecting to go one more, clearly.
LN: I mean, I'm expecting to. So if I don't, it's not been a good day. No, the car's doing well. I feel like I'm driving well. So it's obvious what the aim is for tomorrow.

Q: Brilliant. Congratulations.
LN: Thank you. Cheers.

Q: Oscar, a big congratulations. A big cheer when you walked over here. A big crowd of Papaya fans here. There's a lot of support for you and Lando this weekend.
Oscar Piastri: Yeah, it's cool to be here, especially when you get a result like this. I think the first one-two in qualifying for McLaren for a very long time, so very happy. Of course, when I miss out by two hundredths, you think of all the little things you can do a bit better, but an amazing result for the team. We had a bit of a tricky day on my side yesterday, so it was nice to bounce back this morning, and then obviously this afternoon in quali, it wasn't easy. A lot of decisions on the fly, and to end up with both cars on the front row is an amazing result.

Q: You said it's super close, it certainly was. Is there anything that you could have done slightly different out there? Anything sort of left on the table? Was there a small mistake along the lap?
OP: Not really. The first lap, yes, but the second lap, honestly, it was pretty good. I've already seen where I was a little bit slower, and then you think, ‘ah yeah, I could have done this a bit better, that a bit better’, but still a good lap. I'm happy with my day's work, and it's a long run down to Turn 1, so everything is still to play for tomorrow, and a lot of points are on the table.

Q: So Lando's just in front of you. What's the mindset heading down into Turn 1 tomorrow?
OP: I mean, of course, I want to get into the lead, but, yeah, we have both cars on the front row. We've got a big task ahead of us trying to win this championship as a team, and we'll be smart. We've got a very quick car. It's been working extremely well this weekend, and, yeah, we want to keep it one-two, and I think we'll fight amongst ourselves for who gets one.

Q: Max, well done. A bit of frustration there though at the end of that run, a bit of frustration over the line?
Max Verstappen: Yeah, I mean, I tried. The whole weekend I think we have been a little bit behind, and I think that was also the case in qualifying. I tried to make it as close as possible, but unfortunately, yeah, just not enough. A bit difficult to pinpoint why that is. Yeah, I would have liked a bit more grip, but it's not there at the moment. But P3 is still very close. I just hope that for tomorrow, of course, the car is good in the race, and at least that we can follow them and see what we can do there.

Q: It is very close, a lot closer than we have seen in previous years. Are you enjoying having this battle with other teams joining you for that battle for pole position?
MV: Of course, I love competition, but I would like to be on top of the competition. And at the moment, I feel like we are chasing and having a few more difficult weekends. But, you know, I don't back out of a fight. But, yeah, we're just in a bit of a tricky situation, I guess.

Q: And it's a long race tomorrow. It's going to be a hot race tomorrow. It's hard to overtake here. Do you feel you've got the car underneath you to move forward?
MV: Let's see. I mean, the last few races, I think, especially McLaren, has been really, really good in the race, even compared to qualifying. So, of course, today was a lot colder than expected, I guess, with the clouds and a bit of the rain. Tomorrow is going to be quite a different day, and I just hope that that will help us.
Press Conference

Q: Lando, many congratulations. That was a difficult qualifying session to navigate. How satisfying is it to come away with pole position?
LN: I mean, always pole positions are satisfying, I guess. So yeah, good. I think great for us as a team. We're first and second. I don't know when we've last locked out a front row. But yeah, great run for the team and tricky conditions to do it in especially. So not easy, but always good fun around here. And same time, as much as the conditions are difficult, it's still fun out there. So yeah, some nice laps, especially my Q3 lap. I only had one set of new tyres. And we decided to put them on early just in case the rain came, which it kind of didn't. But it was still a good enough lap to stay on pole, so happy with it.

Q: McLaren's first front row lockout since 2012. Tell us a little bit more about grip levels. They seemed to change from lap to lap. Just how difficult was it to find the limit without going over it?
LN: Honestly, it wasn't too difficult, apart from I think when the rain started to come back at the end of Q1, I think it was. Yeah, before there was the crash, that was the only time when I backed off probably a bit more just to be safe. It’s that time when you're like, ‘do I push and take the risk or do I not?’ But apart from that, honestly, the track dried so quickly. So as soon as it stopped raining, it was perfect. And yeah, it could push. I mean, the grip was high compared to yesterday. It was night and day. It was like two-and-a-half or two seconds quicker. So it felt a lot better today in general. The car came alive a lot more today than it was yesterday as well. So I think maybe that played into our hands a little bit. And then tomorrow it flips back to being pretty hot. So yeah, looking forward to it.

Q: Well, let's throw it forward to tomorrow. How confident are you in the long run pace of the car?
LN: As confident, I think, as we have been for a while, like both quali and races, we've been strong. I think our bad one is still, you know, it's been third or fourth, but our good ones have been chances to win. So definitely, once again, a good opportunity for that, for both of us and for us as a team to score some big points. And that's our target tomorrow.

Q: And Lando, this is the first time you and Oscar have been on the front row together. What are the rules of engagement as you go down to Turn 1?
LN: I mean, we'll get... We did have a front row somewhere, or we were just side by side at another time? Maybe Qatar, yeah. [To Max] You're coming over the back of my car? That's not very nice. The Bottas! Honestly, it's something we'll talk about, and the same as we've always done. We've always kept it clean. I think we've treated each other well and given each other respect, helped each other when we needed to. So, yeah, no worries from our part.

Q: Alright, best of luck tomorrow. Oscar, many congratulations to you as well. Just two-hundredths of a second off pole position. What a performance. Do you think this was your best-ever qualifying session?
OP: It's definitely up there, for sure. Yeah, very happy with it. Of course, when you're that close to pole, you're always looking at what could have been a little bit better, but yeah, very, very happy. I think especially after yesterday, it was a little bit tricky on my side of the garage. But yeah, very happy to be back up there today and of course a one-two for the team is an amazing result.

Q: Now, do you think the team took a risk with you putting the new tyres on in Q2, meaning you only had used tyres available in Q3?
OP: Yeah, I think we had a few calls on the fly, of course, with the conditions changing. Yeah, in the end, I think I had a decent lap on the used tyres in Q3. Obviously, on the first run, I made a few mistakes that were not great, but the second lap was good. I think for the situation we were in, it was still a good choice. And as Lando said, I think with the conditions, we didn't know if it was going to start raining again or not. So yeah, I think it was fine.

Q: The team locked out the front row in Bahrain in 2012. Do you remember that race? Were you even watching Formula 1 back then?
OP: 2012, Bahrain... I think I probably would have watched it. How old was I? I was 11 years old, so I think I would have watched it. I can't remember it off the top of my head, but I'm sure it was a good race!

Q: And just like I asked Lando, what are the rules of engagement tomorrow? How are you going to play this?
OP: Yeah, I think we'll be smart. You know, the aim is to be first and second at the end of the race, whichever way that ends up. So, yeah, it's a great opportunity for the team to score big points, and we want to make sure we capitalise on that.

Q: Best of luck tomorrow. Max, coming to you now. Well done to you as well. We heard you on the radio at the end of Q3, saying, ‘I just don't have the grip’. How difficult was it out there?
MV: It wasn't the most straightforward, but of course, you have to try and put a lap together. I think especially on the first run in Q3, I had a big moment in Turn 9, and you know that this is your only shot left on the tyres. It was quite a big slide. And then on the second run, yeah, just again, a few corners just lacking a bit of grip compared to them, but also over the whole lap. In general, I think the car has been a bit more difficult to drive this weekend, so it's always a bit more of a struggle and more difficult to find a good balance in the car. And I think also it's shown a little bit throughout the whole weekend. But of course, still to be P3 and so close is alright, but you always want more.

Q: Now, you've often said that one of the strengths of this RB19 is its adaptability to different track conditions. Is this qualifying session, though, evidence of the McLaren car becoming more adaptable than the Red Bull?
MV: I don't know. I think at the moment, probably, our car is a little bit harder to set up to get in a better window. I think, you know, also with the tyres this weekend, the track changed a lot from yesterday to today as well. So maybe it just didn't suit us as good as we would like. So yeah, we'll analyse it and try to be better again next weekend.

Q: And your long-run pace looked very good yesterday. Lando says he's pretty confident as well. What are you expecting from tomorrow's race?
MV: I mean, they have been very strong over one lap and very strong in the race. But I think, of course, tomorrow is going to be quite a bit hotter again. So that will change a few things. But normally, we should be strong in the race, and hopefully, we can show that again tomorrow.

Q: Thank you, Max. Let's open this to the floor now.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Lando, you've obviously had a lot of near-misses for poles earlier this season. Obviously, Monaco and then Austria. Is it satisfying to know that McLaren is still able to get these pole positions, even after the technical directive in Qatar? Is that a bit of a relief to show that you guys are still in that fight?
LN: I think it makes us feel good. Yeah. But I think we expected to be. There were some unknowns, I guess, of how much it would affect us and so on. But it's not affected us a lot, if anything. So, yeah, we’re still competitive, we're still quick, and yeah, we showed that again today. So yeah, makes us feel good, and that's why we’re looking forward to tomorrow.

Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) A question to Lando, please. Lando, just interested in what you said there about the balance of the car being a lot better today. Was it only the temperature change and the tyres working better? Or did you have to make many changes overnight?
LN: Yeah, we made a lot of changes to try and understand why it was as bad as what it was yesterday. Yesterday, I think was one of the worst days I've driven in terms of balance, it was so tricky, and I think it was so tricky for everyone. But it was so difficult to put a lap together, almost impossible. So today was more normal, I would say. But also we did make some changes. We made some changes from FP3 to qualifying, but I think the biggest one was from yesterday to today. So that was where we learned a little bit more, but also the track gripped up. I think from yesterday to today, it's improved, you know, like two seconds, two-and-a-half seconds, something like that, just in the lower temperatures. So that was the bigger difference, I'd say, and that’s why the car was just automatically a lot nicer to drive and a lot easier to put together.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lando, I think tomorrow might be the first time that McLaren leads a race since 2012, maybe. How confident are you that you can convert the pole into victory?
LN: I'm confident. I think, you know, it's not like it's my first time in this position. I think I've had quite a few, so I've got the experience, and yeah, I'm ready to have a good day tomorrow. We've got two chances, myself and Oscar, so yeah, we'll do our best to try and win.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing News 365) To Max, please. Max, earlier on, you said you had a few issues this weekend. Could you sort of describe what kind of issues you have? Was it mechanical, software, or setup-related?
MV: No, just trying to get a good balance in the car. I think we’ve been chasing a lot this weekend, and that's why we just, I think, have been a bit more inconsistent compared to the last few weekends. So it's just a bit more difficult.

Q: (Tom Cary – Daily Telegraph) Oscar, you've talked about this season being a good learning experience for you. What would you say are the main things you've learned? And do you feel you've made another step forward in the last month or two?
OP: I think the main things are, I guess, learning the finer details of working with the team, trying to get the car into a good window. I think earlier in the season, I maybe was just taking a bit more time to know exactly what I needed from the car to make it go quickly, whereas now I feel like I've got a better understanding of that and I'm able to direct the team a little bit better in the way I want to go. And then, yeah, I think I've learned a lot from Lando as well, seeing what he’s doing well and trying to improve myself in those areas. So yeah, I think just all aspects. It's my first year in F1, so there's been a lot to take in. And it's been a bit of an up-and-down year, but I think more recently it's been trending in a good direction.

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing News 365) To Lando, please. You said earlier on that you and Oscar have a good, healthy working relationship. How would you compare it to the relationship you had with Carlos when you were teammates?
LN: Different. I think I got along very well with Carlos and I learned a lot from him. But I think we're just different people, you know. Oscar’s maybe a little bit quieter than what Carlos was, and I think I’ve become a bit more experienced, and I have a better understanding of how to help him and how to help the team as well. So it's different. But I think, you know, I get along with both of them very well. And I think we have, like you said, a good relationship. We have good respect for one another and a similar aim of wanting to do the best job for ourselves but also for the team.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Oscar, you've talked about how tricky it was for you yesterday. How have you found the adaptation to conditions like that in Formula 1, because it's something you have to learn as a rookie, but how have you found those kinds of challenges?
OP: Yeah, it's very difficult, I think, especially when you're jumping from dry to wet and back to dry again, the grip levels can change a lot. And yeah, I think also just trying to adapt to the car and what it needs in those conditions is very different. You know, even today, I think on the used tyres, it was a bit more difficult to manage, but yeah, I think it's just a lot of practice. You know, I haven't had that many weekends in F1, so every weekend I’m trying to improve on those things, and I think I have been. So yeah, yesterday was not the best day, but I think today we've shown we can adapt to those conditions better.

Q: (Matt Kew – Autosport) Max, you’ve mentioned how the car’s a bit more difficult to drive this weekend. That contrasts quite a lot with what you said about Austria, where you said it felt quite easy. Do you think that’s track-specific? Or do you think there have been some changes that have been made to the car?
MV: I think the track is a bit more difficult for us. Yeah, I think it just didn’t suit us as well. But yeah, again, still in the race, I think we will be strong, and we have shown that we are very strong in race pace. So I'm looking forward to that, and hopefully, we can have a good race.

Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Another question to Oscar, please. You talked about making a few mistakes on that first run in Q3. Can you just talk us through what those were, where you felt you could have improved? And did that give you confidence for your second run, because you felt there was more time on the table?
OP: Yeah, I think Turn 5 was my biggest mistake. I locked up into there. I think I got out of sync with the out-lap, and it was very tricky to get the tyres in the right window for the first lap. And yeah, I locked up into Turn 5, and then I think Turn 9 as well, just made a mistake. So, I lost a couple of tenths there, and yeah, it gave me some confidence for the second run. I knew the track was getting better and the tyres would be more in the window, so yeah, it was good to get that second lap together.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Max, if you win tomorrow, it’ll be your 16th victory of the season. You’ll become the first driver in F1 history to do that. I know you say you're not bothered by records, but would it be a special moment for you?
MV: Yeah, I think to win 16 races in a season would be nice, but again, we are here to try and win tomorrow, and then I'll just do my best in the race. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, we still had an amazing season. So I'm not really too focused on that, but of course, I will do everything I can to try and win.

Q: Max, Lando, Oscar, thank you very much and best of luck tomorrow.