Parc Ferme Interviews – Carried out by James Hinchcliffe
Lando, 14th pole of your profession, first pole for McLaren right here in Mexico Metropolis since 1990. And in a season the place the gaps have been fairly tight in qualifying, that was a monster lap from you in Q3. Are you able to simply speak us by way of it?Lando Norris: Yeah. Thanks. I imply, I am completely happy to be again on pole. It is truly been fairly a very long time, so a great feeling. The lap – I do not know. It was a kind of laps the place you do not actually know what occurred. It felt first rate, however then after I crossed the road and noticed a 15.5, I used to be very pleasantly shocked. So I have been feeling good all weekend, particularly from as we speak. Like FP3, Q1, Q2, Q3. I received a bit bit nervous with the Ferrari in Q3 on the finish, however I pulled it out after I wanted, and I am completely happy due to that.
You discuss it – it has been a minute because you had been on pole. Final time was Belgium, and also you stated then, pole is typically an obstacle there. We have got the longest run right down to Flip 1 of wherever on the calendar right here. How a lot sleep are you going to lose tonight going by way of all of the totally different situations of what may unfold within the run right down to Flip 1?LN: Not lots. I imply, I have not been sleeping nicely recently, so perhaps that is the important thing to all of it. However I will not. , I’ve had some good races right here prior to now, so I am going to simply give attention to what I can management, and that is all I can do.
Alright. Effectively, do not depart – we’ll come again to you. Charles, congratulations. Entrance row begin. Nice run for Ferrari. It has been a monitor you guys have been aggressive at, however at a monitor the place the floor grip is so low, and the downforce is decrease than wherever else that you just guys run, how troublesome is it to not overdrive once you’re attempting to push 10 tenths on a qualifying lap?Charles Leclerc: It’s extremely troublesome. This qualifying could be very, very troublesome, as a result of there’s little or no grip, so the automobile is sliding lots. And with a purpose to put the whole lot collectively, it’s extremely difficult. However I am fairly pleased with the job we have accomplished. I do not suppose there was far more within the automobile. There is a bit right here and there, as all the time in qualifying, however very pleased with the efficiency.
It has been a 12 months since Ferrari final received a Grand Prix at this race. How a lot would it not imply so that you can convey residence a victory tomorrow for the crew?CL: It will imply lots. So we’ll do the whole lot with a purpose to get the primary place into the primary nook after which we’ll see what’s attainable.
And Lewis, P3 on the grid. That is typically a race the place being P3, you get that double draft – it may be a little bit of a bonus. Are you form of rubbing your arms collectively on the prospects into Flip 1?Lewis Hamilton: I’ve no clue what you simply stated. however – what, I am actually, actually completely happy. Thanks a lot, everybody. I am honoured to be up right here with Charles and with Lando. These guys have been so fast all 12 months, and it is a tremendous feeling. That is the primary time we have each been up within the high three in qualifying this 12 months and the crew actually deserves it. So, we’re simply working as arduous as we will. Tremendous grateful to everybody within the crew for persevering with to push and for not giving up. , we have not likely moved the automobile ahead essentially in growth, however we have extracted extra from it. Our course of is healthier this weekend, and that is what you are seeing. So, grazie a tutti.
The qualifying tempo is clearly good. How do you guys really feel about your race tempo tomorrow?LH: Effectively, it is arduous to beat these two guys as we speak, however I imply P3 is form of the proper spot truly at this monitor. So I am hoping I can take advantage of that at the beginning. I believe our race tempo isn’t too unhealthy. It is troublesome to know already, however I am actually hoping – , with this crowd – I do know there’s going to be a tremendous crowd there tomorrow, so we’ll try to give it a great race.
I used to be standing within the stadium throughout FP3, and each time you glided by, that place erupted. I do know lots of people shall be cheering for you tomorrow. Better of luck. Lando, we’ll end with you. Crucially, within the championship battle, you certified forward of each drivers that you just’re preventing towards. Tomorrow, is it extra targeted on accumulating factors and staying forward of them, or is it simply all about going for the win?LN: No. I am right here to win. No, I will be trying ahead. I do know I will have some fast guys behind me, and it is a long term right down to Flip 1 and so forth. And the race tempo from the Ferraris is often very robust. So I am anticipating a battle. I am not anticipating it to be simple. However, no – eyes ahead and I am going to see how a lot I can win by.
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Sensible lap to take pole, Lando. Many congratulations. You even stated “What a lap” over the radio. Simply how good was it?LN: That is the complicated factor. I imply, clearly it was an unbelievable lap. I pushed the braking in every single place. I pushed the excessive pace a bit extra and all these issues. However I haven’t got a delta, so I did not know if I used to be up, if I used to be down, if it was good, unhealthy, no matter. There have been a few little locations the place I believed I tousled a contact and did not get the perfect exits, like out of six, however the remainder of it felt fairly first rate. I used to be completely happy, however I believed I would be extra like a 15.9, 15.8. I believed if I would get forward of Charles, I would be fairly completely happy. So after I noticed 15.5 on my sprint, it put a reasonably large smile on my face as a result of it was a kind of laps which was – the whole lot simply got here collectively by way of feeling. It was very pure and much like my lap in Monaco. A superb feeling as a result of it has been some time. It isn’t that always this 12 months I get that feeling on this automobile, even with how fast it’s. However yeah, completely happy due to this.
You discovered almost six tenths between Run 1 and Run 2 in Q3. Whereabouts?LN: Truthfully, I do not know. I’ve to go and see on the information. Like I stated, I simply pushed the braking in just a few little locations a bit extra. Took a few bits extra threat within the excessive pace. However yeah. Very often, the laps I do finest, I do not actually know what’s occurred or the way it’s occurred. Like I stated on the radio to Will and Jarv, the much less I do know, the higher I do usually on my quali laps. So it was one in all them. However yeah, six tenths. I used to be shocked. I received a bit frightened Q3 Run 1 when Charles did a 15.9. I used to be like, “rattling, that is a reasonably spectacular lap”. So, like I stated, good after I noticed 15.5.
Are you shocked by the hole to your principal rivals on this championship?LN: I imply, perhaps. It is robust as a result of I do really feel like I am doing an excellent job. I really feel like I’ve been for a great quantity of weekends now, particularly after I get this sense that I had as we speak. Really, the entire day as we speak. It isn’t simply my Q3 lap that was good. FP3 was robust already and a great step higher than it was yesterday. Q1, Q2, Q3 – all of my laps had been good. No errors. No lock-ups. None of these items. And I may simply, in a great way, enhance. The automobile is extremely fast, however it’s not simple to drive. I believe we each complained of that as drivers, however once you simply get in that little little bit of a rhythm, it is flying, and that is the place I used to be as we speak.
Let’s throw it ahead then. Can we begin by speaking about tyres? Some drivers have raised questions in regards to the Medium tyre. Do you suppose this could possibly be a sophisticated race strategically?LN: Doubtlessly. I imply, clearly with the Onerous being a step tougher, that may change just a few issues. However the race final 12 months was very good and we had been very assured. Our race tempo was very robust with the Medium-Onerous final 12 months. So yeah, I do not suppose we’re too frightened about something. I believe the tempo has nonetheless been first rate, even with lacking FP1 and simply form of getting that top gas stuff in FP2. However you by no means know. Many issues can occur round right here. It is a lengthy race. Simple to make errors. Quite a lot of overtaking alternatives, that form of factor – however the tempo is there. So so long as I get my head down and focus, then I will be wonderful.
And a ultimate one from me. The long term to Flip 1 has supplied loads of drama over time. Simply how do you intend for these opening 10 seconds or so of the race?LN: That is tonight. That is with my engineers and my crew round me to assessment issues, see what’s finest. After all, you desire a good begin and go from there. However it’s a long term. I do not know what our straight-line pace is like in comparison with the Ferrari. Basically, I believe we have been a contact down, so we’ll wait and see.
Lando, very nicely accomplished to you. Thanks for that. Charles, let’s come to you now. Is there a semblance of disappointment from you given that you just had been quickest after the primary runs, that you just’re not on pole place as we speak?CL: A little bit bit. However yeah, after the primary lap in Q3, I believed this was a very good lap. So I knew there was a bit bit extra to return, however not a lot. However contemplating the gaps that had been behind, I used to be like, “OK, let’s have a look at the way it goes. I’ll nonetheless go flat out on the second lap and see the place we find yourself”. However I used to be very shocked, clearly, by the soar Lando did from the primary to the second run in Q3. I simply do not suppose we had the tempo as we speak to match that. There was a bit bit right here and there, however I do not suppose it could have been sufficient for pole place anyway.
How has the automobile been? How troublesome was it to extract the lap that you just did?CL: I believe the automobile was truly actually good as we speak. The entire weekend has been fairly robust. However on a monitor like this, it’s extremely troublesome as a result of it is such a low grip monitor, and it’s extremely simple to make a mistake. No matter small mistake you do is exaggerated by way of lap time misplaced. So it was very robust, however I used to be fairly pleased with each of my laps in Q3.
