Parc Ferme Interviews – Performed by Romain Grosjean
Lando, congratulations. What a day for you. Not a simple day with the circumstances, however congrats on that pole. How did it really feel?Lando Norris: Thanks. Once more, powerful on the market with the circumstances. Simply slippery, inconsistent, however good enjoyable. It is at all times a pleasure round this observe, you already know. I felt good. I used to be beneath a little bit of strain as a result of I locked up on my first lap, so a bit of bit extra tense than what I might have favored however I stayed calm and put all of it collectively when it mattered. So, very blissful.
It is a tremendous observe, as you already know, and a tremendous day for you. Simply impressed by the momentum you are constructing proper now by way of pace and race craft.LN: Yeah, thanks. Sure, I imply, we have been on excellent type. The group are good at giving me an ideal automobile, after all. So, I’ve at all times acquired to thank the group, however I did not make it straightforward for them or for myself then. I am nonetheless having to push, Q3, run one, simply locking up in Flip 1, it places pointless strain on myself, and the others are doing a very good job. However I feel after I’m in a very good rhythm, after I can keep calm, after I can simply put all of it collectively, then I will be on high.
Kimi, speaking of strain on Lando, you are the person this weekend. Yesterday in Dash Qualifying, this morning within the race, congrats on a very good qualifying. What are you able to do to attempt to get another spot?Kimi Antonelli: Yeah, to be honest, I am a bit irritated I am once more behind him. I imply, we’re so shut this morning within the Dash as effectively however it was a really tough session with the wind. Very tough to place a lap collectively however nonetheless managed within the final run to place a good lap, and yeah, proud of that. Beginning P2 tomorrow. In fact, they’re very quick, so it is going to be essential to get a very good begin and attempt to set a very good tempo.
Charles, congrats on nearly not making it out of Q1 to being third on the grid. How did you try this?Charles Leclerc: I imply, excellent laps in Q2 and in Q3. The whole lot is so shut that it goes from being a catastrophe of a weekend to a very good weekend in a matter of some hundredths. So, yeah, I am blissful I might put the whole lot collectively in Q2 and Q3. That was essential for us as a result of it was very on the restrict. After which P3, I am happy with that. It has been a troublesome weekend for us.
Lando, final one for you. What is the sport plan tomorrow? What have you ever discovered from this morning that you may put into the race?LN: I discovered that they are fairly fast. And I discovered that Kimi pushes all the best way to the very finish. So, in some methods wanting ahead to it, some methods I am not. I feel it is going to be an enormous problem tomorrow. Now we have to see what the climate’s going to do once more, however thus far this weekend’s been clear. So, I am hoping they do not damage it.
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Lando, what a closing lap of Q3. The strain was on, and also you delivered.LN: Yeah, thanks. It was for certain extra tense than I might have favored, particularly as a result of we have been very fast all weekend. Simply did not want that. I do not actually know the way it occurred. I seemed on the information after, rapidly, between the 2 runs, and I braked earlier with much less strain, and nonetheless someway locked up. So yeah, a bit bizarre. Perhaps a little bit of wind or one thing. However yeah, that actually put a bit of bit extra strain on my closing lap, and I noticed the others enhancing – however not loads. It was simply troublesome once more, simply with the observe circumstances, the wind, the whole lot – exhausting to get a pleasant feeling on the market. So once more, I did not know if I used to be up or down on my delta, so I used to be a bit careworn. However after I went over the road and noticed the lap, I used to be fairly blissful. And after I noticed nobody operating faster, even happier.
How near the right lap was that second run?LN: You by no means know round right here. My Flip 1 wasn’t superb. I feel Kimi was purple in Sector 1 by a thousandth, so possibly a thousandth extra there. There have been little bits, however it’s so troublesome with the wind. Each lap, it modifications – three kilometres per hour, 4 kilometres per hour, you do not actually discover it in all probability if you’re standing there, however it may well simply make you go a tenth faster in a nook or half a tenth right here and there, and that may be loads on the finish of the day. That may be positions, it may be pole and never pole, these sorts of issues. So, troublesome. And typically you do the identical factor – you repeat, like my Flip 1 – however you simply make a mistake for no obvious motive, no apparent motive why, within the automobile. So yeah, troublesome because it was for everybody at this time, however undoubtedly not an ideal lap – however adequate.
Lando, it has been a very good day for you. You have received the Dash. You had been quickest in each section of qualifying. How assured are you feeling on this automobile now?LN: It relies upon. I imply, assured in what? I feel in our race tempo tomorrow – not probably the most I’ve had. I used to be actually extra assured in Mexico. I feel after this morning, with the Mercedes tempo and Kimi’s tempo, it actually lowered my confidence stage altogether. However we’re nonetheless fast. We have nonetheless acquired that little benefit in qualifying, and I actually hope that we are able to proceed that into the race tomorrow. However the climate goes to alter once more – I feel it is meant to be even colder, which could go well with them much more. And the wind is supposed to alter additionally. So it is troublesome. Each observe is so totally different. The sensation I’ve on one observe is totally different to the following and people sorts of issues. However I simply really feel like I am doing a very good job. I am driving effectively. Earlier than, earlier within the season, I might simply have weaknesses, and I really feel like I’ve, for example, I’ve possibly nonetheless acquired some right here and there, however I’ve lessened them, they are not like one tenth now – it is two hundredths. So after I can put collectively the great elements and have these not-so-bad elements, issues go very effectively.
Pirelli have introduced more durable dry compounds to this race this 12 months. Do you suppose it will be a sophisticated strategic race tomorrow if it is dry?LN: We’ll have to attend and see. That is what tonight’s for, actually. I do not look an excessive amount of into technique till Saturday evening. So, we’ll see. I feel everybody has the identical in widespread. The Delicate actually does not really feel like, you already know, a Medium-to-Delicate step. The Delicate actually does not deal with like what the Medium did final 12 months. So it is fascinating. There are nonetheless some variations, and once more, circumstances can change the whole lot. So we’ll simply do, as at all times, our work tonight and put together one of the simplest ways attainable.
Lando, very effectively carried out. Thanks for that. Kimi, many congratulations. One other day, one other front-row begin for you right here at Interlagos. Simply how good was the session and that closing lap of Q3?KA: Yeah, it was a really tough session. To be sincere the wind was not the most effective at this time – it was a bit extra of a ache within the ass across the lap, to be honest. However nonetheless, the final lap in Q3 was fairly respectable. I locked up a bit of bit the rear within the final nook, however regardless of that little mistake, I do not suppose it could have been – Lando would have nonetheless been quickest. So yeah, simply not the right lap, however nonetheless good for P2 and we have now a very good alternative tomorrow.
Can we discuss tomorrow? You place strain on Lando on the finish of the Dash at this time. Simply how assured are you going into the 71 laps tomorrow?KA: Yeah, undoubtedly. The tempo this morning was actually robust. It was additionally fairly chilly and tomorrow ought to be form of the identical. So possibly that may assist us a bit of bit extra. However, you already know, operating in soiled air is rarely straightforward. Hopefully, we are able to have a robust tempo and put strain on them and hopefully we are able to battle for the win.
You say operating in soiled air just isn’t straightforward. So is all of it in regards to the begin tomorrow?KA: Properly, we have seen many races thus far this season that the beginning and observe place can play a large function for the remainder of the race. In fact, Lando has been beginning very robust lately, so we want one thing distinctive. However on my facet, I simply attempt to do a traditional begin, not attempt to do an excessive amount of, after which at the very least maintain place. Then we’ll see from there.
Very effectively carried out. Good luck with that and thanks, Kimi. And Charles, let’s come to you now. It looks like Ferrari have carried out a little bit of a turnaround this weekend. Simply how a lot better was the automobile in qualifying at this time in comparison with Dash Qualifying yesterday?CL: I do not need to over-exaggerate the turnaround that we have had, as a result of we’re solely talking a few tenth and a half possibly. However the factor is that this weekend, a tenth and a half means out of Q1 or inside Q3. I feel the place we did a very good job is by executing the whole lot completely from Q1 to Q3, as a result of we knew that we had been… I imply, it has been a really troublesome weekend since FP1, and we knew that we might battle to get to Q2 after which Q3. However we did the whole lot good. So I am very blissful about that. We modified the automobile a bit of bit from this morning, and that helped us to do a step ahead as effectively. So yeah, altogether, to start out P3 – I feel we ought to be actually happy with that as a result of I do not suppose anyone of us anticipated that after such a troublesome starting of the weekend.
Charles, that is your third consecutive top-three begin. Do you’re feeling such as you’re getting some consistency with this automobile now?CL: I felt it in Austin and Mexico. Perhaps this weekend a bit of bit much less. This weekend has been a really, very difficult weekend, and I feel that hides a bit of bit the struggles that we have had this weekend. However in race tempo, we appear to be fairly robust. We had been caught behind Fernando, however I feel the tempo was fairly good on the one lap I had in clear air. So I am wanting ahead to tomorrow.
Properly, you’ve got by no means completed on the rostrum right here at Interlagos. Do you suppose that is your finest alternative but?CL: I’ve had years the place the automobile felt a bit of bit higher than this 12 months. However we’re beginning in a very good place, so yeah, if we handle to remain P3 or P2 or P1 after the beginning, then that may assist us.
Try our Saturday gallery from Interlagos right here.
