Formula 1 Qualifying Press Conference - Miami GP — Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc

[0:00] A very warm welcome to the top three qualifiers for the FIA Formula One Miami Grand Prix. [0:06] In third place, Charles Leclerc. In second place, Max Verstappen. [0:10] And taking his third consecutive pole position, our pole sitter, Kimi Antonelli. [0:15] Kimi, many congratulations. That was a great opening lap of Q3. [0:19] Just how pleased were you with that performance? [0:22] Yeah, it was a good lap. Very clean. [0:26] Put more or less everything together, of course. [0:30] Yeah, then the last lap, I probably got a bit too excited. [0:34] And I broke way too late. [0:36] And I knew I wasn't going to make the corner the moment I broke. [0:39] But, yeah, just obviously, luckily was good enough. [0:46] Because, of course, you never know, especially with Max and Charles, because they're very good in quality. [0:52] So I was pretty stressed on the way in. [0:55] But, yeah, happy that we were still able to keep the pole. [1:01] Do you think there was more on the table? [1:03] Do you think if you'd had a clean lap, that second lap? [1:05] I mean, it's hard to say, because I didn't do the lap, so difficult. [1:12] But, yeah, you never know. [1:13] I mean, this track today was difficult with the wind, pretty gusty. [1:18] And it's not an easy track to put everything together. [1:21] So I don't know. [1:23] To be fair, I can't give an answer to that. [1:26] Look, tomorrow looks wet. [1:27] What do you think these cars are going to be like in those conditions to drive? [1:34] I don't know. [1:36] I mean, it's definitely going to be tricky. [1:41] I think, you know, because so many drivers didn't use it in the wet, didn't drive the car in the wet. [1:47] And also hearing the feedbacks, it's not the easiest car to drive on the wet. [1:52] But let's see. [1:54] You know, let's see also if they're going to move the race earlier, just to avoid the thunderstorm. [2:01] So I think we'll see better tomorrow what's the situation going to be like. [2:07] But for sure, you know, it's not, you know, going, driving the car for the first time in the wet in the race [2:14] probably is not the most fun and easiest opportunity to do so. [2:18] But we'll try to be ready for anything. [2:21] And Kimi, final one for me. [2:22] What does it mean to you to have three poles in a row? [2:26] You feel like you're on a roll? [2:28] Well, I don't know. [2:29] I mean, it feels great to get pole. [2:33] You know, definitely it's good to, you know, pick up from where we left, you know, to, you know, to get another pole and start in the front row. [2:42] So, but of course, you know, first of all, I need to get off the line decently because it hasn't been good so far. [2:54] So, yeah, let's see. [2:56] But for sure, it feels good. [2:58] I'm happy with the performance. [3:00] And, yeah, we'll try to finish the job tomorrow. [3:04] Okay. [3:05] Very well done to you. [3:05] Thank you. [3:06] And Max, what a session for you and Red Bull. [3:09] Just what aspect of the car's performance pleased you the most today? [3:15] A lot of things. [3:17] I mean, so many things were not working up until this weekend, you know. [3:20] So, for us bringing the car back together, also for me in the car itself, a few things have changed. [3:27] And it made it a lot more comfortable to drive. [3:29] And just, yeah, I feel a lot more confidence. [3:32] And I don't feel like I'm a passenger anymore in the car. [3:35] So, yeah, that was already quite evident yesterday. [3:39] And then I think today the sprint was not too bad. [3:43] We had some, you know, I could finally follow the cars ahead of me instead of them just pulling away and not see them again. [3:49] And then some tiny changes for qualifying. [3:51] And it seemed like that helped again a little bit. [3:54] And, yeah, I mean, to be on the front row coming from over a second behind in the previous race is really incredible. [4:02] I mean, it's a crazy thing. [4:03] You didn't even get into Q3 at Suzuka. [4:05] Different circuit, obviously. [4:06] But can you describe the effort that's gone in back at Milton Keynes just to get the turnaround in performance that we've seen? [4:14] Yeah, it's massive. [4:15] I mean, we were really not happy, of course, with what we were doing the previous races. [4:19] But you can see everyone, yeah, was pushing flat out to try and understand the problems. [4:24] And they have come with solutions. [4:27] And that's just, yeah, amazing to see. [4:29] Amazing team effort. [4:30] And, yeah, from my side, then, of course, when I get a car that is more together, I get more confidence. [4:35] And I can finally also push a bit more. [4:37] And then, you know, I try to, of course, always extract the most out of it. [4:40] And, yeah, that's what we've done. [4:42] And, I mean, honestly, yeah, in that lap as well, like, just trying to hang on to it. [4:48] And it was good. [4:50] Look, final one for me. [4:51] Same one that I asked Kimi, Max. [4:53] Just your thoughts on driving these cars in a wet race tomorrow. [4:57] What do you think they'll be like? [4:59] Quite slippery. [5:01] I've driven them, of course, in Barcelona. [5:04] I think it was only me and Charles that day we were driving. [5:08] So, yeah, it was quite lonely. [5:10] So, yeah, it's quite a handful. [5:14] It's not going to be easy. [5:15] But let's first also wait and see how much water is going to come down because that also makes a big difference. [5:20] All right, Max, very well done to you and to Red Bull. [5:23] And, Charles, let's come to you. [5:24] Now, you said in the press conference earlier that you wanted to have a better qualifying this afternoon than you did yesterday. [5:30] How was the car? [5:31] Are you pleased with the performance? [5:33] No, not really. [5:35] I think we struggled quite a bit more today than we did yesterday in terms of pace and feeling with the car as well. [5:42] So, we've got to look at that. [5:45] It's a little bit strange. [5:47] Not much have changed on the car, but the feeling was not the same for sure. [5:53] So, we'll look into it. [5:54] How much of that was down to the track temperature, the gusty wind? [6:00] The wind is definitely a factor. [6:02] I think track temperature wasn't that different. [6:04] So, I don't think that is a reason. [6:06] But the wind has for sure changed a little bit. [6:11] Whether it will affect our car more than others, I don't believe in that. [6:15] So, I think it's somewhere else. [6:18] The answer, maybe it's the track evolution and we didn't anticipate that well. [6:22] And maybe by just pushing a little bit more today in qualifying, the weaknesses of the car were a little bit more apparent. [6:31] So, yeah. [6:32] But I obviously didn't have a close look at the data just yet as I just got out the car. [6:37] So, I'll have to look at the details and try to understand where we lost most time. [6:41] How surprised are you by the pace of Kimi and Max this afternoon? [6:45] Well, I don't think it's a surprise for Kimi because they've been the fastest car since the beginning. [7:01] They brought a significant upgrade and, yeah, they are a great team. [7:06] They've shown it over the past year. [7:07] So, it's not that we can rely on them staying where they were for the first three races. [7:13] So, we expected a reaction. [7:14] But it's a very impressive reaction. [7:17] And to be back on the front row after being so far off in the first races is special. [7:22] So, but, yeah, our job is to do just the same and to finish in front of those guys. [7:28] So, that's where my focus is at the moment. [7:31] All right. [7:31] Charles, thank you for that. [7:32] Right. [7:32] Let's open this to the floor. [7:34] Please remember to give your name and publication. [7:37] First one. [7:39] Thomas, Mara, Planet F1.com for Max, please. [7:42] Max, obviously, it looks like a fairly significant improvement for Red Bull. [7:45] And you've kind of touched on the improvements that have been made. [7:48] But can you expand a little bit more on the areas in which you're feeling more comfortable or around the lap, [7:52] whether that's on braking, throttle, through corner speed, [7:55] and how much of it is down to understanding the aero package more versus, say, energy management? [8:03] Honestly, it's everything because before nothing really worked. [8:07] I felt like a total passenger in the car. [8:09] It could understeer. [8:11] It could snap on me. [8:12] It could feel different from one session to the other one without even touching parts. [8:16] So we understood a lot of stuff, I think. [8:20] We're still not where we want to be in terms of understanding everything, but most of it. [8:24] And, yeah, that has showed, you know, that here the car just feels a lot more together. [8:31] Yeah, I can finally drive how I want to drive also with just my steering inputs, and that helps a lot. [8:37] And then I think also with the energy management, I think everyone is learning every single weekend. [8:42] So are we. [8:43] Of course, we are a completely new manufacturer, so I think our learning curve is probably a little bit more steep. [8:49] But, yeah, they're doing a really good job, and it's just getting, let's say, better and better every time. [8:57] Thank you for that. [8:57] Next. [8:58] Ronald Fording, motorsport.com. [9:00] It's one for Kimi. [9:01] How surprised are you to see Max and Red Bull back in the mix? [9:05] And in general, if we zoom out a bit this weekend, are you surprised by how much the other teams have? [9:09] I know your upgrades are coming a bit later, but how much the other teams have catched up compared to Mercedes? [9:15] Yeah, I mean, it's not really a surprise about other teams catching up. [9:20] You know, it's just the first year of this new regulation, and it's going to be like also a development fight between teams. [9:26] You know, whoever is going to be able to bring more upgrades and more potent ones is going to be, you know, is going to make the difference. [9:34] And definitely it was not a surprise, but definitely, you know, to see Max here, you know, we did not expect it as a team. [9:42] But I think, you know, obviously they brought big upgrades, and for sure also Max has been extracting the maximum out of the car, if not more. [9:51] So definitely, you know, to see him here is a surprise. [9:55] But, yeah, on our side, I think, you know, we've been struggling a little bit more this weekend than usual. [10:08] We've been struggling to find the balance, you know, to put the car in the right place. [10:13] But I think with the team, we did a great job, you know, ahead of qualifying with the changes we made. [10:19] And, yeah, now we'll focus on to tomorrow. [10:23] Thank you for that. [10:24] Next. [10:29] Ed Straor, the race, another one for you. [10:32] Kimi, you said that the balance seems to have improved into this session with changes. [10:37] But how much was gained on the deployment side? [10:40] Because there seems to be a marked difference between what McLaren and Mercedes were doing in sprint quality yesterday. [10:44] Is that something that you learned from? [10:46] And has that helped in terms of performance as well? [10:48] Yeah, for sure. [10:49] I mean, yesterday I had a little issue on the last lap with the deployment. [10:53] So, definitely today we maximize that more. [10:59] So, for sure, we've been moving the deployment around, just trying to find the best compromise. [11:06] And, for sure, it makes a difference. [11:08] You know, it's not easy to pick and understand which are the best places. [11:16] Because even in a small straight, sometimes you underestimate how much you can gain by just deploying a bit more. [11:25] So, yeah, it's definitely that has helped. [11:30] And the team has been doing a tremendous job on that side. [11:35] Thank you. [11:35] Any more? [11:36] Yes. [11:36] David Neal, Miami Herald for Kimi. [11:39] How much can you take from your experience last year being on the pole for the sprint race that was pretty wet last year for tomorrow? [11:49] Okay. [11:50] What? [11:51] No, I got distracted by the DJ. [11:54] It looked like Shaquine O'Neal for a second. [11:57] No, it's not. [11:57] Okay, okay. [12:04] You should take it as a compliment. [12:09] No, I think the experience overall last year has helped a lot. [12:15] You know, and I think coming into the track after one year of experience definitely helps. [12:24] It's got the reference of Formula One car. [12:30] Also, you know the track better. [12:32] You know, the points where you can make up time. [12:37] So, definitely the experience has helped a lot. [12:41] And I think it's playing a big role in every race that I'm going. [12:45] You know, I'm going back. [12:46] So, I think definitely also last year this track seemed to be a good one for me. [12:51] But for sure, yeah, it has helped a lot because also I was much more comfortable in, for example, in FP1 to go out there and be on the limits. [13:04] So, definitely the experience has been playing a massive role. [13:08] Thank you, Kimmy. [13:09] Next one. [13:12] Alex Canalokas, The Athletic. [13:14] Another question to Kimmy, please. [13:16] Kimmy, obviously, no one can fail to notice how hot it is out there. [13:19] So, how does that, what difference does that make for you guys behind the wheel compared to the cooler conditions earlier in the season? [13:25] Thanks. [13:25] Yeah, I mean, in the sprint race, it felt like the first lap out that there was a, that I had a hairdresser pointed at my face. [13:36] No, a hairdryer. [13:37] What did I have? [13:38] I had said hairdresser. [13:39] Oh, my God. [13:41] I'm dreaming. [13:41] I'm dreaming. [13:42] Sorry. [13:43] Long day. [13:46] It felt like I had a hairdryer in my face, not a hairdresser. [13:50] But a hairdresser didn't have a hairdresser. [13:53] Yeah, exactly. [13:54] So, hairdresser with a hairdryer, pointing at my face. [13:59] No, definitely it was very hot. [14:01] And especially when you run behind other cars, obviously you get the heat from the exhaust and everything. [14:06] So, definitely the sprint race, it was not easy on heat-wise. [14:12] In fact, I was quite surprised they didn't declare any heat hazard for the weekend because it's been very, very hot. [14:19] But for sure, yeah, I will see a big difference compared to previous weekends, you know. [14:25] The previous weekends has been, have been a lot cooler on that side. [14:31] And for the first time, we're experiencing such a high track temp and high air temperature. [14:37] So, definitely it's been more challenging on that side as well. [14:44] Okay, thank you any more. [14:47] If there's no more, we will leave it there. [14:49] Very well done, gentlemen. [14:50] Good luck in the...