PART ONE - 2018 Italian GP: FIA Drivers' Press Conference.

PART ONE: DRIVERS – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari), Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari), Romain GROSJEAN (Haas), Sergio PÉREZ (Racing Point Force India)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Romain, welcome to Monza, but I would like to take back to last weekend in Spa where you scored for the fourth time in the last five races. It seems that you’re getting some momentum now in that Haas car, so I just wanted to ask what has changed and why are you happier with it now?

Romain GROSJEAN: Good afternoon. I think the car has been quick since Melbourne to be fair. In the first part of the season I made some mistake that I shouldn’t have done and I got some bad luck as well – there were plenty of times where we could have been in the points. Recently the run is going well and I’m hoping that continues, but to be fair the car has been fast since race one. I think the first races were up and down and they shouldn’t have been that way.

Q: Thank you. Sergio, if we could come to you now, please. You were instrumental in saving Force India, so tell us what the result at Spa last weekend meant to you and how it will likely impact on your future with the team?

Sergio PÉREZ: It was great to see everyone so happy after the tension that we had, not knowing what was going on with all the jobs, including mine and so on. So it was great to get that kind of result for the team. It just shows the potential my team has and I was very proud of that performance. In terms of my position it doesn’t change. I’ve got a contract and I keep performing and I keep delivering at my best. I try to score as many points as possible for the team, to try to get us further up on the grid. It doesn’t change from that perspective.

Q: Thank you and good luck for the weekend. Kimi, coming to you, a man who is seeking his 100th podium in Formula 1 this weekend. A lot of the tifosi here at Monza will be wondering what you’re doing next year, so the inevitable question: when will know more about your future?

Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: I don’t know. At some point, that’s for sure. Probably you can expect anything in here, that’s what I’ve learned over the past, so yeah, we’ll see, I don’t know.

Q: Do you want to come back for more, Kimi? Are you still enjoying the challenge of Formula 1?

KR: I enjoy the racing; I don’t think that’s a secret. The rest not, but that’s part of the job. Do I want to race? Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be here today. I don’t see that’s suddenly going to disappear. Who know, it might be, but I doubt it. Like I said, I don’t know, so we’ll see what happens.

Q: Thank you Kimi, good luck this weekend. Sebastian, thanks for waiting, coming to you now. Spa was a dominant performance by you and Ferrari last weekend. Do you think that pace will translate to Monza this weekend, given the high-speed nature of the track?

Sebastian VETTEL: I don’t know. I think in the end it was less dominant than you might think. In the end, we did well, and it’s good to see that we are able to improve our car. We had some bits and a new engine. So we’ll see. Monza in many ways is a bit similar to Spa, but then again obviously if you look at the track and the actual corners, not just the straights, it’s quite a bit different. We see in the past, I remember some good races here with great podiums but for sure we want more than a podium, but I think we will see what we get starting tomorrow and getting into the rhythm for the weekend.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Frédéric Ferret – l’Equipe) A question for Kimi and Sebastian. Can you tell us the feeling to be a Ferrari driver at Monza. And another question for Seb, what is the feeling when you win in Monza, even not for Ferrari?

KR: Obviously the driving doesn’t change. It’s our home grand prix, so it’s more busy. We have a lot, a lot of support, a lot of tifosi here, so that obviously makes it a lot different. But if you purely talk pure driving, racing, it’s the same job than any other place. It just happens to be our home race. Obviously it’s an important race for us, for the team, as any race, but it’s for sure special. You feel it straight away when you come here, today or yesterday, in the show in Milan, it’s great. Hopefully we get a strong result from the team not just for us but for all the fans and tifosi.

Sebastian winning here at Monza? Of course it’s 10 years since your first ever F1 victory?

SV: Yeah, it depends which colour, or which engine you have in the back. I mean the first win was overwhelming in many regards. I didn’t realise at the time that I was obviously racing for an Italian team and had a Ferrari engine in the back, so I guess it was sort of OK for the crowd and they were happy too. I thought they were happy because it was me and it was a good race. But then two or three years after I won again in a different colour, they weren’t very happy, so I was wondering a bit what’s going on, because I hadn't done anything wrong, quite the opposite. The story of Monza is in the heart of Italy and where all the tifosi are. I think the last podiums I had, in the right colour, were quite amazing and obviously it’s definitely something I want to achieve, to win here with Ferrari. Others have done it before me and I want to join them.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Romain, Guenther told us earlier that both you guys will have the new floor, after changing last weekend. Can you just explain what the difference was last weekend between then and how you came to the decision to have it on your car here?

RG: Yeah, so last weekend we both had the update on the car and we were not very competitive on Friday, so on Friday night we decided to revert one car to the old spec, just to see the difference and to try to understand and gather a lot of data, which we did. The guys went to the factory and discussed with the aerodynamic department and it was clear that the new package is a good step in a good direction and that we should run it. It does require a bit of adjusting in the set-up, which Kevin did over the weekend using it and which now we know, so I think now we are going to use that new package which should be more competitive.

Q: (Adrian Rodriguez Huber – Agencia EFE) A question for Checo. After all this emotional rollercoaster, what do you expect this weekend here?

SP: Yeah, I think we have a competitive car, we proved that in Belgium. We are coming to a similar track in terms of what you run around here, so I think we should be quite competitive, and the aim is still the same – to try to be the best of the rest and I think we have a good chance of doing that again.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, your greatest feeling here, is it pole in 2006, as you have not won here?

KR: Hard to say. I don’t think it’s been very good over the years, but I always enjoy coming here. First of all, it’s a nice, great circuit, it has a lot of history. It’s close by from home, so easy to come. I had some good races here for sure, not perfect. I’ve been on the podium with Ferrari once or twice. That’s been good. Not exactly what we wanted but important, so yeah…

Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines, Racefans.net) Kimi, you’ve always struck us, over the last 18 years or whatever you’ve been in F1, as a very private individual, yet you recently authorized a biography. I’ve read some excerpts that have been translated and it seems to be fairly open about your lifestyle etc. Why are you willing to open yourself to the world like that?

KR: Probably you had a wrong translation. What about that? No, how is it secret, because I lived through it and there have been an awful lot of stories about it, a lot of things. I don’t know how you think it’s such a secret. I don’t think… it’s something that I decided to do. It’s just a short story until now, it’s not such a big thing in my view. Like I said, I lived through it and it just happens to be now it’s in a book. Probably most of the things a lot of people know, maybe not all, but I don’t feel that there is something different in my view, but obviously probably for you guys it is different

Q: (Daniel Horvath – Racingline.hu) Kimi, as the oldest driver on the grid, what’s your personal feeling, how long can you perform at this level?

KR: Hard to know. I don’t feel that I drive any differently than 10 years ago. I think I drive pretty well, in my books at least, and that’s enough for me. I wouldn't be here if I didn’t feel I can drive as well as I feel that I should. That my tool to measure and decide when it’s enough. Who knows. I don’t know. Maybe I wake up one morning and I just don’t know how to go fast any more. I don’t think there is a time. It’s more feelings and how do you feel yourself doing it – good or bad. People always say that the speed will disappear but until this day I feel that it hasn’t disappeared for me. But maybe there is a morning you wake up and it’s just not there anymore. It could be like that but I don’t think you just put a date, you just turn this old or that and it’s just not there. If you have it, you have it and if not… that’s it.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Seb, do you feel any greater pressure performing in front of the Ferrari fans and how important do you think a win here would be in terms of your championship chances and the momentum that a victory in front of the Ferrari fans would bring?

SV: I don’t know. If you win you score more points than others, that always helps. You don’t have to be a genius to make that out. Obviously here for us it’s a different story, so I think it’s a bit isolated from the rest of the year in terms of how special it is for the whole team. There are a lot of friends, a lot of family from all the guys here. We are in Italy, in the home country of Ferrari and I think everybody, not just us drivers, not only the Ferrari drivers, everybody can feel and sense that there is something special going on and I think we have probably the two most special seats this weekend but there are a lot of seats and there will be a lot of people, so to be honesty, looking forward to it. Yesterday was a great way to start the weekend, with the event we had in the city and there were a lot of people and to see how excited they are is definitely different than any other race where I thought people were already excited, but they’re more excited here. So looking forward to getting out in the car and just to look for the same sort of satisfaction and feeling we had last weekend. The car is performing so we hope it stays that way and to make it even better.

Q: (Fulvio Solms – Corriere dello Sport) A question for Sebastian. Why after your victory in Belgian nobody in your team, neither you nor anybody else, remembers so big a figure like Sergio Marchionne?

SV: I don’t think that’s fair from you to say. One is the comments we give in the press but we are aware just how big he has been, not just for our team, but for the whole group behind and obviously knowing him he was a big supporter of Ferrari, of racing, and he was interested in going ahead and at some point you have to let things rest and look forward and I think that’s probably the way he wanted it to be and it’s probably a sign of respect, that you’re not trying to dig something up and especially in times like now, let things rest.

Q: (Alessandro Sala – Tercer Equipo) Question for the men in red, the first one to Sebastian. If this year you should be World Champion, we should read next year ‘my five titles’ biography? And for Kimi, both Ferraris first row, at the beginning of the first variante, which should be your move if you are side-by-side with Sebastian?

SV: I’m not planning to write a book. I’m not sure I can compete with Kimi. I haven’t read it because it’s in Finnish but… yeah… I mean. If that would be an idea for the headline, obviously that would be great if it happens to be like that but there’s a lot of would and should and could. So, not interested at that point. Yeah, as I said, I don’t think my book is as exciting. Maybe need to wait more years.

KR: I don’t know. We’ll see. Obviously our aim is to be with both cars in the front and then see how it plays out – but obviously we know what we can do. We can race each other and we always try to beat each other but to be fair at the same time. I don’t see anything different on that

Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Sebastian, given the advantage you enjoyed at Spa, is it something you think Mercedes can come back from – or do you think you’re going to hold that power advantage to the end of the season?
SV: Well, first of all, I find it quite nice that we get put in this position. I think people forget that maybe for the last five years, Mercedes has been absolutely dominant, especially in terms of power unit, and obviously, it’s nice from them to put us in that position because it means they believe they are not the strongest any more. So, it’s good to be up there with them and be a match but I don’t think we can take anything for granted. I don’t think we are anywhere near in the place they have been in the last years. So, I think we have to work hard to make things happen, and we are determined to work hard this weekend to put ourselves in the same position again, that we have a great pace in the weekend and especially in the race on Sunday.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) To Sebastian and Kimi, it’s more or less in the line of your last answer, Maurizio Arrivabene said that it’s very important for Ferrari to push Mercedes, they are not used to it over the last four years at least – but it’s also true that many people believe you have the best car, and many Italians say Ferrari has a great chance of being World Champion this year. If you go outside you hear this from many Italians. You feel this pressure that will exist?

SV: Not really. We know our car best and I think we have a lot of people on board telling us how good our car is on which point of the track, at which point of the year, similar to other teams. I think we know what’s going on. We know we have a great car. I think we have a good car that seems to have worked so far on more or less every track. Some better, some a little but worse but I think we are aware we have a good package but we cannot rest on that. I think we need to make it happen. Kimi and myself in the car, all the engineering crew at the track, everybody back in Maranello to try to put everything together. So, I don’t think you can compare to maybe the position other people have been in years ago. It doesn’t matter, I’m also not keen to compare because we’re looking forwards and we want to do our thing. As I said, looking forward to getting in the car. It’s a great feeling when you step inside the car and you know that you can fight for first position, for the podium, for victory on Sunday. That’s what you want as a driver but for the rest I think it’s healthy not to overthink.

KR: I don't think there’s any more pressure. I think all the pressure is that we want to do well: ourselves; our team. So that’s normal pressure that we put unto ourselves and something that we want to achieve. So, I don’t know. Is our package best? One weekend yes, next might not be. It’s that close that small differences will dictate who’s fastest over that weekend or the race on Sundays. If you don’t get everything right, you might not win. So, it’s very close. Certain conditions; certain circuits, one is a bit better for one team and the next one for the other team. We’re talking small differences in the end result. So, we can only do our best and see what happens, where we end up on Sunday.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Question for the two Ferrari drivers. Everyone’s talking about the engine improvement this year but it has been a collective growth from the team. Maybe not necessarily from last year but especially if you look back to 2016 when there wasn’t the progression from ’15 to ’16. So if you look at the work from 2016, how much has the team changed? Is it as much down to the way the team has reworked its structure as well as obviously improvements on the engine side.

SV: Well, I think 2016 was a key year for us. Obviously it wasn’t great in terms of performance, especially after ’15, we finished second in the Constructors’, you naturally want to be closer, a lot closer and we were not. We lost a place. But I think in terms of setting ourselves up for the future ’16 was the most important year so far – at least since I’m with the team. Obviously ’17 we had a rule change that helped us to use that restructuring in general that’s been going on. I think we, since then, have been able to improve on all fronts. Whether it’s the car, the development throughout the season to keep the pace up; whether it’s engine power and its components. So, I think things are going in the right direction but I think the opponent that we had years ago was very , very strong, still is very, very strong but y’know it’s good to see we are getting stronger and, in some areas, maybe caught up. In some other areas maybe have a little bit of an edge. In the end that’s where we want to be – and beyond that. I think that’s our ambition: to be up there and to be at least on the level so we can fight for it and to keep that level throughout the year, and if there’s a gap then to increase that gap. I think that things are looking in the right way but saying that, we still have a lot of things that we can improve, and still have potential that can be unleashed, a lot of processes that I think can be improved, so we have to work and focus on those and go step-by-step.

Kimi anything to add?

KR: No. 

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Seb. Lewis made some remarks after the last race about that he couldn’t explain how fast your … how fast you were. Would you… I mean presumably you take this opportunity to say that everything in the Ferrari is above board and legal and b) does that give us a glimpse into Lewis’ mindset that he’s not quite sure how to deal with the Ferrari and the strength of it at the moment?

SV: I don't know. I think you need to ask him but I think he said in the press conference something with tricks – but then I think he said quite many times as well that he doesn’t want it to be interpreted in the wrong way and I think – maybe he did – I’m not so sure but  for all us, in terms of is the car legal or not, there’s the FIA responsible for it and I think we have several checks throughout the weekend to prove that. So as long as I don’t hear anything from that front then I believe it’s fine. Same for the others. So, as I said, maybe it’s more a question for him. And for us, it’s to keep out head down. If there’s something like momentum, then to use that momentum to make sure we go forwards.

Q: (Ian Parkes – New York Times) Question to Seb and Kimi. Given the performance in Belgium from Ferrari, and given the comments that emanated from both Mercedes and Lewis post-race, do you think you have Mercedes worried for the first time in five seasons, for the rest of this season. And, if so, how can you play on that and make it to your advantage.

SV: To be very honest with you, I don’t feel anything related to Mercedes. I feel Ferrari, and especially this weekend – and that’s what I want to enjoy. I don’t know in which state or mind they are. I think, y’know, we are obviously up against the best if you fight for the front positions. And Mercedes have proven to be the best over the last years. I think they have been for many reasons. What we want to do, obviously, is to beat them – so we need to be better than them. I think that’s what we need to focus on. In which shape they are, and so on, I think it’s more for them to answer. As I said, this weekend, I don’t feel anything with Mercedes. I feel Ferrari – so looking forwards to that.

Kimi, anything to add?

KR: No.

Do you feel you’ve got Mercedes rattled?

KR: I don't know. You need to talk to them. Obviously, I don’t know. I’m not really interested in what their thoughts are. We do our stuff and try to do the best that we can and obviously improve and go forwards.

Q: (Alessandro Bucci – ItaliaRacing.net) A question for each driver. Which is, or which are, your favourite Italian Grands Prix during your career.

RG: I haven’t had really any good ones here! I try to remind… 2009: no. Where did we end up in ’12 and ’13? ’12 I didn’t race. ’13 I can’t remember. We were not very fast on low downforce. ’14 I’m not talking about… no, nothing outstanding here.

SP: For me it was a great race 2012. Making it into the podium. Into the last laps, beating both Ferraris to the podium was a great race that I definitely remember well. Obviously the podium here is very special. It’s a nice experience. The atmosphere from the tifosi was very special, definitely. My biggest memory was 2012.

KR: I enjoyed going to Imola also. Good racing. I don’t know. I’ve never had very good races at either places but that was a really nice circuit to race. It’s close by. I call it an Italian Grand Prix. Here, not one that would probably be better than the others. Some decent, let’s say.

Seb, how about you?

SV: Personal one, obviously 2008. I don't think that… well, we’ll see, maybe there is a chance that something better comes up but when it comes to my racing here, I think 2008, the first win ever, it always stands out to be something special. The way it happened as well. Then in memory, or what I’ve heard about I think the ’88 Grand Prix will never be beaten in terms of importance for this country, for the tifosi, for racing here. And I remember, was there a race with three cars finishing close to each other? Was it the tightest finish? Five cars? That must have been a great race. I wasn’t there, obviously. By a long way! None of us what – but I think that must have been a great race to watch and follow. And then, as I said, the ’88, what it meant, obviously for Ferrari.

Q: (Barbara Premoli – Motorinolimits.com) Question for Kimi. I know you won’t answer me – but I need only to see your expression. In Monza, we have always had a big announcement. So, we have to expect something? Lift the cap! Look at me.

KR: Better glasses maybe? You need to talk to the team. It’s not up to me. That’s about it. Not my decision in the end.

PREVIEW: Peugeot’s Sebastien Loeb targeting victory on home soil

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship returns to European soil this weekend (31 August - 2 September) following its first transatlantic trip of the season, with Loheac in north-west France set to play host to motorsport’s most spectacular discipline.

Such is Loheac’s legendary appeal that a capacity entry of 25 Supercars will do battle for glory at Bretagne World RX of France, tackling the compact, 1070-metre circuit – the home of rallycross in the country and a popular stop on the World RX schedule, with upwards of 70,000 spectators regularly pouring through the gates over the race weekend. Adding to the challenge, the gravel at Loheac is unlike anywhere else on the calendar – hard-packed and abrasive in dry conditions, it can be unforgivingly slippery when wet.

Reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden) continues to set the pace in the defence of his hard-fought drivers’ crown, with a fourth consecutive victory of 2018 last time out in Canada increasing his advantage at the top of the title table. The Swede has won in France for the past two years and is targeting a hat-trick.

Team Peugeot Total pairing Sebastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen currently hold joint second spot in the standings, and both have their sights firmly set on the highest step of the podium on the French manufacturer’s home turf. Loeb finished third at Loheac in 2016 and second last season and is looking to continue that run this weekend, while Hansen tasted victory champagne courtesy of a dominant display three years ago. Following a two-three finish at Trois-Rivieres, their tails are up as they bid to build on that momentum.

“As a French driver in a French team, Loheac is a very important event for me and our goal is to fight for victory," said Loeb. "It’s a track that I really enjoy, and there are no great secrets to mastering it – you need to have clean runs, be quick everywhere and above all make good starts. Tyre management and preservation is also a key factor at Loheac, since punctures are one of the major risks over the large kerbs.”

There is similarly a tie for fourth place between Norwegians Andreas Bakkerud (EKS Audi Sport) and Petter Solberg (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden), just a single point behind their Peugeot rivals. Both men are continuing to chase their first win of 2018 as World RX heads into its eighth round of the campaign, and both are formidable competitors and previous winners at Loheac.

Bakkerud’s team-mate Mattias Ekstrom is also well in touch following a consistent run of top six finishes, and the Swede – World RX champion in 2016 – is hunting his second podium of the year as he aims to climb the overall classification.

Kevin Hansen has enjoyed a strong season to-date in the third Team Peugeot Total 208 WRX, and having been closely-matched with his two team-mates in recent rounds, the young Swede is sure to be a factor in France. The same can be said for GRX Taneco Team duo Niclas Gronholm and Timur Timerzyanov, while Olsbergs MSE took a step forward at Trois-Rivieres following a mid-season switch of engine tuner, giving Kevin Eriksson and Robin Larsson hope of a strong points-scoring run to the end of the campaign.

Behind the wheel of Team STARD’s Ford Fiesta, Janis Baumanis impressed in Canada by fighting his way determinedly into the final for the first time in 2018. The Latvian will be targeting more of the same in France, while there has been a driver change at GC Competition, with Jerome Grosset-Janin parting ways with the team and Liam Doran coming in to replace him alongside Guerlain Chicherit. The Briton’s last World RX appearance was at Holjes two years ago, so he will be fired-up to make his mark on his return.

Sebastien Loeb Racing’s Gregoire Demoustier completes the 15-strong permanent line-up, and the Frenchman – who competes under a Belgian licence – will hope to turn his circuit racing skills to his advantage at one of the tracks where he has some prior experience.

Of the ten additional entries, four are homegrown, including former World RX front-runner Davy Jeanney – the first Frenchman to win an event at the pinnacle of international rallycross competition three years ago – and double French Rallycross Champion Gaetan Serazin.

In a high-calibre field, other names worthy of note are 2014 World Championship runner-up Toomas Heikkinen (MJP Racing Team Austria) – a driver with four previous Loheac starts under his belt – 2013 British Touring Car Champion Andrew Jordan in the sister Ford Fiesta, two-time DTM title-winner Timo Scheider in ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza, 2015 European Rallycross Champion Tommy Rustad (Volkswagen Polo) and former British Rallycross Champion Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Fiesta).

ENTRY IMAGE CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

FEATURE: Hitting the Brakes in Monza.

Monza is famous for its high-speed nature, with its long straights and only a limited number of corners. This makes every turn - and every time the drivers hit the brakes - even more important. 

Why is braking important? 
Before a Formula One car turns into a corner, it needs to be slowed down, so braking is the first part of any corner phase. So if a driver doesn't get the braking right, he will usually mess up the entire corner and lose valuable time. From an engineering point of view, a corner presents a bit of a contradiction. Under braking, the car should be as stable as possible, requiring the least amount of driver steering correction. However, once you reach the turning point of the corner, you want a car with a great turning capability that is very reactive to steering input. Ideal straight-line braking stability would require a rather numb front end with lots of front downforce; however, that would make turning into the corner very difficult. So the engineers have to fine-tune the car and try to find the right balance. The two main areas they will look at for this compromise are aerodynamics - mostly the front wing - and the suspension set-up. 

What makes braking in Monza so important? 
Monza is a relatively fast track, so the drivers have to slow down their cars from very high speeds. Additionally, they will be running the lowest downforce configuration of the year, which makes braking at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza even more tricky. Most of the track in Monza is wide open throttle and only limited by the drag characteristics of the car and the performance of the Power Unit, making the eleven corners of the circuit particularly important, as that's where a driver can easily gain or lose a chunk of lap time over his competitors. That is especially true for the two major braking events at the Autodromo - the Variante del Rettifilo (Turn 1 and 2) and the Variante della Roggia (Turn 4 and 5). On his fastest race lap in 2017 (Lap 50), Lewis was going over 330 km/h before he hit the brakes going into Turn 1, shedding over 260 km/h and slowing down to under 70 km/h. On the straight before Turn 4, he was doing 310 km/h and decelerated to under 110 km/h. At both events, the drivers will easily pull over 4G. To put this in comparison: a high-performance road car with special tyres can achieve a little over 1G. The heavy braking is not just demanding for drivers, but also for the brakes themselves: On the long straights, brake discs will cool down to about 200 degrees Celsius. But when the driver hits the brakes, temperatures will rise to over 1,000 degrees within a second. Managing the brake temperatures is therefore an important job of an F1 driver as brakes that are too hot are prone to fading and might cause reliability issues. 

How similar are road cars and F1 cars when it comes to braking? 
The short answer is not very similar at all. Formula One cars have lots of downforce available - and the amount of downforce increases the faster they drive. The more downforce the car produces, the higher the grip level - which means that the cars have more stopping potential at high speeds than they have at low speeds. This makes braking an F1 car quite challenging as the grip levels change. While, for example, it would be quite difficult to lock the wheels under braking when the car is going at speeds of over 300 km/h, it is in fact quite easy to do so at 60 km/h. So F1 drivers have to brake very hard at the start of braking when they have the most stopping potential and then fade it as they get towards the turning phase of the corner to prevent potential lockups. But that's not the only difference between an F1 car and a road car when it comes to braking. F1 cars also use brake migration - a dynamic change of the brake balance as a function of the brake pressure. Here's how it works: Under braking, there's a weight transfer happening in the car. It's the same kind of weight transfer you can experience when you stop any vehicle abruptly - in a road car, you're thrown into your seat belt, on the London Tube you might end up on your neighbour's lap. F1 cars use this kind of weight transfer to their advantage and shift the brake bias towards the front of the car when the drivers first hit the brakes. When they then slowly come off the brakes to prevent locking up, the weight transfer to the front is reduced. At that point, the brake power is migrated rearwards - by how much depends on the track and the type of corner. Drivers can adjust the brake migration on a corner-by-corner basis through a rotary switch on their steering wheel. Just before the turning point you could move the brake bias almost entirely to the rear to give the car a bit of oversteer, allowing it to turn more quickly - similar to the effect of pulling the hand brake in a road car. 

How did hybrid technology and brake-by-wire systems change braking on an F1 car? 
Hybrid engines have given the engineers the chance to harvest kinetic energy under braking and use that energy to propel the car forwards again when the driver accelerates. But in addition to harvesting energy, the introduction of hybrids and brake-by-wire systems gave the engineers another avenue to fine-tune the car and further advance braking by improving brake migration. In the pre-hybrid era, the teams used mechanical systems to change brake balance through a corner or a braking event. To quickly adjust the brake balance between corners, they would use a hydraulic system. Both of these functions can now be operated with a switch on the steering wheel - in fact, a total of five buttons and rotary switches on the wheel. This means that the drivers can access those functions much faster. Another benefit of the system is that the engineers can compensate for how the power unit behaves under braking and downshifting. Every time the driver opens the clutch, he loses the engine braking. In the pre-hybrid era, that would mean that there were sudden shifts in brake balance and brake power every time the clutch would open and close. Today, the cars can counteract that with a little spike of brake pressure every time the car loses the engine braking. This means that the rear brake torque is more continuous, allowing the driver to operate closer to the peak of the tyre slip. 

How hard do F1 drivers hit the brakes? How much pressure do they apply to the brake pedals? 
Generally speaking Formula One drivers generate a lot of brake pressure. When they hit the brakes, they basically stand up on the brake pedal. As they brake at 4G, they will apply roughly four times their body weight to the pedal. At the same time brakes - like almost everything else in an F1 car - are highly customisable and depend very much on driver preferences. The brake pedal can be adjusted to how hard a driver usually hits the brakes as it works as a lever upon the master brake cylinder. So if a driver feels that he has not enough power in his legs, the brake pedal can be manipulated to generate peak pressures more easily; however, this would also mean that the pedal will travel further. For that reason, training his legs is part of every driver's fitness programme. 

How much does the braking point vary on a lap-by-lap basis? Are F1 drivers able to hit the brakes at the same time on every lap? 
The ideal braking point will change over the course of the race - depending on fuel loads, compound choice, tyre degradation and how much the drivers have to manage the tyres. So the drivers have to vary their braking during the race, keeping in mind all the parameters that influence it. In qualifying, the braking points stay more or less the same as the car goes out on similar amounts of fuel and on fresh rubber. If you look at telemetry overlays from qualifying, you can appreciate that the drivers are able to repeatedly hit the brakes at roughly the same spot. Usually, they will brake within a couple of metres or less; five or six metres are a significant difference. This is all the more impressive if you consider that a car that's going 330 km/h travels almost 92 metres in a single second. So being able to hit the perfect braking point is a matter of fractions of a second. 

How do drivers find the ideal braking points? 
Drivers determine the ideal points for braking over the course of the weekend. They will start conservatively, braking early and allowing for a small margin of error. As the track builds up grip, they will push the braking points deeper and deeper towards the corner, changing it by a few meters at a time and pushing it all the way to the limit. But there's always one braking point that is extremely tricky to get exactly right: braking into Turn 1 on the opening lap of the race. There's no practice on Sundays, so drivers have to estimate the grip levels as best as they can from the few laps to grid they do before the race. To make things more challenging, the brakes will be cold, making it even harder to estimate where to brake. Additionally, the other drivers might be willing to take a bit more risk going into Turn 1 as the field is bunched up and one can easily gain a position, so you don't want to brake early as you might be overtaken. All those circumstances make it very difficult to determine when to brake into Turn 1. However, the drivers do get a bit of help from their engineers who will suggest brake balance and brake migration settings to them based on historical data. 

FEATURE BY: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.

Grönholm RX Taneco targets consistency and the final in France.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

GRX Taneco have come a long way since the first round of the FIA World Rallycross championship, running two Hyundai i20 Supercars in the championship. Round after round, the Finnish team have improved their performance, qualifying for the semi-finals each time and getting more competitive. For the French round, the team have set their sights on reaching the final. 

The 1,088-kilometre long track with a 33% asphalt/66% gravel is reputed for its grip. Tyre strategy is all-important on a circuit that makes for spectacular racing and generates an amazing atmosphere. The Lohéac circuit draws crowds of some 75,000 spectators for the rallycross weekend. 

The lap record stands at 36.095 seconds, set in 2017. Timur Timerzyanov’s best result in France so far is sixth place in 2014. "Everyone always has high expectations for Lohéac because its a fantastic race and very popular," said Timerzyanov. "The circuit is short, difficult and quite tricky. There’s usually not much gap between cars."

Last time out in Canada, the Russian had a very difficult weekend with a number of incidents, and he now aims to put it behind him and focus on the way forward. "I stepped up my training after Canada and analysed my strengths and weaknesses over the last few races, to prepare for the French round as best I could," explained Timerzyanov.

Niclas Grönholm has taken part in the last two rounds in France, finishing in 14th both. The Finn has been the most consistent privateer driver in the championship, and has consistently qualifyed for the semi-finals and secured two final appearances this season. 

Niclas is confident that he can secure a good result for the team in France. "I think we’re capable of achieving a good result in France," said Grönholm.  "The track suits the Hyundai i20 Supercar because it’s steady-going in that there are no tight corners. I’ve been training hard at the wheel during the break. I’m looking forward to the race and feel ready to move up to the next level!"

EKS Audi Sport targets a podium finish in Lohéac

PHOTO CREDIT: Audi Sport.

EKS Audi Sport drivers, Andreas Bakkerud and Mattias Ekström, are looking forward to round eight of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship in front of 75,000 fans. The fans transform the small race track at Lohéac into a bubbling cauldron.. 

“Lohéac is one of the biggest events of the year on the race calendar with sheer rallycross action galore,” says Andreas Bakkerud. “Whenever so many fans turn out at the track this gives me an additional motivation boost.” 

Mattias Ekström is also excited about the popular event in Brittany: “Traveling to Lohéac is a great honor every time,” the Swede said. “The many enthusiastic spectators there make us drivers feel like rock stars.”

Ekström clinched third place last year, achieved his first podium finish on the track with a length of about one kilometer of which only 33 percent are tarmac. The section the Swede enjoys most is Turn 5 – a fast, long right-hander that runs parallel to the Joker Lap. “There, you drift in third or fourth gear, constantly keeping the car’s nose very close to the wall,” says Ekström. “Very special as well is the Joker Lap itself with a jump when you enter the corner.” 

Bakkerud in 2013 won a round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Lohéac. In 2016, he finished the World RX round in France runner-up. “I’ve always done well on this track,” said the Norwegian. “Following my misfortune in Canada, I definitely want to be back on podium.”

At Lohéac this year, EKS Audi Sport are fielding two additional Audi S1 EKS RX quattro's for the first time – for Nico Müller in the FIA World Rallycross Championship [one-off in Lohéac] and Szabó Krisztián in the FIA European Rallycross Championship.

Kristoffersson chases a seventh win in France.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA WorldRX Media.

Defending FIA World Rallycross Champion, Johan Kristoffersson heads to France chasing a seventh win of the year, a result that would equal his own record from 2017. The Swede has a 55 point advantage over his nearest rival.  

Kristoffersson admits that a small error could be costly in his pursuit for a second championship title. 

"The strategy is to stay out of trouble. In the last couple of races I have really tried to do this, pushed to get myself in the best possible position; a position where I can control my own race and do my own thing," Kristoffersson explained. "This is what I want to do this weekend. With the championship like it is, I don’t need to take the biggest risks, I need to defend my position and help to strengthen the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden position in the teams’ championship.”

The Swede came under pressure from Peugeot Total in Canada, but aims to use every opportunity to stay ahead. "The last two years when I won in Lohéac it was raining and maybe the rain gives us a small advantage over the Peugeot,'' said Kristoffersson. 

“The Volkswagen Polo R Supercar is fantastic in those kind of conditions where grip is a little bit more limited. I have such a good feeling with the car when we’re sliding." 

"Normally in Lohéac there’s not so much gravel; it’s strange, it’s brown, it looks like gravel and dirt, but actually when you get there in the dry it’s giving you some more grip. So when the rain comes, I think it helps us."

Can anyone stop Kristoffersson in France? 

Solberg enjoys healthy Loeb rivalry.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

In the world of motorsport, there are always rivalries. Petter Solberg and Sébastien Loeb have both come from the FIA World Rally Championship. Solberg claimed one FIA World Rally Championship, while Loeb has won an impress nine WRC championships. 

Loeb joined the FIA World Rallycross scene in 2016 with Peugeot Hansen and claimed a victory in Latvia on his debut season. 

Petter enjoys racing against Loeb in the World RX championship, but winning is the best feeling. “A win anywhere means everything, but the rivalry with Sébastien [Loeb] is a healthy one, like it’s always been," said Solberg. “It’s funny how things change down the years."

"When we were both in the World Rally Championship, Sébastien and I were fighting hard. We were both at the start of our career, OK I was maybe a couple of years ahead of him, but we were pushing hard; we were young and really trying to find success and to find our way to the top in the sport," Solberg explained.

Loeb is on the hunt for his maiden World Rallycross Championship, while Petter is a 2-time World Rallycross Champion. 

“Things are a bit different now. We’ve both won some world championships – admittedly he’s still got a few more than I have, but I’m working on that! But we’re more relaxed about the pressure and everything that comes with the sport," the Norweigen explained. 

Regardless of Solberg and Loeb's success in the WRC championship, they both remain hungry for wins in the World Rallycross Championship. 

"We both want to win and we’ll push like hell for that, but the relationship with Séb is really nice. We can talk about what we did a few years ago, enjoy each other’s company and then we go out and fight for the first corner. I love this."

Team Peugeot Total aims to win in France.

PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport

Team Peugeot Total heads home for round 8 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Loheac in France.

The Loheac circuit is the oldest and most popular French rallycross venue, it attracts around 75,000 fans – making it one of the most popular motorsport events in France. The lap record holder (with a time of 36.095s) is currently Sébastien Loeb, who finished runner-up last year. The rebuilt track is 1.088 kilometres long, with a lengthy joker lap section, and consists of 33% asphalt combined with 66% gravel. The tighter corners tend to be on asphalt with the fast corners on gravel.

The Peugeot 208 WRX EVO only enters its 3rd event this weekend. Last time out in Canada, the team placed its 2 new cars on the podium in 2nd and 3rd. The Canadian round proved that the new 208 WRX Evo supercar has the pace to win races. 

Sébastien Loeb sets his objective for round 8 in France: "Our objective as always is to go for the victory."  

Peugeot Total are leaving no stone unturned ahead of the French round. "We’ll get a test just before the race, at Chateauroux in France, which should be good preparation for Loheac and we’ll use that to make some final adjustments to the set-up," said Loeb.

"Loheac is a lot of fun to drive but there’s no particular secret to it: you’ve just got to be clean and fast everywhere and above all it’s important to get a very good start," the Frenchman adds. "It’s a track that can be quite demanding on the tyres, so you need to look after them and most of all avoid getting a puncture, which is a risk on some of the big kerbs that you have there.”
                                                
Loeb's teammate Timmy Hansen showed impressive pace in his 208 WRX Evo in Canada. The Swede feels confident ahead of the Loheac round. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport

“I think that Loheac should suit us quite well: the gravel is very grippy when it’s dry, which is typical of French circuits, so it’s actually very similar to the type of gravel that we have tested on before," said Timmy Hansen. 

Although Timmy only managed to secure a second place finish in Canada, he kept pressure on race winner Johan Kristoffersson, which displayed the performance of his new supercar. But the Swede feels that there is room for improvement. "The performance of the car is all there: we just need perhaps to focus a little more on the starts, which is so important in rallycross, especially in qualifying where all the cars start in a single line."

Timmy's younger brother Kevin Hansen, an independent entry has improved consistently this season and has received an updated Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar.

The young Swede has gained some experience racing in France. "I have already had a good French experience recently as I’ve been driving a Formula 4 single-seater racing car at the Auto Sport Academy in France, and I think I can definitely use some of the lessons I learned from that in Loheac,'' said Kevin. "It’s a fast circuit where you have to be very tidy and clean, so this is what I can carry over."

Kevin sets his target for the French round. "My aim is definitely to be on the podium," said Hansen. "I think this is a realistic objective, as our 208 WRX should be well-suited to Loheac."

"The car that I’m driving has also benefitted from a lot of development and I feel that I’m improving personally all the time as well, so there’s no reason at all why we can’t be right up there.”

2018 Belgian GP: FIA Post-Race Press Conference.

1 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
3 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Martin Brundle)

Q: Congratulations Sebastian, your 52nd victory in Formula 1, moving you ahead of the great Alain Prost, and a very important victory. Take us through the first lap, that crazy first lap, up to Les Combes.

Sebastian VETTEL: Well… yeah, I mean… more wins than Alain. I think… wow. Sorry. First lap: yeah, I had a great start and then I’m not sure Lewis saw me. He pushed me quite far to the left, but I knew my chance would be later on, up the hill. I think I timed it quite well. Obviously last year I was always ending up short, so yeah, it seems like it was better this year. Obviously we had a little bit less wing. Timing is crucial and I managed that perfectly I thought but then the Force India came as well, so… But as soon as I was ahead I was quite relieved. Obviously with the safety car it was the other way round. So I thought ‘well, I got that done, and now I get the safety car’. But I had a very good re-start; I had a very good exit out of the first corner, kept it clean, it was tricky with the tail wind braking for the first turn. After that a very smooth race. Lewis pushed very hard, especially in the first stint, towards the end he was very fast. In the second stint I could turn everything down a little bit and control the pace. But yeah, a great weekend.

Q: I love your answers; they’re like an essay!
SV: Isn’t that what you asked for!

Q: They’re perfect. Thank you! But then you had the pace after that to just hold him where you needed to.

SV: Yeah, also going through traffic I think I was a bit fortunate; I got them on the straights, so I didn’t lose much time. But I could see he wasn’t really pushing the last 15 laps, so I could relax a little bit more. It was quite tricky. I really enjoyed the race. To get a lot of time on this track is always very nice, in a great car even better, so now obviously looking forward to next week.

Q: Very well done. Lewis, seventh podium in Spa, but not the one you needed today, but still scoring 18 points.

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, congratulations to Seb. We did everything we could, I did everything I could in the race and I think we ultimately performed quite well this weekend, but he drove past me like I wasn’t even there on the straights. So we’ve got to keep pushing as hard as we can to try to catch up but, you know, that’s all I can say.

Q: You had a go into the final chicane for the safety car restart. You thought you might be able to sneak through there?

LH: I think I could have but again he would have sailed past me on the straight. They’ve got a few trick things going on in the car. I did what I could, we did what we could and we’ve just got to keep working.

Q: Monza coming up, so their straight-line speed will be pretty handy there too.
LH: Yup.

Q: Well, we’ll see what happens next weekend. Max, congratulations. You have an awful lot of fans in the grandstands but it looked a pretty lonely race on the track?

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, especially after the first 10 to 12 laps, but initially it was a bit chaotic and I had to get past a few cars, but we stayed out of trouble and after that we just did our own race and of course very happy to be on the podium here.

Q: This track hasn’t always been kind to you but today it worked really well. That was the best you could achieve with the pace you’ve got.

MV: Yeah, before we had been a bit unlucky, it happens sometimes, but I’m very happy with today.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Lewis, just picking up on something you said after the race, you referred to Sebastian and Ferrari’s straight-line speed at the start. You mentioned there that it didn’t seem like you were surprised to have him attack you. Are you surprised by the extent of Ferrari’s engine performance with the latest upgrade? And how do you think they’ve achieved that? We’ve heard you mention them maybe doing engine tricks. Do you think they’re just outsmarting Mercedes at the moment?

LH: Well, we came here with a pretty good upgrade and, I mean, generally, every time we do bring an upgrade they bring a bigger one. But no, we knew they were quick on the straights. They were quicker, particularly in qualifying in the last sector. We’ve known for the last four races or so that they’ve had some things on their car that’s enabled them to be quicker on the straights and yeah, we’ve just got to work harder, I guess.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) Just to follow up for both of you, Lewis and Seb, it looked like in the middle sector the Mercedes was much quicker in the qualifying session. What do you both think? Is it more due to the power or the aerodynamic set-up that you have less drag but more downforce? In the first sector and last sector is it only do to the power that you’re losing out on the straights?

LH: It’s just power. They’re able to deploy more, somehow, than us, from Turn One to Eau Rouge, and then it carries on down the straight. And it’s the same down the back straight. I’m not really sure how but that’s how they are.

And Seb, is it just engine performance?

SV: Well, I hope so. I hope we have more power. That’s what we’re working for. If that’s the case then obviously well done to our engine guys. I think we’ve been making progress, especially the last two years, so, that’s good news. I think this feels pretty straightforward. We ran a little bit less wing, were faster in sector one, sector three and sector two was a little bit slower. But I wouldn’t disagree that this year in terms of power we are a lot closer than we were last year. I think last year we didn’t have a chance here, despite maybe running less wing – or more wing. It’s good to see that we’re making progress.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lewis, when you say ‘tricks’ do you mean, do you think that Ferrari are bending the rules slightly? Or do you think it’s all legal?

LH: No, we all have trick things on our cars. Trick is just a word for something special, I guess.

Something special that’s legal?

LH: Just something special. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s on their car so I couldn't tell you either way.

Q: (Jaap de Groot – De Telegraaf) Question for Max. Was there extra pressure on you this weekend. It’s your home race, a lot of Dutch fans. Can you tell me something about the pressure? You tried yesterday with the rain to gamble all or nothing and today you delivered by getting the podium. How relieved are you? First how you dealt with the pressure and second how relieved you are delivering to the fans by coming third?

MV: There was no extra pressure. I just enjoy driving here at Spa in general. It has nothing to do with the fans, they just give you extra motivation and I just like to see it next to the track: that much orange. I think it shouldn't give you extra pressure. But, yeah, today was a good recovery after yesterday when we were unlucky in qualifying. So, of course, happy to be on the podium here. Of course, it was also great to see in the last lap, all the fans cheering you on. So really happy with that.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) Lewis, we saw an important advantage of Ferrari here today during the race. Do you think it’s related to the correct risks of Spa Francorchamps and next weekend Monza? And when we have another circuit like Mexico or Austin, maybe it can be less than we saw here?

LH: No, I think they seem to have  it where there are straights. You’ve got Mexico, long straights, they will have the advantage there. They generally have the advantage at places like Singapore. The next race, with this kind of performance they have on straights, we might struggle to match them there. We gave it everything we had today. We were, generally, often quicker in the middle sector in qualifying but for some reason, I think in the race even then, I couldn’t keep up. For them to pull over a second gap, that’s some serious pace they had today so we’ve just got to keep working hard and keep pushing.

Q: (Lennart Bloemhof – De Volkskrant) Max, how special is it for you to finish third here 24 years after your father did the same thing at Spa?

MV: I think it’s always nice to be on the podium. Yeah. I mean, 24 years ago, I don’t think my Dad even cares at all. Also I don’t really.

SV: 24 years ago he cared, I think.

MV: 24 years ago he cared but now he’s like, ‘you know what, it’s done. I’m retired.’ Yeah, it’s always good to be on the podium honestly.

Q: (Ben Hunt – The Sun) Lewis, just reading into what you’re saying to your answers with regards to the trick things, will you or Mercedes be speaking to the FIA…

LH: I’m not saying that there’s anything illegal on. I’m just saying we all have something trick. There’s probably something trick on… Trick is just something that helps you bring that extra bit of performance. That’s all I mean. I don’t mean anything to it so please don’t read into it and please don’t twist my words and say that I say they’re doing anything illegal because they’re not. They just outperformed us today and we’ve got to work harder, but there are things that they have on the car that we might not have on the car and vice versa and we’ve got to try and find out what and improve on that. That’s it.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Lewis and Sebastian, obviously the restart presented different challenges for the pair of you: Lewis’s chance of attack, Seb you needed to worry about defending. Can you just talk us through the sort of approach mentally to that restart and then how you handled it, obviously into La Source and down the Kemmel straight?

SV: Yeah, I think it was one of my worst restarts initially to surprise Lewis. I think he was sharp and obviously I knew that I had nothing to fear because the safety car lane or where the race basically restarts is not braking for turn 18. Also, when I realised the initial bit that it’s not great, also caught some wheelspin that I didn’t want, but I didn’t want to slow down again to then surprise him again or get a second chance because I don’t think that’s fair. Then I focused on the last corner, the last pair and that worked really well plus turn one where we had some tail wind the whole race so I was making sure I knew where the wind was going and again, got it really right and had a great exit and once I was told the gap, which was around 0.9s exit of turn one, I knew that I should be safe but then you never know with a little bit of headwind up that long straight and obviously looked in the mirror, tried to see him when I could and saw that he wasn’t a threat so I was happy when I went into turn five and stayed ahead.

LH: It started out well. I probably could have gone up the inside into the last corner, maybe, just about, but again, they would just overtake us on the straight so I held back and tried to stay close but he just pulled away out of the last corner and then through turn one they’ve been quicker than us all weekend there and out of it so by the time I came out of turn one, he was quite far ahead.

Q: (Arjan Schouten – AD) Max, is this result also proof for you that in the last eight races there are still things possible, despite the difficult split with Renault in which you are involved?

MV: We just try to make the best of it ‘til the end of the race. Hopefully on a street circuit we can be closer or at least fight them. Yeah, let’s see.

2018 Belgian GP: FIA Post-Qualifying Press Conference.

DRIVERS
1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
2 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
3 – Esteban OCON (Racing Point Force India)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by David Coulthard)

Q: Great to see the sportsmanship there, Lewis congratulating Seb. I don’t think he feels as good as you do. Your 78th pole position, your fifth here in Spa. You needed that rain at the end, Ferrari were very strong in the outright dry, but congratulations, great job.

Lewis HAMILTON: Thank you so much. That was one of the toughest qualifying sessions I can remember. It seems to get harder and harder all year long. I don’t know if they definitely had it, we were very, very close, you saw it in, I think, Q2, we were split by half a tenth, so I was hopeful I could make that slight difference but I knew it was going to be very close, they were very quick on the straights. But then the rain came and none of us have been driving this weekend in the rain, so I can’t even express to you how difficult it was. You saw that I went off in Turn 1. You’re tip-toeing, you don’t know where the limit is, you don’t know… the track looks dry in some places but it’s actually wet. That was definitely some of the toughest… even though at the last race it was very wet, but that was different circumstances, where you have more grip on those extreme tyres. With these ones it was so hard. I went off twice but I’m so glad I managed to keep it together for that last lap.

Q: Great job, Lewis, it gives you a great place to start this grand prix tomorrow. This championship battle is very much alive.

LH: It’s painful. I think everyone is on the edge of their seats, but that’s what’s great about this sport and it’s so great to see so many people here in Spa. It’s a beautiful place and an incredible track to drive and I’m really grateful for all the hard work the team have put in to give me the chance to be here today.

Q: Well done, enjoy the moment. Seb, it looked like Ferrari had the edge. Lewis thought that in dry running maybe he would have had the pace, but to me it looked like in dry running it was going to be a Ferrari front-row lock-out, but that rain suddenly changed everything. Was there much more left?

Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, I think so. I think we didn’t time it great. Look, in these conditions it can be anything. You might as well take second from where we are. I think we had the pace today for pole but we’ll never find out; obviously Q3 was a bit different. I think the gap was quite big, so deserved for Lewis to get the pole, but tomorrow I’m quite sure we have good pace in the car, also for the race, so looking forward to that.

Q: Just when you mention timing. It looked like as if there was a little bit of… I don’t want to say confusion, but uncertainty…

SV: It was confusion! When all of a sudden it starts to rain like this, from a team point of view you have to manage two cars and Kimi was rushing to get back out and then in the end, now you look, it’s sunshine and it’s nearly dry again. I didn’t also know what to do, I had a bit of traffic, then I had the track drying up and I wanted to save a bit of tyres, and I had a bit of traffic with Esteban in front, and then you know that any lap could be the lap but equally you know the lap will be at the end if it continues to dry up. Yeah, maybe I was also not as calm as can be in the car and in the end happy with second, first row for tomorrow and we have strong pace, so anything can happen.

Q: Congratulations. Esteban, welcome to the top three! Your best ever qualifying. This is a big opportunity for you, uncertainty about where you are going to be next year, a result like that in tricky conditions – just how huge is this for you?

Esteban OCON: Yeah, it’s fantastic! Hi everyone, hello, thanks for the support first of all. It’s awesome to be in P3 after such a difficult time with the team we had. But now we are starting afresh and definitely happy with that result, third wasn’t expected today. The job did a fantastic guys… the guys did a fantastic job! Sorry, it’s the emotion! We changed the tyre really quickly and managed to go out and that was fantastic and I put in a clean lap and managed to get third, so yeah, let’s bring it on tomorrow.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Congratulations Lewis, a very tricky session. Just how difficult was it out there?

LH: I think that was one of the hardest sessions that I can remember for a while. Obviously in the rain in the last race it was different, it was obviously incredibly difficult there, but this one, going straight from slicks straight to inters and you only had a few laps really to find the grip, to get the tyres up, to understand where the track was dry and where it was wet, because it was really patchy throughout the whole lap. So you come to Eau Rouge and you don’t know if you have to have a life, well obviously we all had to have a lift, but towards the end it was drying up in some patches and it was quite wet in other patches. I really can’t find the words to express the words to express how difficult it was. If you look at the laps… I don’t know how it was for other people but you saw that I went off in Turn 1 massively and then again into Turn 12, and so I only had one lap left, otherwise I would have been a lot further down the order. I knew I had the pace, it was just really about finding the balance of not pushing too much, but not backing off too much, and it’s different in every single corner and at no point can you ever be complacent. It’s awesome, I love that kind of… I’m super happy obviously, the team have done a great job. The rain is always a friend of mine, so…

Q: Sebastian, Lewis says the rain was a friend of his, you were fastest in all three practice sessions, Ferrari, as a team, in the dry, do you think the rain took qualifying a little bit away from you today?

SV: Maybe. We don’t know, we’ll never get the answer of Q3 in the dry, simply because it wasn’t dry. Like that, obviously it didn’t help. It was a bit strange, not easy to get your eye in and so on. It was a weird… it’s not rain, it’s not dry, it’s something in between. I knew that all of the laps don’t matter but the last one, so I was pushing, because you also don’t know whether you will have a red flag or somebody loses it in these conditions, very likely. So I stayed on track and everything was fine, but I never closed the lap but the last one. Obviously it was a bit chaotic and not great from a management point of view, I think. You don’t know how much it’s going to dry up and if there’s more rain coming, but I don’t feel we put everything together in the last lap. We ran out of battery and that was quite costly for nearly the whole lap and yeah, I just think it wasn’t a nice ending to a great qualifying up to that point. I mean, very exciting with these cars. Even in the damp conditions in the end it’s quite impressive, you know, you do Eau Rouge and you don’t have to downshift, you do it in eighth gear and it’s sort of flat even if it’s damp and you’re on intermediates. So great fun but obviously not very rewarding when you know that you could have done a bit better, but we start in second now, which puts us in a good place, and tomorrow we have a long race. We have a car to fight, a car to overtake so it should be good fun tomorrow.

Q: Very well done. Esteban, moving on to you. Congratulations on the third place. Did you know at the end of that qualifying session just what was on offer for Force India today, that you could score such a good result?

EO: Well, what I knew is definitely that when it’s damp conditions like this you have an opportunity and something to do. It’s always closer between the cars when the conditions are like that and today we maximised the potential of our car. Last time it rained I was also starting third. It’s the second time it rains and I’m starting third, so it’s a fantastic result. Great to perform like this after a difficult time for Force India. That’s totally behind us now and we are focusing on this weekend and the car has been strong, even in the dry this weekend, so hopefully we will get a great result tomorrow.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – AP) Question for Sebastian. You said moments after the qualifying “maybe I wasn’t as calm as I could be.” What was that referring to? Was it because of the rain or something to do with your mindset?

SV: No, I think we had a wobble, obviously, I guess everybody had in these conditions, swapping tyres. I think there was a bit of miscommunication, I was stuck in the pitlane for a while. In the end that didn’t matter but it was just not as calm as I think it could have been. After that, well, looking back it’s always easy in these sessions but as I said the lap that mattered was the last one. Before it was nearly irrelevant, other than keeping your tyres warm. But that you don’t know. You don’t know whether the rain increases again. The laps that I had before also I couldn’t close due to traffic. So, I knew that if I closed them the next lap will be compromised but the next lap will be drier… so what do you do? I think, as I said, it didn’t feel as if I got everything out for various reasons and therefore it was a bit of a scrappy session. But in the end, if it’s scrappy like that, you also saw the others not putting enough fuel in until the end, so it can be a lot worse and taking that into account, I think second is alright.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) Question for Seb. You said you ran out of battery in the last lap. It looked a bit like in the penultimate lap at the Bus Stop chicane you went a bit wide to have full throttle on the main straight, so usually you know when you run out of battery a bit earlier – so why did you do it and why didn’t you put it all for the penultimate lap then?

SV: If it’s that easy, maybe you should drive the car then you know everything! As I said, you try to close the lap before, you also try to get your eye in, stay on top of the track, and yeah, the way we set up normally it was fine to run until the end but I surprised myself when I crossed the line and saw that the battery was quite low – which then was very costly. But, y’know… You’re absolutely right, in the end we should have managed better as a team – but in these conditions, could have been a red flag in the last lap and then it doesn’t matter. I always try to open a gap in the last sector, last corner and slow down, charge the car – but obviously it wasn’t enough for the end, so we got caught up.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Esteban, you referenced the team situation in recent days. Obviously at the moment there seems to be a few question marks about your short-term future and what happens there. What do you think the significance of this result is in that? It seems a bit ridiculous to be P3 on the grid and have those sort of questions. And to Lewis and Seb, what do you think of the performance of someone like Esteban in the team and car he’s in at the moment to be P3 on the grid.

EO: Well, you know for sure, my future is not done at the moment. At the moment I don’t know where I will race next year, what I will do. So, y’know, as I said, the only think I can do is do well on track, to focus and do the same job as before, try to do the best. And if you do a strong job in Formula One, the teams, they can’t skip you, they need to have you. So, that’s what I’m trying to do.

Lewis, your view of Esteban’s performance in that Force India?

LH: I’ve always been a supporter of Esteban. I think, how he conducts himself and how he performs on track is exceptional and unfortunately we’re in a weird place in Formula One where you’ve got some teams that, rather than take a new up-and-coming kid, they’ll take whoever’s got the moment, which means the structure of the sport is probably wrong, and how the funds are distributed, or whatever it is. I also know, once I’d signed, once Sebastian had signed, things start to fall into place, and you’ve got to be and you’ve got to be super-super quick, and make sure you’ve got good management, so they’re sharp and make sure they do their diligence and they’re ready to quick-fire in the right direction. I’ve not read of who’s signed where and what seats are available but he needs to be in a great car because he’s one of the top drivers here so I hope that opportunity is there for him.

Seb, your thoughts on Esteban’s performance?

SV: Well, I think from the outside it’s always difficult to judge but I think he’s doing everything right. I think it’s very good for him to get this qualifying session under the belt and get the car in P3 where it doesn’t belong. I think that shows enough. Also, in a session like that where it can be quite chaotic and you can easily do a mistake, to keep your head together was crucial. That’s what he did. Then, I think, unfortunately it’s our times, a new guy comes in and he’s the superhero, then another guys comes in and he’s the superhero, then another guy comes in and then he’s the superhero, and then another guy comes in and he’s the new superhero. And by that time, the first guy is easily forgotten, even though he’s doing a very, very good job but not really considered any more, as in talked about and written about, so that’s why I think it’s good for him to have this result today, and he should get mentioned. Yeah, I think it’s his day and obviously for us, you sort-of expect to be there. We’ve got the cars and the consistency but, as I said, whatever the car is called he’s driving now, it doesn’t belong in P3 and he managed to do so, so well done, that should also be considered for someone signing him next year.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lewis, we’ve seen in your career, time and time again that when it rains you often always seem to deliver. Do you think you’re virtually unbeatable in the wet?

LH: Definitely not. Definitely not. I think I also tend to do the job in the dry every now and again as well too – but no, not at all. I think it’s… I wish you could see how tough it is out there for us all, maybe you could see it by all of us falling off. It’s really about balance of circumstances and compromises and maybe Seb, as he said, he’d got a battery problem, or something like that. I’d managed mine myself and made sure I had enough power. Also the team helped me in being aware of that. So, I don’t really know what to say. Ultimately it’s for you to decide, to create an opinion about it. I love driving in the wet. I didn’t want it to rain. I was looking forward to it being really close in the dry. I think the Ferraris may… clearly had slightly the upper hand but I really thought maybe it would just be… I might just be able to do enough to get ahead of them in the dry. Maybe. Which is an exciting prospect. But when it rains. I mean, it was horrible! It’s not a case that I love it. It was absolutely terrifying for all of us because we were all tip-toeing around. It’s fun also – but you just don’t know when the front wheels are going to lock. When a front wheel locks, the car seems to speed up. I don’t really understand when that happens but you lock up and then it doesn’t stop after that. You’re just praying that doesn’t happen.

Q: (Oliver Brown – The Telegraph) Lewis, I was interested in your answer a couple of moments ago about Esteban’s situation. F1 seems to have got in this situation where perhaps further down the grid things are being governed more by money rather than merit. I just wondered if you had any further thoughts about how that situation has arisen and what the sport can do about it?

LH: I’ve not put a lot of thought into what the sport can do about it. The best drivers need to be in the best car. You can’t let somebody who’s got more money leapfrog a better driver. It shouldn’t happen. I think the governing body definitely has to somehow… and it starts from the low classes all the way up through Formula Four, Formula Three, Formula Two. Obviously there’s no space in my team, there’s no space in his (Vettel’s) team, there was a space in Red Bull. Then has to be some sort of a shoot-out of some sort maybe. I don’t know what his options are. In some ways, I wish I was managing you and maybe I would be able to help.

EO: Maybe we can speak later.

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – Associated Press) To follow up on that Esteban, how much does it mean to you to have such loyal support from both Lewis and Sebastian, and also how annoying is this for you, this situation?

EO: Yeah, for sure, it’s awesome to hear that. I’m very happy to hear that. Of course, I want to be racing next year and I’m doing everything for it, I’m working very hard every day for it and to hear great things from those two champions is fantastic. I will see what the future is going to bring. I’m managed by Mercedes and they have been taking great decisions for me in the past so I’m sure it will be the same again for me in the future, hopefully, and I will be sorted out.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriera della Sera) Lewis, in the dry, Ferrari was very strong. Do you feel they can be favourite if it is dry?

LH: They were favourite today and they will be favourite tomorrow. That doesn’t necessarily say that they are going to win. They’ve been favourite for quite a few races now and we’ve managed to somehow turn that on its head and come out ahead. Tomorrow’s going to be a very tough race. Sebastian’s long run blitzed everyone’s yesterday so I don’t know if I will be able to create the pace that I will be able to build a gap but tomorrow I will find out and I will give it everything I’ve got. It’s always a tough race down to turn five here at the start and so… and these guys are obviously incredibly quick on the straights. We will see.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) Lewis, a personal question: you were pole in the wet, pole in the dry, street circuit, high speed circuit, no mistakes, you win starting from pole, starting from the back. You’ve already won the World Championship four times but from outside you never drove so perfectly as this season. What is the reason, are there any particularly reasons for that? Can maturity explain that?

LH: Well, I definitely don’t think I’ve driven perfectly this year but I think our goal as drivers and athletes is to try to… there are so many elements that you have to try and perfect and I’m trying to work on all of those. It’s how you manage your time away from the track…

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) For example?

LH: What are the elements? Well, it can be how you engage with your team, it could be how you strategise your time away from work, how you switch off, how you switch on, how do you train, how do you grind yourself down, how much do… when it comes to driving, how do you improve practice, how do you improve consistency, how do you reduce risks, mistakes, how do you encourage your team to push to the limit and build you a reliable car? It’s not a case of them just doing it, you have to do it as a team. So there are so many elements and naturally with experience that helps but you have to keep working because you’ve got youngsters coming along who have the new fresh motivation so finding also the motivation to replace that. It does help when you get to fight great drivers like Sebastian and you have this kind of battle because it requires you to have to dip into the unknown and really raise the bar beyond what you thought you could raise it to and I think that’s the challenge that all of us have and that is what me and Sebastian are having this year which is exciting.

Q: (Bart Van Dooijeweert - NU.nl) To all of you: it will be the coldest Grand Prix of the year, temperature around 15 degrees. How will it influence the race and tyre strategy?

SV: Well, it’s a bit easier, it doesn’t get so hot in the cockpit but it’s still summer. I don’t know the weather forecast for tomorrow but what I heard it should be dry but then it’s Spa so anything can happen, a bit like Nurburgring, it’s not far from here. No, it doesn’t change much. As I say, it’s probably a bit nicer. It’s difficult to tell how it would this weekend with 30/35 degrees because we didn’t have it. I think it’s been like this the whole weekend.

EO: It’s the same for everyone so we have to deal with the cold conditions. Last time we had conditions that cold was winter test and it was not easy, so we will see. It’s never an easy race anyway.

LH: I think it might be better for blistering so it might be better for all of us. The hotter it gets, the more likely these tyres blister. The actual better tyres, which they’re not using currently, is the tyre with the thinner tread in terms of blistering, so cooler makes that a bit better.