TRACK WALK: 2019 SABAT World Rallycross of South Africa.

The 2019 SABAT World Rallycross of South Africa gets underway tomorrow at the Killarney International Raceway, with 16 of the best World Rallycross drivers and 13 RX2 International series stars of the future. 

A new FIA World Rallycross and RX2 Champion will be crowned in Cape Town this weekend

So, let's take a walk around the 1.067 KM circuit, which consists of 60% asphalt and 40% dirt. 

The staging area before heading to the grid. 

Once the drivers have cleaned up their tyres... they line-up in their grid slots. 

GRID BOX sensor.

POLE POSITION.

A long run to Turn One.

Drivers have now reached the sweeping Turn One.

Turn 1 continues for a while before a tight Turn 2 and 3.

Sharp kerbs and a tight line is taken into Turn 2 to open up Turn 3.

Turn 3 before the jump. 

The Cape Town jump.

Following the jump... there is another straight dipping into another tight set of corners.

Another tight set of corners and we are certain that the tyre barrier will not be orange after the race weekend.

The tight sharp kerb'ed corner before the joker/standard lap.

A decision to take... standard gravel lap or the long tarmac joker lap.

We have taken the joker lap and there is a new patch of asphalt on the joker lap. A touch bumpy.

While you are running on the inside... your competitors might opt for a different strategy and take the standard lap.

At the orange tyre wall turn right.

The joker lap continues with the merge fast approaching.

The Joker vs. Standard lap merge.

After the merge... they will run onto dirt before the final corners.

Its best to keep to the right on approach to the next tyre barrier.

Keep it close to the barrier as you aim for the yellow track markers.

One final burst of speed.

AND... across the line for a lap around the Killarney International Raceway (RX track).

Xite Racing faces unforeseen set back ahead of World RX season finale.

Xite Racing faced an unforeseen situation when they unpacked the Mini SX1 Supercar to find saltwater in the shipping container. 

The real extent of the damage was only discovered once the car was removed from the shipping container earlier this week, and after hours of labor, the team were able to repair and replace all the affected components. 

“The silica gel bags that we use in the containers to protect the car from humidity were all soaked. They were all dripping wet,” said Kevin Spencer, Xite Racing.

“Water got inside the car and into the engine bay. It meant that we had to take out the ignition coils and replace them. We changed the transponder, alternator and many other components as well.”

“We had to remove the seats and all of the internal stuff and put it back in again and dry it. So, it was disappointing really.”

After learning about the seatback, the other teams agreed that Xite Racing can do two shakedown laps (today) in order to rectify any other technical issues that may not have been found. 

“The car is running again. The other teams have agreed that we can do two shakedown laps today, and nobody has objected because they know that we have had a technical problem," Spencer added. "It doesn’t give us an advantage but it gives us an opportunity to rectify any faults because we need to run at speed in order to check if the ignition is going to work properly.”

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"We need to put it all on the line in Cape Town" - Andreas Bakkerud.

Three drivers have a chance to claim the FIA World Rallycross Championship crown in 2019, and Andreas Bakkerud is one of them. 


The Monster Energy RX Cartel team principal and driver Andreas Bakkerud has had a lot on his plate to contend with this season, including the dramatic season opener in Abu Dhabi that cost him over 60,000 euros worth of damage after colliding with Timmy Hansen in Q3. But despite that setback, the Norwegian fought back and claimed victory in Canada.

The pressure is certainly on, but the ice-cool Norweigan sees the title showdown at the Killarney International Raceway like any other race weekend. 

"I think it's just like every other race weekend, you need to go in there and perform," he said. "You need to do your best and not have any thoughts of anything else. That is the hardest part sometimes."

"You need four good starts in all the qualifying sessions, you need two good starts in the semi-final and the final. And you need "four times, four laps" in qualifying and "two times, six laps" without any mistakes."

While quietly confident, Bakkerud is aware of the challenges he faces at the Killarney, because recent history has shown that the Peugeots have strong pace around the Cape Town circuit, and he hopes that the changes they have made to his Audi S1 Quattro will aid in beating the Hansen brothers. 

"We’ve seen that the Peugeots have been very fast at Killarney the last couple of years, but we’ve made some changes to the car and hopefully we can give them a good run for their money," he said. "If I get good starts and limit my mistakes, I’ll be in good shape to win."

“For sure, the Hansens will both be fighting at the front. As for us, Liam (Doran) will be on my side. We are racing as a team and we win and lose together. It’s an important race for both of us. The Monster Energy RX Cartel needs a good end to the season.

"It's going to be an interesting and exciting race weekend and we need to put everything on the line."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Liam Doran will "do everything to help" Bakkerud's title bid.

Monster Energy RX Cartel's Liam Doran heads to Cape Town with one target in mind, and that is to help teammate Andreas Bakkerud claim the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

Doran joined forces with Bakkerud for the 2019 season having competed for Guerlain Chicherit's GCK squad in 2018. While Bakkerud got off to a slow start having been disqualified from the Abu Dhabi season opener, the Brit claimed his best result of the season, a third-place finish.

The British bomb's aggressive driving style has not paid off for him this season, but it could be a matter of gelling with the Audi S1 Quattro. It's quite evident that despite Doran's performance this season, the RX Cartel team have been improving over the course of the season. 

"We have worked really hard as a team this year to get Andreas there again [top of standings], and I would like to be there too, but I can't," said Doran.

Trialing his teammate by 73 points and not in contention for the World RX title, Doran aims to do everything he can to help Andreas Bakkerud claim the title. 

"These three [Andreas, Timmy and Kevin] are racing for themselves - they have to, and I am not. So, I can really do whatever I need to do to make it work [for Bakkerud]," he said. "I have a lot of pressure on me because I think if I can't perform he is going to struggle a little bit. We have a team and they work really well together and I have to perform really well this weekend to help out."

"We want this more than anyone else, and they also want it more than anyone else. He's definitely capable of doing it and I am capable of performing at his level. It's on!"

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"I have a goal, its going flat out!" - Kevin Hansen.

Team Hansen MJP's Kevin Hansen aims to go flat out in pursuit of the FIA World Rallycross Championship title at the Killarney International Raceway this weekend. 

It's all to play for with 30 points available at the season finale. Kevin Hansen is eight points behind the championship leader (and his brother) and a mere seven points behind Monster Energy RX Cartel rival Andreas Bakkerud. 

Kevin arrives in Cape Town having claimed the Titans RX and Nitro RX championships, and adding the FIA World RX championship would be another feather in his cap. 

"It's a really easy situation for me. I'm third, I have no pressure from behind, I have a goal ahead, so it's just a case of going flat out!" Hansen said. "We have done good preparation and we are ready for battle."

"I think it's nice to be a bit behind, and I will do what I need to do! I have been in plenty of championship battles before, so it's nothing new for me. I am a few points behind which puts me on the back foot, but I am sure that I will have plenty of good opportunities."

The path to the FIA World Rallycross Championship was filled with hurdles in 2018 after Peugeot withdrew from the championship, which left the Hansen brothers without seats for the 2019 season. It looked likely that the Hansens would not be competing in rallycross at all, but after weeks of hard work the team secured an entry into the World RX championship and the rest is history. 

Team Hansen MJP needs to score eight points this weekend to claim the teams’ title irrespective of what championship rivals GRX Taneco achieve.

"It was a lot of hard work to get here and compete this year, so it feels amazing to have made it here and be so close to the teams' championship title," he said. "I believe we will secure the teams' title this year, we are only a few points away, and it will be incredible if it does happen." 

"But it was already a win just to be there at the start line in Abu Dhabi. That spirit has been our key to being successful this year, so to be part of the team and put this run together with everyone is such an amazing feeling."

"It's going to be an amazing feeling, hopefully after the qualifying sessions are over, to have secured one championship and then just a few hours later we can secure the next one as well!"

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"Whoever wins will be a deserving champion!" - Timmy Hansen.

After nine grueling rounds all across the globe, everything comes down to this: the FIA World Rallycross Championship title decider at Killarney International Raceway in South Africa.

For the first time in history, the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be decided at the season finale. And, guess what? There are three in line for the ultimate crown in motorsport - Timmy Hansen, Andreas Bakkerud and Kevin Hansen. 

From hunter to hunted, Timmy leads the championship by a single point from Andreas Bakkerud, while younger Hansen brother, Kevin is still in contention but eight points behind.  

"It's the last race of the season, it's been a hectic year, and I want to enjoy this last race, enjoy being in the car again for the last time this year and no matter how it goes, we have a lot to celebrate on Sunday evening," Hansen said. "It's been a fantastic year so far and hopefully, we can end it with a good result."

It hasn't been the easiest year for the Hansen family after just about securing an entry to the FIA World Rallycross Championship following Peugeot's withdrawal from the championship in 2018. The team dug deep and partnered with Max J. Pucher [MJP Racing] and secured their future in the premiere class. In addition to the World RX championship, Team Hansen MJP entered the Titans RX European and Nitro Rallycross Championships, and they won both championships. 

"I'm proud of what we have done this year as a family and as a team, to achieve all these great results that we've already scored. It's been super enjoyable: we've done more races this year than any other year with Titans RX and Nitro RX, and we've been more successful than any other year," he added. "So far me and Kevin has scored half the wins in World RX, five in total, plus Kevin won Nitro RX and Titans RX, with a 1-2 in Titans."

"It's been by far the most successful year in our history, so if we could win the world championship as well, it would be the perfect end to the season."

"Whoever wins will be a deserving champion!"

Written By - Junaid Samodien

World RX title fight set for thrilling finale in Cape Town as three drivers battle for glory.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship title fight is poised to be a thrilling encounter, as Swedish brothers Timmy and Kevin Hansen and Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud vie for the World RX glory in Cape Town. 

Heading into the season finale, Timmy Hansen leads the drivers' championship by a single point ahead of Andreas Bakkerud, while Kevin Hansen is eight points behind Timmy with a maximum of 30 points on the table. 

So, who are the three World RX championship contenders, and what must they do to take the crown on Sunday? 

The championship leader Timmy Hansen began his motorsport career in circuit racing before moving over to rallycross in 2012. After finishing third overall in the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship, Timmy moved over to the FIA World Rallycross Championship and claimed his maiden World RX victory in 2015.  

Andreas Bakkerud, second in the championship started karting at the age of 8 before switching to rallycross. He finished runner-up in the 2009 Norwegian RX championship before stepping up to the Super1600 European Championship in 2010 and went on to secure back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. The Norwegian graduated to the European Rallycross Championship in 2013. In 2014, he joined the FIA World Rallycross Championship and has remained in the premier class ever since. 

Third, in the title race, Kevin Hansen, younger brother of Timmy, started his career in karting in 2005 before becoming World Champion in ROK Junior in 2010. Kevin won the JRX Series in 2012 as well as Junior Championships in Britain and Sweden before stepping up to RX2 in 2014. In 2015, he won the RX2 title and stepped up to Supercars in 2016. 

These three title rivals and the rest of the World Rallycross field will line up for four action-packed qualifying heats on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Each crucial heat sees five cars starting alongside one another and racing to determine the twelve semi-finalists through a series of four-lap races. Sixteen points are awarded to the top-qualifier with 1 point for a 16th place finish. 

The two Semi-Finals will see six cars in a two-by-two grid formation and race for six laps, with the top three from each of those races going through to a similar six car, six lap final.

In the Semi-Finals, six points is awarded to the winner with 1 point for sixth place, while the final is a bit different. Eight points is awarded to the winner, 5 points for second with 1 point for sixth place.

Get those calculators out.... Every point will count!

The pressure is on: Who will be crowned the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion?

Written By - Junaid Samodien

GRX Taneco all-in for victory at World RX of SA.

The 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship comes to an end this weekend at the  Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town, and GRX Taneco are heading to the season finale with one target in mind "winning".

GRX Taneco is currently placed second in the Teams' Standings, while Niclas Grönholm in fourth and Timur Timerzyanov sixth in the drivers' championship. 

Its a story of what could have been had Grönholm not missed two championship rounds earlier this season. Upon his return from appendicitis surgery, the Finn claimed the Norwegian event win after Anton Marklund was disqualified for a technical infringement.

Last time out in Latvia, he claimed a strong second-place finish behind championship leader Timmy Hansen. This weekend, however, Niclas has one target and that is to win. 

"It’s been a long break since Latvia and I can’t wait to race in South Africa," the Finn said. "Sure, it’s a bit sad that I don’t have so much at stake in this race, but on the other hand I want to end the season on a high and win the race, so I will go All-in."

The 2019 Hyundai i20 Supercar powered their drivers to 7 podium finishes and 2 event wins. 

"It has been a very strong season for us, with my first World RX win at SPA and always fighting for the Top positions," said Timur Timerzyanov.

GRX Taneco did not have an easy run at the 2018 World RX of South Africa failing to crack the top 10, but in 2019 they have been among the strongest teams on the grid. 

The Killarney International Raceway (rallycross track) is 1,067 km in length and has a 60%/40% split between tarmac and gravel sections.

"Cape Town is quite interesting track and we have seen some memorable moments there in the past, and I hope for a good show this year – hopefully we get to play the lead part in the race results," Timerzyanov adds.

Jussi Pinomäki, GRX Team Manager believes that his team can give the top teams a good run for their money in Cape Town. 

"Even though we are not in the Driver’s Title fight anymore, we will give those guys a run for their money and I am confident that our drivers, our cars and crew will perform at the highest," he said. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Volkswagen Motorsport retires Beetle from Rallycross.

After five years Volkswagen Motorsport has confirmed that it will be retiring the Volkswagen Beetle R from the Americas Rallycross scene. 

The popular VW Beetle R has been one the most successful rallycross cars of its era, winning 29 of the 52 races entered across Global Rallycross, X Games, Americas Rallycross, and Nitro Rallycross. 

The Beetle's success story started in 2015 when Scott Speed claimed the GRC drivers' championship. In 2016 and 2017, he repeated that feat, with Foust finishing runner-up and the Manufacturer title going to Volkswagen in both years. Speed also claimed a prestigious victory in the Rallycross competition at the X Games in Austin (Texas).

After GRC folded in 2018, American Rallycross took its place and the Beetle continued its dominant run with Scott Speed claiming his fourth championship and Tanner Foust finishing in second. 

In 2019, Tanner Foust fended off the Subaru Motorsport and claimed the ARX title, bringing a fitting end to the success story of the VW Beetle R Supercar. 

Five drivers' titles were won in a row and two Manufacturer championships.

"Adapting such a loveable car as the Beetle for the contact sport that is Rallycross was by no means an everyday task for us," says Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

"With four-wheel drive and 560 PS under the bonnet, the Beetle raced its way into the history books of US motorsport. Congratulations to the Volkswagen Andretti Motorsport team, which was virtually unbeatable with the Beetle for five years."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

The Hansen brothers join forces with Team Färén for 2020 RX2 Entry.

The Hansen brothers will take their #YellowSquad development programme to the next level in 2020, by entering their team into the RX2 International Series. 

In February this year, Kevin and Timmy Hansen formed the #YellowSquad with the aim of discovering the next generation of rallycross stars. The RX2 project will be the second stage of their driver development programme.

The Hansen brothers formed a partnership with former RX driver Eric Färén and his Team Färén, who will oversee the operational element of the #YellowSquad team.

Team Färén has managed RX2 event winners in the past and will add the experience of Kevin and Timmy to present a complete package for young drivers to succeed and be prepared for their next steps towards World Rallycross.

"Part of what makes #YellowSquad so important to us is the fact we are investing so much towards getting young drivers into rallycross, which this expansion will allow us to do," said Team Principal Kevin Hansen. "Everyone in the Hansen family loves rallycross, so to be able to create a ladder for drivers to move up into RX2 and then Supercars – whether this is in World RX or Euro RX, or even Titans RX – makes us really proud."

#YellowSquad will provide valuable assistance to the team's young drivers, covering everything from driving development, physical training, working with partners and the media as well as fine-tuning the skills needed to win races and championships.

"In my career I was lucky to grow up in a family that lives and breathes rallycross, and in my parents Kenneth and Susann, I had two great teachers! But not everyone has a multiple rallycross champion in the family, so I was keen to work with Kevin in finding and developing the next generation of rallycross talent ourselves, using all the lessons I have learned from my years in European and World RX," said Timmy Hansen, Head of Driver Development. 

"There are so many elements that go into being a great rallycross driver beyond what happens in the driver’s seat, and I will be working with the #YellowSquad drivers as much away from the car as in it."

The #YellowSquad Team Manager Eric Färén believes that the Hansen brothers' expertise will help younger brothers in the RX2 series. 

"Like Kevin and Timmy have said, their expertise is helping the drivers and that will be their focus, while I take care of the operations of the team. By focusing on the areas we are each best at, we have a better package for everyone next year," said Eric Färén. "RX2 for me is the best place for drivers to start: the cars are all the same and I would say 90% of the result is down to the driver, so it’s easy to see who the best driver is."

"RX2 cars are built so that you learn all you need to be good in a Supercar, so that’s why you need to have a good team, to understand the setup and to have a good car," he adds. "A lot of World RX drivers have come from RX2 and I feel like it’s the last step before a driver is ready for World RX, so it fits perfectly into #YellowSquad’s development ladder."

The final stage of #YellowSquad's 2020 expansion will be announced at a later date.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

WP Rallycross joins the bill for World RX showdown in Cape Town.

PHOTO CREDIT: Motorsport Media

The increasingly popular WP Rallycross class joins the 2019 SABAT World Rallycross of South Africa support bill.

The local rallycross scene has been growing over the past year and this weekend fans will get to see the two-liter front-wheel-drive class go head-to-head, as well as the E36 Cup for 3-liter rear-wheel-drive BMW 3 Series treating fans to thrilling sideways action.

The E36 cup should be spectacular with a high-quality field set to deliver robust, hard-fought antics as drivers toss their BMW's sideways through every bend. Pedalled by Killarney stalwarts the likes of Zack Groenewald, GTi champions Marco Busi and veteran Peet van der Walt and tuning wizard Robby Ferroli; Glen Phillips, Riaan Smit, Ryan Kat, Jason Kriel and Jacques Victor, expect local rallycross action of the highest order among that rear-drive gang. 

And while those sideways sixes will deliver action-packed racing at its best, expect the front-drive brigade to deliver point-perfect driving as the likes of Steve Humble and his quick Kadett fights off the likes of Shawn Cope’s Volkswagen Golf stockie, Sean Kriel in a Daihatsu-engined pipe car and a gang of Golfs, Opels and Toyotas in chase.

The local rallycross classes will race two four-lap five-car qualifying races each on Saturday and another on Sunday morning, with the top six going through to a six-lap final in front of thousands of fans on Sunday afternoon. 

RX2 title showdown set for Cape Town.

For the second consecutive season, Cape Town will play host to the title-decider in the RX2 International Series, as Olsbergs MSE team-mates Oliver Eriksson and Jesse Kallio will go head-to-head for the coveted crown at the Killarney International Raceway.

This time last year, Eriksson lifted the crown in South Africa following a season-long duel with team-mate Guillaume De Ridder.

Twelve months on, Eriksson returns to the ‘Mother City’ once again firmly in contention for championship glory, holding a 21-point advantage over rookie team-mate Kallio in the overall standings, with 30 points up for grabs. That means Eriksson could theoretically wrap it all up as early as the qualifying stages – but in rallycross, it is always wise to expect the unexpected...

“It’s cool to be back in Cape Town to fight for the RX2 title for the second year in a row,” said Eriksson. “It’s been a tough but very rewarding season so far – I’ve had two very quick new team-mates to keep me on my toes and we’ve achieved some great results, particularly the four back-to-back wins earlier in the year.

“I’ve got a decent margin in the points, but rallycross is nothing if not unpredictable and in this sport, you can never take anything for granted – like last year in South Africa, when an electrical problem put me out from the lead in the final. Hopefully we will have a cleaner weekend this time around, and I can promise you we’ll keep on pushing right the way to the last chequered flag!”

Former Super1600 star Jesse Kallio has turned heads throughout 2019, with rostrum finishes in each of the opening five rounds and coming within a whisker of claiming his maiden RX2 Series win at Spa-Francorchamps back in May. The Finn might be the underdog this weekend, but he has promised to put up a stern fight.

“I can’t wait to take to the track at Killarney!”, said Kallio. “It’s my first time in South Africa, and it’s a fantastic place to finish what for me has been a real whirlwind of a first season in RX2. I’ve learned so much and had a lot of fun along the way, and to take five podiums straight off the bat was far more than I could have expected – particularly given how competitive the field is.

“The most recent round in France was actually the only time I’ve not been on the podium this year, so I’m doubly fired-up to get back up there and spray some champagne next weekend. The title might be a tall order given the points situation, but giving up is not in my nature and I am fully focussed on signing off the season with the only result I’ve not achieved in RX2 so far – victory.”

It is not just the championship showdown that will grab the attention, either, with battles to be fought and scores to be settled right the way down the order. JC Raceteknik’s Ben-Philip Gundersen leaped ahead of OMSE rival Fraser McConnell into third in the classification courtesy of his second win of the season at Lohéac last time out. 

Elsewhere in the 13-strong field, SET Promotion’s Sami-Matti Trogen is another ‘Flying Finn’ well capable of springing a surprise. Sports Racing Technologies star Vasiliy Gryazin is a consistent contender and regular podium threat, while Linus Östlund arrives fresh off the back of clinching the championship runner-up spoils in RallyX Nordic. 

Fellow speedy Scandinavians Simon Olofsson and Anders Michalak, 2018 EuroRX TouringCar champion Steve Volders, Sweden’s Niklas Aneklev, former X Games snowmobiling gold medallist Petter Nårsa and America’s Lane Vacala – both of whom made consistent improvements on their series debut in France – complete the entry list.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

FIA World Rallycross parade at the V&A Waterfront

PHOTO CREDIT: Motorsport Media.

South African motorsport fans will have the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with true titans of motorsport at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday [7 November] at 12:00. 

The most exciting weekend on Cape Town's motorsport calendar shifts gear with the World Rallycross Parade, where race fans are free to mingle with the championship contenders and their cars in anticipation of a seismic weekend of the FIA World Rallycross Championship action at the Killarney International Raceway this Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November.

Thursday will see a convoy of 400kW World Rallycross Supercars that normally accelerate to 100km/h in under two seconds, setting off at walking pace from behind the Table Bay Hotel, through the streets of the Waterfront before assembling at the Amphitheatre by the Big Wheel.

There you will have the unique opportunity to meet, mingle, chat and take a selfie of a lifetime with title fighters, the Hansen brothers Timmy and Kevin, and Andreas Bakkerud; his teammate Liam Doran and Oliver Bennett and Janis Baumanis.

The parade should prove a hoot too — those evil-tempered World Rallycross Supercars do not run very well at all at low revs, while their severely race-limited steering lock will make the drivers sweat for all the wrong reasons to make it among the more interesting parades you've ever witnessed. They clearly won't be doing much waving until they get to the Amphitheatre!

With the parade done and dusted, it will be back to Killarney International Raceway to start preparing the weekend's real action as Timmy Hansen starts the weekend with a single point lead over Andreas Bakkerud, with younger brother Kevin also in with a real shout of the title, just eight points adrift.

So, take this awesome opportunity to meet the men and machines on Thursday and make sure you book your tickets well in advance to witness one of the biggest racing attractions ever to hit the Cape as South Africa’s only FIA World Championship motorsport event goes down at Killarney International Raceway this weekend!

Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za 

FIA Post-Qualifying Press Conference: 2019 United States GP.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA.com

DRIVERS
1 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes)
2 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
3 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Paul Di Resta)

Q: Valtteri, congratulations, man. That’s got the team worked up, to get a pole position today. It looked a bit unexpected yesterday but you’re starting on the front row.

Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, really happy about that. It was a nice lap in the beginning of Q3. You rarely get those kind of laps and on a track like this it’s a good feeling. Yesterday was tricky, there were many things not quite right with my car but we managed to find all the reasons and we did good work this morning with finding all the details and I could just find the places I needed to really focus on and, yeah, I knew how to put it together, but to put it together, it was a nice feeling to actually do it in Q3.

Q: you nailed the first lap in Q3, conditions looked like they got worse. Was it very tricky at the end?

VB: The last run there was a bit less grip overall. Sector 1 I was already losing one or two tenths. I’m glad no-one could improve at the end and I couldn’t either, so happy days.

Q: I’m going to take a bit of credit for buying you that coffee this morning. You owe me one, but congratulations, well done. Sebastian, lining up on the front row, it’s a long run up that hill. How are you feeling?

Sebastian VETTEL: I think it looks a shorter distance on the inside, no? I guess that’s what I have to say, being second. No, congrats to Valtteri, obviously it was very exciting because we were all so close. I thought I had a little bit more. I left some in the high speed for the last run, but in my final run when I got there I was already a little bit down. I had two decent laps. There was always… one hundredths, you know, there is always somewhere. But overall, happy, let’s see for tomorrow. Hoping for a good start and then for a good race.

Q: I guess the main thing for you guys and the advantage comes down to the first lap and you’ll try to use that extra speed you’ve got on the straight?

SV: Yeah, it’s not that long and part of it is uphill, but we will see. I hope to have a good start off the line, which will be crucial, and then we will see where it takes. Obviously all of us are on the medium tyre, so nobody has an advantage there and then, yeah, it’s a long race. We will have a busy race tomorrow. The first lap for sure is important but there is a lot of racing after that.

Q: Max, P3, I know you’re not going to be happy with that but further up and it puts you in the fight.

Max VERSTAPPEN: Absolutely. I think for us on this track to be that competitive was a very good result. Qualifying was just very tight.

Q: And I guess the race… you looked very strong yesterday. Are you going to be in this fight all the way and pushing?

MV: Let’s see. Normally we are quite good in the race and also now this time, even compared to last year, we were much more competitive in qualifying. Of course that gives us a lot more hope for tomorrow, so let’s see what’s going to happen.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Many congratulations Valtteri. Fifth in Q1, sixth in Q2 and then that brilliant pole lap in Q3.

VB: Thank you. Yeah, it definitely felt good putting that lap together in the beginning of Q3. After yesterday it was not an easy day to approach as I had a difficult day yesterday. Luckily, we found many things ion the car that were no quite right and also the set-up direction we changed completely and it felt a lot better this morning. Then I was just focusing on the things that matter and the places I needed to improve. So I had a very clear vision in my mind of how to do it but it was then down to actually doing it and it felt good to have that lap in Q3. Even though Q1 and Q2 were a bit off I knew it was somewhere there and I managed to find it.

Q: Now, let’s look ahead to tomorrow. You have to win this race to keep the championship alive. Are you happy with you car’s long-run pace?

VB: I think as we have seen recently, normally on Sundays we are competitive. So, it’s obviously very good starting from pole here. Some corners are quite to follow for the cars behind. I believe we have the pace for that and that’s going to be the only thing in my mind for tomorrow. Now, you know, only a very, very small part of the weekend is done. The big part that matters is tomorrow and I need to focus on that.

Q: Many congratulations Valtteri. Forty-three per cent of the races here have been won from pole. Sebastian, your 100th career front-row start. How satisfying is that?

SV: Gosh, I’m getting old. Obviously it was a very nice session, it was really fun to drive the car thus afternoon, but if you are so close to pole and just on the wrong side of it then I guess Valtteri had a bit more fun. It was OK. I don’t know, what was the gap? It was very small, like one or two hundredths. So that is always there. I had a very good first lap and I had some margin maybe in the last sector where I was maybe taking it a little but too conservative, making sure that I finished the lap, set the lap first and then improve on the second lap. Unfortunately, I didn’t improve, so my plan didn’t quite work. Overall, it was good. I think we will have a strong race tomorrow. The car felt a lot better today than yesterday, which is also what we needed, so let’s see what happens tomorrow.

Q: What are the tactics on your way to Turn 1 tomorrow. Do you think the man next to you might be a little bit tentative because of the championship? Are you hoping that’s the case anyway?

SV: I don’t know, I’ll just pass him and then we’ll see what happens! If he’s thinking about it then I have a good chance. We’ll see. Obviously it’s a long race. The first lap is important but we have a lot of laps after that. But if I can pass him, I pass him.

Q: Max, you were the only one in the top three to improve on your final lap in Q3. You actually said over the radio that you might have gone a little bit too early on that final lap. Do you think it cost you any time?

MV: No, I just questioned if we were going a bit early but they just said we were ahead of the train compared to the Ferrari and Mercedes cars, so that was it.

Q: And just tell us about that second lap. It is so close between the three of you. Have you been able to pinpoint where the time is, where you might have been able to get pole position?

MV: Well, I think in general Q3 was a bit more of a difficult session than Q2, for example, where I found the grip was maybe not the same – but of course that’s the same for everyone. It was just a bit harder to get your lap out and yeah, in general it was just very positive for us in qualifying to be that close. Compared to last year we made a really big step forward and, anyway, now the last two races, I think, we have been a lot more competitive. So that is very positive. I think we are definitely improving and learning, and also looking ahead for next year, I think we are definitely going in the right direction. And yeah, in general very pleased. I think the whole weekend, we had quite a smooth weekend. I didn't really have a lot of trouble with the set-up or whatever. So, to be here in the top three, of course I would have liked to sit in the middle bit still, I think it’s been very positive.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Christian Menath – motorsport-magazin.com) Question for you Max, could you please talk us through the situation, I think in Q2, Q3 with Lewis? It was a pretty close one.

MV: Yep. So, we were all lining up to do our lap, or to get to the last corner, and I think it was Seb, the first Ferrari, then Charles and then I had Dany in front of me and we were all just slowing down to make space, and Lewis just drove by like nobody was there and didn’t care. So I was like: well, if you don’t care, I don't’ care. So, I want to get my position back. I mean, everybody’s just respecting each other at that point, just to start the lap. That’s why it was such a close call.

Q: (Abhishek Aggarwal – Indiainf1.com) Question to all the drivers. So, in the first three practice sessions we heard from all the drivers the track was a bit bumpy. We see lock-ups and cars being spun. So, in the race tomorrow how important is the tyre management, and have you thought about any other strategy to preserve tyres? What are your thoughts about that?

VB: I think with the bumps here, just the main place where it can really affect your race, if you have big lock-ups into Turn One under braking. Those are quite big bumps – but normally, even though, if you lock the wheels, you can recover. So, I don’t think it’s going to make like a massive difference. Every track, there’s tricky points, tricky places that you can really damage the tyres and, obviously, coming into the weekend and in the weekend we’ve done all the analysis already for the long runs in terms of, in theory, where are the best places to preserve the tyres, and where to be slightly cautious at times, when you can, and so on. So business as usual, I would say.

Q: Sebastian, how much worse are the bumps this year, compared to last year?

SV: A lot worse! I think the ground is the problem here, it moves, for some reasons. I don’t know what they installed under the track when they were laying the track but yeah, I think they are aware. I mean, they tried everything. They brought some people out last night to grind parts of the track again to try and make it better for us – but now there’s not so much you can do. We’ll see, as Valtteri said, it’s not going to change the world upside down tomorrow in the race. I think it’s more an issue for quali where you’re really pushing to the ultimate limit and, you go also significantly faster. So, I guess tomorrow should be fine – but for sure it will be a bumpy race. I hope all three of us do well tomorrow but I think the last thing we need is somebody tapping our shoulders after all the tapping we get through the corners around the track. So, yeah, we’ll see what happens.

And Max, your thoughts.
MV: Yeah, not much more to add, is there? I can say the same, but…

Q: (Lennart Wermke – Bild) Seb, question for you. Frankfurt beat Bayern Munich 5-1 today in the Bundesliga, I feel that’s quite an emotional result for you, what’s your opinion on that game and do you feel for Niko Kovač who’s very much under pressure as a Bayern Munich coach?

SV: We are playing football or we are racing here? Is it that boring to watch? You have no question about what we actually do? I think there’s rain forecast in China tomorrow. Do you want me to comment on that?

VB: I heard it’s snowing in Finland…

SV: I’m a big Frankfurt fan but, to be honest, I didn't know. I found out just before qualifying, so obviously by then the game was done. I think it’s a good result for my team and Niko Kovač has been part of Frankfurt for a while, so of course I feel for him – but I hope he finds back the success very soon.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) Question to Seb and to Max. The run to the first corner is pretty short, but it’s uphill. Does that improve the chances to overtake compared to the same distance but flat?

SV: Well, they say we have more power so probably it helps if it’s uphill, because you need more power but, yeah, it’s not an awful long way. We will all try to have a good start and then you go from there. That’s the main target. I think the uphill bit doesn’t change so much. It’s trickier here for braking, so I think we need to be watching out but other than that…

Q: Max, you’ll be on the cleaner side of the grid…

MV: yeah, I think it’s more than that the track is very wide, so you can of course do a lot of different lines, compared to some other tracks where it’s just very narrow. I think the uphill bit… it’s that short and, of course, power matters a bit, like Seb said, but not enough, I guess, to make a big difference.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action / Speed Sport) For all three. The bumps were bad but were you ever even vaguely tempted with your engineers to do a softer suspension setting?

MV: I think you always pay attention to it but luckily in most places… it’s only really Turn One where it can influence you but, of course, if you will go a lot softer then it influences the rest of the track, so sometimes you just have to live with maybe a little bit more difficulty into Turn One.

VB: No, we didn’t really want to do that much compromise because of the bumps. The losses then, elsewhere could be quite big, so we just need to try and deal with the bumps, and we thought that’s the best way for this track, this year.

SV: No compromise, no sacrifice! Put a cushion in my seat, that’s the only thing to soften it.

Q: (Erik van Haren – De Telegraaf ) Max, are you surprised about the performance of your car, because you sound way more positive than a few weeks ago?

MV: Yeah, I think of course Mexico was very good but we also expected it to be competitive. But of course the races we had before that were not like we wanted so I was a still a bit ‘ok, let’s see if we found the performance back?’ and clearly this weekend was very positive overall so I think we can be very happy about it. Like I said before, it’s a good effort from the team as well to not give up and just keep pushing and try to find the performance back like we also had actually before the break. That’s why I guess I sound a bit more positive.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) For Seb and Max: the two of you usually like to roll out quite cool, special crash helmet designs. We’ve had a few US specials here. Last weekend in Mexico Lewis asked his fans on Instagram… to quote him he asked if he thought that the rule to only have one major design change each year was BS. I just wondered what you thought about the restriction on helmet designs and if that rule was relaxed, would you do more throughout the year?

SV: Well, I change it anyway so… I think it’s our helmet and we should be free to do what we want, so I think the rule is major BS. Yeah, I think it’s a part of… we have very little room left to sort of express ourselves and the helmet is probably the only one and if people like it, that’s great, if they don’t like it well it’s not their helmet so I think we should be in charge for designing which way and which colour our helmet has.

MV: Yup, I agree. I always loved when Seb was at Red Bull and changing his helmet every race, almost, more or less. It was cool  because you were just like ‘what is he coming up with now?’ I do a few but I’m not going to say I will do a different helmet every race because it’s just too much effort in designing the helmet but I think if you want to make it blue or red, the next race, why not? It’s your crash helmet and you should be able to do what you want and of course in the past, there have been drivers who have always had the same helmet and then they say ‘yeah, but that’s how we can distinguish the drivers’ but at the end of the day we have massive numbers on the side, we anyway have a halo on the top so let us do what we want with the helmet now. I think anyway it’s very nice to have a different design every year because it’s a bit boring always to keep the same helmet.

Q: Valtteri, do you think it’s a bit boring to keep the same helmet?
VB: I don’t know. Sometimes it’s nice to keep the same helmet but for sure sometimes it would be nice to do something special, every now and then and obviously everyone might have a special occasion, you know, whatever, or a special connection to some certain country where you want to do something special or pay a respect to someone you know or whatever. It would be nice to see a bit more freedom because like both of them have said, it’s our personal thing. We should be in control of that rather than anyone else.

Q (Lawrence Edmonson – ESPN) Valtteri, yesterday it looked like you were losing a half a second to Lewis in the middle sector alone so was there an actual problem in the car or was it a set-up thing and did you get to the bottom of it – well you obviously did get to the bottom of it but what was it?

VB: We actually found quite a few things not quite right. A little bit with the set-up, I think. I think I started to go in the wrong direction, some things on tyre pressures, temperatures and we found some reasons for quite a big straightline speed difference which made an effect on sector two so those combined, when I started today in practice three, I was like ‘wow, this is a different car, it feels normal’ and I was happy again. I knew, since the first run this morning that it can be a good day if we can get everything right.

Q: (Jim Vertuno – Associated Press) Valtteri, how do you think Lewis, as your team-mate, how do you think Lewis will react or respond to starting fifth? Do you think he will be aggressive tomorrow on a track where he’s had so much success or do you think he will be patient and lay back with the championship on the line for him?

VB: I think it would obviously be better to ask him directly. I don’t know what his mindset is right now but from what I know of him, he’s going to be there, fighting hard. For sure he also hates losing, he always wants to win like all of us and obviously he’s leading the championship with a big margin, he doesn’t need many points and I’m sure he would like to win the championship in a nice way eventually when and if it happens. But obviously I will try to delay that, I try to focus on my own race, try to focus on winning the race rather than anyone else’s opinions or mindsets.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Moto und Sport) Seb, you said the car was much improved compared to yesterday. Was it also on the longer runs, could you find out in P3?

SV: Yeah, obviously we didn’t do long runs in FP3 but I think overall the car felt better than this morning so… we changed quite a couple of things which I think helped and they will also help in the race. How the pace will be, obviously we will find out tomorrow but at this stage I’m quite confident. I think we also struggled in particular on the hard tyres so I think we just didn’t get them to work and that should not be an issue tomorrow.