Thursday 5 July 2018

2018 British GP: Drivers' Press Conference.

DRIVERS – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Charles LECLERC (Sauber)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Charles, what a season it’s turning out to be. You’ve scored in five of the last six races, Q2 in the last six races. Clearly you’ve found a sweet-spot with the car. How much confidence do you have coming into this weekend?

Charles LECLERC: Well, as I’ve said before, the confidence is not so high because I'm always looking at the negatives after each grand prix and yeah, there’s still plenty of negatives. I did some mistakes in Paul Ricard, and again in Austria but yeah, we’ve been in the points consistently, which is great. We definitely did not expect it. Q2, six times in a row now I think, which is, again, quite crazy. I expect a bit more of a difficult weekend here, especially with high speed corners but we’ll try to push and hopefully we’ll have a very positive weekend again. 

Q: You’ve told us about the negatives but let’s just reflect on the positives of the last few races. You’re clearly getting on very well with the car. Have you surprised yourself at how quickly you’ve got up to speed?

CL: To be honest I had very difficult first three weekends this season but then we really did a step in Baku with the approach of the setup especially. I was asking something completely wrong to the engineers in these first three weekends, and then it went a lot better. So, yeah, for now it is going very, very well, and we just need to keep working like that. 

Q: It’s not easy to be in a team that’s rebuilding, as is the case with Sauber, yet you seem to be dealing with it very well. How much are you enjoying that process and what are you learning?

CL: It’s great to see the hard work of the team and that it pays off on the track. It’s not like we’re having a revolutionary change  and upgrades – but any time we’ve put something on the car it went in the right direction. And yeah, we’ve seen that on track and it’s not always a given in Formula One. Sometimes you bring something and it’s not doing what it’s supposed to do on track. So, yeah, the team’s doing a great job on that, and they are giving me a car that is easy to drive also. So, everything is going good.

Q: Max, a quick moment’s reflection on four days ago, that victory for the team’s home race in Austria and those crazy scenes with those Dutch fans after the race. How do you reflect on it all, four days on?

Max VERSTAPPEN: I think it was a little bit of an unexpected victory but, of course, I think they’re very nice to take, especially after Friday and Saturday where we didn’t look fantastic. Then, going into the race, I immediately felt I had a bit better balance in the car, I could at least push it a bit more in the fast corners where we were losing out before. And then yeah, of course, the Mercedes cars in front of me, with Valtteri having a problem, disappearing and then, with the Virtual Safety Car, I think the team did a good job to anticipate that and make the pitstop. And then from there onwards it was all about tyre management and I think we were on top of that. Or course, at the end the Ferrari’s same close but we managed it well, with the whole team and yeah, of course we’re happy to win. 

Q: One of your best victories?

MV: Yeah. I keep saying that. I think they’re all nice if you win. This one was very unexpected and I think that makes it a little bit more special. 

Q: You’ve had three consecutive podiums now, you’re building some momentum – so where do you feel Red Bull Racing sit in the pecking order among those top teams?

MV: Difficult to say. I think it depends on the track. If the straights are pretty long, then we are third. If they’re not too many straights, I think we have the best chassis, so we are very competitive. But yeah, to make a win in Austria is good because normally we’d expect to lose points on the others – and we didn't, so that’s good. Let’s see what we can do here. 

Q: Let’s talk a little bit more about that. There are some long straights here at Silverstone but there are some fast corners as well. How do you see it panning out this weekend?

MV: I think the problem is that some corners now, they became flat-out and then it basically becomes a double straight, and that’s just very painful. Like Turn One, you’ve got Copse which is flat. It’s a bit of a shame for us. I’m not expecting us to be, like, super-competitive but we’ll there. More or less. So, let’s see what’s going to happen during the race. 

Q: Lewis, you’re going for record win number six here at Silverstone; your fifth in a row. You know coming into this weekend there’s going to be a huge amount of support in the grandstands for you. Can you give us your thoughts coming into your home grand prix?

Lewis HAMILTON: It’s the same as every year really: the British Grand Prix is obviously the most special, in the sense of all the races that we get to do – for me. It’s a real privilege. I was just watching some of the replays of last year, and if you look at the end, and it shows you all of the positions and obviously to see the Union Flag up there is always a great feeling. The fans here are just incredible and the weather is the best it’s ever been. We’re fighting for a World Cup, so I think it’s just a really great time for sport.

Q: Why is this race different for you?

LH: Just because of the fans. 

Q: We talked about last weekend with Max, just to reflect on your race in Austria. What follow-ups have there been in the factory? Is there anything you can tell us about why you retired – and are you confident you’re not going to have any problems this weekend?

LH: Obviously, we know it was a difficult weekend and of course we have all wished it wasn’t the way it was but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Honestly, the spirit within the team is stronger than it’s ever been. These experiences we’ve been having and how we’ve been handling them, have really united us more than any other year. There’s a great energy within team. So, while it was a painful experience, it actually brought us closer. I think it made us stronger. I think coming here there’s been some fixes already, immediately after the race, as soon as they got the car back, I think that evening there was a fix that was designed and put into test mode. So, the team was super on it and I’m confident we’ve done everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Hans Straus – Media Group Limburg) Max, how do you feel about the triple-header? Is it business  as usual or is it extra-difficult for you?

MV: It’s a little bit busier but I think as a driver, yeah, we don’t really feel the issues. I think it’s mainly just the mechanics with families and stuff. It’s getting quite busy, for them especially.

Q: (Beatrice Zamuner – Motorlat.com) Question to Charles: given the fact Sauber has been on the way up technically and also in terms of competitiveness, would you like to continue being part of this project next year?

CL: Well, it’s obviously very interesting to be part of this project, as I was saying. We are growing races after races. They are bringing packages and we keep going more and more to the front, so that’s good to see. Then yeah, we’ll have to see for next year. We’ll have to see what other opportunities I get. And then we’ll see. For now, I’m really focussing on this year. Trying to develop the car, like we did. I think we are… yeah, it’s above expectations, what we are doing for now. As a team I don’t think we thought we would develop as good as we are now. So, that’s great to see, and then we’ll see next year. 

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) Lewis, do you believe in this circuit, the new spec of your car, used first time in Austria, can appear more? It’s a more real circuit than in Spielberg?

LH: I think the two tracks actually hold some similarities in corner speed and corner pace. Like if you look at the middle and last sector of the last race, as opposed to here. But this is a more demanding circuit, particularly with the temperatures we have here. All the high-speed corners. Copse is most-likely going to be flat; Turn One is going to be flat. It’s going to be one of the hardest races on the tyres, I would imagine. But in terms of car performance, yeah, for sure, we’ll be able to extend… spread the legs of the car more here – but that’s the same for everyone. And high-speed is not really a problem in the cars for us nowadays. We’ve got these big wings, massive tyres, so it should be… it’ll be the fastest we’ve ever driver here so it’s going to be pretty good fun. 

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action & Speed Sport) Charles, as you say, the team is improving the car, bringing upgrades. How much better are you, compared to the beginning of the season? You yourself, at just getting more speed out of the car?

CL: As I said earlier. I think it’s a combination of what I was asking of the car, that was completely wrong in the first three races, and then you are in quite a negative spiral where the car is very difficult to drive, so you try to push more, and you do more errors, and everything is going quite badly. Then, when I understood which balance I wanted in this car, when I arrived in Baku and went with a much more stable balance, especially for the city track, and then we kept that for the rest of the season. And that went in a good direction, also for me, because I could push the limit. It was easier to feel the limit. And then we worked on that and it made a big step for me also because it was just easier to drive. 

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Lewis, you’ve had an up and down season so far. You’ve had some great weekends and some weekends where you have struggled a bit more. How would you describe the way it’s been for you, yourself, and do you have any indication that it might be like last year, where you developed an incredible momentum in the second half of the season, after you had spent time getting used to everything? 

LH:I think it’s impossible to say how the rest of the season is going to go. What I can say, as I said just a minute ago, from experiences like we had yesterday, the team are very, very reactive. We’re trying to be proactive, but it’s great to be able to be reactive as well. We have been making a lot of improvements in the car, my feeling for the car, my understanding – that just naturally grows for a driver throughout the year and for a team as you become more aware of the tyres, the strengths and weaknesses of the package you have. I think everyone is going to continue to shift and get a bit better, but ultimately we want to be improving faster than the others if possible. But it has been an up and down season and I can’t really explain it. Part of it is tyres, part of it is that it is a much more competitive year than last year, that we’re fighting two teams. It’s a lot closer, there is a lot more pressure on. It’s how the sport should be, in the sense that you’re squeezing more out of the cars and out of the drivers as well. I think it’s not a bad thing. 

Lewis, I asked Max to give his thoughts on the pecking order at the front of Formula 1 at the moment, what’s your take on that? 

LH: The pecking order among teams? 

Yes. 

LH: I don’t really know. [Max] what did you say? 

MV:That sometimes I guess we have a good chance and sometimes we’re still third. It depends on the track, for us at least. 

Who has the fastest car at the moment? 

LH: Like Max says, it’s up and down from track to track, but I still feel we are the best team, and I truly believe that we will remain that for the rest of the year. 

Q: (Phil Duncan - PA) Lewis, we’ve seen your Mercedes team make a few strategy mistakes this year. What do you put that down to and do you think it could end up costing you points and ultimately the title? 

LH: I think if you look at the season, it’s been like that for other teams, I think all teams. If you look at Ferrari, they’ve lost points, I’m pretty sure the Red Bulls have lost points. The amount of pressure, the amount of simulations that go on, the information… there are a lot of tough calls for each team to make. Some of them for sure are easier than others. Maybe the easier one sometimes… it could be one weekend the easier one is the wrong decision and vice versa. That’s just how it is. I hope it’s not a title decider, but, as I said, I can’t predict what’s going to happen going forwards. All I know is that we are constantly getting better and improving. What I can say is that I really do feel like I have the best strategist team behind me. I mean look at how many wins I’ve had within this team. We’ve had far, far more success than we’ve had failures and nobody is perfect. It’s just the way the sport is. There is no way to be perfect. It would probably be boring if that was the case.

Q: (Scott Mitchell - Autosport) Lewis, you talked about having fixes in place for the problems last weekend. Is there any concern at all that these reliability concerns happened on the second weekend with an upgraded engine, particularly after it had been delayed for reliability reasons in the first place? 

LH:We’re human, so naturally every single individual in the team will have that a little bit at the back of their mind, that nervousness. But as a driver, as an athlete and as a competitor I personally cannot allow that to interfere with my weekend. You go in with the same mentality as the last weekend – hoping for the car to be reliable. You can never predict what’s going to happen but that’s not getting in my way and I’m pretty certain that for the majority of people in the team they’re not letting that get in their way either.

Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Lewis, you’re one point behind Seb in the world championship. Would it be particularly satisfying if you could retake the lead in front of your home crowd? 

LH: Yes, it would be great. Just taking the lead in general, it doesn’t matter where it is, would be good. I think coming into this weekend there’s obviously talk of historic number of wins and all those kind of things. If I’m honest it’s been a really incredible journey since 2007, coming here and just to be riding this positive wave every time you come to this grand prix. I’m really grateful to be in the position to fight for a win here at Silverstone for the sixth time… not many drivers get to do that. So I’m very privileged in that respect. And the support is unlike anywhere else. No driver… you could say that Max is probably getting close, but we don’t have a Dutch Grand Prix. If we did it might get close. But the atmosphere here is just incredible throughout this weekend, particularly when the weather is good. The hope is always that you can deliver, arrive in good form and perform and that’s what I’m going to try and do. 

Q: (Rebecca Clancy – The Times) Lewis, it’s only been four days since Austria. The race wasn’t, I think it’s fair to say, wasn’t a great one for Mercedes. Is four days enough? Is the car reliable again? Have the problems been fixed? For yourself, it sounded like on the radio you were becoming increasingly frustrated. Have you moved on and you just reset and you go again for your home race? 

LH: Yeah, I felt OK after the race. I think you probably could see that after. I think ultimately I look at is as a positive. It reminds me how passionate I am. Everyone in the team felt the same thing. We really do win and lose as a team. As I said, what’s really happened over the last few days, with the team reuniting, and seeing the guys here, just how energized everyone is, we’re like ‘we’re back’. Just that confidence, that will to win is still there. There are fixes for everything and the guys have worked really hard over these past days and what’s mind-blowing for me is how quick people can react and produce things and I’m just excited to get in the car tomorrow. 

Q: (George Bolton – The Sun) Lewis, you mentioned the World Cup. Are you hoping to give more celebrations to your home nation by having a good weekend too? 

LH: Yeah, we always come into this grand prix with some kind of epic sport surrounding it, be it Wimbledon or whatever, so… I was actually going to ask what is the penalty for missing he press conference on Saturday? Is it negotiable? I want to be watching the game so… I had to watch on my phone the other day but at least I got to see it. 

Q: (Alan Baldwin  – Reuters) Lewis, there’s been an assumption that you and Valtteri are fighting a Ferrari team whose main focus is Seb. In Austria we saw Kimi finish ahead of Seb, with everyone else lapped. Were you surprised that Seb has in effect missed the chance of getting an extra three points in the battle? I know you gave a place back to Valtteri in the past, but you wouldn’t expect Ferrari to have done that.

LH: Am I surprised? There have been scenarios this year, at least one or two, where I though they would have reversed the cars, because that’s the philosophy they’ve had. If I’m really honest I’ve not really put any thought into it. I don’t really care. They do what they do. I literally put all of my focus on what we do and make sure that we remain correct and we deliver 100%. And I truly believe that if we do that we will outperform the others. So that’s what I put my energy towards.

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports News) One last one on the World Cup for you, Lewis. Is it coming home, do you think? A big psychological barrier crossed by winning a penalty shoot-out; you know how much psychology plays a part in top level sport? 

LH: I can only imagine the boys are definitely on a high at the moment, and they just need to continue to try to… I hope they’re sleeping well, I hope they’re eating well because that’s a large part of it and ultimately just going out there and they’ve got to go and enjoy themselves. There’s so much pressure on them, obviously, being that it is the World Cup but there’s so much support for them. England is just known as… they’re such excited fans. There’s so much passion in England for sport, that’s why you’ve experienced it here, you see it at the stadiums, particularly in football and even myself, watching just the other day, I don’t watch enough football. I played it as a kid and I was massively passionate as a kid and I used to collect all the stickers and stamps, magazines, books that they used to do etc and I used to remember playing with Ashley [Young] at school but just watching on the edge of your seat, the passion is crazy for everyone that’s watching their country play. It’s like it’s in your DNA, it’s crazy and it’s so exciting. I’ve booked my day off… is it next Sunday? I think it’s next Sunday. Yeah, I’ve booked that day off, like keep it free because I wanna be in Russia for that day, supporting them. 

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) The subject now is tyres: hard, medium and soft and the new kind of tyre with less rubber. Did the director of your team accept this kind of tyre, suits more Mercedes? In a circle where the track is very hard on the tyre, can you all make a comment on the high temperature they also expect here? 

CL: I think in Barcelona when we first had them then for the test after the race we tried them and for us it was definitely a good move because we had some problems with the other ones, the normal ones. I believe Pirelli knows what they are doing and if they put these tyres for here, it’s because they believe that it might bring issues with the normal ones. For me, it’s fine for me with these ones. 

MV: Yeah, I tried both but I didn’t feel a lot of difference. I’m not too bothered. 

Q: Do you think they suit Mercedes more than anyone else? 

MV: I don’t know. I think if I drive a Mercedes car I can tell you but I don’t so it’s always a big question mark. We’ll find out. 

Q: And Lewis, do you feel the car performs better on these tyres than the other ones? 

LH: I honestly don’t. I don’t really notice the difference, they feel pretty much the exactly same except they are not as easily prone to blistering but we don’t suffer from blistering. I think the last race we had that… if you look at last year, other teams, I think you (MV) had a failure on tyres blistering, right? 

MV: On a few tracks. 

LH: I don’t think we had any tyre… we don’t have tyre problems in general. The last race, obviously, I was pushing the tyre way over the limit, trying to recover position and that was just down to me, not down to our car being worse on that tyre or anything like that. Ultimately that’s an excuse that an engineer would look to if you’re not doing well enough, they’ve got to find something to point at and so in my mind they’re just using that as an excuse. 

Q: (Arjan Schouten – AD Sportswereld) Max and Lewis, just to know your opinion: when you’re 53 points down, halfway through the season, do you still have a chance to win the world title, are you still a serious title contender? 

LH: If you’re 53 points down? I’ve been 40-something down in the past. I’m pretty sure in Barcelona at one stage I was 40-something down. Did I come back that year, was it that year that I came back? It is possible, it can swing around. 

MV: We don’t have the package to fight on every track. For example in Monza it’s just going to be difficult so it depends in what position you are. If it’s compared to your teammate then I think you still have a chance to come back but I don’t think we are in a position to do that. For sure, there are some tracks where we will be really competitive and we can definitely challenge for victory but not on every single track so to come back like that, you need to be winning almost every weekend. 

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) You’ve got the opportunity this weekend to have the DRS open through turn one. What are your thoughts on that and do you think it’s going to be possible in qualifying? 

LH: I doubt it but probably everyone will try. Max will be the first to try, I’m sure! We’ll all follow Max and see what happens with him! But it’s usually quite bumpy into turn one. I think it’s highly unlikely. But it’s going to be even quicker anyway so these tyres… you just slide… it’s quite a quick corner and a lot of pressure and a lot of energy goes into the tyres so I don’t even know if it’s going to be better anyways but we will find out. 

Q: So Max, flat through turn one, DRS open? 

MV: I think not every team. I will definitely try it but we’ll find out. I don’t think you will gain massively after that corner and like Lewis said, probably you will use the rear tyres a bit more as well but we will find out, I think. And also it depends a bit on what kind of wing level you are using. 

CL: From what I’ve heard, it was already quite difficult last year without DRS so yeah, we will try to make it flat out first and then we will see but I don’t think it will be flat out with DRS. 

LH: Actually I have a question for you guys. How am I doing? I notice I’ve got two 20-year olds next to me. The oldest driver here by a long way. I’m nearly one of the older drivers here. 

MV: I think it’s alright. You’re doing fine. 

LH: Thanks, man. Appreciate it!

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) A question for Max and one for Charles. For Max, I would like to ask you if now you are sometimes fighting for victory, I would like to know if with the performance all is showing now, if you are confident for next season to fight for the victories, or do you believe that next year you have to have a harder life? 

MV: It’s difficult to say at the moment. It’s quite a long way away and they are in a good way, they are progressing. I’m honestly not thinking about that yet. Of course, it gives a lot of motivation for the team for next year but we have to wait and see how it’s going to be until pre-season testing. 

Q: Did the team consult you prior to making the decision to go with Honda? 

MV: It’s something for my career as well, the steps, so we definitely talked about it but at the end of the day I’m not deciding that. I think it’s a positive move. 

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) And for Charles, if you aware that this is the track where Alfa Romeo won the first ever Grand Prix, so what does it mean for a guy like you, that you have the brand of Alfa Romeo on your overalls? 

Q: Charles, Alfa Romeo won the first Grand Prix here at Silverstone, May 13, 1950. Are you a man who appreciates the history of the sport? How does that make you feel given your association with Alfa? 

CL: Yeah, definitely. I learned this news from the team this morning, I didn’t know it from myself only but it’s a special Grand Prix for the team, then on the other hand we are not in a space at the moment to fight for the win yet but yeah, I hope to bring a very good result to the team, hopefully again in the points. But we will not bring a win this weekend. 

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Lewis, we’ve seen you crowd surf after your victories over the last couple of years. Have you got anything up your sleeve this year which may triumph that or go even better? 

LH: Honestly, those are all kind of spur of the moment things. I definitely think if…for anybody to pre-plan something, you’re allowing karma to… not karma but negative things to potentially happen. It’s like if England starts celebrating before they get to the actual game it’s probably not a good idea. No, those experiences were just incredible and I was just watching some footage of the experience in the past. I think the best picture I’ve ever seen was when Kimi and I think… was it Kimi? A couple of drivers were sitting here and I was outside. I need to re-post that, because that was pretty cool. Just engaging with the fans here is just electric. So I hope to get to do that all weekend and naturally you want to make everyone proud, you want to complete the weekend. They’re going to have a great weekend regardless. It will be the cherry on the top of the cake if you’re able to pull something special out of the bag. 

Q: Lewis, how much do you feel your support here at Silverstone has grown since 2007 or has it been huge since the outset? 

LH: No, I think it’s continued to grow. I think it’s… and as years go on, you appreciate it more and more but 2007 was already pretty cool, I think from that qualifying lap. And then 2008 was just… I really will never forget that day. And then it’s just been growing ever since really. I hope that continues. Who’s the next Brit that’s coming? After me? I won’t be here for ever. 

CL: Russell probably. 

LH: Yeah, well. I hope I can wave the flag for a little bit longer. 

Wednesday 4 July 2018

FEATURE: Steering a Formula One car.

The evolution of the Mercedes F1 steering wheel.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
FEATURE BY: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

Formula One cars are incredible machines; they're fast, they're beautiful, they're the result of hundreds of people working together - and they are very complex. Yet, the drivers only have three ways of influencing the behaviour of the car - the throttle pedal, the brake pedal and the steering wheel. In a way, the term "steering wheel" has become a bit misleading as "steering" is just one of many functions the device can perform these days - and it's not shaped like a wheel either. In this week's feature, we're taking a closer look at the complex command centres called steering wheels. 

What are the main functions of a Formula One steering wheel? 
In addition to the actual steering function, a Formula One steering wheel serves many purposes. One of the main functions is shifting, as the shift paddles and the clutch are mounted on the backside of the steering wheel. It's also a hub for information and communication. The driver can access crucial information on the central display, such as his engine speed, delta times to other cars or sensor information, for example tyre temperatures. He can also confirm that he is coming into the pits with the press of a button and activate his radio. A total of 25 LED lights on the steering wheel inform the driver of different situations - from his shift points to a rendering of the marshalling flags. The steering wheel is also used to influence certain car settings, for example change the brake balance or adjust the differential (the amount of torque transfer between the rear wheels). Power unit settings, such as the all-important strategy mode, which determines the power output, are also selected on the steering wheel. 

How can the team make sure the driver doesn't hit a button by accident? 
When driven in anger, a Formula One car is subject to violent speeds and heavy vibrations - not exactly ideal conditions to manipulate small buttons on a steering wheel. To make it even more difficult, the drivers have to operate the steering wheel while wearing gloves. To reduce the risk of accidentally hitting a button, the team has installed small plastic rims around certain buttons. Those guards can change on a race-by-race basis. They are particularly important for tight turns like the hairpin in Monaco when the drivers use the maximum steering angle. In addition to the guards around the buttons, the team uses high reliability buttons that are also used on aircrafts, which require quite a strong tactile force. That way, the driver feels a solid click when he presses a button even with the gloves on. 

How many steering wheel inputs does a driver make on a lap? 
The amount and the type of inputs a driver makes depend on both the layout of the circuit and the situation in the session. On a "regular" race lap around Silverstone a driver will typically do around 40 gearshifts (the quickest sequence in about 1.2 seconds for five downshifts going into Turn 3), two brake balance adjustments, two changes of display page and three differential adjustments - all of that in addition to the actual steering, of course. 

How many potential combinations of settings are there? 
There are 16 buttons, six rotary wheels and three rotary switches on the steering wheel - in addition to the shift pedals and the clutch. This means that there are hundreds of millions potential combinations. But don't worry - our drivers don't have to test them all... 

What does the development process of an F1 steering wheel look like and how involved are the drivers in that process? 
When the main structure of today's wheel was designed, the drivers were heavily involved in the design process - both in the ergonomics of the wheel and in the physical layout (from the overall shape of the wheel to the way the grips form at the bottom). The carbon structure is a long-term component that usually carries over for one or two years. If a new structure is introduced, the team will run a number of prototypes and bring them to the track for the drivers to try out in Friday practice. During the season, the team will change the grips, the button and the switch layout and the guards around the buttons - based on the individual demands of the driver and the track layout. 
The functions of the Mercedes-AMG F1steering wheel.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
How important are ergonomics in the design process? 
Very important - both in terms the feel of the steering wheel as well as certain elements of comfort. Because a Formula One car is extremely tightly packaged, there is not a whole lot of space in the cockpit. The bigger the steering wheel, the more it will cut in on the clearance of the knees underneath it or the clearance of the knuckles on the side of the tub. 

How long does it take to build a new steering wheel? 
The actual build process takes about two weeks of working hours (i.e. 80 hours). The majority of the parts are build in-house, with the central display and the underlying circuit board being the only exception as those are common parts shared by all teams. All other components - the circuitry, the circuit boards, the steering, the carbon enclosure, the quick release, the electrical connectors - are custom build in the team's factory in Brackley. The main materials used in a steering wheel are carbon fibre, fibreglass, titanium, silicon and copper. Over the course of a season, each driver will get three to four wheels. Mechanical designers, electrical designers and wiring technicians are involved in the design and build process. 

What is the biggest challenge in designing and building an F1 steering wheel? 
The steering wheel is a safety-critical component (internally known as a Class A component). As such, it has to undergo rigorous testing - similar to, for example, a suspension element or a piece of the survival cell. However, at the same time it is a highly customised element, which can be changed on a race-by-race basis depending on the requirements of the drivers. The combination of these two requirements - highest level of diligence and constant changes - makes the design and build process very challenging. 

How are steering wheels serviced? 
Steering wheels go through a service every two or three races - and just like every other component on the car they have a certain maximum mileage. In the car, steering wheels are constantly vibrating and because they are considered safety-critical components, they undergo non-destructive testing (NDT) to make sure they don't suffer from any sort of cracking. To check for cracks, the wheels are submerged into a low viscosity dye penetrant and left the soak. The dye penetrates any cracks, which when dry will show clearly under ultraviolet light. The steering wheels also undergo electrical testing, ultrasonic inspection and checks for water tightness. The grips and buttons are also checked on a regular basis because every button only has a certain number of actuations it can survive. 

Tuesday 3 July 2018

Cool Kristoffersson claims fifth World RX win from six starts.

PHOTO CREDIT: PSRX Volkswagen Sweden. 
Kristoffersson began his home race, the same way he finished World RX of Sweden three weeks ago: fastest. The defending champion was in sublime form, just about missing out on a second World RX 'clean sweep'. 

Not since Timmy Hansen won second qualifying at World RX of Great Britain [ROUND 4] has Johan lost a session in World RX thus far. 

"There’s nothing quite like racing at home – except for winning at home," said Kristoffersson. "When I won my home round for the first time last year, I knew I would never forget that feeling and I really wanted it to come back again today."

The Swede delivered the perfect drive in front of 51,600 fans. 

“You definitely get a real boost from the fans in the grandstand – even if a few of them might have been cheering for some of the other Swedes around here!," he said. "I love this track and these fans. And I love this team – it’s their home race, so a win is special for them too."

The pair of PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo R Supercars were unbeatable through qualifying and moved into the semi-finals fairly easily. 

Despite the Swede's results on Saturday, he was not entirely happy with his Polo R Supercar. “I didn’t feel the car was completely perfect for me on Saturday, but as the second day progressed it just got better and better," Kristoffersson explained. 

Johan won from pole position in the first semi and his teammate was on for an identical result in the second race when his Polo R suffered a technical problem, forcing him to retire from the race. 

"In the semi, it was absolutely perfect," said Kristoffersson. "I felt so comfortable, I could just push and push and really work the car." 

The Swede lead from lights to the chequered flag, in an almost ice cool state. Onboard footage during the World RX Final showed Kristoffersson calmly going about his race, as if he was out for an afternoon drive. He did not put a foot wrong! 

"In the final I would say the tyres were probably a little bit hot towards the end of the race, but by then I had been able to just keep inching forwards and away from the chasing pack," said Johan

“I got a really nice start, the launch hooked up and we flew off the line and into the lead. That got me the Monster Super Charge Award, I’m happy with that – my first since France last year!," the Swede explains. "From then on I was just completely focused on every apex to make it happen and to build a lead. I did that."

It was a weekend of contrasting emotions for the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden squad, and even though Kristoffersson won in a dominate fashion, he still feels that his teammate should have been with him in the final. 

“I’m so happy with another win and so happy for the team – but I want to say I am sorry for Petter. I missed my team-mate, he should have been along side me on the front row. But for me this is another 30 points and another really strong result for the championship.”

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden leads the teams’ standings by 45 points, while Kristoffersson leads the drivers' standings by 40 points, and his teammate Solberg is third with 119 points.  

Petter Solberg: "This one really hurt so bad."

PHOTO CREDIT: PSRX Volkswagen Sweden
Norway's Petter Solberg entered the World RX of Sweden with renewed hope that his luck had finally turned around.

Solberg was the only driver who could stop his teammate, Johan Kristoffersson in Sweden. The Norwegian did not have the cleanest of Saturday's with a sixth place finish in Q1, but improved in Q2 to claim second place. 

On Sunday morning, Solberg showed strong pace edging Johan to win Q3. His teammate stepped up the pace in Q4, and Solberg ended the session in second overall. 

It all went downhill from there...  

"I have been disappointed before in my career, but I don’t know if I can remember a time when I am more disappointed than this," said Solberg"This one really hurt so bad."

Petter secured pole position for semi-final 2, with Andreas Bakkerud alongside him on the front row. He launched off the line and immediately started eking a gap to second place Bakkerud. A few laps from end Bakkerud emerged in the lead. 

Moments later, Petter Solberg was seen opening up the bonnet of his Polo R Supercar with smoke rising from the engine bay. He suffered a technical problem and was forced to retire.

“I had the race in my hand, we were going directly to the final where I wanted a win," says Solberg"I wanted it so much."

Coming out of one corner, something wasn’t right with the car, I pulled over and that was the end," he explains. "There’s nothing more to say.”

Monday 2 July 2018

Peugeot Total tries to find positives from Höljes


PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport. 
The latest evolution of the Peugeot Total 208 RX Supercar was introduced at Höljes in Sweden, with the team swapping the previous specification for a brand-new learning curve. The Hansen brothers got their 208 WRX Supercars into the final, but the overall result does not tell the full story. 

Timmy Hansen scored the best result for Team Peugeot Total in 4th, but was running 2nd until the last lap, when he was hit and ended up in the gravel trap.

Hansen was rapid in every one of his qualifying heats, holding a top 3 position overall after Q4. "The guys in the team - engineers, mechanics, and me too – did a great job to adapt to all the changes with the updated Peugeot 208 WRX," said Timmy Hansen.

Timmy was all set to convert the Q4 result into a strong finish, after he clinched 2nd position in semi-final 2, but the Swede was taken out in the final run through no fault of his own. "I was in 2nd position on the last lap during the final," said Hansen. "First of all, Andreas Bakkerud pushed me off line and passed me. And then Mattias Ekstr̦m completely pushed me off the track Рand I actually dislocated my shoulder in the impact. So I am in a bit of pain."

Timmy Hansen's car being recovered after the incident in the final.
PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport
"We still have a lot of potential to discover in all of these updates. So it's easy to be motivated for what comes next," the Swede said. "We will become faster and faster throughout the year.” Nonetheless he can take away more positives than negatives from the weekend, having shown the clear potential of the new-specification 208 WRX.

Sebastien Loeb also had a taste of the all new Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar, but had an unlucky weekend. "I'm not so satisfied with the weekend, I have to say. I had a difficult Q1 and Q2," said Loeb. "In Q3 this morning, I hit Timur Timerzyanov and broke my suspension, so I finished last in the heat."

Loeb's 7th position in qualifying reflected his struggle to find a clean run and the right rhythm with the updated car in a very high level of competition. "After Q4, I qualified 7th overall for the semi-finals. With that place, you start on the outside of the ​2nd row, which isn’t the best position," he adds. "So the race started off quite badly for me and didn’t really get any better."

The Frenchmen finished 4th in semi-final 1, narrowly missing out on going through to the final: less than 4 tenths of a second behind 3rd position. "Our objective for the championship is to collect points and we didn’t get many this weekend," says Loeb. "In the overall rankings, Johan Kristofferson is moving further away at the top and that wasn't the goal either." 

"Overall, the updated Peugeot 208 WRX feels better than the previous one,  but we ​still ​need to improve in the future. I think we have some good directions to work in now," he concludes.

Kevin Hansen in the older specification 208 WRX Supercar.
PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport.
Timmy Hansen's younger brother Kevin Hansen put in a great performance and thus show how he has developed throughout the season. The Swede was delivering consistent performances in qualifying and earning valuable championship points after finishing 2nd in his semi-final.

“It was a really good weekend. We worked hard to progress throughout the weekend for our first round with the Peugeot 208 WRX in basic 2018 spec," said Kevin Hansen. "It's a bit different from the previous car I drove, so it took a while to get used to it with the set-up and everything."

He started the final race side by side with his brother on row 2 but was not able to deliver the desired result due to mechanical issues: after a decent start, his engine cut out and the car stopped. 

"I think we progressed a lot both in terms of set-up and driving. And to get into the final once again is really amazing," said Kevin. "Unfortunately, we stopped on lap two with a technical problem. It's a shame but making it to the final here in Höljes is really great.”

Team Peugeot Total is now 3rd in the teams’ championship standings with 233 points: however, 2nd position EKS Audi Sport are only 6 points ahead. In the drivers’ championship rankings Sebastien is 4th,Timmy 5th and Kevin 7th. 

Grönholm RX Taneco hampered by punctures in Höljes

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco Team.
The GRX Taneco team were struck with a series of punctures in Höljes, Sweden. But the team signs off the first half of the season with both cars in the semi-finals. 

“The punctures were with different tyres. So the only conclusion we can draw for the moment is that they were for different reasons,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of GRX Taneco. "There were driving errors, but there were also pieces of metal on the track, so there’s an element of bad luck."

Timur Timerzyanov finished a promising seventh in Q1, but Niclas Grönholm lost a few valuable points due to a slow puncture. After knuckling down with the technical crew on Saturday, Timerzyanov then took an even more satisfying sixth place in Q2 while Grönholm got back into his stride to finish 11th despite another puncture.

“Höljes is quite unusual and a very technical track,” said Timerzyanov. “Every turn is challenging. In fact, the first corner is completely blind!” 

Timerzyanov kept up with the leading pack on Sunday morning, finishing sixth in Q3 and fifth in Q4, thus qualifying for the semis. Meanwhile, Grönholm gradually made his way back up the rankings finishing P11 in Q3 and P7 in Q4. 

Timur Timerzyanov with rear puncture, ahead of Jérôme Grosset-Janin.
PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.
With both Hyundai i20 Supercars making it through the heats, the team confirmed it's competitive run of form. 

However, Grönholm and Timerzyanov both had to bring their Swedish outing to an early close after another couple of punctures. Grönholm finished sixth so adds another point to his total, while Timerzyanov finished fourth in the second semi-final to claim three points. 

“We had a real chance to qualify for the final,” said Timerzyanov. “I made a small mistake in the joker lap, but I had still had the pace to finish in the top three. Then I had a puncture in the second lap, so then the only thing to do was to bring the car home to score as many points as possible. I hope we have more luck in the next race in Canada.”

“It wasn’t our weekend. We had three punctures, including one in the semi-final,” said Grönholm. “Otherwise, I might have been in a position to qualify for the final. We’ll have to examine the good and bad points of this race to come back stronger in Canada!”

At the halfway point, GRX Taneco team lies fourth in the teams' standings. Niclas Grönholm is eighth in the driver standings, and Timur Timerzyanov tenth. 

Andreas Bakkerud claims fifth podium in succession at Höljes

PHOTO CREDIT: Audi Sport
EKS Audi Sport driver Andreas Bakkerud clinched second place on a "Magic Weekend" in Höljes, Sweden. Bakkerud has also moved into second position in the FIA World Rallycross Championship drivers' standings with the podium finish in Sweden. 

After a strong home round for EKS Audi Sport, the team moved into second position in the teams' standings ahead of Team Peugeot Total. 
“It was a fantastic weekend with gripping races and a fantastic final in front of my large number of Bakkerud-Blue fans,” said Bakkerud. “Thank you to EKS Audi Sport that gave me such a good car. I’m proud of this result.”

Bakkerud was in fourth place after the qualification races. Following a victory in the semi-finals, he started from the front row in the final. Right from the start the Norwegian was following the subsequent winner, Johan Kristoffersson. The position was briefly in jeopardy on the final lap when Bakkerud did his “Joker Lap” and dropped behind the Peugeot of Timmy Hansen. However, Bakkerud immediately reclaimed the lost spot.
Andreas Bakkerud celebrating with his Bakkerud Blue fans.
PHOTO CREDIT: Audi Sport 

The duel between Bakkerud and Hansen indirectly meant trouble for Mattias Ekström who was immediately behind these two and overtook the Peugeot shortly before the finish. There was contact between Ekström and Hansen which meant the end of Hansen’s race. Consequently, Ekström was handed a penalty demoting him from third to sixth place.

“In the qualifying races, we were unlucky with our grid positions,” said Ekström. “This slowed us down somewhat throughout the weekend. We were also lacking speed. In the final, my car was the fastest, but from fifth on the grid it’s difficult to move forward. The last lap was a real challenge. Andreas was directly in front of me when Timmy apparently had a problem. I tried to overtake him as well. Our tires touched, but I managed to stay on track. Still, the weekend was okay. Andreas did a great job with second place and we’ll continue to fight.”

EKS Audi Sport are second in the teams' standings with 239 points (45 points points behind the leaders.) Andreas Bakkerud and Mattias Ekström are second and sixth in the drivers' championship standings. 

The first half of the World RX championship has drawn to a close, and the second half will get underway on August 4/5 at Trois-Rivières in Canada. 

Sunday 1 July 2018

REPORT: Kristoffersson claims fifth win of 2018 championship in Holjes.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media
Swedish hero Johan Kristoffersson starred on the way to his fifth victory of the season in round six of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at the Swecon World RX of Sweden in Holjes.

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s Kristoffersson claimed his third maximum points score in a row to extend his lead in the World RX Drivers’ Championship as PSRX continues to lead the Teams’ Championship points race.

Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud continued an impressive run of Holjes podiums stretching back to 2012 with second, after overtaking Team Peugeot Total’s Timmy Hansen on the last lap of the final. France’s Jerome Grosset-Janin secured GC Kompetition’s first podium finish with third place in front of a record 51,600 fans at the famous circuit.

“It was an amazing weekend here again. I won last year – to be able to win at Holjes is something extra special. The track is amazing and it’s a big challenge for the cars, drivers and engineers. I felt more and more comfortable with every outing over the weekend and at the end of Sunday I felt very comfortable – that’s what it takes to win,” said Kristoffersson, who also secured the Monster Energy Supercharge Award for having the fastest reaction time at the start of the final in his Volkswagen Polo R Supercar. “This is the first Monster Energy Supercharge Award I have won since France last year so it’s been a while, I’m pleased about that. The atmosphere here is something amazing, today we had a big crowd and some nice weather so I think there were a lot of spectators who had a great time.”

EKS Audi Sport’s Bakkerud climbed to second in the World RX Drivers’ Championship with second place in the final, driving his Audi S1. “I’m very proud of my record of podium finishes here, but most of all I’m so happy with the work we have done to be able to get quicker in Q1 and Q2, so I just want to say a huge thanks to the guys that have helped me between the races and all of EKS Audi Sport,” said Bakkerud. “It’s nice to see that the work we put in is paying off and I’m super-pumped that we’re on the podium once again here at the Magic Weekend in Sweden in front of a record-breaking crowd. I just can’t wait for Canada now because that’s a good track for us.”

GC Kompetition’s  Grosset-Janin was tenth at the intermediate classification, battled through to third place in his semi-final to make it to the final in his Prodrive-built Renault Megane RS. From there the Frenchman went on to be classified third and earn the team’s first podium finish in only its sixth event.

“I am so happy the weekend ended this way. Of course I never imagined my first podium happening like this, but we were able to take advantage of all the opportunities that were presented to us today,” said a delighted Grosset-Janin. “It’s the work of the entire team and so many people that has finally paid off. We can’t forget that only three months ago rallycross was a world totally unknown to GCK and Prodrive. Now, we just have to keep up our good work and continue to progress.”

Timmy Hansen sent into the gravel after contact was made with Mattias Ekstrom.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media
Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom finished third on track in the final but was given a penalty for ‘pushing and overtaking’ Team Peugeot Total’s Timmy Hansen on the last lap – Hansen retiring with just two corners to go. Ekstrom was classified sixth. Kevin Hansen also started the final but didn’t make it beyond the second lap.

France’s Sebastien Loeb finished fourth in semi-final one ahead of Team STARD’s Janis Baumanis and GRX Taneco’s Niclas Gronholm. His team mate, Timur Timerzyanov, had his best event of the season but was like Niclas was slowed by a puncture and finished fourth in semi-final two. Norway’s Petter Solberg retired from the lead of semi-final two with technical problems and Olsbergs MSE’s Robin Larsson was classified sixth.

The third round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar was won by Championship leader Reinis Nitiss to increase his lead in the standings. Norway’s Thomas Bryntesson scored his best result of the season in second and Sweden’s Lukas Walfridsson was third.

Belgium’s Guillaume De Ridder became the first double-winner of the 2018 RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires by claiming victory at Holjes. Norway’s Henrik Krogstad and Sweden’s Simon Olofsson finished second and third after a dramatic last lap of the final, to make it three nationalities on the podium.

The first FIA rallycross Champion of the season was crowned in the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for TouringCar. Norway’s Fredrik Magnussen won the race but second place was enough for Sivert Svardal to win the Championship in his maiden international season by one point ahead of Magnussen. Kenneth Johansson finished third to make it an all-Norwegian podium.

James Taylor, Vice President, Rallycross at IMG, concluded: “Congratulations to Johan on another impressive victory, his performances over the first half of the season are more than worthy of his World Champion status. Over 50,000 fans at Holjes were treated to some amazing action this weekend and although Johan has a strong lead in the points, the competition between all of the teams is fierce. I’m delighted for GCK to have achieved its first podium as the team has worked incredibly hard for that. Andreas [Bakkerud] continuing his astounding run of podiums in Sweden shows how well he has fitted into the EKS Audi Sport team this season.” 

Report By: FIA World Rallycross Media

2018 Austrian GP: Post-Race Press Conference.

DRIVERS
1 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
2 – Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari)
3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Mark Webber)

Q: Max Verstappen, your fourth grand prix victory. It felt like your first win, with Kimi Räikkönen closing you down, maximum pressure. A Red Bull victory here on the Red Bull Ring. Massive amounts of Dutch fans, it must feel amazing?

Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was amazing. It was very hard to manage the tyres as well. We really had to look after them, a little blistering, but we managed to hang on until the end. Of course it’s amazing to win here with a Red Bull at the Red Bull Ring and also so many Dutch fans around here. It’s incredible.

Q: So what does this mean for the future, mate. You’ve got Silverstone around the corner, in terms of it being a back-to-back, we’ve got this triple header, you’ve had this great run of results off the back of a tough Monte Carlo, so now you’re on fire buddy?

MV: Yeah, I needed to catch up with the points. Today was definitely a very good day for me and I just hope we can continue like this.

Q: Well done Max. Kimi, very solid second place there, buddy. It was a very interesting grand prix with tyres, I think there were a few unknowns, a lot of people weren’t sure what was happening. Double Mercedes retirement which was very interesting. Unbelievable start – if it had been Barcelona or Monza you would have led into Turn 1, right?

Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Yeah, I had to back off a little bit because we were squeezed together and my decision was already gone there – I was scared that we hit. After that, a bit running wide and that and lost some places. But the car came good but we just run out of the laps and I think we took it easily too long. It’s a shame. We had a great car today and in some points it was a little bit difficult but I think it was a good result for the team.

Q: Well done, Kimi. Sebastian, together with Max here. He did a pretty good job didn’t he? 

Sebastian VETTEL: I told him, very good race, very consistent, no mistakes. We were chasing him down at the end but couldn't quite make it.

Q: So tell us about your race Sebastian? It was a difficult qualifying, after a good start. Tough first corner, got pushed out and then you had to come back from there. One point in the championship, a very interesting day for the silver cars, so not a bad day at the office for you?

SV: No. Obviously it would have been nice to start further up. I tried to get some back at the start, in Turn 1, but it didn’t quite work. I was left with no place to go and then lost momentum. And then it was the same thing a little bit in Turn 3. I had to fight with the Renaults and the Haas in the beginning of the race and I lost a little bit of ground. Obviously we lost a little bit of time at the stop. So for us it was pretty much damage limitation but I think the pace was very good, the tyre management was good, so a positive day, it could have been better but a well deserved win for Max.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) Question for Seb. I think you said on the pit radio, when you came behind Lewis, after his stop, that they should have informed you a bit earlier that he’s stopping because you had something in your pocket still. Can you describe the situation?

SV: I was aware that we were fighting him but I was of the opinion that we were ahead, and I didn’t expect it to be that close and to be on the back-foot, so I think, if I look back, and I was thinking about it in the race as well, I was told enough. So, I can’t blame the team. Yeah. I thought I was taking it a little bit easy in the beginning because I was anyways a bit further back. There was no point. I didn’t understand in the beginning obviously the necessity to close as soon as possible. So maybe it’s also a bit my fault. But I think I had a bit of pace in hand – but, you know, I looked down, I saw the pitboard as well and there was 55 laps from the time the VSC… well, it doesn’t really come it, but was turned off… so yeah, I tried to save tyres and make sure we make it to the end, not knowing what happens because the first stint was not easy – but yeah, I thought we could have done, I could have done a bit better with a bit more information – but nothing dramatic. I think overall the pace was really good. I mean, I was obviously losing a lot with the pitstop, the double-stop that we did, which was the right call – but I probably had to come back from the longest way. I think the speed was good so I’m happy with the race but obviously it could have been better today. So I’m not entirely happy.

Q: (Daniel Horvath – Motorspormania.hu) Max, congratulations, you’ve got almost 20,000 Dutch supporters here in Austria. Do you have any special message to your fans who stayed in the Max Verstappen village during the weekend?

MV: Yes, of course…

SV: You have a village here?

MV: Yeah! On the other side…

SV: You need to pay tax here then…

MV: No, we skip that bit. Yeah, it’s great to see. I mean of course we’re not playing in the World Cup so it’s a bit easier for them to come over here, but in general, great support. I mean the whole weekend. It was amazing to see so much orange. And then if you win the race and see all the fans lining up there. Yeah, it’s incredible. And this is in Austria, which is still 10, 11 hours away from Holland. So, yeah, amazing that they all came over here.

Q: (Jaap de Groot - De Telegraaf) Max, before the Max it looked like you had to overtake a lot of odds but during the race, the advantages occurred and you took them to the maximum. According to that, do you feel that this was your perfect race. And also explain how you underwent the process I just explained, getting all the advantages.

MV: Yeah, so I think it was a bit unexpected, especially after our Friday pace and in the long runs. I think in the first stint we could actually keep up quite well – and then yeah, I just tried to do my own race. I saw Valtteri disappearing with a problem, and then I think we made the right call when the virtual safety car came out, that we pitted. The team, again, great call on that, and then yeah, virtually I was in the lead, and I just tried to do my own pace. Initially from behind there was no pressure. I think I could build up a gap, and yeah, at one point, when Lewis pitted and Kimi started to put Daniel under pressure, and he started to struggle with his tyres, and then once I think Kimi was in second, and I tried to manage the gap – but at one point, yeah, I could see my tyres also opening up a bit on the rears and the fronts, so, yeah, I just had to drive around the issue and luckily I could manage it until the end of the race.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Max and Kimi; although the race was 71 laps long, it was effectively decided by the move at turn seven on a frenetic opening lap. Can I just get your respective thoughts on the move – we don’t normally see overtaking there? It looked like a little bit of wheel-banging as well.

KR: I think there was a lot happening on the first lap. I think a little bit sideways into… or lost the line a little bit into six and then Max… obviously we were pretty close to each other, I think the car in front of me, the Mercedes, disturbed a bit… like the downforce and then obviously it got the run and I tried to hang on, on the outside but I got a little bit sideways because I guess we touched a little bit and lost a place but I think we got the best out of it and not taking each out and still fighting in that kind of corner that is fast speed and not very easy to stay next to each other when you try. That’s what happens sometimes. Not ideal for me but it was still fair enough.

MV: Yeah, it was hard racing but good racing. I think Kimi is experienced enough to handle the situation well. We had a little touch but I think it’s also good for the sport.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, it seems to me that this one race every week really suits you fine. Can you improve as much as you did from France to Silverstone in one week also?

KR: I don’t know. Obviously Silverstone is a lot different circuit, layout and I think if you purely take it it wouldn’t probably be the best place last year so maybe there for us but I think I’m looking forward and I think we have certain things that we are trying and probably will help there. Obviously it depends a lot on the conditions there but I think the last two weekends have been quite similar so I will keep pushing and trying and try to do better all the time and obviously try to do better than today in the next races but there could be a slightly better end result but I think as a team we got solid points and we go to the next race.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) Max, you had the first six races of this season very difficult and then from Canada it started to change…

MV: No, Barcelona already.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Globoesporte.com) … so tell us about how it works inside you, coming from one extreme to the other one, what you are living now?

MV: I think it’s just racing, you know? Sometimes you have difficult moments and then you try to work hard and you keep working hard even when it’s difficult and you overcome the situation. Yeah, it’s as simple as that. It’s racing.

Q: (Peter Vamosi – Racingline.hu) Sebastian, you are the only driver on the internet who has not a social media account, Twitter, Facebook, whatever. Even Kimi has Instagram now this year and he’s doing very well. Why are you not present on the internet?

SV: I rather spend my time on something useful. It’s a shame that I lost Kimi. It was nice to be alongside. I don’t know what happened. I don’t blame anybody, people are free to do what they want. It’s just not my thing, I don’t have the need to share. If there’s anybody who has a question, obviously ask but I don’t find great motivation in telling people where I go, what I do. I find it’s quite boring so yeah, it’s not my thing.

Q: (Rik Spekenbrink – AD Sportwereld) Max, could you hear the Dutch fans on the final lap and secondly, how would you rate this win among the others?

MV: No, I couldn’t hear them, I think I was…

SV: Say yes.

MV: Nah. You always have to be honest.

SV: You have to say yes though.

MV: No. OK, Sebastian says yes.

SV: I heard them!

MV: But I could see some orange smoke, I could see them cheering so I think that’s good enough. Special moment. And I think this was one of the nicest victories but I keep saying that so I think at the moment they are all nice. But maybe hopefully, at one point, you just say yeah, it’s just another one. But at the moment I’m really happy with it.

Q: (Scott Mitchell – Autosport) Max, we heard how emotional your celebrations were with the team over the radio after the race. Can you just explain when you thought that it was actually possible for you to win the race, when you felt under control, and how much does this win mean to you?

MV: Yeah, it was difficult to tell because Kimi was catching, Sebastian was catching and you were not sure maybe they had another half a second in them at the end of the race, so it was just difficult to say. I think with three or four laps to go I was more comfortable and it was not going to happen but still, maybe from one to the other lap my blister opens up even more and then you’re really in trouble. Probably three laps. My fourth victory, I think it’s a good one, very unexpected one so I think they are always good.