Timmy Hansen takes overnight TQ in Abu Dhabi

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Sweden's Timmy Hansen is the top qualifier on day one at the World RX of Abu Dhabi, after claiming wins in both qualifying heats and setting the quickest time in Q2.

Hansen started on pole position in Q4 race one and remained in lead into Turn 1 ahead of Andreas Bakkerud. Bakkerud using an alternative strategy was able to jump Niclas Gronholm and hammer in some quick lap times to catch the Swede, but with a different joker lap strategy, Hansen remained ahead of Bakkerud in a close first corner move on lap four. 

“I took both my starts and from the lead could control the race, even though Andreas was very close at one point. When I came out of the joker in Q2 we were side-by-side but I could carry a bit more speed because I’d taken the joker so I just squeezed by," said Timmy Hansen.  

Bakkerud was second quickest and Reinis Nitiss (GRX Set) put his puncture of Q1 behind him to win his race and be third in the second qualifier. 

Timmy Hansen claimed the overnight (TQ) top qualifiers spot with Monster Energy RX Cartel's Andreas Bakkerud second and Team Hansen MJP's Kevin Hansen is third on day one.

"Overall it has been a perfect day, I think it’s more than we could have expected after everything that’s happened and how hard we’ve been working to get here. Now we’re finally here everything is running perfectly," said Hansen.

“I must say that Timo Scheider was impressive today and all three of the Hyundai’s were very fast, so they haven’t been on the lazy side this winter!” he concludes.

Anton Marklund won his races in Q1 and Q2 and is fifth quickest overall, behind Niclas Gronholm. Rookie Rokas Baciuska was seventh in only his second ever qualifying race in World RX. While Janis Baumanis recovered from a slow start in Q2 race two to be eighth quickest.

Britian's Oliver Bennett failed to start Q2 due to an electrical servo issue. 

The GCK Academy did not have the easiest start to the season with issues for both drivers. Belgium's Guillaume De Ridder suffering from a cooling issue after his radiator fan broke off and punctured a radiator in the morning practice session. While Cyril Raymond had to contend with punctures ruining his day. Both drivers are languishing at the tail of the field on day one. 

FULL World RX of Abu Dhabi OVERNIGHT STANDING (below).

Information Source: FIA World RX media

Bakkerud on Q1 pole position for World RX of Abu Dhabi

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

The Q1 Grid Draw for the World RX of Abu Dhabi has taken place at the Yas Marina Circuit today. 

Monster Energy RX Cartel's Andreas Bakkerud will start on pole position for the first qualifying race of the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship. Team STARD’s Pal Try and Xite Racing's Oliver Bennett will also start in race one.

GC Kompetition’s Guerlain Chicherit will start on pole position in race two, next to Kevin Hansen. 

GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov will start next to his teammate Reinis Nitiss in race three, while Timmy Hansen will take pole in race four.

Full Q1 Grid:

RACE 1
Andreas Bakkerud
Pal Try
Oliver Bennett

RACE 2
Guerlain Chicherit
Kevin Hansen
Timo Scheider
Cyril Raymond

RACE 3
Timur Timerzyanov
Reinis Nitiss
Guillaume De Ridder
Krisztian Szabo
Anton Marklund

RACE 4
Timmy Hansen
Niclas Gronholm
Janis Baumanis
Rokas Baciuska
Liam Doran

Red Bull is bringing Formula One to the streets of Cape Town.

Image Copyright - Red Bull Content Pool

Multiple Formula 1 race winner David Coulthard is set to give Cape Town a taste of Formula 1 on 2 June 2019. 

The Scot is set to thunder down the streets of Cape Town in the 2011 F1 World Championship winning Red Bull Racing RB7 (showcar).

Coulthard is synonymous with the glitz and glamour of F1 racing and will add this iconic experience to an illustrious career which includes 13 race wins and 62 podium finishes.

"Formula 1 is a global sport, but with a finite number of countries on the racing calendar, it is down to our show car team to travel farther afield and share the speed and sound of our sport with as many fans as possible," said Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull Racing has taken the thrill of Formula 1 to cities like Hanoi, Tokyo and Mexico City and returns to South Africa to excite more fans in 2019. 

“We received an incredibly warm welcome when we first took our show car to Cape Town back in 2011 and we are delighted to return this year, powering the car down Cape Town’s iconic Grand Parade on June 2nd,” said Horner. “South Africa has a great heritage in F1, stretching back to 1962, and we look forward to seeing fans, old and new, turn out in force to witness the spectacle."

Speaking at the Bahrain GP about the Cape Town showcase Coulthard said: “I’m super excited to be in Cape Town in June for the Red Bull Circuit event."

"I’ll be driving the Formula One car, demonstrating the power, energy and excitement of what Grand Prix can bring," said Coulthard. "I haven’t been to South Africa since we were in Kyalami in 2011, so I’m delighted we’re bringing Formula One back to Cape Town."

The Red Bull Cape Town Circuit on Sunday, 2 June 2019 is shaping to be a scintillating spectacle of speed and precision for the whole family. 

Red Bull Cape Town Circuit important information:

WHEN: Sunday 2 June 2019
WHAT TIME: 12h00 - 17h00

HOW MUCH: General access is free! Limited grandstand tickets going on sale, end of April

WHERE: On Darling Street in Cape Town between Christian Barnard and Adderley Street.

PREVIEW - World RX returns with a desert duel in Abu Dhabi

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship is back! The winter break has come to an end and testing is complete. The focus now switches to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi for the opening round of the 2019 season

The World RX of Abu Dhabi will also be the first time a round has been held at night with the semi-finals and final on Saturday evening under floodlights.

As a debutant track, the Yas Marina Rallycross Circuit presents a level playing field for the drivers and teams.

There are plenty of challenges in the purpose-built 1.2 kilometer rallycross circuit featuring 63% asphalt and 37% gravel, a series of wide tarmac areas, tight turns including a hairpin and a formidable jump, all within the circuit’s famous Formula One circuit stadium section.

The quality, depth and multi-national mix of the competitors suggests a fierce battle from the moment the lights go green at Yas Marina.


What's new for the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship? 

There are a number of changes and additions to World RX in 2019.

The most significant change to the sporting regulations is the grid order from Q2 onwards. Q1 will be dictated by the pre-race draw, but for Q2, and Q3 the race order can be reversed by a random draw. Carried out at the end of the last race of Q1 and Q2 the draw will decide if the race order is as usual (fastest cars last) or reversed so that the fastest cars will race first.

At each event, a Driver Assistant to Stewards will be present. A number of experienced rallycross drivers will take up the role over the 10 round season, starting with 2015 FIA European Rallycross Champion Tommy Rustad this weekend in Abu Dhabi. There has also been a specific code of driving conduct for rallycross added to Appendix L of the FIA Regulations.

Within a number of minor changes to the technical regulations, Race Nets will now be used in all World RX cars. These will be visible when onboard views are shown and are triangular nets that pass each side of the driver and are connected to the dashboard. The Race Nets have been introduced to increase driver protection by offering better restriction on the movement of limbs in the event of a crash.


The 2019 FIA World Rallycross championship entry list and drivers

The 2019 entry list features 16 permanent drivers in six teams and four individual entries representing eight automotive brands with drivers from 11 countries.

The defending World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson is not competing in 2019 following PSRX Volkswagen Sweden's withdrawal, meaning none of the permanent drivers in World RX 2019 have won an FIA World Championship title. We will crown a new FIA World RX drivers’ champion this year.

Monster Energy RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud looms as a championship favourite. Third in the overall standings in 2018, Bakkerud starts as the highest-placed finisher from last season. Alongside the Norwegian in the Audi S1 will be Liam Doran code-named "The British bomb".

The Hansen brothers, Timmy and Kevin, will run a pair of Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars for Team Hansen MJP, the first time the Swedish brothers have competed in equal machinery. Timmy and Kevin, may be one of the youngest line-ups on the grid, but they have both been competing in high-level rallycross for the last six years, and Timmy has started in every World RX race ever – all 61 of them.

Team STARD will campaign the all-new Ford Fiesta RXS for Janis Baumanis. He will be partnered by Pal Try in Abu Dhabi. Try will feature in at least three rounds in 2019.

GC Kompetition’s Anton Marklund makes a full-time return to World RX after focussing on European racing for the past two years. The Swede will partner team owner Guerlain Chicherit in Renault Meganes.

In the build-up to the season opener, Marklund has been helping with the development of the Megane and the Renault Clios to be shared by GCK Academy drivers Cyril Raymond and Guillaume De Ridder.

Marcus Gronholm’s GRX Taneco squad comprises three Hyundai i20s for Timur Timerzyanov and Niclas Gronholm. Abu Dhabi will be the first of a number of selected appearances for Reinis Nitiss of GRX Set. All three drivers completed the final pre-season test in Germany recently.

Oliver Bennett returns to build on his 2018 programme. His Xite Racing Mini Cooper has been subject to a programme of development and testing over the winter. 

Timo Scheider begins his first full-season campaign in the ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport Seat Ibiza. The German squad has been quietly going about pre-season testing. 

EKS Sport driver, Krisztian Szabo twice the European Super1600 Rallycross Champion, joined Bakkerud and the 2016 World RX Champion Mattias Ekstrom on the frozen wastelands of Scandinavia ahead of the season.

Rokas Baciuska is the least experienced of this season’s rookies. The reigning FIA European Rallycross Champion for Super1600, Baciuska will be at the wheel of ESmotorsport’s Skoda Fabia, which has completed well over 1,000 kilometres of testing this winter.

Let's go racing! 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Guerlain Chicherit sets clear objectives for 2019 World RX season.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

Inspired to create something different, innovative and of exceptional quality, GCK was founded by former freeskiing Champion and motorsport driver Guerlain Chicherit.

The GCK brand encompassed his selection of unique, luxury ski and summer chalets in some of the most coveted holiday destinations, called GC-Kollection. While GC-Kreativ was also formed with the aim of producing unique, award-winning and thought-provoking designs and interiors.

Guerlain Chicherit took a step up to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2018 with his own team GC Kompetition driving two Prodrive built and developed Renault Megane R.S. RX Supercars. 

The GC Kompetition team was formed with an approach to "changing the rules". Changing the rules in what way? Essentially the team strives to be different and to change in the rules within the paddock, on track, and amongst its fans.

The four-time freeriding world champion holds the record for becoming the first man in history to complete an unassisted backflip in a car. Having had a successful skiing career, the Frenchman made the switch to motorsport having amassed several starts and claiming three stage wins in the Dakar Rally.

Chicherit made his World RX debut in the JRM Mini RX Countryman in 2015 in preparation for a full-time programme with his own two-car GC Kompetition team in 2018. 

In 2018, Chicherit achieved a personal best finish of fifth place in Portugal and 11th overall in the drivers' championship. 

The GC Kompetition team also claimed their first podium in 2018 at Round 6 in Holjes, Sweden with former driver Jérôme Grosset-Janin.

With more experience in 2019, the team will be looking to improve in their second season in the World RX championship and will continue to run the Renault Megane R.S. RX Supercars, driven by Guerlain Chicherit and Anton Marklund. 

The 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship is set to be a humdinger with no factory teams and no defending champion. It's all to play for and with GCK on the rise, we took the opportunity to interview GCK team owner and driver Guerlain Chicherit. 

GC Kompetition - Anton Marklund and Guerlain Chicherit and the GCK Academy - Cyril Raymond (left) and Guillaume De Ridder (right)
PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

Junaid Samodien: What are your expectations for your second season in World Rallycross?

Guerlain Chicherit: My expectations are pretty high. Last year was like a big year for us because we came with a brand new team and brand new cars. It was my first season in rallycross, so much to learn, and I was more confident at the end of the year with some really good times, but I was not able to put everything together and to confirm a proper good result as I was expecting, but I think we are clearly ready for 2019. And, we want to fight for the top position on every race (weekend) and that is the clear objective that we have with the team.

JS: What are you or GCK doing differently to win this season?

GC: What we did differently. We know the tracks now, that a big difference. We know the sport, and we learn a lot from last year with the cars. So, we knew what we had to change on the cars, and that is what we did. We have been working the whole winter to make some big evolution on the cars, with a new engine and fixed the problem we had at the starts because the launch was our big problem last year. So, now it looks like to be okay. 

Also, we completely changed the front. The front of the car was completely changed to have much more aggressive steering. Not power steering, but traction on the front (axle), that was the weak point of the car last year. So, all of this looks to be fixed, but you know its always easy to be super fast on the test when you are driving on your own.

Guerlain Chichert's 2019 World RX livery.
PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition

JS: The 2019 GCK livery is rather unique. What inspired the change?

GC: I always like to be different and have my own design. I don’t like to follow what the others are doing and I don’t want to be like a proper typical motorsport design or livery like we did for the last fifty years. I try to be much more lifestyle and from where I am coming from. So, just try to change the rules all the time.

JS: GCK has moved from Prodrive to GFORS. Is there any specific reason for the switch?

GC: Yes, so it has a lot of reasons. First of all, GFORS are in France, and it was much better for me to follow and keep up with the team, and in terms of cost efficiency it was also much better. To work with Prodrive in UK it's always super expensive because you always have to cross... Take the boat and plane all the time. So, it was not easy. And especially because this season we launched a second team with the Clio, its was much more efficient for me to have all my cars managed by the same team because its a lot of saving at every post. 

But, do not forget without Prodrive this car could not exist. So, it does not change the fact that these cars are still for me the best Rallycross cars ever built, and I hope that we will show this year that these are the best cars on track, and we will see that. But without Prodrive it could not happen. 

You know GFORS is a really, really good team. Well experienced for fifteen years of rallycross. They have really good experience, but clearly this team could not design this car, because this car is really amazing, its really a masterpiece and I really want to say thank you to Prodrive one more time, and let’s see what goes on in the future that is maybe not finished. Maybe we will work with Prodrive again, let’s see. 

JS: GCK has entered four Renault R.S. RX Supercars for the 2019 World RX championship. Two Renault Megane R.S. RX Supercars and Two Renault Clio R.S. RX Supercars. Would your team approach Renault Sport for factory support in the future?

GC: For sure, I would love to have the support from Renault because I think we are doing a pretty good job, the cars are looking good and the team is looking good. What is missing at the moment are the results, but we are working on this and I think it's coming soon. So, let’s see what's going on for the next few weeks or months for the first race, but we are pretty confident. 

But to not be fully factory supported it also gives me much more flexibility and for the livery and all this I can.. You know GCK can decide exactly what we want to do. We want to be different, we are different. If you are, supported by a factory there are so many rules and you can not do everything you want. And, it works like this for me. I like to be independent, but if Renault wants to help one day. For sure, they are more than welcome. 

JS: In 2021, World Rallycross could switch to electric rallycross. Do you see this switch as a benefit for you (the GCK team)?

GC: First of all, 2021 is not confirmed yet. So, let’s see what’s going on, but if the electric (switch) is confirmed. Yes, that is a big change and we are going to follow this direction. We want to go, but its not my decision to confirm this change or not. But, if the electric is happening there is a big chance that GCK will be there because we didn’t come to Rallycross only for two or three seasons. The plan is to be there for the long term. 

I love motorsport. Especially fall in love with rallycross that is really what I like in motorsport. These cars are really big monsters like they are coming from another planet (laughs). Those cars are really amazing!

And, on electric they will be even more amazing in terms of performance, maybe a little bit more to be honest boring for the fan, but its a question to compensate with something else. Maybe find a more aggressive track. Maybe more jumps, something has to change, you know. The track will have to change or the rules have to change and to give it back to the fans. Again, I can just say what I think. It is not my decision, but let's see. I can confirm that if it is becoming electric, we will probably be there. 

Thank You to Guerlain Chicerit for answering my questions. Also, a big thank you to Nini Mikolajski and Roots Management International for assisting with the interview.

Interview and Text By - Junaid Samodien 
Sources: GC Kompetition and FIA World Rallycross Championship (media) 
Image Sources: GC Kompetition and FIA World Rallycross Championship (media)

Grönholm RX Taneco ready to beat the heat in Abu Dhabi

GRX Taneco drivers: Reinis Nitišs, Niclas Grönholm, and Timur Timerzyanov.
PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco

Grönholm RX Taneco is ready to beat the heat in Abu Dhabi. The Finnish squad will field a three-car line-up, with the team's two permanent drivers: Timur Timerzyanov and Niclas Grönholm, while the team’s development driver, Reinis Nitišs will pilot the third supercar.

The new Abu Dhabi rallycross track is built within the Formula 1 complex at the Yas Marina circuit and for the first time in World RX history, the race is planned to take place under artificial light.

"Abu Dhabi with its brand-new track and night race will be an amazing experience for all of us," said Niclas Grönholm. 

The Finn is ready to take a step forward in 2019. "I have been working to become a better athlete in every aspect, improvements have been made on the car and the whole team has taken yet another step forward," he adds.

Timur Timerzyanov is also raring to go racing in his new updated Hyundai i20 Supercars, as he believes the new i20 Supercar suits his driving style. “I feel that me personally as well as the car and the team are in the best shape to fight for every point in Drivers’ and Teams’ championship," said Timerzyanov. 

"I have been preparing for this season mentally and physically and I am ready to push through the whole 10 rounds for the best result,” he adds.

The 1.2 km Yas Marina RX circuit is 63% tarmac (including a series of Turns 5-6-7 of the F1 track), and 37% of hard gravel surface that also features the track’s only jump. Even though the race will take place in a late afternoon, it is expected that the air temperature will be well above 30 degrees Celsius, making the conditions in the racing close to extreme.

Despite the optimistic talk from the GRX Taneco team drivers. Team Principal Marcus Grönholm believes that the true pecking order will only be confirmed in the first qualifying session.

“We feel confident about our achievements. But we also know, that only the first Qualifying rounds of Abu Dhabi will paint us a true picture of where everybody stands in terms of performance," said Marcus Grönholm.

The 2018 Euro RX Supercar Champion Reinis Nitisš joins the GRX Taneco team as their development driver and will compete in selected World RX rounds.

“For sure I am happy and excited to get back in the World RX game for the season opener and it’s hard to imagine a more spectacular place for it than Abu Dhabi," said Nitisš. 

"I will not only try to show my best performance here, but I will also do my duty of helping the team to find the right set-ups as fast as possible so we can give our competitors a run for their money."

The season opener World RX of Abu Dhabi will get underway on Friday, April 5 with a Free Practice session before the Q1&Q2 races, and will continue on Saturday, April 6 with Q3&Q4 rounds, Semi-finals and Final.

ESmotorsport reveals striking new livery for 2019 World RX season.

PHOTO CREDIT: ESmotorsport – Labas GAS

The Lithuanian team ESmotorsport – Labas GAS has today revealed their striking new livery for their inaugural FIA World Rallycross campaign. 

ESmotorsport-Labas GAS are fully prepared for their inaugural season after completing over 1,000 kilometers in testing in 2018 with multiple drivers testing the new Skoda Fabia WRX Supercar.

Team founder and former rallycross driver, Ernestas Staponkus is confident that their young rookie driver Rokas Baciuška is capable of success. 

Last year, the young Lithuanian won European Rallycross Championship in Super1600 category, and this season he will become the youngest driver on Supercar grid.

Baciuška has selected 14, as his World RX Supercars race number. 

According to the Rokas, the number brings luck to him. "I won my first championship title in Baltic karting championship when my kart number was 14," said Baciuška. "This number brought me success in the last year at the European Rallycross Championship in the Super1600 class too."

Let's take a look at the new Skoda Fabia WRX Supercars and its 2019 livery.

PHOTO CREDIT: ESmotorsport – Labas GAS

World RX series promoters haved revealed the all new electric series - Projekt E

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX media

The FIA World Rallycross series promoters IMG have today announced a new electric series titled Projekt E.  

The Projekt E concept will see electric-powered cars competing on the same weekend as the traditional Supercars.

The full electrification of the FIA World Rallycross championship failed last week when series promoters IMG required at least three manufacturers and one specialist supplier in order to pass the switch to electric rallycross.

“In terms of the strategy for introduction of electrification to rallycross, we have been in discussions for nearly two years with a number of manufacturers," said Torben Olsen, the Managing Director of World RX for IMG. "Ultimately it emerged that the manufacturers were not yet ready to commit in sufficient numbers to make a fully-electric World Championship a reality."

“Our aim is to showcase, by 2021 at the latest, future mobility and relevant technologies in the tough, competitive environment of rallycross with production-based vehicles that consumers can relate to," said Olsen.

"However, we believe that Projekt E is a positive step forward to deliver on our 2017 pledge."

The new-look race weekend format will allow rallycross fans to enjoy the traditional internal combustion engines – and get a glimpse of the future for production-based cars. 

“Projekt E enables us to embrace emerging technologies, remain relevant, and show that electric cars are fast and fun,” said Olsen.

The FIA and IMG will be revealing more information at a later stage about the format for Projekt E and the electrified cars which will line up on the grid.

TEXT - Junaid Samodien.

2019 Bahrain GP: FIA Post-Race Press Conference.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA.com

DRIVERS // 1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes) 2 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes) 3 – Charles LECLERC (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Martin Brundle)

Q: Lewis, congratulations. You had to work so hard for that one.

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, today was a really, really hard job. This weekend the Ferraris have been incredible and I just had to see Charles because he did such a great job. I’m sure this is a devastating result for him as he had done the job to win the race. We were definitely lucky today but you have to take it as it comes. Ultimately, I still gave it everything in the race and I pushed as hard as I could, and obviously the fight I had with Vettel was great fun for me.

Q: Take us through that. You went around the outside of Turn 4 a couple of times and Seb spun off behind you.

LH: Yeah, if you look at that big flag on top of that tower there is a massive headwind into Turn 4, so I just gave it everything and braked later than usual and dived down the outside. I don’t think we touched or anything like that, but this is a great result for the team considering how hard the race was. This guy here [Leclerc] has lots more wins coming in the future so congratulations to him.

Q: Charles, I’ll come back to you. I’ll just have a quick word with Valtteri. Valtteri, P2, pretty satisfying, the pace was difficult, but you were there when it mattered.

Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, I think as a team we got a bit lucky today but we kept it together, we did no mistake as a team and the car was very reliable – and that’s the win today. The hard work at the factory is paying off like this, so that is good. Otherwise a difficult race for me. The balance of the car was a bit everywhere and I ended up doing a lot of mistakes and so on.

Q: A great start and you weren’t giving Lewis any extra space there in the early laps?

VB: No, I never will. The first lap was good. I had a bit of a lock-up into Turn 1, so I lost a place but then I had a good battle with Lewis and congrats to him.

Q: OK, congratulations on second place. Oh, Charles, I think your car should be parked there [in P1] today?

Charles LECLERC: It happens. It’s part of motor sport. Unfortunately today it was not our day. But I am confident. The team has done an amazing job to recover the lack of pace we had in Australia. And yeah, what to say? Of course I’m extremely disappointed, like the whole team, but it happens in the seasons. I think we made the best out of it. We have been lucky in a very unlucky situation. Hopefully we had the safety car at the end, otherwise we would have finished even more rearward and also I don’t think with the fuel we would have been OK. Vey hard one to take but thanks to the team for the amazing car all weekend long and I’m pretty sure we’ll come back stronger.

Q: Well, you got the point for fastest lap. The first few corners seemed a bit difficult, low grip, but then you took the lead beautifully.

CL: Yeah, I didn’t do a good start. Then we were very strong all race long. It’s a shame to only finish third but as I said, it’s part of racing, and we will come back stronger. 

Q: It’s your first podium, let’s look on the bright side.

CL: Yeah, exactly. But, as I’ve said a lot in the past, I’m never really looking at the result, I’m more looking at the potential there was to do better. Today, third was not our place, but yeah, very happy anyway. Congratulations to Lewis and Valtteri and as I’ve said many times, we’ll come back stronger.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, an incredible race from start to finish for everybody but another really good performance from you. As you lined up on the grid today what were your expectations? 

LH: I think the expectation was it was going to be a very, very tough race. Clearly the Ferraris had been quick all weekend. Charles had been incredibly rapid all weekend and was quickest in all sessions, and truly deserved the win. I think at the start I was hopeful to leapfrog at least one of the cars and in my opportunistic mind I was thinking to jump both of them at the start. But I got a terrible start once again, which is a bit disappointing, as I’ve put a lot of work in to try and improve those. You fall down and you juts keep going, and get back up and I’ll keep trying. After that, I think it was up and down clearly throughout the race. It looked like I could keep up with at least one of the Ferraris. And then that second stint was horrible, on the soft tyre. Then we fell back behind the Ferraris and it looked like we were out of contention for a second or even the wind. I was just battling this snappy, oversteery car in these winds, which were very tricky out there. And then with the undercut, that was a very exciting moment for me. I definitely didn’t see all that happening when we pulled up to the grid, but I’m grateful for it. As I’ve said, clearly we were very lucky today to get the 1-2 as a team. I think collectively we’d done a solid job through the weekend and Ferrari had out-performed us from the get-go. We’ve got to continue to work, as everyone is, it’s very, very hard. We’ll analyse where we have gone wrong this weekend. And as I was saying downstairs, for Charles… do they call you Charles or Charles?

CL: I don’t mind. Whatever is easier for you.

LH: I’m struggling every time I say the name. He did an incredible job this weekend and he’s got a beautiful, bright future ahead of him, so this will only make him stronger.

Q: Valtteri, 32nd podium of your career, we saw you make a great start. You’re still leading the Championship after race two. How do you sum it all up?

VB: Yeah, actually there were many points that were very interesting and exciting in that race and good fun – but then there were points in that race where I felt quite lonely! I didn’t see anyone. So, yeah, I had a great start to the race, I managed to get into P2 but then on Lap One into Turn One I think the wind caught me up a bit, I braked a bit too late into Turn One, trying to keep my position, and I lost two places – so back to fourth place. I think Ferrari, ultimately, was very, very strong again today, like yesterday – but yeah, during the times with the wind I ended-up doing some mistakes, like I think some other drivers did as well, and it was extremely difficult to keep the rhythm – but yeah, there were some good battles and so on. I managed to save the engine at some point when there was no threat from behind and a big gap in front. Also, I had a plastic bag stuck on my front wing at some point, which was costing performance, so not the perfect race but in the end, luck was on our side and we’ll definitely take it – especially me, after al the bad luck last year. So, obviously hard luck for Charles, he was very strong – but y’know, it will come for him. I had to wait for more than 80 races for my first win, so I’m sure it’s going to be OK.

Q: Charles, coming on to you, your first podium in Formula One, but obviously tinged with disappointment. I just wanted to ask you what positives you can take from today?

CL: I think from the whole weekend there are a lot of positives to take. After Australia we were quite a lot far off. I think we found some answers – not all of them – but we found some. We came here, front row lock-out, which was very positive for the team, and we showed that they have done an amazing job. That doesn’t mean we’ll stay there for the rest of the season but that just shows off how good of a job they’ve done between the two races. And then I think we’ve shown also that we had very strong pace during the race. Probably we were the strongest today. Unfortunately the issues stopped us winning – but, on the other hand, issues always happen in a season and, if any time I have an issue, I finish third, then I think we could be quite happy. Today was not our day. It’s sad, because obviously I was so close of realising a dream that you have since childhood, which is your first win in Formula One – but hopefully this day will come one day in the future. I’ll work for that, and I’m pretty sure the team will work for this but they should be proud about what they’ve done this weekend, and we’ll come back stronger.

Q: How comfortable did you feel out front?

CL: Well, very comfortable. The car felt amazing. There was quite a lot of wind, which was extremely tricky, especially out of [Turn] Four. So yeah, it was a very difficult race. i had to stay on it absolutely every lap. So yeah, it was very enjoyable, especially in the first part of the race when I had to catch back the position lost at the start.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Christian Menath – motorsport-magazin.com) Question for you Charles. Can you describe how you felt the problem for the first time – and then what happened afterwards. Did you try to reset the car? Was there an intention to stop the car at all? Can you just talk us through it.

CL: To be honest, how I felt in the car, I really thought everything would blow up a few laps later. Happily it has not been the case and we still finished third, so yeah, just a loss of power, completely, very sudden. It got a tiny bit better after but the problem stayed there. And there were no signs before it to feel that anything was going wrong.

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Lewis, how does it feel when you pass someone who is having some problems for a win. And a question for Charles, how difficult was it to pass Seb on Lap Five?

LH: Ultimately you want to pass someone because you’re quicker than them and through a fight. I went past Charles down the back straight and I raised my hand to him because there’s nothing I could do, obviously I didn’t have any problems, so it definitely feels weird and, honestly, you can’t believe your luck in those scenarios, but what can you do? You can’t deny yourself it. You just have to keep doing what you’re doing and pushing ahead. As I was saying, I’ve been in positions like that: we’ve been in the lead many a time when the car has stopped and I know how it feels. But it’s always good to look at the glass half full because today he still got some great points even though he had that problem and he was an outlier all weekend – even to his team-mate, he was so much faster than his team-mate all weekend so he has so many positives to take from it and we have a lot of work to do to try and keep up with him!

CL: Yes, well, it’s always a tricky situation when you get to fight your team-mate because the risks are very high and, as in every team, I think, they warn you before the race: OK, you can try things on different people, but with your team-mate, please be careful – which is something normal. So it’s always obviously that something more. But yeah, I had the opportunity on lap five and I didn’t hesitate, I just sent for it. I was happy it was successful the first time I tried, especially after the bad start. So yeah, happy with how it ended-up.

Q: (Ben Anderson – F1 Racing) Charles, you mentioned just after the race that you were lucky in an unlucky situation because of concerns over fuel. Was that a result of the problem you had with the MGU-H or were you struggling with fuel before the problem struck?

CL: No, no. It was just the result because of obviously being very slow on the straight, we were spending a lot more time on the straight so you are using a lot more fuel than normal so it was just a normal consequence of the lack of power on the straights.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Charles, at the start you lost the lead, obviously. How did you feel about that at the time, what was your approach after that and then we heard you come on the radio and say to the team ‘guys, I’m quicker’? Were you worried at that point that you weren’t going to be allowed to race and try to pass Sebastian?

CL: No, I was just letting them know. Then I think I had an answer, saying to me ‘OK, stay like this for two laps’ but then on the next straight I had the opportunity to go for it, so I went for it and it was a successful pass and then I was just quicker, so then I did my race. Then obviously, to lose the lead in this way it’s always a shame and always a disappointment but I also had a lot of things to do and there were still points to grab so I very quickly got back to focus on my race. Obviously the win was out of reach because of the problem but there were still very important points to gain. I just tried to focus as much as possible, meet the disappointment on one side and… yeah.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, it seems to me that those extra points for fastest laps are working because you are now leading because of that. Do you agree?

VB: Fully agree. They are points that will count at the end of the championship. Obviously, now, at this point, it doesn’t matter much but what matters is at the end of the championship and we’ve seen many championships finishing with very small margins. Today it was a bit out of reach with the strong pace of Ferrari, they got it, but yeah, for sure while there is this opportunity it’s going to be important but anyways, even though it felt a super-difficult race I’m happy to be getting this amount of points because in the end, consistency is going to be the key.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) We go to China and Baku, circuits with completely different characteristics to this one. Do you think the picture we have here we can transport to other rounds of the season?

LH: I think it’s really difficult to say, honestly. We’ve only had two races and they’ve been flipside, you know, both sides. One where we were rapid and far ahead and this weekend where they were.  So as always, every season, it takes a good few races before you kind of get a gist of where it all is but I anticipate it’s going to be back and forth between the two of us. If they have this straight speed in the next race then we’ll be watching them disappear but obviously we’re going to be working hard to try and understand where we went wrong this weekend and if we can improve the car but as you can see, reliability is also a very very key important part, so we’ve just got to keep working on all areas.

VB: Agree.

CL: No, as Lewis said, I think we struggled quite a lot in Australia. Here the car felt a lot better overall. Now we just need to work and make it feel that way every race weekend, but obviously the track characteristics are also taken into account. It has been a good weekend for us but that doesn’t mean it will be like this for the rest of the season, so we need to work and try to keep the position that we’ve had this weekend but it’s obviously not going to be easy.

Q: (Rebecca Clancy – The Times) Charles, you mentioned earlier that you were so close to fulfilling a childhood dream. Does today feel like the cruellest race you’ve had in your career?

CL: I will not go to that extreme because I think Formula Two in Monaco was probably the worst I’ve ever had but yeah, because it’s still a podium and it’s my first podium in Formula One so in a way I feel I should enjoy it, the way I felt like there was a lot more to take this weekend but yeah, overall, of course, it’s not the ideal race we wanted but we shall be happy about our third place despite problems.

2019 Bahrain GP: Post-Qualifying Press Conference.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA.com

DRIVERS 1 – Charles LECLERC (Ferrari) 2 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari) 3 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Paul Di Resta)

Q: Charles, it’s your first ever pole position in Formula One, your second grand prix with Ferrari, you’ve looked in control all weekend, and you’ve got the job done.

Charles LECLERC: Yeah, I’m extremely happy. Obviously in the last race I was not very happy with my qualifying – I did some mistakes in Q3 – and I really worked hard to try to not do the same mistakes here. It seems we did quite a good job, a front-row lockout and yeah, extremely happy.

Q: How hard is it to come to grand prix tracks and be up against a four-time world champion in the same car and try and get that task and take that [pole]? 

CL: It’s obviously extremely hard because Seb is an amazing driver and I’ve learned a lot from him and I will probably learn all year long with him. But today I am very happy to be in front of him, so yeah, it’s a good day for me.

Q: And the plan tonight.
CL: Oh, going to sleep and work hard for the race tomorrow.

Q: Sebastian, you line up on the first row of the grid. You had to use an extra set of tyres in Q2. Did that compromise your last run and leave a bit of safety there? 

Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, of course. You have to first of all make it to the end. Maybe I was a bit shy in the second sector but in the end I think Charles did a very good job today and he deserves to be on pole, so happy with the one run I had at the end to get second and it puts us in a good place for tomorrow.

Q: And I guess happy to think that pace in Barcelona and what happened in Melbourne, to come here and dominate so far this weekend with Ferrari? 

SV: Yeah, definitely. As I said that’s the main thing. I also said to the team that the main thing is that we got the job done, so this weekend the car felt a lot better all throughout the weekend, and it’s only getting better. Hopefully we can carry that into the race tomorrow.

Q: Good luck tomorrow. Lewis, you had a job this weekend; Ferrari have been on a different level. I guess you can be happy that you got closer but the hard work starts tomorrow again? 

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, definitely. I really enjoyed qualifying and it was great to see the progression for us over the weekend. The Ferraris have been incredibly quick. Charles did an incredible job, so congratulations to him. It was very close between me and Sebastian. The last lap, there was a little bit of time there, but that’s the fun of the whole game. Tomorrow’s the important day and it will be interesting to see how we do but we’re going to give them a good fight that’s for sure.

Q: Do you still believe you can win this race after the pace they’ve shown this weekend? 

LH: They’ve shown incredible pace but it doesn’t mean that they can’t be beat. We’re going to work at it; we’ll just keep our heads down and see what happens.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Charles, many congratulations, a huge day for you. Can you just describe your emotions right now?

CL: Well, a lot of emotions. I’m trying to stay as cool as possible because, unfortunately, there are no points awarded for the pole position and all points will be awarded tomorrow. So, of course I’ll enjoy the moment, it has been a great day and a great weekend overall until now for us, and I hope it will continue tomorrow. The target now is to focus on the race and try to do the best race possible – but obviously it’s amazing to be here.

Q: You were fastest in all three segments of qualifying. You set a new track record. Leave anything on the table or was that last lap in Q3 perfect?

CL: Yeah, I think you can always do better. I am overall very happy with my lap in Q3. I think that was my weakness in the first race and yeah, I was disappointed after qualifying because of this. Today I am very satisfied. I think I put all three of my best sectors together, which is what I wanted. Then, of course, you can always do better but I’m extremely happy.

Q: Sebastian, compromised in Q3 by getting just that one run. I was just wondering if we could get a few thoughts from you about the turnaround by Ferrari from Melbourne two weeks ago. You’re now first and second on the grid and it wasn’t the same back there.

SV: No, I mean obviously we’re both much happier with the car this weekend. I think, the credit really goes to the team because it’s a team effort. I mean, in the end, we didn’t feel very happy with the car in Melbourne and the team has done very, very hard work trying to understand why, and I think we had some answers coming here, proving today that we are running at the front and fighting for pole. Locking out the front row for Ferrari is, yeah, a great testament of their work, first of all. Happy, obviously, not exactly my day but that’s how it goes, so I look forward to tomorrow.

Q: And a quick word about the man on your left?

SV: Well congratulations, I said to him earlier to suck it in, enjoy it. It’s his day in the end of the day. Certainly my day was not ideal but even, I think, with an ideal day, it would have been very difficult to beat him today. So, welll done. My first pole is a while ago but certainly it’s a day you never forget.

Q: Lewis, pole position in Melbourne two weeks ago, third today. A few thoughts from you about how that session went and the performance of the Mercedes.

LH: Firstly, congratulations to Charles. He did an incredible job, really really happy for him. The first pole is a dream that you set for yourself when you’re young. It only comes once, so he truly deserves. it. I had a pretty good session in general. Yesterday was a real struggle. All weekend we’ve seen incredible pace from the Ferraris. Honestly I didn’t know if we’d be as close as we were at the end because they were pulling some serious speeds on the straights, which is generally where we lost a lot of the time today. It was just in straight line. Great turnaround for them. I think my sessions went relatively smoothly. I’ve got the extra tyre for tomorrow, which I’m happy about and… yeah… I’m just excited because it was a close battle and that’s really how it should be. Three-thousandths, or whatever it was between myself and Sebastian. I definitely had it in that lap, the excitement of being on the edge and kind of having it and not having it is what makes it exciting. I couldn’t have done the same time as Charles, so we’ve got work to do but tomorrow is where the points are bagged. So, we will just focus, keep our heads down, try to maximise our strategy and our tyres tomorrow.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Lewis and Sebastian: when you had your first pole, you won. What are your expectations for Charles tomorrow?

SV: I think we both hope he doesn’t win! Straightforward! Obviously we’re racing for the same team, so I think for both of us, we’re hoping to have a strong race tomorrow. If you start one-two, you want to finish one-two, so yeah, that’s the objective for tomorrow. Nevertheless, it’s a long race. I think taking care of the tyres will be crucial. I think on one-lap pace we looked very, very strong this weekend so far, so yeah, quali was all about confirming that and for the race I think it will be a very, very close battle with Mercedes – and also Red Bull.

Lewis, anything to add?
LH: I commented earlier on his laps. He was quickest in every session so its very clear he had the pace and did a great job.

Q: Do you think you have the pace to beat them tomorrow?

LH: From my pace yesterday, no – but I made changes to the car overnight and during the day today so I’m hopeful the car is in a better position. This is honestly a weak circuit for me. That’s why I’m a little more upbeat – because I had a deficit fo three-tenths at least all day yesterday to Valtteri and managed to turn that around a little bit. The race here last year was quite strong. Ultimately, I had a gearbox penalty but now we’re in a much better fighting position. It’s very, very hard this race. It’s very tough on the tyres and it’s a physically-challenging circuit It is incredibly challenging for the car as well, so I just hope that there’s some excitement tomorrow – one way or another.

Q: (Ben Anderson – F1 Racing) To both Ferrari drivers: Mattia Binotto clarified yesterday that it’s very important that the two drivers are not fighting, taking risks and battling each other. So in that context, how will you approach the start and turn one in tomorrow’s race, considering that you’re on the front row? 

CL: Well, to be completely honest, we haven’t done the pre-race meeting yet so at the moment I don’t know. If you ask me, I will do absolutely everything to keep my first place but obviously, as you said, we are a team also, we need to work together and this will work, for sure.

SV: I think it’s pretty clear that from the team’s point of view we got the front row today and we obviously have a very very tough race ahead of us tomorrow so I think we need to work as a team and try to make sure we stay first and second. I think the order is irrelevant for the team so I think it’s pretty clear. Obviously Charles starts ahead so he has the advantage of pole position and then we will see how it goes.

Q: (Christian Menarth – motorsportmagazin.com) Sebastian, can you explain what happened in the first run in Q2, that you have to do the second run, and did you feel that you lost the tyre set already yesterday because you took a set of softs less than the others?

SV: No, nothing to do with the strategy yesterday and this afternoon. Obviously it was a bit hectic in Q2 and I was just in an unfortunate slot which sometimes is very difficult to control so I got unlucky and didn’t have an option other than following Daniel for the lap and it was very marginal so we had to go again and then we lost a set that we were planning to run in Q3. Not ideal, preparing qualifying and I committed to one run at the end and it was crucial to get that lap to the finish. Second, I think, is alright. Obviously I was hoping for more but I think that is how the day went. I’m quite happy so for tomorrow I think it should be a new day and a different start.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Seb, can you tell us what problems you had? You seemed to have a few lock-ups in Q1 and Q2. 

SV: Yeah, I think overall the car was very strong so far this weekend. I’ve been a little bit more vocal about the rear not being exactly where I wanted it to be. Maybe Charles felt a little bit more confident all weekend but I think our qualifying slipped away a little bit with what happened in Q2 so you lose the rhythm a little bit. It wasn’t ideal but it’s not about, at this point, sitting here now, being P2, is not about arguing here and arguing there. I think you have to give credit to the pole-sitter, especially as it’s his first pole, so again, congrats and the focus should be on Charles today.

Q: (Jacques Deschenaux – Grand Prix Guide) Charles, you are the second youngest pole man in the history of Formula One after Sebastian and the first from Monaco. Did you imagine one month ago that your career with Ferrari would begin and be launched so quickly? 

CL: Not really. I didn’t have any particular expectations from it. I was completely aware of how much of a big step there is, obviously team-wise and also competition-wise because obviously the drivers I’m fighting with now are the best so yeah, I didn’t have any expectations. I’m extremely happy that it has started like this but again, as I said, it’s only qualifying. I hope I will end up and have strong points tomorrow which is the most important (thing) so yeah, we will see, but I am extremely happy to start like this.

Q: (Ben Anderson – F1 Racing) Lewis, you mentioned the struggles yesterday and this track not being a particularly strong one for you. What is it about this circuit that you find difficult and that the team has found difficult this weekend? 

LH: I don’t really know where the performance has gone. As I said, a lot of it is on the straights, if not all of it. So somehow they’ve managed to find a lot more speed on the straights but I think for us, the car has felt OK. It’s just… I’m just thinking that over the years it’s not been a circuit that particularly suited our car, for whatever reason, but I think we got into quite a nice place today and as I said, I think it’s the straight (line) speed was really where we lost a lot of time. In sector one, we’re losing three tenths, two tenths, whatever it is, just on the straightline speed, so that’s a significant amount. We’ve got work to do but I think the race pace was better for Valtteri yesterday, he had a really good long run. I think he had the best on the soft, I believe, so I’m hopeful that we have that performance tomorrow.

Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Are you confident with your race pace, in the case of Ferrari on soft tyres and in the case of Mercedes on the medium tyres and what does the strategy depend on, a one or a two stop strategy? What does it depend on? 

CL: Yeah, I am satisfied with the race run we have done yesterday, also with the softs. I think it was pretty close between… Valtteri, I think, did a long run on soft and myself… so yeah, I think we are pretty strong on that and then on the one stop or two stops again, we will review that tomorrow morning before the race so for now, I don’t know.

SV: Nothing to add.

LH: You will find out in the morning!