Half One: Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso.
Q: Charles, maybe we might begin with you. Excellent to see you. Now, you narrow a annoyed determine after the race in Las Vegas on the weekend. What had been your fundamental frustrations?Charles Leclerc: I do not wish to return to what occurred in Vegas. Yeah, I imply, final two races of the season and we have to do completely the whole lot as a way to get that Constructors’ Championship. That is all that issues. And no matter occurred in Vegas, we mentioned about it and we’re all good, which is crucial factor. I had no doubts about that as a result of we have all the time had a very good relationship with Carlos and we have had races the place typically issues do not go precisely the best way we would like, however crucial factor is that we talk about about it and we go ahead. It’s extremely clear for each of us that we simply wish to win the Constructors’ and it is by working as a crew that we’ll obtain that. And I am certain that there will not be any issues with it.
Q: Simply to make clear, so that you and Carlos have cleared the air since then?CL: Precisely.
Q: Alright. Properly, let’s speak a little bit bit extra about this battle within the Constructors’ Championship. You’re 24 factors behind McLaren. There are 103 nonetheless on the desk. How do you see these subsequent two races by way of competitiveness out of your standpoint?CL: I believe that realistically right here, it’ll be a bit extra of a troublesome weekend. Nonetheless, it is a Dash weekend as properly. And if we do issues actually proper from the primary few laps and the automobile is in the appropriate place from the primary laps in FP1, it will probably make an enormous distinction and far greater than any of the automobile traits we could have seen or anticipate for the weekend. So I believe that on paper it would not seem to be it’ll be our strongest observe. Nonetheless, issues can nonetheless flip our means and we’re tremendous motivated to show us fallacious.
Q: Regardless of what occurs within the Constructors’ Championship or certainly the Drivers’ Championship, as a result of you possibly can nonetheless end P2, how will you look again on the 2024 season?CL: I believe if we examine this one to the earlier years, we have achieved a great job in maximising the factors and minimising the loss in races the place now we have struggled as a crew. And that is a very optimistic factor, which I believe prior to now wasn’t essentially the case. I believe, as a crew, we had been much more weak to what was taking place across the crew and it was making us going a bit up and down, emotionally talking, and now we’re much more strong. That does not imply that it is adequate but as a result of clearly, as a matter of reality, we have misplaced the Drivers’ Championship final weekend, and even earlier than, however we’re a extra strong crew and we’re stepping into the appropriate route. So I believe it has been a optimistic season and we’re going into the appropriate route.
Q: Alright. Charles, thanks for that. Pierre, let’s come to you now. Disappointing finish in Vegas, however let us take a look at the positives, that sensible P3 on the grid. Do you and the crew perceive the place that efficiency got here from now?Pierre Gasly: Yeah, it was a reasonably good qualifying. I believe, general, the previous couple of weekends have been… We have been in a greater form since Austin. We introduced some new elements, we have managed to get to Q3 the final 4 weekends and it looks like we discovered fairly a pleasant movement. I believe in Vegas we simply made one of the best out of the circumstances. It was fairly difficult, road observe, very chilly. Acquired in a pleasant place with the automobile. And once we obtained to Q3, we had a single lap, however we actually managed to place the whole lot to it. And yeah, it put us in an incredible place. So it was an incredible achievement, particularly wanting again at Bahrain, first race of the 12 months, I lined up in twentieth, you recognize. We had been completely nowhere. So whenever you have a look at all of the evolution and growth, it undoubtedly exhibits we’re on track and it is undoubtedly optimistic.
Q: And what about this weekend? As a result of it is a fast observe, it is a easy observe and also you certified very properly right here final 12 months. Are you coming right here with lots of confidence?PG: Yeah, I believe we might be assured. We’re within the combat for sixth within the championship. We all know the goal. We all know who we’re combating. Haas and AlphaTauri (sic) are additionally aggressive. They’ve proven to be in that high ten a lot of the previous few races. And it’ll be a decent combat, however I anticipate an thrilling one. So I am certain we’ll be within the combine. And I am wanting ahead to those final two weekends.
Q: And Pierre, you made reference there to the enhancements you have made to the automobile since Bahrain. However can we get your ideas on 2024 as an entire from a crew perspective? As a result of it has been one in all transition, is not it? There’s been workers actions and also you’re altering teammates and all this stuff. How do you replicate on the final 12 months as an entire?PG: I might say it was a really disappointing begin of the season. We anticipated it. We had a tough winter, did not handle to get the automobile within the place we wished to start out in Bahrain. However when you get the instruments you’ve gotten at first of the 12 months, you have to work your greatest means with it. And I should have been very impressed with the crew in the best way they’ve managed to show issues round. The understanding, recognizing the place [are] the restrictions of the automobile, discovering options to it. And I need to say I am undoubtedly extra assured than ever into going to ’25 with a transparent concept of the place we’re heading, the adjustments we will make. I undoubtedly imagine the automobile goes to be in a a lot better place to start out with. And yeah, it simply brings confidence to all of us. So there have been lots of adjustments. I believe lots of optimistic adjustments internally, which aren’t very apparent from the surface. However I believe we’re shaping up a a lot better crew begin of ’25 in comparison with the place we had been a few months in the past.
Q: So the foundations are actually in place so that you can transfer ahead?PG: Yeah, I imply, there’s nonetheless massive, massive work forward. You understand, like wanting on the high 4, it nonetheless looks like they’re in a special league, particularly come race day. However yeah, it is going to be undoubtedly beginning, hoping, to shut that hole and hopefully see us in a position to combat extra persistently within the high ten and hopefully within the high 5 on some events.
Q: OK, Pierre, thanks for that. Fernando, let’s come to you. Speaking of constructing foundations, one thing you stated earlier than the summer time break was that you just wished to make use of the second half of 2024 to place the foundations in place for a greater ’25. Do you are feeling you have achieved that?Fernando Alonso: Yeah, it goes up and down for everyone. Tough to make sure of that, however I believe we did not handle to enhance the automobile a lot all through the season. So we began fairly robust, however we are actually able that we’re struggling to be in Q3 on some events. However yeah, on the similar time, all these difficulties, I believe, in all probability are instructing us lots of classes, which we’ll apply into subsequent 12 months’s automobile. And that will probably be in all probability the largest optimistic side of the second a part of the 12 months, you recognize, that even when we did not achieve placing a lot efficiency on the automobile, I believe it is properly understood what we’re scuffling with in the mean time. In order that will probably be making use of in 2025.
Q: Are you able to inform us a little bit bit extra concerning the struggles? Since you’ve had a reasonably tough experience of it since Singapore, have not you?FA: Yeah, I believe even earlier than that, I believe Baku and Singapore had been simply good Sundays, due to a great qualifyings on Saturday, road circuits, we maximised, I believe, the alternatives there. And a few of our rivals, you recognize, possibly did not carry out to perfection there. So, yeah, I believe after the summer time break, we have been struggling a little bit bit, however the crew remains to be working flat out to convey upgrades. And as I stated, even when not all of them, you recognize, succeed to race within the following weekends, I believe there’s a clear understanding now of the place the trail is into subsequent 12 months’s automobile. So yeah, that is the intention.
Q: You stated after the race in Vegas that you just had been happier with the automobile on the Sunday. Does that provide you with a little bit little bit of confidence coming into this observe, a observe the place you have really gone very properly at?FA: Yeah, undoubtedly. I believe Vegas was obscure the automobile and the low temperatures and to get the grip, the arrogance, excessive velocity. The partitions are very shut. However then on Sunday, already within the laps to the grid, the automobile felt far more alive. And on the race itself, I believe we gained some positions and we had been happier. So yeah, I left Vegas considering that I wish to leap within the automobile once more. and check out. So yeah, tomorrow in FP1 I will probably be pleased.
Questions From The Ground
Q: (Roldan Rodriguez – DAZN Spain) A query to Fernando. Final week, you talked about that no one has been in a position to beat Max Verstappen within the title combat. My query is, would you, in case you have the automobile?FA: Properly, that will probably be a really good factor to attempt, you recognize, to be able to combat for the World Championship. For the time being, we’re not in that place, and subsequent 12 months in all probability goes to be troublesome. However hopefully in ’26, with the brand new guidelines, we’ll have a greater likelihood to attempt not less than. And yeah, to date Max has confirmed, you recognize, not having weak factors, mainly, and he has been all the time delivering the job on Sundays and scoring, you recognize, so many factors when the automobile was good, however so many factors when the automobile was not good as properly. And that is the energy, you recognize, to win a championship. And yeah, you all the time suppose that in case you have an opportunity, possibly issues could possibly be harder for him.
Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports activities F1) Charles, to maneuver ahead to the final couple of races of the season and to work as a crew in all probability requires belief and religion in your crew and your team-mate. What has been stated since Vegas to provide you belief and religion in your crew and your team-mate?CL: Nothing particular, however on the finish, I do not even want that. As I stated, now we have a very good relationship with Carlos. And typically I’ve overstepped the traces, and typically he did. After which it solely requires a dialogue between us two. And we glance ourselves within the eye, and we all know one another since a really very long time now. We perceive one another very, in a short time. So I’ve no doubts. Generally we’d like these type of issues to reset a little bit bit and I’ve no doubts that going into the final race of the season there will not be any issues or in any respect as a result of on the finish it is within the profit for each of us to try to win that constrictors we all know that a possibility like that does not occur fairly often and we have to do completely the whole lot on each of our aspect as a way to try to win that. And we’d like one another as a way to win that as a result of it isn’t going to be straightforward. This weekend is just not going to be straightforward. And by working as a crew, we will possibly obtain that.
