Q: Andrea, why do not we begin with you? It isn’t a house race for McLaren, however it’s a dwelling race for you. You have to have nice recollections of Emilia, and I am pondering of battles whenever you had been at Ferrari between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Simply inform us how particular this one is for you.
Andrea Stella: Oh yeah, undoubtedly a particular venue. I work in Components 1, however I even have various ardour for Components 1, and Imola resonates with this ardour. Let me say, initially, from a circuit viewpoint – the structure, the quick, flowing and slender monitor – you do not discover many prefer it. Suzuka is one other one. Fairly unforgiving; as quickly as you make a mistake, it may be fairly penalising. The going up and downhill. I believe it is nice for the drivers, it is nice for the followers, and we do hope that this venue will keep as a part of the calendar for the long run as a result of this could be incredible for Components 1. You talked about recollections, and also you talked about the battles with Fernando Alonso. Sure, they had been very fascinating and, curiously, they had been reverse sides in 2005 and 2006. So, it goes again within the years, however I want to take this chance – particularly for the youthful followers – to go and try these two races, 2005 and 2006, as a result of that was, I believe in each instances, one of many closest races we’ve had in dry circumstances. For me, a few further recollections – 2003, this Imola, I am significantly hooked up to that race, as a result of it was the season changer within the championship with Michael Schumacher. After a tough begin, we gained right here in Imola. I do do not forget that weekend very effectively, prefer it was yesterday, after which the season modified after that success. The ultimate one is the winter testing of 2004. On the time, you may nonetheless take two vehicles of various seasons, and we had the 2003 and 2004 vehicles right here in Imola, they usually had been going round on the identical time – one pushed by Michael and one pushed by Rubens – and we realised that we had an excellent automobile in hand for 2004 as a result of the lap time and the consistency of that automobile was nice. So, so much hooked up to this circuit, undoubtedly from me. I want to take benefit, should you permit me – and hopefully I am not abusing all my time – as we talked about recollections, to pay tribute to Fabrizio Borra. Fabrizio, I received to know him as Fernando Alonso’s physio in 2010. Since then, we’ve shared a journey in Components 1. He has all the time been, since then, an incredible good friend to me. Fabrizio was an individual of dedication and generosity – an individual that utilized this dedication and generosity to the individuals, but additionally to the topic that he was the professional on. For me, I keep in mind all of the chats with Fabrizio – I discovered so much from him. He has been not solely the physio and the reference for Fernando Alonso but additionally Gianmarco Tamberi, a gold medallist in excessive bounce, and Marco Pantani in biking – simply to say the flexibility of this particular person. So, it is a massive, massive loss. We’re all very unhappy. All our ideas are with the household, and undoubtedly I need to thanks for giving me the chance to pay tribute to Fabrizio.
Q: Thanks for these type phrases. Fast efficiency query now. You talked a few supercar within the 2004 Ferrari. Clearly the 2025 McLaren could be talked about in an identical vein. Discuss to us about Miami and the dominance you had there. Do you perceive why you had been thus far forward?AS: Speaking about Miami, I believe we’re understanding the strengths of the MCL39, which total is a aggressive automobile, however in some circumstances it appears to have a sure benefit over the remainder of the sector. These circumstances materialised very effectively in Miami with the monitor structure, the pace vary, the ambient temperatures. However we all know very effectively that in another sorts of circuits like Saudi or Japan, it is a totally different story. All the pieces will get quite a bit tighter. So, hopefully we will retain this attribute and this benefit over the course of the season. However I believe this may require the automobile to be developed, to be upgraded, as a result of we see that nobody is ready, nobody is standing nonetheless. We see upgrades being introduced trackside by our opponents. We do plan to improve the MCL39 and try to, if something, probably make the automobile much more appropriate for a wider vary of circumstances and cornering pace.
Q: Remaining one from me: Oscar Piastri was sitting the place you’re yesterday. He talked about marginal beneficial properties and the enhancements he is made since final 12 months. He mentioned he is appeared in each column of efficiency however gave no extra specifics than that. The place have you ever seen Oscar enhance?AS: Properly, I believe a very powerful enchancment, if something, is that Oscar has turn into a quicker driver. I believe when you find yourself a quicker driver then you may have extra alternative, extra time to course of, extra bandwidth to course of issues. And that is true when you find yourself within the automobile, and that is additionally true when you find yourself exterior the automobile. As a result of the pace is there – let’s course of all the opposite marginal beneficial properties that may then then, on the finish of the weekend, represent the efficiency that it’s worthwhile to have the form of outcomes that he is having for the time being. Along with that, over the winter, there’s been a really certain amount of labor that has gone – has paid consideration to totally different areas. It has been fairly holistic. Whereas Oscar is certainly the principle one to reward for these developments, I want to point out the group round Oscar – his engineers and all of the help from the manufacturing unit with all of the evaluation – and even the group, Mark Webber, that works with Oscar. He is undoubtedly an incredible supply of ideas, perception and identification of alternatives. So, there’s various work behind this progress. However in the end, hats off to Oscar who has been in a position to capitalise.
Q: Fred, let’s come to you subsequent. Undoubtedly a house race for Ferrari. Can we begin with that? How a lot of a shot within the arm is it for the group simply to see the tifosi of their 1000’s?Frederic Vasseur: Yeah, nevertheless it’s all the time a particular one. A bit like Monza. This one is totally different as a result of it is even nearer to the manufacturing unit. Lots of people of the group dwell in Bologna and even nearer to the monitor, and this can be a particular place for positive. However on the finish of the day, we’ve to strategy the race in the identical method because the others and attempt to do one of the best job that we are able to. It is maybe an additional stress, however we’ve to take this as a optimistic – as a push greater than one thing else. And to see all of the followers and the tifosi within the grandstands is, for positive, an additional motivation.
Q: Has Lewis commented about it? Is he feeding off the help?FV: Yeah. Even this week, you realize, from the manufacturing unit – from Monday onwards – we had individuals exterior the manufacturing unit in entrance of the gate. It is a big push for the drivers additionally. They had been there within the morning when the drivers arrived, they usually had been there ready till the night. Meaning… I need to take it – and I believe the driving force is doing the identical – to take it as additional motivation and a superb push.
Q: Let’s speak efficiency now. You mentioned yesterday that there have been events this 12 months the place you have left the Grand Prix feeling you have not extracted the utmost from the automobile. Simply how a lot potential does it have and why is it proving so tough to get that efficiency?FV: I believe besides McLaren, who’re flying, we’re all in the identical scenario – generally we’re in a roughly good condition, and generally not. If in case you have a have a look at our efficiency, I believe in Jeddah within the race we had been in a really robust place – we did a really robust race – and in Miami, it was not the case in any respect. It means we’ve to grasp this and make higher utilization of the automobile and the tyres if we need to be extra constant and attempt to catch up slightly bit with McLaren.
Q: You talked about Miami. It was a irritating race for the group on many ranges. You have had a little bit of distance from it now. Let’s begin with the radio site visitors. What classes had been discovered about that?FV: We do not have to study one thing. I took a call – I believe it was a superb one – after which we defined the choice to the drivers. We checked the tip and the chapter was closed. The chapter remains to be open for you, however not for me.
Q: Alright, effectively, let’s throw it ahead to Monaco. Charles dominated that race final 12 months. How a lot confidence do you go to the principality with subsequent week?FV: It isn’t a matter of being assured whenever you go someplace, it is a matter of doing a superb job and to organize very effectively the occasion. We all know that Monaco is a one-off, a particular one. However the scenario is a bit totally different in comparison with final 12 months. We’ve to do one of the best for Monaco, however precisely the identical method we’re making an attempt to do one of the best in Imola. Everyone will push for Monaco – not as a result of it is a particular one which we’ve to do extra or higher. We’re all making an attempt to push at each single occasion of the season. For Charles, it is a bit totally different as a result of he is at dwelling. However I believe now 85% of the drivers are at dwelling in Monaco. It isn’t anymore the case of the previous. However for Charles, it is a particular one – for positive it’s – however we do not have to pay an excessive amount of consideration to this. We simply have to organize the occasion in one of the best ways.
Q: Tim, let’s come to you now. Welcome to the FIA press convention. Good to be again at a group having completed a stint on the FIA?Tim Goss: Thanks very a lot. Yeah… No, no, do not snort, Fred! My time on the FIA was incredible, to be sincere. You realize, it was an actual pleasure and an honour really to be serving to, with the groups, to run the game, in addition to shaping the way forward for the game. And it is a incredible place to be. You get to study a variety of what is going on on. You are feeling that you just’re giving so much again when it comes to the path of the game. However you miss the fervour and the competitiveness, and in the end that attracts you again right into a group. There’s nothing that beats being there – designing, creating a automobile, competing, constructing a group and an organisation that may work throughout disciplines, throughout areas in our case. So, no – in the end, it is the joy and the fervour. When the crimson lights exit, there’s one thing that you just’re invested in, versus simply watching.
Q: You utilize the phrase competitiveness. This 12 months’s automobile is clearly an excellent one. How a lot potential do you assume it has?TG: Definitely, we discovered so much from final 12 months’s upgrades – what labored and what did not – discovered so much about how we labored collectively, how we made these decisions, what traits had been vital, and we went concerning the 2025 automobile in a barely totally different method. We additionally recognised throughout 2024 that our race tempo wasn’t ok. We had been qualifying effectively however spent our races defending relatively than consolidating our place. We constructed on these learnings over the winter and focused on offering a automobile that not solely had load enchancment however had a platform the race engineers may entry extra successfully – when it comes to set-up and controllability from the automobile – and that allowed the drivers to get extra out of the working envelope. That in itself just isn’t information to any Components 1 group, however you must attempt to get the stability of getting these traits proper in opposition to final load. I believe we discovered so much out of 2024 and early 2025 and reaped the rewards with this automobile.
Try our Friday gallery from Imola right here.
