Monitor Interviews – Performed by Nico Rosberg
One of the crucial thrilling F1 seasons of all time has simply come to an finish, Charles. And what a race from you. I imply, lap one, you have been already eighth!Charles Leclerc: Yeah, I knew I needed to be very aggressive. So I knew that in lap one, I needed to take all of the dangers attainable with a purpose to acquire as many locations as attainable, to then be in place for the remainder of the race, this achieved. However then, sadly, we have been simply beginning too far again to do something higher than what we have performed at the moment. I feel we have performed the utmost. It hurts, clearly, as a result of the season was so shut till the tip. It was a tough hit on Friday once we knew we had the penalty. We nonetheless gave all of it and we simply got here in need of our objective, which is a disgrace. However on the finish, we have tried every thing.
I feel you are going to rebuild within the winter now and undoubtedly give it one other shot for the Constructors’ and possibly even for the Drivers’ title subsequent yr.CL: Yeah, I actually hope so. I imply, if we have a look at our first a part of the yr, we have been nowhere close to being within the combat for the Constructors’. Then the second a part of the season was actually good and the staff has performed an unbelievable job. I feel Carlos and I’ve performed a very good job as effectively collectively. So, yeah, we ended sturdy, and I am certain that subsequent yr we’ll hopefully begin as sturdy as what we’ve ended this yr.
Subsequent yr, your teammate is Lewis Hamilton, the best of all time. Are you enthusiastic about that?CL: Yeah, in fact. I imply, Lewis has achieved a lot within the sport and it is going to be a giant motivation. However clearly for now, it is extra fascinated with the previous yr and the previous years I’ve performed with Carlos. We have had an incredible relationship. We have pushed one another. I actually hoped that we may end these 4 years along with a Constructors’ title. We each gave all of it. It wasn’t sufficient. So clearly now the frustration is right here. And yeah, now I’ll have 4 or 5 days to reset and begin fascinated with subsequent yr then.
Thanks very a lot, Charles. Congrats however additionally for P3 within the Drivers’ Championship.CL: Thanks very a lot.
Carlos, are you happy with the P2 right here ultimately or have been you hoping for the win at the moment?Carlos Sainz: Clearly, a little bit of a bittersweet feeling ultimately. V2, I feel, was the utmost we may do at the moment, given the tempo of Lando within the McLaren. Yeah, I gave it every thing, particularly the very first thing. It appeared like we may grasp on to them. Then as quickly as we put the Exhausting tyres, they only gave the impression to be that one or two tenths faster per lap, like we have seen all weekend. And so they simply obtained a bit out of attain. However yeah, congratulations, to begin with, to McLaren. They deserve this championship. They have been rock stable within the final two-thirds of the championship, and so they’ve been unbelievable. From our aspect. I feel we could be happy with the trouble and the championship we put collectively. It has been a tricky yr, however undoubtedly a yr the place we should be happy with and, yeah, hopefully be again right here quickly.
Your time at Ferrari is coming to an finish now. Are the feelings beginning to come by way of? I am certain it was an unbelievable time for you.CS: Yeah, clearly emotional on the in lap with my engineer speaking to me on the radio, Yeah, on the identical time, very grateful, you recognize, to be a part of this wonderful staff for 4 years. I feel I’ve had the chance to win my first races, do my first pole positions, my first podiums. I’ve confirmed to myself and to everybody that I could be combating for race wins and for podiums. If I’ve the proper automobile and my goal is from subsequent yr onwards, focus along with Williams to get again to the place we belong collectively.
Thanks very a lot, Carlos. All the most effective along with your subsequent chapter.CS: Thanks very a lot.
Lando. P1 for you at the moment. Constructors’ champions with McLaren after 26 years. How does that really feel?Lando Norris: Thanks. It feels unbelievable. It feels unbelievable. Not for myself, however earlier than the entire staff. The staff have performed an incredible job this yr to come back from the place we have been initially. I am so happy with everybody. It has been a stunning journey, and to finish the season like that is excellent. So only a congrats and a giant thanks to everybody in McLaren, everybody in papaya, everybody who supported us this yr, as a result of it has been a tricky one, however for us to win a Constructors’ after 26 years is fairly particular.
Take us into this a little bit bit. How are you going to have a good time this? Like, is it going to be huge?LN: Yeah, me and Zak already mentioned we will get completely hammered tonight, so I am excited. You already know, we will have a good time. It is a historic second for the staff. They are going to need to have a good time, and I need to have a good time with them, so it is going to be night time.
Lando, on the in-lap, you mentioned, subsequent yr is my yr. Are you going to be world champion subsequent yr?LN: That is my objective. That is our objective as a staff. We need to win the Constructors’. We need to win the Drivers’ subsequent yr. I made my errors this yr, however I’ve discovered so much, and I’ve discovered so much from Max and my opponents round me. As a lot as I am pleased now, I am excited to get subsequent yr going.
Press Convention
Lando Norris, many congratulations in your fourth win of this 2024 season. An excellent race, and most significantly, your win will get McLaren throughout the road within the Constructors’ Championship. Simply how pleased are you feeling this night?LN: Yeah, I imply, I am very, very pleased. Simply as I am certain everybody within the staff is. Right now was a really special occasion for all of us. It was ours to lose at the moment and I am certain at sure moments folks thought that it was not distant from being misplaced. You already know, two Ferraris up there and Charles doing a fantastic job to get again to the rostrum. Oscar was tremendous unfortunate. He obtained taken out in Flip 1. So for a minute, my coronary heart was like, ‘oh God, it is not wanting as doubtless’. But when I simply stored my head down and stored targeted, I knew I may ship and do what I obtained to do. That is that, however the greater image of us successful a championship for the primary time in 26 years, you would not have thought that whenever you say the title McLaren. It feels unsuitable to say that they’ve not received a championship in 25 years (sic). However for me to be a part of that, for Oscar to be a part of it, is one thing we’re extremely happy with. And delivering that for the staff has put the largest smile as attainable on everybody’s face. That is the largest reward you may give again to everybody who designs the automobile, builds the automobile, will get the companions. Everybody has performed such a giant half, so simply proud. Proud is my greatest factor. In fact, I am pleased I completed the season this manner, however I am far more pleased for the staff than I’m for myself.
And also you’re P2 within the Drivers’ Championship as effectively. Do you imagine in momentum? As a result of when you do, you’ve got obtained it.LN: I do not, so… I do not imagine in a variety of issues, however I feel the one factor I’ve discovered this yr might be to imagine in myself a bit extra. I’ve actually not come out on prime as usually as I’d have preferred in sure moments as a driver, you recognize, particularly in my fights in opposition to Max. As a lot because it hurts generally, I am in all probability pleased about it now that I am going to enter subsequent season realizing that I can combat. And I do know myself, and I do know extra and higher than anybody what I want to enhance on, the place I am not sturdy sufficient, the place I am sturdy sufficient. You already know, I am all the time open for criticism, issues like that. However I am the one who is aware of higher than the others, proper? So not in an smug means or a egocentric means, however I do know that I’ve to enhance in a variety of areas and sure issues. And I really feel like I’ve already performed that rather a lot within the final three, 4, 5 races. I really feel like I’ve delivered some very sturdy outcomes. However on the entire, subsequent yr is hopefully a yr the place I can go in and determine earlier than the primary race we will combat for a championship. We have not ever considered that. We have not even had the sensation of it from a staff perspective and in addition for me as a driver. So hopefully the subsequent yr is that yr. And we clearly have a variety of work to do. And Ferrari are going to be pushing so much. However that is one other yr. For now, I am simply going to have a good time with my staff tonight and have a good time what they deserve.
Lando, only one fast query on the race. How uncovered did you are feeling when Oscar was taken out of the image on the opening lap?LN: Yeah, I used to be watching the TV screens and I noticed Charles was P8 after lap one, so I used to be a little bit bit nervous! However I knew I simply needed to concentrate on myself, put my head down, and Carlos was by no means distant. I feel the largest I obtained the hole was to love 4.2 seconds within the first stint, and that is not a really good hole in my view. It is a bit too near my consolation. So it was nonetheless a tough race, and I am certain there was in all probability much more nervous folks on the pit wall and within the storage, realizing what was at stake and issues, and I’ve obtained the adrenaline of the automobile and targeted on that. For them, they’re simply sitting and watching the screens, and so they have much more time to consider what can go unsuitable and all of that. However, yeah, a disgrace for Oscar. We actually wished to have a one-two at the moment and let McLaren be on prime at the moment as a staff in a race, but in addition for a championship, you recognize, and I felt fairly dangerous for him at first. It wasn’t his fault. However he is had a fantastic yr, so we’ll all have a good time collectively. I actually am. And we’ll have some enjoyable.
Lando, thanks for that. Very effectively performed at the moment. Carlos, let’s come to you now. Many congratulations on a superb last race of 2024 for you. What does it imply to complete your time at Ferrari on the rostrum?CS: Yeah, clearly a little bit of blended emotions, I am not going to lie. I feel all of us got here into this race making an attempt to win the Constructors’ Championship and in the end we did handle to do it. McLaren have put collectively a really sturdy weekend. Lando hasn’t put a foot unsuitable all race and all weekend. And ultimately, congratulations to them as a result of they deserve it. On my aspect, I attempted to do every thing I may to maintain inside attain of McLaren. Earlier than the race we knew that McLaren might need one or two tenths of tempo on us and that was sufficient, you recognize, to drag a little bit of a niche earlier than the pit stops or in the course of the race to have a little bit of a buffer and to not really feel an excessive amount of stress. I feel I had a really sturdy first stint, managed to maintain them inside attain and inside stress margins, particularly after I was advised Charles was coming in comeback. Oscar had clearly that incident in lap one, I assumed, we’d have a little bit of an opportunity, however then little by little it began to fade. After we placed on the Exhausting tyres, like we have seen in lots of instances this yr, the McLaren upped the tempo a bit, flip up the tempo a bit, and so they began pulling away two, three tenths per lap, and that was sufficient for them to have that security margin and convey it house. And from our aspect, I feel we did every thing we may. Each Charles and I’ve given completely every thing this weekend. It hasn’t been a straightforward weekend for me, clearly, realizing it was the final one. However I did the most effective I may to remain targeted and to do the utmost that the automobile may do at the moment, I feel.
