© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Here is the transcript of the Post 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying track interviews and press conference featuring Lewis Hamilton.
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Johnny Herbert)
Q: Lewis, what a result. Were you expecting that? Tell us about the lap first?
Lewis HAMILTON: The lap was OK. I think we definitely weren’t expecting that and this is such a monumental result for us because we have been struggling like you wouldn’t believe all weekend, you can see it. We kept our composure. We continue to have difficult discussions in the background, challenging each other and just never taking no for an answer. We’ve moved around and made so many changes over these two days, just chasing our tails. It’s been so difficult. But I think the work overnight and particularly between the sessions has been amazing from the team and I’m really proud of everyone for keeping positive and to be up there so close to these guys it’s a great, great start.
Q: The track didn’t look as if it was suiting you. Did the cooler track surface help you? You had a lot more shading around the circuit?
LH: I don’t think that helps us because it’s crazy trying to switch these tyres on. Working and trying to find the envelope for this car is… it’s been like the biggest challenge we’ve had in a long time, trying to understand what the car really wants. She has not been happy all weekend. She’s been a bit of a disaster, so for us to be up here and even Valtteri getting into the top 10 that’s a massive leap and that’s down to great, great teamwork, so big thanks to everyone.
Q: Challenges have been difficult. You have a big challenge tomorrow. How do you feel you will be in a competitive way in the race?
LH: Well, our race pace was a lot better than our single lap pace. We’re miles off on a single lap, but we’re a lot closer in race pace. We don’t understand why but I would like to think we are in the same position so we can take the fight to these guys.
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PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Lewis, coming to you, very well done and what a recovery by you and Mercedes. Just how much satisfaction does this give you?
LH: Honestly, it’s one of the greatest feelings for us, for the experience we’ve gone through, for the difficult experience we’ve gone through and being out of the top ten all weekend and really struggling to understand and extract performance from our car but it’s… yeah, it feels fantastic. Congratulations to Charles who did a fantastic job given the difficult circumstances out there. Yeah, just a bit overwhelming, really happy to be up here, grateful to have got the lap in and puts us in for a much different race than we anticipated after yesterday.
Q: Lewis, how good was the lap? Was there more to come, do you think?
LH: I think there was a little bit more to come, so I was excited for the last run. I think it would have been close but I can’t say that I would have been quicker than Charles but I definitely think there was time left on the table. I think I was a little bit too close to Valtteri on that first lap. So, I struggled. I was a bit down in the middle sector because I was just too close to the car ahead – but anyways, I will take it. We’ve got a long race tomorrow. It’s very difficult race here but just really, incredibly proud of the guys, the whole crew for the amazing work. For everyone just being open-minded. We’ve made a lot of changes, there’s been so much work back at the factory overnight, and then obviously even during today, so, I hope everyone’s happy and we’ve still got to do the job tomorrow.
Q: Lewis, you ended Friday here in Baku 11th. Is this the biggest overnight turnaround you’ve experienced in your career at Mercedes?
LH: It wasn’t overnight! We got to P3 and it was still pretty much a disaster in P3. So, it’s the biggest jump that we’ve been able to make on an actual day between P3 and Quali, for sure. It literally was night and day, the car. We discovered something at the end of P3 and I continued to push down in that direction and it paid dividends, so I’m really happy about it.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Lewis, you said the changes you made led to a night and day difference in the car. Could you explain a bit more what those changes were – and also the decision to have two warm-up laps in qualifying before starting your flyers. How much of a difference did that make, to get more one-lap pace out of the car?
LH: Basically, we arrived here, it didn’t feel too bad in P1 and then obviously as we got through the rest of the sessions, two and three were pretty much a disaster. We did some changes overnight which didn’t rectify the issue going into today. Then in P3 we tried a few different things and then just managed it. We tried something right at the end, just with the set-up and it unlocked the potential a little bit. And it was really just about getting the tyres to work. We just can’t get our tyres to switch on like the others generally can, so the night and day difference was that all of a sudden the tyres started working and we were back in the game. It was just then about putting the laps together.
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) This is for Max and Lewis, I guess. Toto and Christian have been exchanging some unpleasantries in the media this weekend. I just wanted to get your thoughts on that, particularly as they are your respective bosses and whether you think that that’s showing how intense this rivalry is between Mercedes and Red Bull?
LH: We should get them in a ring.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, but I think the weight division is a bit of a problem. In the height, the reach…
LH: They’re the same weight, just difference in height.
MV: I’m mean I’m all for a ring anyway, even in Formula 1 – instead of penalties!
Q: What does it say about the rivalry?
MV: It’s Formula 1, there are a lot of stakes involved so everyone wants to win, everyone is competitive, so I guess it’s just a natural thing and it’s good for people to read, right? Bit of fire behind it.
LH: Yeah, I think we’ve naturally got… naturally, they’re the two top leaders of the teams and they’ve both contributed hugely to the success of both teams and great leaders and of course they’re head-to-head because we are head to head in this tight battle. We generally just like to do our talking on the track so we’re just keeping our heads down.
Q: (Scott Mitchell – The Race) Lewis, on the work that you’ve done on the car for this event, obviously we know that Baku is a really difficult place to judge exactly what you do with wing levels. How important what it to crack that code, because it looked like going with low downforce you had tremendous speed in the final sector by the time qualifying came around but you didn’t seem to sacrifice too much round the rest of the lap, however?
LH: No. I mean really kind of hard to explain the emotions that we’ve run through for the past day. And when we’re talking about the set-up changes, none of us… it’s difficult for us firstly to understand why we are in the position we are in because we’re trying lots of different things and we don’t always get the results that you’re expecting to get and no matter what we’re doing, we couldn’t really fix it. So, from my point, I’m pushing the guys – I want to try this, I want to try that – and naturally when you do that, I had a lot of anxiety because you don’t know if you’re going to get it right or get it wrong and it means that you’re out of top ten, like we were earlier this morning and then yesterday. So yeah, eventually just had to let it go, literally ten minutes before the session we finished… we were here last night until 11 ‘o clock. Again, just before the session, ten minutes, just before, we were still making small changes and just had to shake it up and go for it and just go all out. It’s an amazing feeling. I think we’ve got the right balance with the wing. Do we have the perfect wing? I’m sure you could always say you could have a slightly better balance but it did the job today so… I think for a race pace we weren’t as quick as the Red Bulls, I think, but we were in the mix, so I think tomorrow we should be close to these guys, hopefully.
Q: ( Luke Smith – Autosport) Another question for Lewis: this is the second race in a row that we’ve seen Ferrari take pole position and there seems to be a bit of a resurgence for them. How much are you enjoying this fight at the front is opening up to be more than just two drivers and two teams? You’ve got Charles and Ferrari really pushing you as well now.
LH: Yeah, I mean it’s a fantastic step that they’ve taken. I don’t fully understand it. I think they’ve always had a good car for some time and just down in power. I’m assuming they’ve taken a really good step with their engines because they’re now up there with everyone else. I think they already had a good car, I think it is… through corners they are very similar to all of us, I think, in Bahrain. It was just down the straights they were losing out so that’s… but then in these places they’re mastering these tyres, every single lap so it’s great to see three teams – three, four teams – at the front. It’s great seeing the Renaults [sic, Alpines], it’s great seeing the McLarens in the mix and even the AlphaTauris – it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons that we’ve seen.
Source: FIA.com
