1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
2 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)
3 – Sebastian VETTEL (Ferrari)
PODIUM INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Kai Ebel)
Lewis, congratulations, you equalled Senna’s record; tell us about your
magic start. ?
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, well I firstly have to say a big thank you to all
these fans that have come and stood in the rain… I don’t know if anyone can
hear us… Oh you hear us: Konnichi-wa! Really I’m so happy right now. The
team has done a fantastic job this weekend. It’s great to be back up here
with a one-two. I had a great start. Thanks again to the team for working so
hard to make sure we get good starts this race. For me to come here to a
race where I used to love watching Ayrton drive and to match his wins… yeah,
I can’t really describe it, it doesn’t really feel real at the moment.
So how important was it for you to strike back after Singapore?
LH: It definitely was important for us to strike back. The Ferraris were
incredibly quick in the last race and I guess we didn't bring our A-game, so
we really had to take a step back in these last few days and make sure we
brought it here and, as I said, couldn’t have done it without this team.
Just remarkable what they’ve done. The car was beautiful to drive today.
Thanks Lewis. Coming over to you Nico. Fantastic fight-back to the podium
but tell me what happened when the light went out?
Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, Lewis just got a better start, fair play, and then it
was a good battle into Turn One but in Turn Two he had the inside and just
made it stick, so that was the end of it there. Then it was great to fight
back to second place, because fourth place would definitely not have been
acceptable. Second was the best possible thing after that, so I was happy
with the fight-back and great also for us as a team. To be back up here
after Singapore is really awesome.
Seems that Lewis is pulling a little bit away in the championship. Can you
still catch him?
NR: Yeah, for sure, it’s going the wrong way – definitely. I had to win
today, that was important but it didn’t work out. Just need to try to win
next time out.
Sebastian, being here on the podium again after a marvelous victory, what do
you think about it in front of these fantastic Japanese Ferrari fans?
Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, thank you very much. It’s great to be back on the
podium here, it’s, I think, my favourite race; I love the track, I love the
fans, I love the trophies. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the bigger one today;
it was close with Nico. I think we had a chance but it’s always easy with
hindsight. Overall, I think it was a fantastic race. The start was very
tricky and it was interesting to see those two fighting in the first corner
– obviously I could benefit – but, yeah, all in all, very happy with the
race today.
Tell me what direction is Ferrari going in right now – are there more
victories to come this season?
SV: I think we are going in the right direction. Obviously we knew from the
beginning of the season that these boys would be difficult to beat. They’re
doing a great job, first of all, both of them. They have a great car, a
great engine and all in all it makes them difficult to beat. But I think we
are much better than people expected and it’s nice, as I said, to be back on
the podium here. On top of that it’s been 20 years now that I have been with
my helmet supplier Arai. I know that I shouldn’t probably mention this but
it’s something very special. I remember when I was a small child walking in,
so thanks also to all the people in Japan at Arai and yeah, I love this
podium.
Thanks for the commercial block, Seb. Coming back one more time to Lewis.
Lewis, we are in the land of karaoke and you are a brilliant singer, not
only a brilliant driver, so what will be the song you are going to perform
tonight then?
LH: ‘Victory Dance’? I don’t know! I did a song last night called ‘Victory’
so that’s the one I’ll be playing.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Lewis, well done again, congratulations. It seemed to be a trouble-free race
once you had taken the lead at the first corner, but we heard one or two
mentions of heat in your seat, which we’ve heard before, and also vibrations
as well, so how bad was that?
LH: It wasn’t too bad, I've definitely had worse. It was such an amazing
race. This has been a circuit that I can honestly say that I’ve struggled
[at] through all the years that I’ve come here but one that I’ve loved
driving, and I think that goes for all the drivers. But you really want to
come here and dominate at a track like this. I was able to get the balance
in the right place, my engineers did an amazing job – Bonno, Ricky and just
the whole crew did a great job to get the car, with the short amount of time
we had, in a beautiful window. It was better today than it was even in
qualifying. I was really able to work on my lines and improve and at the
front there it was just a beautiful… it’s like sailing. When you go through
the corners here, it’s flowing. Honestly, I wish I could share the feeling
with you. Also knowing that this would be the race that I would equal Aytron,
who won here and who had quite an interesting here. So, yeah, quite an
emotional day. But to be honest I’m not a teary guy, so I’m just full of joy
and happiness and light and I’m really grateful for, as I posted the other
day, all the people who have helped me get to where I am today and this
team, because without them I would not be here.
Q: Nico, can you be as ecstatic about your car as Lewis was about his? And
what about toughing it around the outside at that first corner?
NR: Yeah, for sure the car is really back to its best now and that’s
reassuring after Singapore, so that’s great. Especially in qualifying, it’s
just a pleasure to drive. Like on rails. Then in the the race, yeah, start
of course. Pity to lose out at the start and then big battle around Turn One
and Two and got very close on the exit of Turn Two so I had to back out of
it there and that lost me the race eventually.
Q: Sebastian, it seemed to be damage limitation. You couldn’t really prevent
the undercut and from then on, was there anything you could do about the
Mercedes?
SV: Well I think we thought we were safe because tyres were in reasonable
shape but I think Nico was a surprise, the pace he had in his out-lap. So, I
was very happy with the in-lap, which goes at the same time, but it was a
question of a couple of tenths. Into Turn One he just had the upper hand and
then it was clear it would be difficult because he was catching before. So,
also the fact that Lewis disappeared: they had a bit more speed today so,
yeah. Had we pitted one lap sooner I think it could have been more
interesting and challenging for Nico to get past. It’s not so easy to follow
the cars here through the high-speed sections, so I think we had a good
chance but, yeah, probably underestimated the out-lap that he had, so, with
hindsight, it’s always easy so, nevertheless, it’s a great day. Good
recovery. Especially as Friday wasn’t that good for us. I know it was wet
but still, the feeling we go was not that great. Saturday morning as well.
So, yeah, good quali and obviously that was the base for another podium
today.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Lewis and Nico. Can you describe
for us the way you start? Is it a different way or is it the same way for
both of you?
LH: Individually are they different? It’s the same sequence for both of us.
Yeah, it’s been the same pretty much since we got to Formula One. It’s not
really changed, the start, has it? I mean, you have to go through a
different sequence to get to the same thing but it’s just a different
equation basically.
NR: It’s the same but you do have your own individual input and you can do
your individual thing. You can fine tune it to your liking.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sorry for Nico but we need
to come back to that moment where you were a little bit out of the track. Do
you think it was a little bit too harsh, Lewis? And for Sebastian, a
question, now you are 59 points behind Lewis is it realistic to think that’s
it’s fight for the championship or is it done?
NR: I haven’t even seen it myself on TV. For sure it was close, I had to
avoid a collision. It’s difficult for me to comment now.
Sebastian?
SV: It’s not done ‘til it’s done. So, the chance is there – and what kind of
racing driver would I be if I stopped believing? So, of course I know it’s
difficult because the opponent is very strong. They are currently in
stronger form than us, so it’s not easy to turn things around when you are
behind – but you have to keep believing otherwise I guess it’s pointless
rocking up and trying to fight. I think there’s always a chance on Sunday.
Being realistic, as I said, I think it will be very, very difficult but who
knows what’s going to happen. We have to do our thing and that’s the maximum
we can do. Everything else is not in our hands, it’s probably in there
hands.
Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and Speed Sport magazines) Lewis, could you
give us your view of that very close moment there coming out of turn two
with Nico?
LH: I didn’t really feel it was particularly that close but the inside line
is the inside line, so I had my corner and so we were very very close but I
was basically understeering, I was running out of grip. I imagine Nico was
running out of road, but that’s what happens when you’re on the outside.
Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Seb, are you confident in the
development of the car for the next races and the end of the season,
considering that maybe you are going to use a fifth engine with more
upgrades? You still have four tokens to spend.
SV: Well, there are still some races to go. We are pushing as hard as we
can. Obviously last weekend and this weekend were very different but I think
it’s more down to them struggling but we had very strong form in Singapore
and we used our chance. It’s very simple; if the chance is there, we have to
use it. We know though that they are very very strong so we will do
everything we can in the remaining races of this year, trying to catch them,
trying to improve ourselves first of all. I think there are always lessons
to learn; this weekend was interesting. Again, thinking about tyres: Friday,
Saturday, I think there are some lessons and some things that we can
improve. On top of that, as I said, we try to improve the car naturally. I
think the times of big updates, they are over. We try every race to bring
everything we have and yeah, everything else we will see when we get there.
Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) A question again to Lewis and Nico about the
start: do you prepare your start differently, Nico and Lewis, on the
formation lap? Do you prepare it differently and can you explain why it was
so good for you, Lewis, and so bad for you, Nico?
LH: Honestly, there’s not really much difference. You have to do your
sequence when you leave the grid, then you do a normal start. It’s the same
movement with the paddles. The input differences are the reaction time from
the paddle and then how smooth you are with the second paddle in terms of
how you... and also how smooth you are with the throttle which makes the
difference generally. And also obviously the clutch has to perform,
sometimes it overperforms but with the new rules we generally have the same
set-up with that. So yeah, I guess it’s just the luck of the draw: sometimes
it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong, sometimes you’ve got the clutch too hot,
sometimes you’ve got it too cold, sometimes you have your tyres too cold,
sometimes you have them too hot. So it’s a combination of things, but
generally the sequence is very very similar between – I’m pretty sure – the
whole grid.
NR: It’s always the same thing, the same we practise before the formation
lap, going through the pit lane and then on the exit of the pit lane,
formation lap practice, so you get a feel for it. That’s it.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) For all of you: some of your
colleagues yesterday were worried about the tyre pressures. They said there
was too much pressure and they were worried they might have some problems
during the race. Have you been affected in the race by that?
NR: No, not at all. Everything was perfect. No problems at all.
SV: Were you low again? I’m joking. You can laugh as well. It was a joke,
come on.
NR: I’m smiling!
LH: I don’t know really. All I know is that the tyres were... we don’t say
it very often but the tyres were pretty amazing, particularly in the last
stint. They were the best they’ve felt for a long time. They really felt
really good but it must have been how it felt for him (Vettel) in the last
race. Through qualifying, they were good but generally in the race it was
getting better and better as the car gets lighter and stuff but I don’t
think they were a problem this weekend.
SV: No comment really. |