TEAM REPRESENTATIVES - Simone RESTA (Mercedes), Adrian NEWEY (Aston Martin), Pierre WACHÉ (Red Bull Racing)

Q: Welcome, everybody, to our team press conference ahead of the FIA Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix. From left to right today, we’re joined by Simone Resta, Adrian Newey and Pierre Waché. A very warm welcome to you all. Adrian, if we could start with you, please. You’re running a heavily revised car here. How’s it going? What feedback have you had from the drivers so far?
Adrian NEWEY: We only really got properly running, with data acquisition, first of all, and then, with Fernando, we got onto soft tyres near the end. Very early days in terms of understanding the new package.

Q: What’s your gut feeling about how it’s going and what you’re seeing?
AN: Provisional results are promising. It’s only part of the package, so we’ll have some more steps in Zandvoort and then further in Monza/Baku. It’s the first part of our planned upgrade. We’re very short on parts, so we’re being careful with it and trying to learn all about it.

Q: How would you describe this upgrade? Is it an evolution of what you had before, or is it radically different?
AN: It’s an evolution, inasmuch as the chassis is the same, the layout’s the same, the front suspension’s the same. So, it’s very much an aerodynamic evolution. We were very short on research time prior to the launch of the car back in Barcelona in February. So, it’s really been a matter of taking a step back, trying to understand and going forward with this package.

Q: Final one for me, Adrian. What performance goals have you set, both for this weekend and going forward in the second half of the season?
AN: I’ve never been a fan of setting goals. I’m much more a fan of working logically through problems, getting everybody working together, getting the culture together, and then, at that point, you end up where you end up. What I have found over the years is, when you’re not winning, it seems an impossible mountain to climb. When you are winning, sometimes you’re not sure how you got there, because you’re not actually doing anything different, or you don’t feel as if you’re doing anything different.

Q: Adrian, thank you for that. Now, Pierre, if we could come to you. Given Max’s pace in qualifying at Monaco, just how confident are you coming into this Hungary weekend?
Pierre WACHÉ: I’m not fully confident, to be honest. The other competitors have improved a lot since Monaco. We see plenty of changes on different cars, plus the track layout is quite different to Monaco, and the different problems and compromises you have at this track are different. With this new car, you see a different problem every time you go to the track, when you put the car on the ground. We try to maximise it, but no confidence.

Q: Max was feeling very positive yesterday about the momentum you’ve built in recent races. What about you? How pleased are you with the progress you’ve made with the RB22?
PW: Yes, some positives. I think the main aspect is that we started behind and, for sure, we have progressed. I think it’s a very good job from the team to progress and to arrive where we are. We still aren’t where we would like to be, but, as Adrian mentioned, you try to do your best, try to understand what is not working and what you can do better, and after that you see where you are. But the main thing is that the progress was interesting as a team.

Q: You say you started behind. Is some of that due to the fact that you developed so late into last season?
PW: It’s difficult to say. At the end, I think some others just did a very good job. For sure, we fought until the end, and like the other team, McLaren, I think we are a little bit behind, both of us, based on what we did last year.

Q: Pierre, thank you for that. Simone, Pierre just said some others have done a very good job. Mercedes have dominated the season so far. What aspect of your car’s performance has pleased you the most?
Simone RESTA: Good afternoon, everyone. I suppose the car has been quite competitive in all conditions. So there is probably not a single aspect that is really dominating all the others, but I think the car is well balanced in all aspects: the chassis, the suspension, the power unit integration, the cooling, all the various aspects and the tyre management. So far, it has been good in all conditions. Of course, we know how difficult it is to land the car well at every track from the first session, and we’ve probably got some things to clean up going into FP2 and onwards.

Q: A lot has been made of George’s deployment issues. Are you confident that you’ve overcome those now?
SR: As we all know, it’s a very complex new set of regulations with the power unit. It’s quite early days. We’ve just done 10 races so far, and there is a lot to learn. We are still learning a lot together, ourselves and our colleagues at HPP. We found a bug in our software, and we had to react to it. There was already something there at Silverstone, but the issue was more evident at Spa, which is one of the tracks with the highest laptime for power delta. We think we’ve finally understood it and nailed it coming into Budapest.

Q: Final one. Can we talk about the development race this year and how ferocious it’s been? If you took your car today back to Melbourne, how much faster would it be?
SR: I couldn’t quote all the numbers, and this exercise is probably worth doing and then checking it. Ultimately, I think we tried to have strong development for the first race from the winter test. Then we have had, at almost every race, a little step here and there, and then another big step in Canada. We always try to keep bringing little steps here and there at every race. Of course, we have seen teams bringing more stuff than us, which is great for them, and we are still trying to bring some items at every race. Probably, after the shutdown, we will try to focus on having something more sizeable on the car. So, we are clearly focused on trying to develop the car at every event, but also trying to think bigger by bringing another step to the car.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports) A question for Adrian. Adrian, how much of a priority is it for you to retain Fernando Alonso for next season? What kind of conversations have you had along those lines so far, and how confident are you that you will?
AN: Obviously, Fernando is an amazing driver. He brings huge amounts to the team, both in his feedback and his ability. So, for us, of course it’s important. I’m pretty confident that Fernando is enjoying his time with us and that we will continue with our relationship.

Q: (Ted Kravitz – Sky Sports F1) Also for Adrian, can you explain what happened with Lance’s suspension issue? The team said there was a suspected left-rear suspension issue. Do you have any concerns? We saw the mechanics working on that area of the car before his run. Are there any concerns for the other car, and any consequences or remedial action you might need to take?
AN: As you can imagine, everybody is feverishly trying to understand exactly what went wrong and what happened as we speak. It’s only once we have an understanding that we can comment on what we do next. But we obviously need to have a position fairly shortly, ready for FP2.

Q: (Christian Menath – Motorsport-Magazin.com). Another one for you, Adrian. On the suspension problem as well, you don’t know what happened, but we know a lot of the update was about getting some weight out of the car. Did you try that with the rear suspension as well? And how is the situation with spares on the rear suspension?
AN: The area involved was actually not changed. We are short on spares because the cladding and so forth is different, so there are some minor changes in that area. In that sense, it’s very unexpected. As I say, until we have an understanding, it’s difficult to comment further.

Q: (David Schneider – Shiga Sports Japan) A question for Adrian. Since Australia, you have now had half a year working together with Honda’s power unit. From what we can hear and see from Mike Krack and Orihara-san, the partnership has massively progressed. From your perspective, how has this partnership progressed? And what do you look forward to in the second half, considering that in Zandvoort they’re coming with a new power unit?
AN: I think what’s really progressed is actually the word you just used: relationship. Out of what can only be called a disastrous start, the positive of that, because you’re always looking for positives, is that it’s brought Honda and ourselves, AMR, into a very close working relationship. We continue to develop that in all areas. So, I’m very happy with the progress we’re making from a relationship point of view. Normally, if relationships improve, then performance also improves.

Q: (Ludo van Denderen – GPblog) Pierre, how many updates are still possible for the rest of the year? And do you expect Max to be able to go for wins this year?
PW: It’s difficult to say. Going for wins this year is what we aim for. We are trying to improve the car. Clearly, we have a development plan until the end of the year. Everything we can do to improve the car, learn how this regulation works and understand how development can affect the characteristics and pace of the car, we are trying to do. For sure, in terms of efficiency, we have some limitations in the regulations that could limit what we are doing. But everything we can do to make the car capable of winning, could be Max or Isack, we are doing.

Q: (Josh Suttill – The Race) A question for Adrian. On the radio, Fernando was told to stay away from the kerbs before Lance’s incident. What was the reasoning for that? Also, there appeared to be oscillations on the onboard. Was there any kind of problem on that side?
AN: The first question, staying away from the kerbs, was purely because we were acquiring aero data. When you’re trying to acquire aero data, you don’t want the disruption of kerbs thrown in, because the inconsistency corrupts the data. The oscillations, yes, that’s really a question for Honda. They can see it in the data and they are working on a solution.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Adrian, Christian Horner continues to be linked with Aston Martin. How realistic is that? Obviously, you spent many years together at Red Bull. Would you like to work with him again?
AN: I keep hearing these rumours about Christian. I can’t comment further. I don’t really know anything about that. All I can say is that we’re very happy with our senior management team. We may do some minor tweaks, but the personnel we have at AMR, we’re very happy with, as I say.

Q: (Thomas Maher – PlanetF1.com) Adrian, you said in a recent interview that you’ve taken advantage of this difficult spell to overhaul the processes and structure of the Aston Martin team. Where along that glide path of evolution are you, and how close to the ultimate potential of the team do you think you are right now?
AN: I’m not sure I fully understand the question. In terms of the organisation of the senior members in the team, as I just mentioned, we will probably do a little bit more tweaking, but we’re very happy with the personnel. Then, in terms of the culture of the team, I think we are making great strides. In deciding, post-Melbourne, to delay development of the car until now and concentrate on integrating, getting people together, developing the culture, developing tools, taking a bit of pressure off ourselves, taking a deep breath and looking at how we needed to develop, I feel that’s progressing very well. Does that answer your question?

Q: What about the technical evolution of the team, Adrian?
AN: The technical evolution, in terms of the car we’re bringing here and then the updates, as I mentioned, that we’ll be bringing to Zandvoort and on to Baku, yes, I feel there have been very strong steps. We’re clearly playing a big catch-up game. Is it going to make us the quickest car? Unfortunately, not. But does it represent a good step forward from where we were? Yes, I believe it does.

Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) A question for Pierre. After the recent progress and the weight reductions, are there still any main limitations of the package that stand out for you? Secondly, you said, “We started on the back foot.” Have there been any negative surprises with the RB22 since you put the car on the ground?
PW: Yes. I think, as with every racing car, you see some limitations in how the driver can use the car and the load of it. The characteristics limit what you can do in terms of balance and trying to rebalance the car. Clearly, we have some limitations, like every racing car, in terms of stability on entry and mid-corner understeer, and we try to avoid those aspects by using some mechanical tools to achieve it. On your second question, regarding the issue with the car at the beginning, clearly we were missing some load compared to some others. We also had some mechanical gremlins on the car, which meant the driver didn’t feel the car through the steering, and we corrected that at the beginning. It took a little bit of time, but it was on top of the overall performance and potential of the car. We had some issues with driver feeling here. It’s not a secret.

Q: (Zsolt Godina – F1Vilag.hu) Adrian, can you please explain how the drivers were involved in the development of the package? What kind of feedback have you received from them through the work they have done in the simulator?
AN: For me, the drivers have had the normal involvement, inasmuch as it’s always very important to listen to the drivers and their feedback on balance limitations, strengths, weaknesses, et cetera. Obviously, you don’t bother concentrating on the strengths; you concentrate on the weaknesses. Their feedback, along with the data that we have, has driven the development of the car that we have here.

Q: (Barna Zsoldos – Nemzeti Sport) Adrian, you joined the Haas Lola team in the middle of 1986, so I’m wondering whether you were here at the very first Hungarian Grand Prix. If so, what are your memories from back then? How do you compare our country 40 years later? In general, what is your favourite memory in Hungary? Maybe Nigel winning the championship in 1992, or one of your wins?
AN: I’ll go back to 1986. You’ve obviously picked up on that one, which makes me feel very old, 40 years since then. I remember it was very hot. We had a pre-race test for about three or four days. We could see the big water slide in the background, and there were lots of mechanics wishing they were on the water slide during that heat. It was a very different Budapest. In those days, it was all Trabants and Ladas. If you made it, you had a Trabant. If you really made it, you had a Lada. Very different. It felt very much fresh out of the Eastern Bloc, whereas now it feels like a truly European city. So there has been a huge contrast as the years have gone on, but the people have always been very friendly and very welcoming. I always enjoy coming here.

Q: And, Adrian, your best memory on track?
AN: At that first Hungarian race, I was race engineering Patrick Tambay. The car was actually at its most competitive outing. The Beatrice car was running in the top six, I think, if I remember correctly. Then there were the Leyton House days from 1988 to 1990. As you say, I can’t honestly remember what happened in 1991 with Williams, but in 1992 Nigel sealed the championship. It wasn’t a big surprise that he managed to win the championship, given the season he had had up until then. It was a matter of when rather than if, which sounds very complacent, but that’s the dominance that car had started to achieve. Still, of course, for me, as a relatively young designer, to get that first World Championship was an absolutely amazing experience.

Q: (Fabio Marchi – Mundo Deportivo) A question for Adrian. Adrian, do you feel today is the end of a nightmare and the first day of a big dream?
AN: Hopefully, yes. The first races have been a complete nightmare, you’re absolutely right. Hopefully, we can get at least a point and respectability now. I think that is the immediate goal. From there, we can try to keep moving forward.

Q: (Jon Noble – The Race) To the three of you, there have been some minor aero changes to next year’s regulations to bring the downforce down a little bit, but there have been some suggestions that the plank change could open the door to more aggressive ride heights and a different approach. Will there be some thinking to do this winter, and could it open up different concepts into next year regarding the aero platform?
SR: I wasn’t ready after almost a full strike for Adrian! The topic has been discussed within the relevant meetings of TAC members. Definitely, the shorter T-tray will probably create a different condition for setting the ride height, but ultimately the front wing will remain in the same position relative to the car. So, we do not expect a dramatic change in terms of ride height. It’s definitely something to look into for next year.
AN: I think, from an aero perspective, they are tweaks rather than completely different regulations. The shorter T-tray loses a bit of downforce. The fewer fingers, or claws, or whatever you want to call them, at the front of the floor lose a bit of downforce. The rear wing, et cetera. So there’s a loss of downforce, which obviously teams will then try to do their best to recover. But there’s no fundamental change in the flow regime.
PW: I think we are on the same page as Adrian. Clearly, it’s a tweak to reduce the downforce. The T-tray is maybe the most visible for people, but it could change a little bit how you run the car. Fundamentally, there is no massive change in the regulations for next year.

Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1) Another question for Adrian. You’ve said a couple of times that you didn’t get a model into the tunnel until April 2025. Before you arrived, were things complicated by the transition from the Brackley tunnel to Silverstone, which was being commissioned? Did they have a model that they were basically waiting for you to look at and give a verdict on, and was it decided that it wasn’t worth wasting ATR on that model until you had made changes? What can you tell us about the timeline?
AN: The timeline really was that there wasn’t a model ready to get going. At the same time, we made the decision, rightly or wrongly, to delay for two weeks or so until we had our own tunnel commissioned, rather than starting in Brackley for a very short period, only to move again. So that was the timeline behind it. But it was a big build-up process, I would say. Everything was just on the back foot in that sense. You do what you can and you just get on with it.

Q: (Éva Vándor – HVG) I have a question for Simone. If we look at the drivers’ standings, it looks like there’s a nice fight shaping up between Kimi and Lewis, maybe even for the World Championship. How do you feel about racing your former World Champion, and how excited are you about fighting with Lewis?
SR: First of all, it’s great to see both drivers performing at a very good level. There have been some ups and downs in the various races, but fundamentally both of them have been very strong so far, with good performances. This is very good because it lifts the level between the two of them. This challenge within the team is always very important for the overall competitiveness of the team. That is what matters to us. It’s great to see Lewis fighting at the front. Lewis has had an incredible journey in Brackley, and the run is still very close to him emotionally. So it’s great to see him there. It’s great to see him fighting. It makes the sport better, so it’s nice to see.

Q: (Weber Gabor – MTVA) A question for Simone. Do you have any educated guesses as to why the factory team and McLaren seemingly had many more power unit issues than the partner teams?
SR: To be honest, I haven’t counted all of them. I’ve seen there has been a raft of issues across the fleet during the initial part of the season. There has now been a lot of hard work in Brixworth to sort out all these problems and, touching wood, or whatever you want to say, we have now been able to race with good reliability overall across all the fleets. It has not been an easy start with brand-new regulations and a lot of cars, of course, for HPP to look after. But, as I said, there has been a lot of work and relentless activity on every single problem that has been seen on track. I think the car is making a step in terms of pure reliability, which is great to see.

Q: (Sam Johnston – Sky Sports) Another question for Simone. Did Kimi have the same bug in his software that George had, or was that an issue just on George’s car? Secondly, how confident can you be that the issue is completely solved until you’ve gone racing, perhaps specifically at a more energy-starved circuit?
SR: The software is the same for all the cars, and it was there in every car, but it affected George more than Kimi. We also need to bear in mind that, when comparing their performance in the last few races, Kimi was on a fresher power unit, which is, of course, always a bit better than quite a used power unit. That will change in the next races when we start to have a fresher power unit on George’s side. So, there’s a bit of everything. There’s a bit of software, but there’s also Kimi being out of phase with George’s programme. You sum up everything when you look at the final result.

Q: (Stuart Codling – Autosport) Another question for you, Simone. How important do you think it was for George that the team took his worries and complaints seriously, investigated them and found a solution, rather than writing them off as another page in the racing driver’s book of excuses?
SR: First of all, as a team, we’re really thankful to George for having challenged us and highlighted an opportunity where we needed to focus. He has been really good at understanding and highlighting things to us. We have finally been able to identify the solution and put a fix in place for this race. So, thanks to George for having done that for us, for the team. Of course, he’s quite pleased that we’ve been able to get to the bottom of it and sort it out. It has been good teamwork. It wasn’t the easiest thing. As I said, with the new regulations, there are still a lot of things to learn. But it’s a step forward.