Featuring the top qualifier Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing, second place Sergio Perez also from Red Bull Racing, and third place Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin. The post-qualifying interviews were conducted by Ho-Pin Tung.
Q: Max, you have secured your fifth pole position of the season, marking the 100th pole position for Red Bull Racing. Your performance improved throughout the session. How would you describe your lap? Max Verstappen: Yes, I believe that after the Sprint race, we gained some valuable insights for the car. The car performed even better during qualifying. I am extremely pleased with how the entire qualifying session went. The car was a pleasure to drive. In Q3, my final lap felt quite good, and I’m also happy to have driven in dry conditions. The track conditions were favorable, making it a lot of fun.
Q: We witnessed significant changes in track conditions during the session. Can you explain the challenges of adapting to these changing conditions? MV: I think that transitioning from a race to low fuel conditions always requires one lap to get comfortable again. Additionally, new tires are used for each session, allowing us to identify areas where we can gain a little more in each corner. Yesterday, due to some rain, we had extra sets of tires, which provided us with more practice opportunities. That’s why, apart from my first lap in Q3, we were consistently improving our times. The track evolution wasn’t as significant here, but that’s not an issue.
Q: Checo, the Red Bull team seems to excel in Shanghai. Can you share your experience of qualifying? Sergio Perez: It was quite intense. I almost got eliminated in Q1 due to traffic with one of the Williams cars, which forced me to abort my lap. However, I managed to go back out on hot, used tires and made it through to P15. The start of qualifying was quite messy. Q2 was a bit smoother, allowing me to get a better feel for the car’s balance. We made progress throughout the session. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to catch Max. Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic result for the team considering the significant changes in track conditions. Hopefully, this will pay off tomorrow.
Q: Despite not being able to catch Max in qualifying, you had to make a comeback in the Sprint race this morning. How confident are you in your ability to challenge him tomorrow? SP: I believe tomorrow’s race is wide open. We have the potential to fight from our current position, and we have shown today that we have a good pace over longer runs. I’m looking forward to it.
Q: Fernando, after the disappointment in the Sprint race, this must be a great feeling. You didn’t achieve your best personal Sector 1 time on that lap. Do you think you could have done better? Fernando Alonso: Yes, I’m not sure how far ahead Checo is. In Sector 1, I had a moment in Turns 1 and 2, almost losing control of the car. I had to decide whether to continue or abort the lap because I lost around two tenths of a second in those two corners. However, I didn’t give up and pushed throughout the rest of the lap. I managed to set a good lap time. I believe the car has improved since this morning. We made some setup changes. Let’s see if we can convert that into points tomorrow.
Q: How advantageous was the parc fermé opening for you? Are you confident that it will translate into good results in tomorrow’s race? FA: The parc fermé opening was beneficial for everyone. We couldn’t make significant changes to the car since we were already in the rhythm of the weekend. However, we were able to make some minor adjustments to address balance issues and make educated guesses for tomorrow’s race. It’s a gamble, and we won’t know the outcome until tomorrow afternoon. Nevertheless, I’m extremely happy and proud of the team. We won’t give up, even though we’re not in the desired position yet. We will keep pushing.
Q: Fernando, you have a large number of fans cheering for you in China. You are immensely popular here. Is there anything you would like to say to your Chinese fans? FA: This is truly incredible. It’s one of the best races of the year. I want to express my gratitude to the fans. They are incredibly enthusiastic about the sport and show immense support for every driver and team. Thank you, xièxiè, and see you tomorrow.
Q: Max, you performed excellently in every segment of qualifying. It seemed like a very smooth session for you, but can you explain the final lap of Q3 when you gained three tenths?
MV: Yes, Q3 was a bit confusing for me because on the first run, I was slower than in Q2. It could have been due to the wind, as it’s challenging to understand its impact. The wind direction at this track greatly affects the car’s balance. However, for the final run, I didn’t know what to expect, so I just pushed on. Everything came together, the grip felt better, and I managed to improve. It was a great feeling. Overall, I was very happy with the car throughout qualifying. It was well balanced, which allowed me to push and secure pole position today.
Q: You mentioned the wind, but how did the track conditions change during the session?
MV: Personally, I didn’t notice a significant track evolution. There might have been a slight improvement in Q1, but it could also be because coming from a race with high tire degradation, it takes time to adjust to new tires and low fuel. From Q2 to Q3, there was very little change.
Q: Max, in the past, you’ve mentioned that you’re not focused on statistics, but I want to share a couple with you. You’re the first driver since Mika Häkkinen in 1999 to secure pole position in the first five races of the season. Additionally, this was Red Bull’s 100th pole position in the team’s history. What are your thoughts on these achievements?
MV: Before getting in the car, Christian informed me that if I secured pole today, it would be the team’s 100th pole position. I thought it was a nice milestone and was motivated to give it my best shot. It’s an incredible achievement for the entire team, with a significant contribution from Seb in the past. Having a 1-2 in qualifying shows that the car is performing exceptionally well. Personally, it has been a great start to the year, and I feel confident in qualifying, even compared to last year. It’s a shame that we retired in Melbourne; otherwise, we could have had a stronger lead. Nonetheless, it’s still a fantastic start.
Q: Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race, how did the 19-lap race this morning assist in your preparations?
MV: The morning race provided valuable insights into tire degradation and helped us understand what to focus on for tomorrow. The wind direction will change again, affecting the car’s balance in some corners. However, if the car performs even half as well as it did in the Sprint, we should be in a good position.
Q: Checo, let’s turn to you. You did a great job, achieving your best grid position at the Shanghai International Circuit. You made significant progress in the final run of Q3. Can you talk us through it?
SP: Unfortunately, my first run in Q3 wasn’t good, which set me back. I’m not sure what happened exactly. Perhaps the tires were cooler, but it just didn’t go well. We made adjustments to the front wing, which put us at a disadvantage for the final run. Surprisingly, the track conditions improved significantly during the final run, and I was able to put together a good lap. Overall, it was a messy qualifying session for me, starting from Q1 where I almost got knocked out. I had traffic on my first attempt, which forced me to return to the pits. I was out of position for most of the time, and with the changing wind conditions, it was crucial to be out at the right time to adapt and learn from the new conditions.
Q: Did you make many changes to the car after the Sprint?
SP: Yes, we made several changes to adapt to the new conditions. As Max mentioned, the change in wind direction had a significant impact. This circuit has low grip, so changes in wind conditions affect the car more compared to other tracks. We learned a lot from the conditions in the Sprint race and made the necessary adjustments. It was important for me to have a clear understanding of the car’s performance.
Q: When you mention adjustments, could you provide some details about the areas of the car you focused on?
SP: We struggled with tire degradation, especially at the rear. So, we aimed to create a more stable platform. However, this comes with its own compromises, particularly in different corner speeds. It was challenging to find the right balance in the changing conditions. My first proper lap was in Q2, run two. The first run in Q3 was quite far off. It wasn’t the smoothest qualifying session, but overall, it’s still a good result for tomorrow’s race.
Q: All’s well that ends well. Thank you, Checo. Now, let’s hear from Fernando. You had an impressive performance. How would you rate your lap in Q3?
FA: It was a very good lap, although not perfect. I had a moment in Turn 1 and 2 where I lost control of the car. In Turn 3, I had to decide whether to abort the lap or continue. I chose to brake late into Turn 6 to make up for lost time. I gained one tenth there and decided to keep pushing. In Turns 9 and 10, I gained another tenth. It was crucial because there were six cars within two tenths, and we were leading that group. I’m happy with the lap and qualifying overall. These moments and laps are encouraging for the future. I’m proud of the team’s relentless spirit. We may not be in a strong position yet, especially in race conditions, as we are still the fourth or fifth fastest team. However, we continue to fight and strive to improve. Today’s result reflects that.
Q: Can you clarify something? Without that strong start to the lap, do you think you could have maintained P2 after the first run?
FA: It’s hard to say. We just checked the times, and there’s a difference of about two tenths between Checo and me. That’s roughly what I lost due to the mistake. It would have been close with Checo, but ultimately, whether it’s P2 or P3 doesn’t make a significant difference. We are starting tomorrow’s race in a position that doesn’t reflect our true potential. I believe we will finish around seventh, eighth, or ninth. However, we have been qualifying well this year, and we’ll take it as a positive.
Q: P2 or P3 doesn’t matter much, but is there a preferable grid starting position, inside or outside, at this circuit?
FA: I started P3 this morning, and it didn’t seem to make a big difference. Lewis started P2 and had a great start. So, both sides of the grid are similar. The crucial action happens in Turns 1, 2, and 3. Hopefully, we can have a clean start and complete the race successfully.
Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diario AS) Fernando, what are your expectations for tomorrow’s race? Will it be a typical race where you have to constantly check your mirrors and try to maintain your position? Also, you received a penalty just one hour before qualifying. What are your thoughts on that?
FA: Yes, I anticipate a challenging race. We are slower than the Ferraris, McLarens, and probably the Mercedes. We often qualify ahead of them, but in the race, we have to wait and see when they catch up and how many laps we can defend our positions. This has been the case in the previous four races, so I don’t expect anything different in this fifth race. It will definitely be a difficult race for us. However, we can’t apologize for being fast in qualifying, so we’ll take it. As for the penalty I received this morning, I may not agree with it, but they have the authority to make their decisions, and we have to accept it and move on.
Q: (Erwin Jaeggi – Motorsport.com) This question is for all three of you. How do you feel about the track’s development over the weekend, considering the special treatment the asphalt has received?
MV: It hasn’t been significant. Maybe in FP1, there was some improvement, but even in qualifying, the track evolution wasn’t substantial. Some people expected the paint to wear off after FP1, but it’s still there to a certain extent. So, I would say it’s relatively stable.
Q: Checo agrees. Fernando, what are your thoughts?
FA: Personally, I think the biggest challenge was in wet conditions. The track was very slippery. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll have a dry race, and I believe it will be good.