2024 Chinese Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), second-placed Lando Norris (McLaren), and third-placed Sergio Perez (Red Bull) are featured in this article.
Q: Sergio, P3 today, but you had some bad luck with the strategy. Did that cost you the race?
Sergio PÉREZ: Yes, it definitely had a significant impact. Unfortunately, we encountered a Safety Car and lost two positions. That ultimately determined the outcome of the race. We primarily used the Hard tires throughout the race, and when you engage in early battles like that, the tire’s performance deteriorates rapidly. However, we managed to secure a podium finish, although it would have been great to finish first and second.
Q: How did your pace compare to the others during the race? Were you satisfied with it, or do you think you could have done better? Max, for example, had a significant advantage at times.
SP: We were definitely lacking pace, especially on the Medium tires. We struggled with the balance of the car. We made several changes from yesterday to today, but we didn’t interpret the conditions as accurately as we could have. Overall, it was a strong weekend, but we understand why our race pace was slightly lower.
Q: You started the race with the intention of winning. Will you continue to push for victory in the next race?
SP: That will be our goal.
Q: Lando, that was an incredible drive. You were awarded the driver of the day. Well-deserved.
Lando NORRIS: Thank you.
Q: How did it feel out there?
LN: It felt great! I’m pleasantly surprised and very happy. I’m thrilled for the entire team. They deserved it. Our pit stops were excellent. Today just worked out perfectly. I wasn’t expecting the kind of race we had, but I got comfortable, managed the tires well, which was easier than yesterday. I was able to push and the car felt fantastic. It was a good day, earned valuable points, and another podium finish. I’m extremely happy.
Q: Your race pace was impressive, even faster than Sergio’s Red Bull. Are you surprised by that?
LN: I was surprised by many things. Ferrari’s lack of pace today, our strong performance, and our comparison to Red Bull were all unexpected. I wasn’t anticipating such a day at all. I had everything prepared to go home early and not be on the podium. So it’s a pleasant surprise, but it’s a testament to the hard work of the team. We’re putting in the effort, and it’s paying off.
Q: Before the race, you expected the Ferraris to challenge you, but that didn’t happen. Can you comment on that?
LN: I made a bet on how far behind the Ferrari we would finish today. I predicted 35 seconds, but I was proven wrong. I’m glad to be mistaken in this case. It was a good day for everyone.
Q: Max, congratulations once again. Your drive was incredible. How did it feel out there?
Max VERSTAPPEN: It felt amazing. Throughout the entire weekend, we were incredibly fast. It was enjoyable to drive on every tire compound. We handled the restarts well, and the car was fantastic. I had complete control over it. Weekends like this are truly incredible to experience, and achieving what we did this weekend is fantastic.
Q: Towards the end, you were concerned about running over debris. When you’re so far ahead, do you start to hear things and worry about the car’s condition?
MV: There are always some noises, and in the past, I’ve retired close to the end of races. I saw some debris from another car, so I passed it at 300 km/h. When the tires get cold and worn, it’s easy to puncture them, so I wanted to double-check.
Q: The next race is in Miami. Are you excited about it? Do you think you’ll perform just as well there?
MV: It should be a good race for us. The strategy is usually more straightforward there, but it’s also a challenging track. I’m excited. It’s always a busy and crazy weekend in Miami, but I’m looking forward to it.
Q: Max, well done on your dominant performance this weekend, following your win in the Sprint race. How would you describe the feeling you get from a weekend like this?
MV: It’s a great feeling, obviously. You never know how the weekend will unfold, so you hope for the best. This weekend went exceptionally well, and I’m very pleased. The car’s performance was even better in the main race compared to the Sprint race, which made my life easier. It could have been more consistent, but overall, it was a good weekend.
Q: Were there any complications for you in the Sprint race?
MV: I locked up a bit in the second restart at Turn 6, which wasn’t ideal. I also threw away a tear-off, and I could hear it hitting my helmet. I’m not sure where it ended up. Two laps before the end, I drove over some debris before Turn 14, which was a bit scary. With worn tires, driving over carbon can easily cause a puncture.
Q: Out of all your wins this year, do you consider this one the most dominant?
MV: It was a good one. The car’s balance improved compared to the start of the weekend, and we did a great job as a team.
Q: Can we expect a similar performance in Miami in two weeks’ time?
MV: It’s a completely different track with different tires and tarmac, so you never know. We need to strive for perfection, find the best car setup, and deliver performances like today. We’ll prepare as we always do and hope it’s enough when we get there.
Q: Well done, Max. Impressive performance. Lando, congratulations on your best result of the year so far. Did the car feel better today?
LN: Probably not significantly better. There was a notable improvement compared to yesterday, which is why we were pleasantly surprised. If I’m being honest, we’ve been struggling in certain areas throughout the season, which has limited us. Today felt somewhat similar to Australia, where I felt comfortable, and the car performed well. It was just a much better day overall, and things fell into place. We’re still learning about the car, and this track’s unique characteristics may have worked in our favor. Overall, it’s not something we expected, considering our performance this year compared to Red Bull and Ferrari.
Q: You weren’t confident coming into the weekend. What changed?
LN: Nothing specific. We were just quicker than we anticipated. The areas where we expected to struggle weren’t as challenging as we thought. For example, the longer corners, like Turn 1, have always been a weakness for us. Part of Turn 1 was better than expected, while the second part was as expected. It’s a learning process with the car. The track’s peculiar tarmac may have played a role in our performance. We’re not making it up; we genuinely give our honest opinions on where we think we stand. If we were confident about our performance, we would say so. But most of the time, we’re not optimistic because we’ve been behind Red Bull and Ferrari throughout the year. There’s no reason for us to suddenly expect to be ahead. However, things went our way today, and it shows that the team has done a fantastic job. We’re working hard, and it’s paying off.
Q: Thank you, Lando. We hope to see you challenging the Red Bulls soon. Max, let’s turn to you. Congratulations on your dominant performance, following your win in the Sprint race. How did it feel out there?
Max VERSTAPPEN: It felt amazing. Throughout the entire weekend, we were incredibly fast. It was enjoyable to drive on every tire compound. We handled the restarts well, and the car felt fantastic. I had complete control over it. Weekends like this are truly incredible to experience, and achieving what we did this weekend is fantastic.
Q: Towards the end, you were concerned about running over debris. When you’re so far ahead, do you start to hear things and worry about the car’s condition?
MV: There are always some noises, and in the past, I’ve retired close to the end of races. I saw some debris from another car, so I passed it at 300 km/h. When the tires get cold and worn, it’s easy to puncture them, so I wanted to double-check.
Q: The next race is in Miami. Are you excited about it? Do you think you’ll perform just as well there?
MV: It should be a good race for us. The strategy is usually more straightforward there, but it’s also a challenging track. I’m excited. It’s always a busy and crazy weekend in Miami, but I’m looking forward to it.
Q: Max, well done on your dominant performance this weekend, following your win in the Sprint race. How would you describe the feeling you get from a weekend like this?
MV: It’s a great feeling, obviously. You never know how the weekend will unfold, so you hope for the best. This weekend went exceptionally well, and I’m very pleased. The car’s performance was even better in the main race compared to the Sprint race, which made my life easier. It could have been more consistent, but overall, it was a good weekend.
Q: Were there any complications for you in the Sprint race?
MV: I locked up a bit in the second restart at Turn 6, which wasn’t ideal. I also threw away a tear-off, and I could hear it hitting my helmet. I’m not sure where it ended up. Two laps before the end, I drove over some debris before Turn 14, which was a bit scary. With worn tires, driving over carbon can easily cause a puncture.
Q: Out of all your wins this year, do you consider this one the most dominant?
MV: It was a good one. The car’s balance improved compared to the start of the weekend, and we did a great job as a team.
Q: Can we expect a similar performance in Miami in two weeks’ time?
MV: It’s a completely different track with different tires and tarmac, so you never know. We need to strive for perfection, find the best car setup, and deliver performances like today. We’ll prepare as we always do and hope it’s enough when we get there.
Q: Well done, Max. Very impressive. Lando, let’s move on to you. Congratulations on your best result of the year so far. Did the car feel better today?
LN: Not significantly better. There was a notable improvement compared to yesterday, which is why we were pleasantly surprised. To be honest, we’ve been struggling in certain areas throughout the season, which has limited us. Today felt somewhat similar to Australia, where I felt comfortable, and the car performed well. It was just a much better day overall, and things fell into place. We’re still learning about the car, and the unique characteristics of this track may have worked in our favor. Overall, it’s not something we expected, considering our performance this year compared to Red Bull and Ferrari.
Q: You weren’t confident coming into the weekend. What changed?
LN: Nothing specific. We were just quicker than we anticipated. The areas where we expected to struggle weren’t as challenging as we thought. For example, the longer corners, like Turn 1, have always been a weakness for us. Part of Turn 1 was better than expected, while the second part was as expected. It’s a learning process with the car. The track’s peculiar tarmac may have played a role in our performance. We’re not making it up; we genuinely give our honest opinions on where we think we stand. If we were confident about our performance, we would say so. But most of the time, we’re not optimistic because we’ve been behind Red Bull and Ferrari throughout the year. There’s no reason for us to suddenly expect to be ahead. However, things went our way today, and it shows that the team has done a fantastic job. We’re working hard, and it’s paying off.
Q: Thank you, Lando. We hope to see you challenging the Red Bulls soon. Checo, let’s turn to you. Can you tell us about the battle with the Ferrari in the last 17 laps? Did you think you could overtake Lando?
SP: At that point, the gap was already significant, and considering Lando’s strong pace, I knew it would be challenging. Once you catch up to the car ahead and spend numerous laps fighting, it becomes game over. You exert a lot of energy on your tires, and they never really recover. This track has high tire degradation, and I paid the price for it. However, that was the only way I could pass Charles, as we were on tires of the same age, and he was difficult to overtake.
Q: It seemed like you were on the back foot throughout the Grand Prix, starting from when Fernando Alonso overtook you. Can you comment on that?
SP: I was on the inside of Max at the start and had to brake earlier, allowing Fernando to overtake on the outside. My start wasn’t great, so I lost a position to Fernando. I had to fight hard to pass him, which probably took a toll on my tires. It put me at a disadvantage for the first stint. It wasn’t a straightforward race, and the changes we made from the Sprint event to the race didn’t work in our favor.
Q: You weren’t entirely satisfied with the car’s performance in the Sprint race either?
SP: I was mainly fighting in the pack during the Sprint race, making it challenging to assess the car’s balance accurately. When you have two or three cars ahead of you, there’s less load on your car, making it difficult to determine the balance. It was a limitation I faced today, and we’ll review the changes we made and see how we could have done better.
Q: (Jérôme Bourret – L’Equipe) I have a question for all of you. What is your general opinion about the race returning to China? How do you feel about the track and the atmosphere? What are your thoughts on the new Sprint format? Any positives or negatives?
MV: This track has always been enjoyable. It’s technical and involves tire degradation, making it a unique and fun Grand Prix. The fans are fantastic, and the atmosphere is great, especially with the large grandstand. It’s always a pleasure to be here. As for the Sprint format, it was better in my opinion. It was more straightforward. However, we already have a packed schedule with 24 races a year, including six Sprint events. I understand that it may attract more viewers, but it also adds stress to the mechanics and everyone involved in ensuring everything runs smoothly. We have to deal with it, but we shouldn’t go overboard and introduce 12 Sprint events because it will take a toll on people.
LN: I don’t have much to add. The track layout was better than last year, for sure. It’s my first time finishing a race here, so it feels good. Regarding the Sprint format, I prefer the traditional race format. It’s what I grew up watching and what I’ve always enjoyed the most. I like going straight into qualifying after practice. It gives less time for teams to perfect the car, and I think that’s when you see a mix of performances rather than just team dominance. So, from that perspective, it works. However, the main concern is the toll it takes on mechanics and engineers. As drivers, we can’t complain. It’s the hundreds of mechanics and engineers who travel extensively. It’s not healthy or sustainable for them. So, the problem lies with them, not us. We should prioritize looking out for the rest of the team. That’s the limiting factor, not whether we can handle the car every day. We can, but we shouldn’t overburden the rest of the team. That should be the priority.
SP: I agree with Max and Lando. With 24 races and the stress it puts on our mechanics, we need to take care of our team. As a sport, we must prioritize the well-being of our mechanics. We are pushing the limits, and that’s something we need to consider. The atmosphere has been fantastic, and it’s great to be back in China after so many years. The fans are excited, and it was wonderful to witness the support Zhou received as the first Chinese driver on the grid.
LN: I think it’s an important point from Lando and Max. With 24 races and the amount of stress it puts on our mechanics, these Sprint events are quite demanding. As a sport, we need to take care of our mechanics and engineers. We’re pushing the limits, and it’s essential to prioritize their well-being. The atmosphere has been great. It’s been fantastic to be back in China after so long, and the fans’ excitement is palpable. Seeing the support Zhou received as the first Chinese driver on the grid was heartwarming.
SP: I think it’s a good point from Lando and Max. With 24 races and the amount of stress it puts on our mechanics, these Sprint events are quite demanding. As a sport, we need to take care of our mechanics and engineers. We’re pushing the limits, and it’s essential to prioritize their well-being. The atmosphere has been great. It’s been fantastic to be back in China after so long, and the fans’ excitement is palpable. Seeing the support Zhou received as the first Chinese driver on the grid was heartwarming.