PART ONE – TEAM REPRESENTATIVES
Andrea Stella (McLaren), Christian HORNER (Red Bull Racing), Mike KRACK (Aston Martin)
Q: Mike, let’s talk about the on-track business that we’ve just seen in FP1. Felipe Drugovich, second-fastest, did a great job.
Mike KRACK: Yeah. It was obviously a session where a lot of new drivers were run, I think 10-ish? So, that’s obviously… and then a lot of aerodynamic rakes we saw on all the cars, that then went off. But yeah, was quite a good session, it all went according to plan, he was well-prepared. He was driving well and… not much to say, to be honest. He delivered what we expected.
Q: Tell us about the car, because you’ve clearly found some consistency with it – and I think that is evidenced by the performance of Lance Stroll in the last few races. He’s had three results in the last four. What has changed? Why is Lance in particular so much happier with the car now?
MK: Well, we tried to develop the car to suit a bit more his liking and to suit his driving style. And, I said it many times before, if we provide the right tools to the drivers, they will perform. And this is exactly what happened. It’s a shame that it took us so long, to come back being a bit more competitive, but there’s still a long way to go.
Q: But if you took the car now back to Mexico, would you be more competitive now?
MK: That’s hypothetical, so I cannot answer.
Q: Talk us through some of the progress you’ve made with it. Do you think, when you look at the problems you had in Mexico, that you’ve solved them?
MK: You know, Mexico is a special track. You are at altitude, you struggle with cooling, you struggle with things that you do not normally struggle with, so that is why I’m a bit careful answering that question on Mexico in particular. I think we have managed to bring the car back into a better performance window than it was in Mexico and, as I said, we still have a long road to go, a long way to go, because… I mean, we lost a substantial amount of pace over some races and coming with this, it also means we lost a lot of points in the same time – so that is something that, I’m quite happy that we managed the turnaround – but it should not have happened in the first place.
Q: Can we talk about the Constructors’ Championship now? We’ve got several really intriguing battles. We’ve got the battle for P2 between Ferrari and Mercedes, and then the battle for P4 between yourselves and McLaren. You are 11 points behind McLaren. How realistic is it, do you think, that you can beat them?
MK: That’s a good question. If you asked me this three races ago, I would maybe have answered differently but I think as long as there is a mathematical chance, and it is not a huge gap, we have seen also that McLaren can make mistakes – but they are ahead of us. It’s not something that we focus too much on. We have to give it all, we have to be 100 per cent and they have also to be not at 100 per cent. So, it is not 100 per cent in our control. So, from that point of view, we’re relaxed about it and try to do as good as we can, and then we see on Sunday how it goes.
Q: Can we get your reflections now, on the season just gone? First of all, Fernando Alonso. He said yesterday that his performance this year is one of his best. Equal, he thinks, with 2012. What is your take-home memory of working with Fernando?
MK: Well, only positives. As a team, we were blown away from the first day – until today actually. To be honest with you, I always thought it was a bit honeymoon months in the beginning but I’m quite happy that we have managed to extend the honeymoon. I think we have received a remarkable team player, constructive at all times, especially when it was difficult. When the car was competitive – or, more competitive – it’s obviously easier to be constructive but the true qualities came out, and let’s take this Mexico example, that both drivers, it would have been easy to take the microphones and slam the team, go against the team, and it would probably have been deserved but I think the true qualities of the team-playing character of both drivers came out in that time. And, for me, that is one of the highlights of the season, as a team, that we managed to stick together in that time.
Q: His contract runs out at the end of next year. Is there a desire to extend it?
MK: I think I don’t have to answer that question. Absolutely yes!
Q: Christian, let’s come to you. Let’s talk about FP1. You had Jake Dennis and Isack Hadjar in your car, 16th and 17th. What did you make of their performance?
Christian HORNER: I actually thought they did very, very well. I mean, working to the programmes that they were working with, with the fuel loads and engine settings that they were operating to, I thought they acquitted themselves extremely well. I think for Jake, I mean, a massive step from a Formula E car to Formula 1 power. It was quite telling that the first adjustment that he needed to make was to tighten his crash helmet due to the speed that he was achieving. But I thought both did a great job. Very useful for us, to compare the virtual world that these guys have been driving in with Isack and Jake doing a lot of simulator running this year, to correlate that with the real world. And so, a really useful exercise and a great opportunity for them to get a run out in a grand prix car.
Q: Well, and the World Championship Winning grand prix car. How much pressure do you think was on them?
CH: Well, a huge amount because they both knew that if they bend it, they’d never be asked to drive it again! So, you know, that’s the pressure in itself. But you know, they both, as I say, acquitted themselves very well, and gave very clear feedback. And it was useful, not just for this race, but for future projects as well.
Q: Christian, can we now just get some reflections from you on 2023? It’s been a remarkable season, one that you probably wish isn’t going to end.
CH: No, I’ll be quite glad to get to the finish line. This one seems to have been a marathon of a year. But an incredible year, a magical year for us. I mean, to be sitting here, having only lost one race so far. So, 20 grand prix victories, first and second in the Drivers’ Championship, Max winning 18 of those races, breaking records of consecutive wins of Sebastian’s, breaking McLaren’s record from 1988 for consecutive grand prix victories in the season as well. It truly has been the most remarkable year and it’s testimony to all the men and women behind the scenes, it’s not just what you see here, trackside, it’s what goes on behind the scenes in the factory and of course, reliability has played a key role in that and I have to pay a compliment to our partner Honda for producing us a reliable engine. And of course, you know, operationally, strategically, we’ve been on top of our game this year, and the drivers have been brilliant. I mean, for Max, I think it’s been a sensational year for him. So yeah, difficult to come up with a superlative big enough to do the season justice.
Q: You’re the longest serving team principal in the pit lane, you know. How difficult it is to win. Do the last 12 months feel a bit surreal?
CH: Well, I think the lesson in life and in this business is you have to celebrate every success. Because you don’t know when the next one is going to come. And I think we came into the sport, just under 20 years ago and were perceived as the party team, as not perhaps taking life as seriously as some of our counterparts and, and we built the team up and by 2009, we started winning. 2010, we then started winning championships, and that period was a golden period with Sebastian Vettel. But then a big regulation change and circumstances beyond our control deprived us of being able to be competitive. That was a challenging period but what I was immensely proud of is that the whole team, the core team, really stuck together during that period. And once we got a power unit that brought us into a position to be able to compete again, we made real use of that and so, there were times during that seven year drought that it felt unachievable, to get back to the winning days of 2010 to ’13, but I think it just shows if you have a clear target, and you believe in the people around you, and work collectively as a team, then anything is achievable.
Q: Now, you’ve told us in the past that you haven’t updated the RB19 in any significant way, since the summer break. How much closer do you feel the field has got to you?
CH: I mean, the biggest changes we’ve had have been livery changes. So, and of course, at different times during the season, we’ve had different competitors, giving us a hard time, whether it was Aston Martin that started the season very strongly. I mean, if you think back to Monaco that just came down to Quali. That was just one lap in Quali that determined that race. And then more recently, McLaren have really brought us a firm challenge at some very recent races, we’ve had Ferrari up there as well and Mercedes occasionally as well. So, it’s been varying who the competitor has been. I think, where we’ve been particularly strong is we’ve just managed to achieve that level of consistency across many different circuits, conditions, and circumstances.
Q: Andrea, thank you for waiting. First question. How is Lando, after his crash?
Andrea STELLA: He is very well. Fit. Looking forward to getting in the car once again.
Q: And how was the car? Is it a new chassis this weekend?
AS: It’s a new chassis.
Q: OK. Can we deal with some breaking news now? McLaren and Mercedes have just announced the collaboration continues until 2030. Can you explain the reasoning behind that decision? And also. the length of the contract: why so long?
AS: Well, the reasoning of the decision is actually for us, it was quite straightforward, because we are very happy with the ongoing collaboration. They were absolutely instrumental, even in the progress of the team this year, I have to say, but above all, the kind of reassurance we got from a technical point of view, the operational standards, just how solid is what we saw, when we checked what was at stake for 2026, made this decision quite simple for us. So, we are just delighted that we have this level of continuity and stability as we look forward. And yeah, we are delighted that we could make this announcement.
Q: Is this the final piece of the jigsaw for McLaren, to then go and put a championship challenge together?
AS: I wouldn’t say that it’s so easy. It’s one of the elements you have to have. It’s a necessary condition, not sufficient at all. In order to contend for championships, there’s quite a lot of work to do that needs to be done on the chassis side. I think we will be competitive for the years to come from the power unit side. That’s for sure. That’s why we have made this decision. But there’s so much work to do on the chassis. And even this year, what we have achieved, yes it’s important – remarkable in a certain way – but already, we haven’t developed the car for a few races and we can see that some of the cars are brought some upgrades and immediately our competitiveness is not as good as it was a few races ago. It’s an incredibly competitive business. So, for us, it’s focus, certainly in the collaboration with HPP but above all, on ourselves and making sure that this momentum is carried forward into the next years.
Q: Can you tell us about Vegas now. What lessons were learned? And do you think you’re going to be more competitive this weekend here in Abu Dhabi?
AS: In terms of competitiveness, certainly we were expecting Vegas to be a bit of a challenge for our car, with the long straights, the low-speed corners, relatively low level of grip. All conditions in which we have seen that we weren’t at the best with our car. At the same time, I think there were opportunities that we didn’t maximise. Like certainly we weren’t simply a Q1 car in Vegas. There’s some things that we could have done better, we could have been a Q3 contender. We saw that the car was actually quite competitive in the race. So, it was a bit of a shame to start the race so far back, even if actually the initial laps were quite eventful. So, if you want, we confirmed the weaknesses, the areas in which we need to work, in terms of improvement for the future, and also some operational aspects that we also have to improve if we want to consistently compete at the front of the grid.
Q: And this weekend?
AS: This weekend should be more competitive. There’s some corners here in Abu Dhabi that definitely should suit the characteristic of our car. It’s not a Silverstone, it’s not like a Suzuka, so we know that there will be some areas in which we will have to do damage limitation. But we definitely look forward to being competitive again, and be there to compete for podiums.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Adam Cooper – motorsport.com) We’ve had a press release saying that the F1 Commission is open to change on Sprint weekends, there’ll be further discussion in January. Can I ask the three of you what changes would you like to see for Sprints? We’ve heard that one option is a Saturday with the Sprint followed by main qualifying, which obviously addresses the parc fermé issue? Is that a realistic option? And what are the pros and cons of it?
AS: We think that some tuning in the sequence of the sessions, and some changes when it comes to the parc fermé rules is the right direction. We don’t think that there should be some dramatic changes in the execution of the Sprint race. And yeah, so that that’s our position.
CH: I think it’s clear that the Sprints need to evolve a bit, in that I can understand the concept and it being action on all three days, which for the promoter and for the fans has an interest but I think the Sprints, in some cases, have been slightly underwhelming. There’s no pit-stop; it’s tends to stay in grid order and it’s a little bit like getting a medal for a long run. But I think if there can be a bit more perhaps, racing introduced, but then of course, you’ve got to look at what are the consequences with that: if you were to reverse the grid; if there were points involved, etc, etc. So, I think it needs a bit more work doing on it within the sporting forum. And then no doubt, we’ll sit down at the next Commission meeting early in the new year and hopefully finalise a format.
MK: Nothing to add, actually. Everything was said as it should.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Mike, could you just expand on that answer about Fernando, please? Why do you want to keep him – I know that’s pretty obvious – and do you have any concerns about… come on, I can’t write the story without you saying something! And do you have any concerns about his age in the way that Alpine did?
MK: What was the first question? I don’t remember it? Why do we want to keep him? Can you repeat it? I’m not sure if I understood it! I think yeah, I mean, I said it already? Tom asked me already, which I was surprised to have the question. I’m surprised to have it again now. So, I think the answer is obviously clear. And the second question is no, I’m not concerned.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Atlantic) Christian, a question for you about your comments about Lewis Hamilton and the contact with him, because Lewis spoke about it. Yesterday, he denied that he approached the team. Could you clarify who from Lewis’s camp, if anyone, did approach you? And he said that you sent him a message to his old phone that you then picked up? Is that true? Did you contact him? And are you still keen to have a catch-up at some point with him?
CH: It’s remarkable how much traction this has got. So thank you to the Daily Mail for going exclusively large on this item. I mean, it’s a question of he said, she said, who said, what said. It’s entirely normal for drivers, drivers’ representatives, drivers’ parents, to have different conversations during the course of the year and look, we haven’t had any serious discussions with Lewis. There was never a seat available. But, you know, I’ve known Anthony Hamilton for many years, he’s a good guy. He’s a proud racing father and inevitably when drivers go through tough spots – and you know, let’s face it, Lewis hasn’t won a Grand Prix for two years – it’s inevitable that questions will be asked up and down the paddock. So, but there was never any engagement and I don’t know who represents who or what, but with the same surname, you would think they were reasonably close. It’s difficult to say, but there was no, other than pleasantries. There was no specific ‘can I drive for Red Bull next year’, unless Anthony wanted to drive. So yeah, but that’s, as I say, not unusual. I mean, there are many drivers, as you can imagine, that we hear from during the course of a year.
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Just following on from that, Christian, do you think Mercedes might be a bit surprised to hear that Lewis, or his father at least, was in contact with you guys about driving for them?
CH: Well, not really. I mean, he’s the most successful driver of all time, and hasn’t won a Grand Prix since 2021. So you haven’t got to be a rocket scientist to work that out. And I doubt that I was the only one that there was an inquiry made to. Now, what the dynamics are within any given relationship, I don’t know. I’m not privy to that. But, you know, inevitably there are questions going to be asked. And there’s not really much more to say a lot has been made out of something fairly innocuous.
Q: (Fillip Cleeren – Motorsport.com) For all three. Going back to Vegas, there’s obviously a lot of very tired people in this paddock, especially the mechanics. What’s been the damage in your teams, and especially looking to next year when there’s a tripleheader with Qatar and Abu Dhai as well. Is that OK? Is that over the limit? And are you asking to be for that to be avoided in the future?
MK: Yeah, there have been a lot of talks about the Vegas schedule. We knew it before, because we had the timeline before. So it’s something that I think, as a team, you need to prepare for. Not only the drivers, but also engineers and mechanics. And I have to say our team coped really well with these difficult conditions. And we were surprised that it became such a big topic at the end of the day. But I think all in all, if it is, then I think there should be adjustments for the future. And the way it has been discussed already up and down the pit lane, I think there will be some adjustments for the future.
CH: I sincerely hope that subscriptions to Lemsip are not within the budget cap. It’s been a pretty brutal regime. When you look at the last… This is five races in six weeks. So for the mechanics in the garage, for the travelling staff, it is a brutal end to the season. Of course, that’s a little accentuated by the time difference… We were effectively working in the Japanese time zone in Vegas, and then a 12-hour swing to come here. So it’s something that’s been raised with Formula 1 and the FIA. Look, their personnel, they feel it as well. And I think solutions are being put in place to the future to take into account the toll that it does take on not just the staff, but all the travelling circus that is associated with Formula 1.
AS: Yeah, definitely has been a tough event for the staff, for everyone. I think there’s some takeaways, even for us as a team, for instance, in terms of what we can adjust, to cope with this kind of fatigue. But at the same time, we need to have a dialogue with F1 to make sure that what can be improved, is improved. Certainly, we will keep talking about the timetable, if possible, specifically for the race in Vegas. But it’s clear that the sustainability from a human performance point of view has become a key topic in Formula 1 nowadays. So even the way teams approach performance needs to change needs to evolve. And certainly this is something that we are taking quite seriously at McLaren.
Q: (Matt Kew – Autosport) Christian, you raised the idea of reverse grids, you talked about the F1 Commission. There’s a bit more momentum behind it in recent races. Does FP1 not risk a ‘jumping the shark moment’ by trying to fix problems with a feature that massively divides opinion by introducing an element that massively divides opinion?
CH: Well, this is where you’ve got to do the research. I think it’s very important that the next step that we make is one that is fixed for a long period of time. This Sprint concept is a new concept that’s been introduced. And in some areas it’s very popular and with some traditionalists, it’s very unpopular. And I think that whatever it evolves to needs to be consistent for a long period of time. And, and so I think the necessary research – and I think the fan feedback is going to play a crucial role in this, in terms of what is it actually that the audience want? Do they actually enjoy the Sprint format as it is? Or do they actually want to see a bit more racing if we’re going to do a Sprint race? And if so, if we’re going to do that, then how do we award the points? How do we incentivise drivers and teams? So there are many topics attached to it. But the most important fundamental thing is, what do the fans want?
AS: We are talking specifically about the Sprint? Yes. So I think there is positive, there are positives in the Sprint events. They are confirmed even from the data that F1 circulated. We also need to give the time to absorb some different ways of interpreting Formula 1 race weekends. And we need to make sure that we don’t change too often, too rapidly, because then we wouldn’t have this time to adapt, absorb to a certain way in which we intend a Formula 1 race weekend. And this is why we think that while improvements have to be made, they should be relatively incremental, have a few more Sprint races, and then we can have better data, better information to see in which direction the business of Formula 1 should go.
MK: Yeah, I fully agree on what Christian and Andrea just mentioned – not shooting too quickly after a couple of races, small changes, or small adjustments, step by step. I think the sequence of sessions is already a change that we have to see how it pans out. It will have also other consequences or other implications. And then the most important, and that is a point that Christian made, which I think is very, very important is what do the fans want? Because we do it for them. And this has to be taken carefully into consideration. But also, when doing changes, think about the implications and not trying to fix something again two races later.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) A question to Christian to reflect on Max this year, a little bit more. I remember Japan last year, you and Max said it would be pretty difficult to replicate that level of dominance. Yet this year has been even better. Do you feel like Max himself has made another step in some elements? And secondly, what are the races, the main highlights, that stand out for you?
CH: Yeah, I mean, look, Max has just been incredible this year. I don’t think any of us thought after 2022 that we’d manage to better that. But, you know, here he is on 18 victories in a single season. It has broken all records, it’s smashed the records. And I think just as a driver, the way he’s grown, he’s just constantly evolving. His capacity within the car just gets greater and greater, to read a race, to be able to look after the tyres, to know when are the key moments to absolutely deliver. And time and time again, he’s done that. The way he works with the team, and you can see that since winning the championship back in Qatar, he’s not lifted off at all. He’s absolutely pushing all the way to this chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. And, you know, with the records that he’s now achieved, becoming the third most-winning driver in Formula 1, a three-time World Champion, with the statistic of most wins in a season, and everything that he’s done, you have to start to talk about him amongst, you know, some of the greatest names in the sport, and I think he’s earned his position there. And what’s phenomenal is that he’s done it, you know, at 26 years of age. He’s got a lot of racing still ahead of him.