🎤 Lando at the Drivers' Press Conference before the Chinese GP:
(The video is from F1Fever on YouTube)
Transcript:
Interviewer: And Lando, what about your expectations coming into the weekend?
Lando: Probably not as high as Suzuka. I think that's our opinion. But still in a good position. I think we've been happy with how the season started. I think we're in a good qualifying battle with Aston, Mercedes, it’s very close and even last weekend ahead of Ferrari, but I think the order is still clear.
And I think in the racing we've done a good job. Not as good as Red Bull but and Ferrari, but I'm a head of Aston and Mercedes. So I think we're in a good spot. This wasn't a great circuit for us in 2019 but many things have changed since then. So I'm so optimistic we can have a good weekend.
Interviewer: What is it about this layout that gives you less confidence?
Lando: The long corners. Just, like, Turn 1. Yeah, this type of corner is just not good for us. Similar to, say, Zandvoort, that kind of experience for us. So yeah, we've got some things to try. And we're constantly trying to improve these areas. But it's an area we know is one of our biggest weaknesses, and maybe we kind of get away with it in qualifying but especially into the race becomes a bigger problem for us.
Interviewer: There were some race day frustrations for you in Japan, but afterwards, your boss Andrea Stella, said that the team can win this year. How quickly do you think you can do that?
Lando: Not anytime soon, that's for sure. I think we can. Right place, right time, if we improve the car how we need to. Honestly, there weren't too many frustrations with Suzuka. I think everything went pretty much as expected. I don't think we did a perfect job and I think we probably should have finished one place higher up, potentially. But I don't think it was far off. We've been the same place all season. We've been behind Red Bull, we've been behind Ferrari and we've been a bit of a step ahead of the other two teams come the race. And that's exactly how last weekend went.
So I don't think there's too many frustrations. But we know the issues, we know what we have to improve. And if we can improve them. I think Andrea is right. I think we can win races this year. And we can be competitive with these other two teams ahead of us. But that's an if. And you know, we have to work hard to improve the car in some of these certain areas, which have been a big challenge for us over the last many years, not just for years, but last many years. But if we can, then I'm confident we can have some good races.
Journalist Questions:
Q1 (Ian Parkes – New York Times):. I don't know if any of you drivers have had an opportunity to inspect the track as yet. But Charles mentioned it earlier, and a couple of other drivers have mentioned it in their media sessions earlier today, that the track has been painted. What does that means pecifically? Do you know? Does it cause any concerns? What issues are you expecting from such a track?
Lando: I have no idea. So I think we have to wait and see honestly, I think that's something new, something we don't think we've seen before, so hard to predict exactly what's going to happen. So I honestly have no idea. So I'll see you tomorrow.
Q2 (Michael Butterworth – Xinhua News Agency) To all the drivers briefly. It's been a while since we've been to the Shanghai circuit. Just keen to hear your thoughts on it. And any particular features that make it especially challenging or memorable for you?
Lando: I always raced here once, but I didn't finish the race. So not the best memories. But yeah, it was still in my first season. So everything was new back then. But it's always been a cool track to drive. Definitely was not my back then. But excited to give it another crack and see what we can do this weekend.
Q3 (Henry Clark – Daily Mail) I was wondering, obviously a lot of tracks that we come to, it's only been a year or so since you've last been here. But for everyone here there has been no race for at least five years. I was wondering what are the unique challenges that brings? Does that make this weekend particularly exciting? Or are there extra worries that come with that?
Lando: I guess just excited. Always excited for every weekend, but especially when you haven't been to a place for a while. For me, I didn't get a proper experience of it back in 2019. So things have changed. I'm a very different driver to what I was back then.
So I'm excited to see what it brings and how the whole weekend pans out I think anyway being a Sprint race and having two opportunities to try and nail the set-up for the first quali and then the set-up for the second quali. I think also there is plenty of opportunity. So I don't think it’s not going to be exciting for anyone. I think there's a lot of opportunities on the table, there's a lot of things that can go wrong at the same time, so excited for all of it.
Q4 (Henry Clark – Daily Mail) With all due respect to some of the more senior drivers, a question to a couple of the younger guys on the panel. When you see Fernando committing his future to racing well into his 40s, how impressive is that dedication? How much does it take to keep doing that? And also, do you see yourselves wanting to race for as long as that in your own careers?
Lando: I’d better be careful what I say. I think it takes a lot of dedication. I don't think anyone thinks Fernando lacks that in any way. I think he shows that with everything that he does in life. Whether it's at the track or away from the track, you know, in different sports or whatever. So it depends what you want to do. Everyone is different.
It's rare that you see someone commit for so long in any sport, you know, he's probably one of the oldest guys competing at the top of any sport in the world and I think to be able to do that at the level that he has done and continues to do, you're probably never going to potentially see it again, you know within Formula 1 and if you do, it's going be extremely rare.
So yeah, I think a lot of respect for that kind of thing. I have no idea if I want to do it in 20 years’ time, if I'm still going strong, but I love where I am now and I continue to do such a thing. Yeah, we'll see.
tagged by @vinvantae tagging: everyone that wants to do it, just say i tagged you. also, @goldsainz @formulaforza @carlosheinz @chrysanthemonza
1. Who or what got you into F1?
-> my family! they've been enjoying motorsports for years so naturally, i ended up falling in love too. something about forced proximity lmaoo
2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?
-> kimi raikkönen!! as a child i would get really excited to see him on tv or on track, my parents said i recognized his car and all. i supported him always, followed his years out of f1 and all, he’s 100% my favorite of all time.
3. Who's your current favourite F1 driver?
-> i have two 2023/24 favorites: lewis hamilton and oscar piastri.
lewis has been a favorite of mine from the beginning, his racecraft has always been enjoyable to me. also, he’s one of the reasons why (alongside nico and schumi) i decided to support mercedes. he’s a big big inspiration for me, all of the things he has done are wonderful so i’ve never doubted him as one of my favorites.
oscar, on the other hand, is ofc a new addition to the ‘fav f1 driver’ list but is one that doesn’t surprise me! i saw him go up categories and loveeed his driving style. i was never a diehard fan but a supporter of his career for sure. when he got to f1 (and seb left) i knew who my new favorite was gonna be! (now i am, in fact, a diehard fan)
4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?
-> not a pairing but…a boy band…
they live on my head rent free, the videos (and the lore) were so funny (iconic). BUT, if i had to choose a pair, i would go for kimi and seb!! i had always wanted to see them as teammates bc of how well they got along, when it happened i was the happiest. also nico and lewis were my number ones back in the day and by consequence my biggest heartbreak.
5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?
-> everyone in the family likes something different. some have their special reasons but in general they vary.
dad’s favorites are mclaren, lauda, and senna, my oldest sister’s are mercedes and button, my older brother redbull and alonso, younger sister ferrari and verstappen (don’t even ask), and my mom’s favorites were ferrari, prost, schumacher, and häkkinen. <3
6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?
-> this is such a hard question but i’ll go for the ones i rewatch the most: united states 2018, canada 2011, suzuka 2005, abu dhabi 2010, turkey 2020, and germany 2019.
7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.
8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.
-> i have! i went to my first gp when i was almost one year old, it was france 2003 — nevertheless, the first one i remember going to/experiencing (faintly but i do) is the 2007 brazilian gp!
i’m lucky enough to have gone to multiple over the years and i’m so grateful to my family for it. 2022 and 2023 were the first years i was able to go by myself or with my friends/colleagues to races! (i did go a couple with my family + i go with my brother everywhere but yeah) it’s been amazing!
9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?
-> i’m very lucky to say yes, i have met a couple over the years and it’s been great! from the current grid i’ve met everyone but zhou and hülkenberg!!
10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?
-> FW14B, MP4/4, W11, F2002, RB19 AAAAAAAHQHEUJW. i believe this question goes more towards the liveries but i love those cars, they were such a wonder and the WAY they were driven. ugh. amazing. i love rewatching their races.
11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?
-> ok so, i would say george but since he’s still racing i’m not counting it. i’ll go with pastor maldonado. HEAR ME OUT. it was an insane day, i was ten but i still remember how crazy everyone felt there in barcelona, like what just happened. also insane to think about how it was pure pace, like yes he was lucky on saturday but sunday was his. ALSO having kimi on the podium is a huge bonus.
12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.
-> “we have to remember these days. there is no guarantee they will last forever. enjoy them as long as they last.” — sebastian vettel, 2013.
“that’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible, you can do it too.” — lewis hamilton, 2020.
“i’ve always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only the slightest chance.” — michael schumacher, 2007.
“just leave me alone, i know what to do.” — kimi raikkönen, 2012.
tagging: most of my moots have already been tagged so anyone who wants to do it !!
1. who or what got you into f1?
legitimately, i kept seeing this charles leclerc imagine pop up in my “for you” thing and so i read it and then proceeded to look charles leclerc up and then i ended up hyper-fixating on it and now it’s almost my entire personality
2. who was the very first f1 driver you supported? do you support them now? have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?
daniel ricciardo!! although charles kind of pushed me toward the direction of f1, daniel was the first driver i really got attached too (i will admit it was partially because of dts). he’s still one of my favorite drivers, him and charles are tied for first but i really want to see him do well and i will forever be so sad that i didn’t get into formula 1 until he was in his second year with mclaren :(
3. who’s your current favorite f1 driver?
while daniel is also my favorite driver, charles might be a little higher than him simply because i am a ferrari fan and the fact that charles drives for my favorite team gives him a little boost.
4. is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? what made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?
honestly max and daniel will forever one of my favorite teammate pairings just because i feel like they’re so good together (they’re also so goofy and i love to see how max acts around him cause i think it’s so funny). i also LOVE seb and kimi just because i love the way they interact with each other😭
5. do your parents, siblings, or relatives have a favorite team and/or favorite drivers?
unfortunately i am the only one in my family that really likes f1. my older brother knows a little bit and he likes checo and lewis but he doesn’t really keep up with anything, and my mom likes charles only because i like charles💀
6. do you have any favorite races? are there any that stand out to you the most?
spa 2019, monza 2020, são paulo 2022, and singapore 2023. são paulo and singapore have a special place in my heart cause são paulo was the first f1 race i ever watched and i think it’s really cool that that was george russell’s first race win, and i really love singapore because that was the first time i’ve ever experienced ferrari winning a race and i was literally jumping around in my room freaking out when it happened.
7. do you have a favorite circuit? can be from the past or from the current calendar.
i like a couple but i’d say my favorite is probably monza. some others i really like are bahrain, suzuka, and singapore!!
8. have you ever been to an f1 race in real life? free to tell us your experience going to one of you’d like.
sadly no!! i unfortunately live in the u.s. and i feel like our gp tickets are so incredibly expensive plus i don’t live in a state close enough to any of our tracks. i have been to an indycar race however (which i know isn’t that same thing) but it was a lot of fun and i’d really recommend it if you have the chance to go cause it is a lot more affordable compared to f1!!
9. have you ever met an f1 driver in real life?
i have not, which i’m kind of happy about cause while i think it would be amazing, i am so incredibly awkward and would definitely make it uncomfortable because of how awkward i am. i have however met a couple of indycar drivers (some of those being pato o’ward and marcus armstrong) which was really cool!! i meant to tell marcus that i loved screaming meals but i got too nervous and just asked him to sign my hat🫠
10. do you have a favorite f1 car? if so, what is it?
not necessarily my favorite car but i LOVED the williams livery this year!!
11. do you have a favorite one win wonder?
monza 2020!! while i’m not a huge fan of him as much as i used to be, i really liked pierre when i first got into f1 and i just loved that he was able to get his first win at monza. i also think the atmosphere after he won was so amazing especially after what he went through with red bull the season before and i just love that he was able to prove them wrong and prove that he is capable of winning races and that he didn’t need red bull to do that !!
12. do you have any favorite quotes from the f1 world? this can be either inspirational or hilarious.
i have one for both! so i actually (literally today) just got an “enjoy the butterflies” tattoo (also now i match with lucy, which was not at all planned but i think it’s super funny🤭) and i also love kimi yelling “GLOVES! STEERING WHEEL AND GLOVES!” because i think it’s so funny and also because i just love kimi.
W Series season curtailed as organisers focus on 2023 funding
W Series have confirmed that their 2022 season will be cut short, with the final three races planned in the United States and Mexico later this month no longer going ahead.
A press release issued by the championship highlighted that, as confirmed at the recent round in Singapore, “the required funding due to the business from a recent contracted investment was not received, forcing the remaining three races of the 2022 calendar into doubt”.
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from a dramatic Japanese GP as Verstappen seals his second World Championship
It continued: “Since then, the decision has been made to focus on the longer-term fundraising process to enable the longevity and financial health of W Series into 2023 and beyond, and enable cost cutting by cancelling the remaining races in Austin and Mexico City.”
W Series had been due to visit Austin’s Circuit of The Americas on the weekend of October 21-22, with a double-header scheduled at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from October 28-30 – both in support of the F1 World Championship.
The curtailed W Series season means Jamie Chadwick is crowned champion for a third straight time
With the aforementioned rounds chalked off, Jenner Racing driver Jamie Chadwick – who sits 50 points clear in the drivers’ championship standings – is crowned W Series champion for a record-breaking third time.
Chadwick has taken 11 wins, 10 pole positions and 18 podiums across three seasons in the all-female category (2019, 2020 and 2022), with no racing held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: 5 Winners and 5 Losers from the Japanese Grand Prix – Who mastered the wet conditions in Suzuka?
Catherine Bond Muir, Chief Executive Officer of the W Series, said: “It’s with both great sadness and frustration that we announce that our much-anticipated final three races of the 2022 season in Austin and Mexico City will not go ahead.
“As a start-up in only our third season of racing, we are always working hard to ensure regularity of funding as we continue to grow our business, but due to recent unforeseen circumstances outside of W Series’ control, we had not been in receipt of contracted funds due to us.
“Therefore, we have been forced to make the unfortunate decision not to complete our scheduled calendar this season.”
Bond Muir continued: “We are incredibly thankful for the help and support we have received in recent weeks following the news of the financial difficulties we’ve been facing, which has accelerated our fundraising process and given us great optimism as we look to 2023 and beyond.
IN NUMBERS: The stunning statistics behind Verstappen's dominant title defence
“While we aren’t in a position to make a formal announcement yet, there are many positive conversations ongoing and all parties share our passion for and belief in our mission to provide our incredible field of women drivers a platform to showcase their talents and to race in front of enthusiastic fans all around the world.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure the long-term financial health of our business and we look forward to W Series’ continued growth and success.”
via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com
hmmm thanks, again a hard one! even though i have been watching racing for a while my memory is hazy so most are recent gps.
monza 2019 - look as a ferrari fan i don’t think it gets a lot better than il predestinato winning monza in front of the tifosi - stuff of dreams. a championship maybe but as a race this was it. i am a sucker for emotional wins and i’ll think about that race forever.
phillip island 2015 - after watching this during the break i see why people think this is one of the best races - pure entertainment and racing all the way with the win going on the last lap - amazing.
interlagos 2007 - what can I say, the last time we won a championship and it was one of the tightest fought championships in f1 history. was the championship in the grand scheme of things maybe more of mclaren’s to lose? absolutely, but in the end there was only one name carved to the trophy and it was kimi’s. watching this race live and stressing for such a long time about our chances, wow it was tense! and as a finnish tifosa, there was quite literally nothing better than to see a finn win with ferrari. and with hindsight, how lewis ran that race after the first lap and produced a comeback drive and subsequently how eloquently he spoke after the affair and the year they had had - just showing off his class and what an amazing driver he already was.
sachsenring 2021 - as I said, i am first and foremost a fan of the emotional moments. don’t get me wrong, i love racing/sports for the action but the storylines and people behind the races are what keeps it going for me. this was one of the first motogp races i watched and although we saw little overtakes, i enjoyed miguel’s hunt for the win and how the race played out. but watching marc win again after all the torrid times - stuff of dreams just like monza but in very different ways.
suzuka 2005 - there are a few older races that i remember but i rewatched this a while back and still one of my faves. i watched this live with my grandma and she remembers how I started shrieking half way to go like ”kimi is gonna win!” and I was very much looking forward to that. i love suzuka as a track and there were so many great overtakes. again, overtake of the lead on the last lap after starting from the back of the grid? kimi räikkönen masterclass, one of his best races.
there are a ton of other races that also come to mind, for sentimental reasons and pure racing, such as canada 2011, assen 2016, spain 1996, interlagos 2021 and so on and so on but off the top of my head these are what came to mind.
put “top 5” anything in my ask and i will answer ok go
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