F1: FIA Thursday press conference – Japan

PART ONE – Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Liam LAWSON (Racing Bulls), George RUSSELL (Mercedes)

Q: Liam, please, why don’t we start with you? Different colours for you this weekend. What’s your overriding feeling about the swap with Yuki, and where do you go from here?

Liam LAWSON: Yeah, I think obviously an opportunity this weekend and maybe something I wasn’t expecting so early, but something that obviously is not my decision. And for me it’s about making the most of this opportunity now. And obviously still being in Formula 1, I still have that. So yeah, it’s been a good week of preparations, so I’m excited to get going.

Q: Tell us about the preps. Have you been on the simulator? Have you driven the Racing Bulls car on the simulator?

LL: Yes, we’ve done simulator and it’s all been OK. Obviously, you don’t truly know until you drive the car. So going out tomorrow will be the first proper test and for sure it’ll probably take a session or two to adjust again. But you know, we have three practice sessions here, so yeah, I’ll be making the most of that.

Q: How much difference does it make that this is a track you’ve raced at before in Formula 1 for the first time this year?

LL: That was what I was obviously looking forward to from the start, to be honest – to go to a track that I’ve been to before just to have a proper sort of preparation. And I now have that. So yeah, it’s exciting to be here. It’s a track that, I mean, I think we all like as drivers. It’s one of my favourite tracks to drive on, so yeah, I’m very excited.

Q: And you had a nice warm-up yesterday in Tokyo, the show car run. Just tell us about that.

LL: Yeah, that was cool. I think it was the first time they actually had both VCARB and Red Bull drivers together. So it was nice to see the fans all come out for that. It was very cold and rainy and they all still stood out there. So that was cool to see. And yeah, driving one of the older cars as well, with the V8, was pretty cool.

Q: Alright, good luck this weekend. Thank you, Liam. Pierre, can I bring you in on this? Can we just start by talking about 2019? You made the mid-season swap from Red Bull to Toro Rosso. What are your observations on what’s happened at Red Bull with Yuki and Liam this week?

Pierre GASLY: I don’t remember 2019. I mean, yeah, I wish Liam all the best. I can obviously relate to some things. I wish Yuki all the best. I think it’s very difficult to judge anything from the outside. I think only Liam can know his situation and know all the details from it and you just got to respect that. We’re all trying our best with the tools we have. I’ve got no doubts both of them are going to do really well. But yeah, it’s not really for me to comment because you never really know what’s going on.

Q: So let’s bring it on to the here and now with you and Alpine. You said after China that you were going to have a big debrief, look at what had gone well at the opening two races, and where you also thought there was work to do. What conclusions have you reached?

PG: I think China, objectively as a team, we slightly underperformed. We realised after the weekend that there were obviously a few things we would have done differently with hindsight. That’s why I’m still confident. We’ve got a good package, we’ve got the performance to fight in the top 10. And it’s really about… We’re still early stage in the season, we’re still learning about the car and how to extract everything from it. So it’s good we’ve got three races coming up at different tracks and I’m excited to go racing.

Q: You say you’re still learning about the car. How much of a step forward is it compared to last year?

PG: It is a step forward. Now, everyone made a step forward. If you look at the entire grid, it’s extremely tight. So I think it comes down to fine tuning the car to every track. Within two-tenths, you probably have six or seven positions at the moment. Unfortunately, we didn’t do good enough in China, but we know the reasons why. That’s why I’m fully confident we’ll be in the mix for the coming three races.

Q: Alright, good luck to you as well. Thank you. George, let’s come on to you now. A really impressive start for you and Mercedes so far this year – podiums, you had the front-row start last time out as well. What is possible with this year’s car, do you think? How much is possible?

George RUSSELL: Yeah, I mean obviously the first two races have been great – two podiums – and we couldn’t really have hoped for much more. I think we also have to be realistic. We are only two races into a long season and I don’t think probably Ferrari and maybe Red Bull have maximised their potential as yet. So we don’t want to get carried away thinking this is possible week in, week out. But we definitely know that if we do the best job to our own abilities, we’ll be there in the mix.

Q: Has the pace of the car surprised you so far?

GR: Yeah, I think it has. We know in qualifying we’ve always been pretty strong. But I think it was quite refreshing in China to see that our race pace was also pretty decent and we were the second fastest team in China. There were a lot of positives to take away. We go to Japan, which was probably one of our worst races last year, so it’ll be quite an interesting test to see if we’ve improved the car compared to this time 12 months ago.

Q: Just final one from me, Toto was very positive about your performance in China. How much of a shot in the arm is it for you to know that the boss has got your back?

GR: Yeah, I mean, I know he’s always got my back to be honest. People like to say things publicly. I don’t read what is said in the press or on social media. So for me, I only found out about this this morning when somebody told me. Of course, it’s good to hear, but I know that he’s always supported me, had my back and believes in me. And that’s the most important – what is happening internally rather than what is shown to the world. I know that I’ve got everybody’s support. We’re in this all together. We’re all fighting for the same common goal and it’s an exciting moment for us.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports F1) A question for George – clearly, obviously, there are some contract negotiations you need to embark on at some point. If the season turns out as you’d wish, with maybe a title challenge, would it be a good idea to try and get that done sooner rather than later so it doesn’t get in the way?

GR: From my side, there’s no stress whatsoever regarding a contract. Ultimately, contracts are in place in Formula 1 and things change very quickly. I believe in myself. You have to perform and it’s pretty much as simple as that. And when it comes down to contract discussions, I think with us in the past, with Toto, it’s taken no more than 24 hours to have the conversation, and then it goes to the lawyers and we get something in place. So, there is no rush from my side, there’s no concerns, there’s no pressure. I’m enjoying where I’m at in the sport right now and enjoying my performance and just enjoying going racing. That’s the main priority right now.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sports, Italy) Liam, do you expect you will immediately find the same good feeling you had already with the Racing Bulls car?

LL: I won’t truly know until I drive. I think we all feel good. I feel confident. And I don’t think too much has changed since last year. So yeah, I think the ingredients are there. And obviously the main thing is coming here at a track that I’ve driven as well. Hopefully, I slot right in and feel comfortable, but I think we’ll find out tomorrow.

Q: (Tomás Slafer – DAZN, Spain). Question for Liam as well. You mentioned that you were not expecting the call all this so soon. Was it actually a call? Did you know this decision in China already, or was it something in between races?

LL: No, I had no idea in China. It was something that was decided, I guess, the Monday or Tuesday afterwards. I found out after China basically. So yeah, it was, I think for all of us, probably more unexpected. But it was after the weekend.

Q: (Mariana Becker – TV Bandeirantes) Liam, things have been twisted and turned so many times here, and sometimes completely unexpected. Like a year ago, probably Yuki was feeling this way – like “I was not the chosen one” – and then things turned around. For the future, do you think you can expect maybe, if you have a very good year, to have this change again? Like going back to Red Bull or turning the table?

LL: I think we know how Formula One is and how quickly things change. I mean, if I look back a year ago, I had no seat. I was here a year ago watching and wishing I was racing. Then I had the opportunity to race at the end of last year and the opportunity then to go to VCARB. So a lot has happened in 12 months. For me, the main thing is being in a car. I have the opportunity to prove why I belong here and that’s what I’ll try and do, and that’s what I do every single time I get in the car. That’s what I’ll be doing this weekend. I think things change very, very quickly and where my future is, I don’t know. The only way I can control that is by driving fast.

Q: (Margot Laffite – Canal+) Question for Liam. Can you talk us through the way the situation was presented to you? Was it like a done deal, or was it explained, justified?

LL: It was more of a done deal, I would say. I left China, started preparations for Japan, and basically I had a phone call saying that this was what was going to happen. So, yeah.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sports, Italia) Question to George. When people talk about the title, your name is often not there. Do you feel like you are not taken into consideration as you should be?

GR: Ultimately, from my side, I’m just going in every single weekend trying to perform to the maximum. These last three years as well, alongside Lewis – his name was always there with championships because he’s the GOAT. But the last three years, neither of our names were there because we weren’t in the position to fight. Look, this season it’s been a great start to the year. I don’t think we could have achieved a better result than we expected, and I hope we can continue this sort of run of consistency. But we know realistically the McLarens are exceptionally strong, and I think it’s going to be challenging for anybody else to compete with them. But you know, we saw last year how dominant Red Bull were, and suddenly they weren’t at the end of the season. So yeah, things change quickly.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Liam, what was your reaction to the call and how have you built yourself back up to race this weekend for Racing Bulls, and what kind of support have you had from members of the team there?

LL: I would say, as I said, I was more surprised. Obviously, it’s very early in the season. I was hoping to go to a track that I’d raced before and have a clean weekend to have a chance like that. The decision obviously was made, and when I was told, although it was tough to hear, I had one or two days to sort of think about it. Then I was in Faenza with VCARB, starting preparations and seat fits, and then you’re basically just focused on the job. As I said, I have the opportunity to still be in Formula 1 and still racing, and that is the main thing for me. With this opportunity, I’m excited to be here. It’s been a strong start to the season for this team, for VCARB. So I guess it’s exciting for me now to come in here in this position.

Q: Liam, just a quick word on your engineers this weekend. Are you working with the same people that you were last year?

LL: No, actually not. Race engineer is Ernesto, who’s been with Yuki in the last 12 months because he had switched last year. But all guys that I’ve worked with. And as a reserve, I spend a lot of time with them. So yeah, it’s a group of people that I’ve got to know very well, so it hasn’t felt like a shift. I would say, so far, it’s felt like I’ve slotted in nicely.

Q: (Nate Saunders – ESPN) Another one for you, Liam. You mentioned about driving this year and kind of focusing on just getting the performances back. Has it been made clear to you that the door is still open to you to make that comeback to Red Bull? And have you had any conversations about the possibility of ever kind of reversing this decision down the line?

LL: Yeah, I guess that’s part of the conversation. I guess in a way that’s great. But obviously I was already there starting the season and was focused on proving myself in the team at that point. So look, whatever happens down the line is more or less out of my control. What I can control is the driving stuff, to prove that. So yeah, where the future goes, honestly at this point, I’m not really thinking about too much.

Q: (Luke Smith –The Athletic) Another one for Liam. I’m just looking at the challenge that Yuki’s now going to face going into that car. We heard over the radio in China how much he was struggling through the race with the handling of the car. How different is the Red Bull compared to the Racing Bulls car from what you found?

LL: I mean, China was a bit more unique, I would say. Just with the race we tried something with the set-up quite aggressive and it was to sort of get some answers and build a direction with the car. So we went with that and in the end it didn’t work too well in China specifically with the degradation that we had on the front. The car itself felt quite good, but just on the tyres, we were struggling. Coming here, it’s a new place for Yuki. Obviously, it’s a great opportunity and on a track that he’s done a lot, I’m sure he’ll probably be more comfortable. And I’m sure they’ve done work over the last week as well in the short break to try and work on improving things.

Q: (Jon Noble – The Race) Liam, you talked about elements being outside of your control — but in Australia you lost practice time, in the Bahrain test you had the water leak, and didn’t get the long run in the wet race in Australia either. Did it ever feel like a situation you couldn’t get to grips with given time, or do you think it was right to make a move as quick as this?

LL: I think, yeah, in Formula 1… It’s motorsport — we have issues, that’s part of it, especially with these cars that are pushing the limits like they are. I’d maybe hoped that would be taken into consideration more, and I think that’s why for me it was important to come to a place that I’d raced before and driven before. Melbourne and China are both tough tracks, and as you said, with the way the weekends went, they weren’t the smoothest. But it’s motorsport. As I said, the decision was not mine, but I’ll make the most of this one.

Q: (Chris Medland – Racer) Liam, sorry, it’s yet another question for you — with apologies to George and Pierre as well. Christian Horner said he used the term “duty of care” towards you in making this change. Do you feel it’s in your best interests to have been moved so soon, or do you think it’s more damaging to you and your confidence to have to go through this after just two races?

LL: I think confidence-wise it doesn’t change a lot. We all have enough self-belief to be here and to make it to Formula One. If you don’t have that self-belief, it makes it very difficult. So I think we all have that naturally — it doesn’t really change how I feel about myself. I think what it’s doing for me… Obviously, the best opportunity I had felt like it was with Red Bull Racing. That’s where we’re all working towards. That’s what I was working towards since joining the junior programme as a 16-year-old. So obviously, I would have liked to make that opportunity work and that’s in my best interest. But obviously, Christian and the team will have their opinions on what’s best, and that’s up to them to decide.

Q: (Luis Vasconcelos – Formula Press) Pierre, after Austin last year, the team was on an upwards trajectory which hasn’t been continued this year. Is that something that was expected to happen or something didn’t work as the team was planning?

PG: No, I think honestly it’s an extremely tight field. As I mentioned, within two tenths you could go from the top of it to the bottom of it. Objectively, we had a very strong Bahrain test. Melbourne, Q3, fighting for points – quite tricky conditions, Safety Cars didn’t play in our hands. And China felt like we didn’t extract everything from the package. Nonetheless, still finished 11th, which could have been a P9, but unfortunately with the car being slightly underweight, we didn’t score points. So I think honestly we’re confident. It’s only two races. We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to focus on ourselves and the work and just execute a strong weekend and we’ll be in the mix. It’s going to be very tight the entire season and we’ll have to make the best out of each single weekend.

Q: (Nicolas Blasquez – AFP) Do you feel extra pressure because Alpine is the only team without a point yet, or does it not change anything for you?

PG: Absolutely not, because we know exactly why we didn’t get those points. Things could have been very different in Melbourne, with the last Safety Car we were in the points the entire race. We were in the fight in China and there was more performance to come from it. So no, I’m confident we’ll get those points. Some other teams have been slightly more fortunate than us, but it’s a long season. We saw it last year – we managed to come back very strongly. I believe we’ve got a better car than we had last season and I’m not too worried. Obviously on paper, it’s nice to see yourself up there straight from the start, but let’s remember there are 24 races.

Q: (Mark Mann-Bryans – Autosport) Pierre, another one for you. You were obviously a teammate of Yuki in the past. Have you spoken to him yet since he got the Red Bull seat, and do you think he has the kind of character to go there and get on with the job?

PG: Yeah, we spoke on the phone. Obviously, the way that I was also given this opportunity and just in terms of what didn’t quite work out and things that could have been different. I think he’s got the experience, he’s got the speed. I’ve always backed him up. I’ve raced against him and with him for two years. I’ve seen his raw speed. I’ve seen what he was capable of doing already back at the time. We can look back in 2021, all these years, I’ve always said he was an extremely fast driver. So he’s got the speed. I think he’s got a strong character. Does it mean it’s going to be successful in Red Bull Racing? No. Can he be successful in Red Bull Racing? Yes. But it’s slightly more complicated than that. I just wish him the best. I’ve shared my thoughts and my experience from my time there. Time will tell, but I think he’s definitely a very strong driver. And in Formula 1 these days, you’ve got many strong drivers on the grid, so it’s not all down to your speed. There’s slightly more to it, but hopefully he can make the best out of this opportunity.

Q: (Fred Ferret – L’Equipe) Quick question to George. Coming back to Mara’s question — are you annoyed that nobody asks you questions and sees you as a true candidate for the World Championship? Is it something that bothers you, to be in the shadow?

GR: I mean, not really, to be honest. I’m going in every single weekend. I’m a Formula One driver living my dream. It’s not what the perception is — it’s what the reality is. The reality is if we’re going to fight for a championship this year, we need to improve. This year has been a great start to the season. But the same way the last three seasons have been, I feel that I’ve personally performed very well. I’ve had one of the strongest teammates ever. I’m not looking for external recognition. I’m just looking to go racing every single weekend, perform, and doing my job.

Q: (Joel Tansey – The Japan Times) This is for Pierre. Going back to when Yuki was a rookie, what kind of growth and maturity have you seen from him since that time?

PG: I think he always had the raw speed. It was a little bit too hectic behind the wheel at times, on the radio. I think in that sense he’s matured enough in minimising the mistakes. It’s all a fine line between pushing right at the limit or over pushing slightly too much, which can be quite costly in Formula 1. And I think we’ve tuned that line. Looking at the past few seasons, I think he’s been putting in very strong performances. Speed-wise, he always had it. But in just minimising those mistakes, which could have been quite costly at the time — yeah.

Q: (Adam Cooper – Adam Cooper F1). Question for Liam. At the end of last year, you obviously felt you were ready for the promotion. But sitting there now, in retrospect, was 11 races over two years enough? And maybe Pierre has a view — I think you did 26. Would you have been better off at Red Bull if you’d maybe done another year at Toro Rosso?

LL: I think it’s easy to look at it in that way with how the last couple of weekends went. But as I think we talked about, they were not the smoothest of weekends and at tracks that were very new to me. So in some senses, yes, it was early. But at the same time, I think part of the reason they brought me in in the first place was to adapt quickly. And although that was tough — yeah, I guess, you know, you can say anything now, that the decision done. But it doesn’t change how I view it or how I view myself. I felt like I was ready, so although the weekends were tough, that doesn’t change.

PG: Well, I think ultimately more experience in Formula 1 is never a bad thing. So the more experienced you are, the better you are. The more understanding you have of the sport, of the impact of the teamwork, etc.
Whether it was the limitation? No, it wasn’t. There was more to it at the time, but I’m not going to really expand into details here. But yeah, more experience in F1 — you are a more complete driver. It’s better. You can’t deny that.

Q: (Jon Noble – The Race) To George. You said before China that you felt McLaren had a car that could win all the races. I just wonder if the performance from China on Sunday has maybe changed perceptions because Oscar wasn’t miles up the road and had the benefit of clean air for the entire race, which was very important.

GR: Yeah, I think McLaren’s strengths are on the hot races and the old tarmacs where there’s a lot of degradation. So China, we saw the one-stop being quite straightforward. Who knows this weekend with the new tarmac — obviously we don’t want to jump to conclusions. But what we saw in Melbourne and in Bahrain testing was pretty exceptional. And in Melbourne, it was more normal, but if that’s their worst race, it’s a bit concerning for the rest of us. But as we said after six races last year, Red Bull dominated and then things changed quickly. So, let’s hope there’s something similar like that, and we’re the ones who can come forward.