Original subtitles

And welcome everybody to the drivers

press conference ahead of the FIA

Formula 1 Emmelia Romana Grand Prix. Two

groups coming your coming your way as

ever. Group one, Oscar Pestri. Closest

to me, Franco Colopinto and Lance

Stroll. Very warm welcome to you all.

Franco, if we could start with you,

please. Welcome back. Good to see you

again. Just how excited are you to go

racing again in Formula 1? Really

excited. Um, you know, everything is new

again. Uh, we start from zero. Uh, of

course wasn't the nicest to be uh after

being the last nine races of of the last

year. Uh, having to to step out was not

what I wanted, but um, you know, it was

a good time to to kind of reflect on

what happened last year and and to learn

from it. So happy to be back. Of course,

h never nice circumstances when when it

happens uh like this when you step step

in another driver seat, but you know,

you you never really choose the moment

you did in Formula 1 and um I just take

it uh try to try to do my best and try

to maximize the team for the job. Tell

us about your preparation. What have the

last 10 days or so been like for you?

Yeah, there has been a lot of work in

the background. a part of of the last

couple of days also before you know I've

been doing a lot of sim work for the

team of course track side but still

helping helping the team to try to

develop the the car a little bit during

race weekends and it has been good of

course that it helped me a bit as well

to kind of learn the car the tools uh

the different settings that team is is

running that I was not very used to it

and it's quite a big switch from one

team to another so it has been helpful

and then of course the prep for since it

got announced

was, you know, very strong and and we've

been doing a lot of this in the sim. Um,

so happy. I think again a pretty long

time since I've been in a race weekend.

So, a bit rusty maybe, but I think it's

going to come off very quickly in F12.

Franco, a long time since you've been at

a race weekend, but when was the last

time you drove a Formula 1 car? Has

there been any TPC running or was it Abu

Dhabi? I I drove uh the day after it it

got announced in Sunboard. So, uh, I

think it was one day before you guys

were there. A lot of fans. Wasn't really

a private test. How was the neck? Uh, it

was okay. Um, still, you know,

getting kind of used to it. The body

back to a G was a bit bit tricky at the

start, but I think it just takes a

while. Emil is a tough track physically.

It's not like my start in in Monza. That

is the easiest one of the year, but um,

you know, it's great to be back. It's

great that it happens in Italy as well.

have really good memories here and and

in Monsa too. So yeah, excited about the

weekend and about the the work with the

team. And what are your goals for this

weekend? Um just I think try to focus on

myself. It's it's very tricky to to have

any expectations whilst I haven't even

driven the car yet. So uh loads of

things to learn. Um but I think we are

doing the right steps and at the end if

we go little by little I think I'm going

to ride to to a decent place by by

Sunday. All right, good luck with that.

Thank you very much, Franco. Lance, if

if we could come to you now. Uh, you've

finished in the points here at IMA for

the last three visits. You are

unbeatable in Formula 3 as well. Just

tell us the secrets of IMA. You clearly

go very well here.

Um, yeah, I mean, it's a track I just

always enjoy coming back to.

Um, yeah, it's got great character.

Um, it's one of those old school tracks.

It's just fun to drive and yeah,

somewhere I've always enjoyed coming

racing. So, um it's good to be back.

Talk to us about the season now. There

were those points finishes in the first

two races. Obviously, the sprint went

well as as well in in Miami last time

out, but it has been tougher going both

for you and Aston Martin uh these past

few races. What are the limitations of

this car?

Um, we just need to find more speed, uh,

more performance.

Um, you know, we picked up a few points

in, uh,

um, uh, Miami, um, you know, which was

good, but yeah, just circumstance with

the rain and stuff in the sprint, so we

took advantage of that. But, you know,

we're not in a position to score points

every weekend um, just on on pure pace.

So, um, yeah, we just need to look for

performance in all areas and just keep

pushing performance in all areas. But if

we were to compare this year's car with

last year's car, where's it different?

Um, I just don't think it's too

different. So, we just haven't made, you

know, progress.

Um, it's just kind of the same. Is it

more difficult to drive than the 24? No,

it's not. Um, it's just the same. But,

you know, if you're not putting a lot of

uh lap time um you know, on the car

every week and um you know, developing

the car, then you know, you just kind of

fall backwards. And I think that's you

know, where we ended up. We're just not

putting the lap time that we uh we hope

to be putting on the car. And therefore,

that's why we're just, you know, in a

tricky spot right now. And are the

issues track specific or or can we be

hopeful for Emila this weekend? We've

already discussed how much you like the

track. Um, yeah. I think naturally

there's tracks that suit the car better

than others, but we've been to a lot of

different kinds of tracks this year and

we haven't been uh extremely competitive

in any of them. So, uh, yeah. Um, we'll

see how we go this weekend. All right.

Best of luck with that. Thank you. And

Oscar, we come to you now. You took the

scenic route to Emila yesterday. You

went via Bridgesellar to collect your

Lorenzo Bandini award. Just just tell us

about that. Uh it was was very cool. Um

definitely an experience that I probably

won't won't have again, but uh it was it

was a special day. It was obviously a

real honor to to receive the award. Um,

but even more so than that, you know,

just seeing some of the the really

passionate Italian fans, uh, you know,

considering I don't drive for the team

in red, it was impressive to to see how

many people were there and, um, then

also to meet some of my okay now very

very distant relatives, but some uh,

some people from where uh, my family

name originated from uh, was was very

special as well. So I'm now a honorary

citizen of of uh Lichani in Italy which

is where my great great maybe

greatgrandfather was from. So uh it was

was a special day. Another home race.

Another home race. Yeah. Another one.

Let's bring it on track. You've won four

of the opening six. Just how much are

you enjoying the ride at the moment?

I mean, it's pretty hard to say that I'm

not um when you've won four out of six.

So, it's it's been a great start to the

year. Obviously, I think, you know, I've

been enjoying obviously the success

we've been having on track. Um but I

think for me, what's been very

satisfying is all the work we've done

behind the scenes to achieve that. Um

because you know it's it's quite a

different feeling when you you win a

race because you feel like you've just

gotten by or um you know you had good

circumstances but to now be winning

because we have uh an incredibly quick

car and I feel like I'm driving well

that's that's very satisfying for me. So

um that's that's what I've been enjoying

the most. of course been enjoying

standing on the podium as well, but uh I

think yeah, more so the the hard work

behind the success. And on the Sunday of

Miami, you were 37 seconds ahead of the

first non McLaren. Can you explain to us

why the gap was so big? Was was that the

first time this year that you've

unleashed the true potential of the car?

Um, I mean, I think we saw a similar

thing in Melbourne in in the wet

conditions, but, um, you know, Miami was

potentially a circuit we we were looking

forward to from pretty early on. I think

with the the hotter temperatures there,

we, you know, given some of the the

sessions we'd had earlier in the season,

we thought that might play more to our

strengths. Uh, and I think Sunday and

Miami did prove that. Um, so I'm not

expecting that to be the case every

weekend. I would love that to be the

case every weekend, but um I I think in

those hotter conditions and that circuit

characteristic, it is um you know I I

think it will be difficult for us to

repeat that result uh consistently. So

we'll see what we can do repeat that

result here in Emila.

I I I don't know. We've got very soft

tires this weekend, so maybe that will

help us, but it's obviously a lot cooler

than it was in Miami. Uh so we we'll

see. The track is also incredibly

different, much bumpier, much higher

speed in general. So, we'll see. I

expect the competition to be closer than

it was in Miami. And, you know, we saw

in qualifying that uh the competition

was was on our heels and and ahead of

us. So, uh you know, we still have to

make sure we go out and execute

everything as well as we can because if

we falter a little bit, then uh we've

got plenty of competition that can beat

us. All right, Oscar, thank you and good

luck to you as well. Let's now open this

to the broadcasters. Who's first,

please?

Craig. Yeah, Craig Slater to Sky Sports.

Welcome back, uh, Franco. Um, can you

explain to us what why it's it's five

races you you're back for initially and

what kind of targets or guidance have

the team given you so that you can

extend that to at least the end of the

season? No, I think as a driver, of

course, I'm just trying to to go step by

step. I I don't really know the car. So,

a lot of new things coming and I just

want to, you know, do the basics right

and then the results are going to come.

I'm not really expecting any kind of

result. I think performance of the teams

are are so so tight that they're

changing from from track to track

depending which one is stronger for

each. Um so at the end I think until

FP1, FP2, we don't really have a a clear

clear view of of where we are at. So, um

still working a lot with the team. Um

the the main goal for us is to to make

the car we quicker as well. We need to

find a bit of performance and I think

that's going to come uh with with a lot

of work from me and Pierre. So that's

that's the main goal to try and uh

improve a bit the performance and then

uh of course after the these five races

we we will see what happens. Thank you

Franco Mara. Yeah Marasport Italia a

question to Oscar. Uh you have already

won four races Oscar. Uh do you feel you

can run away in this world championship?

I mean do you feel you can the strength

to do it?

Uh I I mean I think we have the the

strengths and characteristics to to keep

winning races definitely. Um you know I

think we've seen at various tracks that

the competition's been been close and

again I'm not expecting every weekend to

look like Sunday did in Miami. Um, but

you know, Friday and Saturday in Miami

didn't look as good as as Sunday, that's

for sure. So, uh, I I think there will

be a lot of competition, but you know, I

feel like I'm driving well at the

moment. Feel like the team's doing a

really good job with, uh, you know,

helping me get the most out of myself,

get the most out of the car, and and

clearly the car is is very strong. So,

um, yeah, I think we have the potential

to to have a really good year, but um,

I'm not not too concerned about that at

the moment. Just trying to win more

races.

Thank you, Oscar. Yeah, Harry. Uh Harry

Benjamin, Sky Sports F1. Question to

Oscar and actually all of them if they

want to speak on it. I'm going to bring

up the uh the update to the swearing,

I'm afraid, and how that's been uh well,

the penalty at least has been uh reduced

for if you do swear, no race ban, and

the fines cut in half. Uh do you feel

like you're being heard by the FIA? You

pleased to see some movement around

this?

Uh I think, you know, the fact that

there has been changes made is is good.

Um I think also you know a lot of the

the things in fine print you know

there's a lot of the stewards have a lot

more control now uh which I think is is

a good thing as well because I think the

circumstances definitely need to be

taken into account.

Um so I think it is it's a good step

forward.

Um yeah that's all I've got. But I mean,

I think, you know, one of the the the

big things for the FAA was putting

something for abusing officials, uh,

which I think is very fair and very

reasonable. I think maybe some of the

other areas got a bit caught up in that

kind of sentiment and it felt a bit

harsh. Um, but I think there are some

some genuine reasons behind what they're

doing. I think they've listened to some

of our feedback. Um, and the changes, I

think, are in the right direction.

Lance, can we bring you in on this?

Yeah, I agree with everything Oscar

said. I think it summed it up well.

Franco agree as well. Um I guess it's

who they are they are hearing them

because they haven't been in for a

while. So all right, thanks all. Let's

Any more questions? Yeah. Yeah. Hello.

Uh question for Oscar Panos for Adena TV

Greece. Um, since McLaren is the team to

beat and are the favorites, how

important is it for the intra battle in

your team to have the edge over in the

standings and results in the beginning

of the season? How much does it change

the dynamics within the team?

I I don't think it changes it very much

to be honest. Um, you know, I

think obviously you want to have the

edge at the end of the season. That's

where it's most important. But I think

you know for me at the moment I feel

like the the results have been a good

confidence boost for myself. Um so

that's always always important and uh

yeah you know if we have competition

outside of McLaren obviously there are

benefits like there are benefits to

being the first car on the track with

with pit stops and and strategy and

stuff like that. If you're if you're

ahead in anything there's always going

to be advantages to that. So, um I think

in terms of the the mentality and and

the feeling in the team, we're still

trying as hard as we can firstly to beat

all the other teams, but also we want to

beat each other. So, um I think that's

that's going to remain the same for the

rest of the year.

Thanks, Nelson. Uh Nelson Foger,

fireplay for all three of you. Uh the

circuit of IMLA, the event here is a

little bit on under pressure, on the

chopping block maybe. How sad would it

be to lose this track on the F1

calendar?

Um, yeah. I mean, it's definitely

um I I enjoy coming here.

Um, you know, there's a few tracks on

the calendar that they're just very

historical and, you know, they're

they're great to drive. Um, this is one

of them.

So yeah, it would suck to lose it, but

we have 25 races and a lot of countries

want races, so um yeah,

it's for sure tough to squeeze them all

in, but um hopefully this one stays. I

like coming here. Franco, you've won

here in the junior formulas. Well, give

us your thoughts on Emil. Yeah, I I love

Emula. I love Italy as well. I have had,

you know, some great memories and and

great history here. I started in Monsa.

Mona was my debut in Formula 1. Now it's

Emola that is still in Italy but with

Alpin. So um I I love Emula. I think

it's a great track. It has a a massive

history in Formula 1. Um and I think we

we all like I mean here you know for for

at the end the the history that this

brings into the sport. It's a great

dragon also to to drive. I think for the

drivers, especially to drive a Formula 1

car around here, um there is some some

specific corners that you know is such

an old school track that it's just very

very enjoyable to drive in. So, um yeah,

I'm just going to try to enjoy this

weekend and hopefully Yeah, hopefully it

stays.

Um yeah, I mean it's a great circuit.

I've only only raced here once, but it's

it's definitely towards the top end of

my my favorites. And you know, I think

having two races in the same country

with with how many uh bids we have

around the world for other races maybe

doesn't make that much sense anymore.

And when you have Monza as your your

second race in Italy, it's pretty hard

to not go to Monza, I think there'd be

some riots if we didn't go there. So, um

I think for me, we just need to be

careful to to preserve the history.

Obviously, Xanvort is going. Uh, Spar is

going to be on a rotation,

which yeah, I'm I'm not the happiest

about, but I think we just need to be

careful not to lose all of these

historical tracks because, okay, maybe

it's not the best to race on around

here. There's not the best overtaking,

but from, you know, the ultimate

experience of driving F1 car, this is

definitely towards the top of the list.

So, we need to just be mindful to not

get rid of that. Okay, guys. Thanks for

that. Got time for one more from the

broadcasters. Yeah, Tom Slafford on

Spain. Question for Franco. Franco Veno.

I take for what you said before that it

was not ideal to not start the season

with the team, but it's not a new

situation for you last year. You were

quick right from the start. Has your

approach changed since last year or did

you learn something last year that you

you could apply now to be fast from the

beginning?

Um, I don't really think it's a such a a

new thing. I think I'm much more

relaxed. I've had the experience of

racing. I've had the experience of being

in a race weekend uh with a different

team, but I'm still, you know, have got

that that feeling. I've been racing in

December, so it's not that that far

away. Um,

so it doesn't feel the same as Monza.

Monza was like a massive excitement and

everything was new and was the first

time I was going to be part of a of a

Formula 1 grid. So here it feels a bit

different. Um, I still it's still my

dream, you know, come true. So uh the

feelings are the same but I just want to

to work with the team and it's not only

that dream of becoming an F1 driver but

it's also working with the team towards

the goals that we have uh having good

results being consistent in the points

and that's what we want to achieve. So

um yeah let's focus on the job and and

see what we can do.

Yeah we have listened uh the first part

of the progress press conference at the

Italian Grand Prix. Uh I'm not going to

comment anything about the uh first part

of the pre-race press conference of the

Italian Grand Prix. Uh immediately after

a couple of uh minutes, we will have the

second part of the pre-race press

conference. Uh I will just uh kindly ask

uh from you to don't forget to like the

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