Press conference:
Q:
Kimi, it looked like a pretty perfect day, was the car perfect?
KR:
Yeah, it was pretty good. We could still improve it. We always try to improve it but it was very nice, very good balance all the time, so it wasn’t too bad.
Q:
It looked as if you lost a little bit of time on the harder tyres in comparison to the
McLaren. Both of you were lapping at the same pace, roughly speaking, but the McLaren was lapping quite a lot quicker on the harder tyres for the first two or three laps.
KR:
We didn’t need to push. If we wanted to push, we could go much faster, for sure, but there’s no point in risking anything or using the engine more than you needed to. The first thing was that they were trying to catch us and the second thing was that they would try to overtake, but if they don’t even catch us, it’s fine. In the last part of the race, you don’t see the true speed of most of the people, they slow down if they can.
Q:
You also lost a little bit of time to Felipe for about two or three laps round about lap 40.
KR:
No, I lost some time in the traffic with the same car. I think it was Sato twice. He wasn’t too helpful but apart from that, I don’t know if something happened. There was no problem with the car. Maybe I made a mistake or had traffic. I don’t remember.
Q:
Felipe, Fernando seemed to come over on you at the start. Was that acceptable, anything more than usual?
FM:
No. I did a good start and even if he came over, he saw that I was on his side, so there was nothing he could do. It’s not like it was in the braking point, there you can defend your position. If you have a better start on acceleration, you cannot do anything. I also got into Kimi’s slipstream and I also got alongside him on the outside of the first corner, so I made a very good start. For sure it helps a lot to pass Fernando at the start, to build a gap, to be a little bit safer.
Q:
And after that, did you pretty much settle for second place?
FM:
Yes, the race here looks very similar to the last race. I was one lap earlier on the fuel and the chance to win was very small. For sure, I was pushing for the first stint, second stint, ready to build the gap to Lewis but it was pretty much that unless something happened, it would be very difficult to win the race. I cannot win every race. It was very important to bring home eight points and make another step forward in the championship which we know is quite long.
