Post-race press conference - US Grand Prix Pt.2.

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (McLaren), Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

Questions from the floor:

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (McLaren), Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

Questions from the floor:

Q: (Mark Hughes - Autosport)
Fernando, as you approached the first stops I guess you weren't quite close enough to make use of your extra lap and you talked about the graining before. Is it more severe this year, this problem of graining when you're in the wake of another car?

Fernando Alonso:
I think similar. But it seems higher here in Indianapolis than on other circuits. I experienced that on Friday when I was doing the tyre test. I did ten time laps with the primes, ten times laps with the option on Friday. When I did the option tire, I followed Rosberg of Williams for four or five laps. When I arrived to the garage the tyres were in very bad condition, so it seems when you follow a car, the tyre degradation is much higher, there's no doubt.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Felipe, are you more worried now after this race seeing how McLaren is pulling away from Ferrari?

Felipe Massa:
We are always worried. We don't like to be behind. When you see our competitors in front, you are always a bit worried. But we need to be together to improve and I trust my team. I know we can do it, I know we have the possibilities to do it. For sure we are not comfortable, that's clear, but we keep working.

Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News)
Lewis, just a few weeks ago a friend of yours, Dario Franchitti, won the Indy 500 here. Now you've won the United States Grand Prix here. What does it mean to you to win at Indianapolis?

Lewis Hamilton:
Well, just to win any race in Formula One is obviously extremely satisfying. But obviously I've watched the Indy 500 many times and to see Dario finally win, I was extremely happy for him because I know him quite well. To really continue that and to have both Brits doing well... I think it's great for the country and I'm extremely proud.

Q: (Fabritsio Lazakis - Four Wheel Magazine)
Question to Felipe. We saw that you could follow the McLarens in the first stint but in the second stint you lost ground. What happened there?

FM:
Yeah, I lost a lot of ground when they came in. In my in-lap and the last lap I was in traffic and I lost a little bit of the gap. And that created a bit of a problem for me because I was in big traffic in the in-lap so I lost maybe more than one second. Then I stop, I go out, and I was also behind some cars going out of the pit. So there I lost quite important time.

Q: (Lewis Frank - Monterey County Herald)
Congratulations. Lewis, you've been a man on a mission. Could you have imagined before this season winning two races in a row? Was that possible in your mind?

LH:
Absolutely not. Coming into the season you have to be realistic. This is, as I always say, the pinnacle of the sport. To come in... I didn't expect anything, but I hoped to do well and do a solid job and start reasonably well in the season and to build upon it and keep learning on a steep learning curve. But I never expected to... I hoped maybe I would get a podium at some point but I've been on the podium for the last seven races. It's just insane. I find it very, very hard to come to terms with everything. So I'm not reading stuff that's going on in the papers, I'm just focusing on trying to enjoy it without any of the other stuff confusing me. But I don't think anyone expected me to do as well as I'm doing.

Q: (Ottavio Daviddi - Tuttosport)
Felipe, in the last part of the race, Kimi and you, did you receive some suggestion from the wall, some team orders?

FM:
Just to race, so no.

Q: (Kevin Garside - The Daily Telegraph)
Another spectacular afternoon. Your father, again, a special moment for him and what a day to do it, on Father's Day.

LH:
It is, and you know what? I didn't even know it was Father's Day. I've just been so focused, I remember someone told me, but I didn't know if it was Father's Day over here or Father's Day back home. I'm never aware of those dates, but, even better. I dedicated the last win to him, but I don't really know what to do with this one. I think there's going to be, I hope, many, many more to come. I can't just keep on dedicating to a different... there are so many people in my family! As I said, I'm grateful to all of them. I hope he's happy, and I will say Happy Father's Day at the end.

Q: (Jim Peltz - Los Angeles Times)
Lewis, your goals have changed radically just in the last week. Can you say flatly now whether you're trying to win the championship this year?

LH:
I wouldn't say my goals have changed. As I said, I came to the season with an open mind just trying to do a good job. Yes, we're seven races into the championship, I have to be smart and realise that I'm running at the front and there is a possibility of winning the championship. But I still think it's far, far too early to even think about it or get any hopes up. Anything can happen during the season, I just have to try and remain consistent and try to keep on winning. But, you know, as many points from each race is good for the team and also for me. So I'm sure that's what me and Fernando are going to try to do.

Q: (Marco Degl'Innocenti - La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Fernando, did you expect to find a competitor for the championship in your own team this year?

FA:<
Yes and no. I think we knew from the winter tests that Lewis was very quick and was very close times comparing with Pedro [de la Rosa] and me. So no big difference between the three drivers of the team. So, you know, why not fighting for victories, podiums and championship? But on the other hand, I think it has been a surprise for me, and a surprise for everybody, to see him doing so well and leading the championship at this point. But, you know, I have big confidence. We have only done seven races, ten to go. So I'm very happy with my 48 points and the championship will be decided at the end. Again, I have confidence that I can do it.

Q: (Carlos Miquel - Diario AS)
Fernando, the last stop did you stop before the plan?

FA:
I don't know. I don't think so. I didn't know what the second stop was because we were very open to decide when to stop. I think obviously the first stop is clear and is decided yesterday in qualifying when you put in the fuel for Q3. The second stop, I think the team decides however the race goes in the first ten or 15 laps. So I think I stopped in the lap they wanted.

Q: (Peter Hesseler - Autobild)
Fernando, when you went side by side through the first corner, my impression was Lewis moved to the right and then a little bit back to the left. Was it borderline or where is the borderline in that situation?

FA:
I don't know. I think you need to see on TV. In the car, everything feels okay and we are fighting each other. You don't see many movements. So, on the car, I felt okay. I think on TV it will be maybe more easy to see.

LH:
May I just say in the rules you're only allowed to make one move down the straight and, going into the corner, you're allowed to move back to your position - or at least move back again to try and get yourself around the corner.

Q: (Steve Cooper - Autosport)
Fernando, you said that 90 per cent of the race is won or lost at the first corner and by extension that means that the fuel loads and the times you say in Q3 are very important for that. Does the team have a system of allocating who will go for the fastest run in qualifying and should it be you? Or decided on a race-by-race basis?

FA:
I think Ron Dennis is available now to do interviews. Ron will be available now. So I drive the car and Ron can probably answer these questions.

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