FIA Thursday press conference – Brazil

PART ONE – Pierre GASLY (Alpine) Charles LECLERC (Ferrari), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin)

Q: Charles, please, can we start with you and start with a message of congratulations? Congratulations on your engagement. And judging by the reaction of the Formula 1 paddock, it is a very popular development in your life.

Charles LECLERC: Yeah. I’m very, very happy, obviously. It was a special week, full of emotions. It’s obviously a very special moment for anyone to do that step. And, yeah, Alex and I are incredibly happy.

Q: Which driver do you think will be next?

CL: Ha, ha! Easy.

PG: Yeah, Charles gave me his ring already.

CL: Yeah, Pierre. Yeah. I think Pierre. I need to put him under a bit of pressure. We grew up together, so you’re next.

PG: I already put enough pressure!

Q: Alright. Let’s bring it on track this weekend. Just how hopeful are you and Ferrari coming to Interlagos?

CL: Let’s say we come here neutral, just like we have approached the last few races. I think it’s important for us to not get carried away by the positive results we’ve had in Mexico and Austin. We know that it was thanks to perfect execution from the Friday to the Sunday, and that’s extremely difficult to do—probably even more so when conditions are so difficult to predict, like it’s always the case here in Brazil. So, yeah, we’ll just focus on the job just like we’ve done. It paid off in the last two weekends. I really hope it does this weekend, but we have no guarantee, and we know that we don’t have the pace of McLaren or Red Bull. Mercedes can be very strong in some weekends, some others less, but that doesn’t depend on us. So we just have to focus on what we do best, and then we’ll see how it goes.

Q: Charles, can you give us your thoughts on the track? Because it hasn’t been an especially happy hunting ground for you. It’s one of the few circuits on the calendar where you’ve yet to get a podium. Do you enjoy driving here?

CL: I love it. Actually, it’s not been such a poor track for me in terms of performance, so I wouldn’t say the same thing I said in Budapest earlier this year. But for one reason or another, on the Sunday, it never really went our way. But, yeah, again, what happened in the past—I don’t really think about it. And I’m sure that if we do everything perfect, we can be on the podium for the first time. And seeing how crazy of a weekend it can be sometimes—why not even better? So, yeah, we’ll see.

Q: You touched on the pace of Mercedes there. Can we just get your thoughts on the Constructors’ Championship? Ferrari one point ahead of Mercedes in P2. How do you see that battle both this weekend and for the remaining tracks this season?

CL: I think it’s going to be very close. I think where I expect Mercedes to be very, very strong is probably Las Vegas. They were very strong last year, and I’m sure they will be this year. For the other tracks, I think it’s going to be close. So, yeah. We are basically equal on points. There’s also Red Bull in the fight, with Max especially, that picked up quite a bit of pace since the upgrades—I think it was in Monza. So it’s going to be a tough last part of the season. But, again, we have momentum on our side, and I hope it can continue as long as possible.

Q: Pierre, let’s come to you now. Interlagos must bring back some pretty special memories for you.

Pierre GASLY: Yeah, definitely. I think it’s been the most successful track for me since I started in F1. So, yeah, my first podium in 2019, which was very special. And obviously, that double podium last year with Esteban, which came as a very nice surprise. A very particular day—quite chaotic—but we managed to get on top of it.

Q: Which of those two podiums meant the most to you?

PG: The first podium in F1 is always unique because it’s the first time you actually experience this emotion. So, yeah, that was a pretty fun way to end the race—the drag race with Lewis to the line. That was very special. But definitely, last year—two Alpines, two French drivers on the podium, and the way we did it—it was definitely unique and very emotional.

Q: You haven’t had the best of luck, let’s say, in the last few races. Do you think the car is going to be more competitive here at Interlagos?

PG: I don’t think so. But we’re well aware of the situation we are in. Nonetheless, we still give it our best every single weekend. And as Charles touched on earlier, this is the type of track where the weather can come into play. We’ve seen pretty wild races around here. We definitely seem to have taken a step back in terms of performance. We’ve seen cars like Haas, for example, bringing upgrades, even in Austin, when we stopped developing the car months ago—but it’s OK. We know we have another four race weekends where we’ll try, and then after that we’ll be onto a different project.

Q: You’ve stopped developing the car months ago, you’ve just said. Have you been at Enstone recently and just give us your impressions of what you’re seeing for 2026?

PG: I’m very excited. I’m kind of in between two chairs at the minute because obviously this year is extremely hard for everyone in the team, and we are not competitive at all—for reasons we know and decisions we’ve taken tactically. But at the same time, we still have four races to go and hopefully all these decisions can be proven to be definitely worth it in 2026—and that’s what I believe. I’m seeing a lot of good stuff for next year’s car—a lot of work, a lot of motivation. But, yeah, it’s definitely been a long season.

Q: Thank you very much for that. Lance, let’s come to you now. That really strong midpoint of the season—I’m thinking of those seventh places in Hungary, in Zandvoort – nd remind me, where was the other one – Belgium! Anyway, since then the performance has dropped away a little bit. Do you and the team understand where the pace has gone?

Lance STROLL: Yeah. I mean, I think there’s just some tracks where the car comes alive. The last few events, it’s been more challenging for us—we just haven’t been as competitive. No one stands still in this sport. I think other teams have brought upgrades and improved throughout the course of the year. So I think it’s probably a combination of all that.

Q: Can I ask you about something you said recently, which was you’ve never really been that comfortable in this year’s car? Tell us about your driving style. What do you need from a racing car to feel comfortable?

LS: I think there are just some seasons there are cars you have a better harmony, a better chemistry with and it just feels more natural to drive. Some years, there’s cars that don’t suit you quite as well, and it’s just more of a battle. Ultimately though, I think this year we just haven’t been as competitive as we want to be as a team. Like I said, there’s some events where the car’s come alive and we’ve picked up points—P6, P7—when the opportunities have presented themselves. I think we’ve managed to do a good job on some of the weekends where the car has been competitive, but there’s also been a lot of weekends where we just haven’t been as competitive as we want to be as a team. So, yeah, four more races to go, and then next year is a new opportunity for everyone.

Q: Are you hopeful this weekend at Interlagos?

LS: Yeah, we’ll see. Like Pierre said, the weather here is always a factor. You never really know what’s going to happen. If it starts raining, anything is possible. But, yeah, we’ll see. I love coming back here. It’s a great track.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Question for Charles. Congratulations on the engagement, great to see. This season, it's going to be really tight in that battle for second place. But if you do, as a team, leave Abu Dhabi as runners-up once again, is that good enough for Ferrari? Will you sit down at the end of the season and say, “Yeah, that was a job well done”?

CL: It’s not good enough, no. I think when you drive for such a team, the only thing that is good enough is to win. But it’s also true to say that we are against a very, very strong competition and also teams that have a lot of history in the sport and that are very special in their own way. So, it’s not easy. But I think as Ferrari, when you work for such an incredible brand, it’s not good enough and you’ve got to target winning. Having said all that, considering where we started the season and where we are now, it’s a good season. It’s a very good improvement throughout the season, as it’s been very difficult at the beginning of the year to understand exactly what we had to tackle with this new car. But, yeah, to now be fighting still for second in the Constructors’ should be our target. And for next year, we’ll target higher for sure.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Italia) Question for Charles. Continuing the discussion about second place in the Constructors’ standings, from now until the end of the season, what would you choose between a victory or second place with your team, if you had to choose?

CL: I don’t know. I mean, I’ll take both. I think if you win, then it’s obviously more likely that you get second in the Constructors’. So, yeah, it’s a very difficult question to answer. I would love to win. I think it’s really important to at least be winning once in a season where everything has been so tough for everybody. The second place is not what’s going to… we’ll probably be happier as a team after a victory, but the second place needs to be our target. And we need to target both of the two things. So, yeah, I won’t choose between the two.

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports F1) Again, a question for Charles. I hope it’s not too personal, but I just wonder about Alex—and congratulations—and how much of a support is she in your professional life? How engaged is she in your life in Formula 1?

CL: Incredibly engaged. Not technically, of course, but as all of us, I think we are all human and I think we are all supported by the people that are closest to us. Alex is the closest person that I have, with my family obviously. And they live the career just like we do, basically—the ups and the downs—and they support us in the best possible way. And Alex has done that since the very first day I met her. So, yeah, she’s definitely a very important part of my life, obviously, but also of my career and the way you manage the ups and downs.

Q: And Leo, of course.

CL: Yeah, he doesn’t really understand about the ups and downs, but he’s always happy and that’s good enough.

Q: (Alex Jacques – F1 TV) Question for Pierre. You’ve scored all the team’s points this year. When it’s not going entirely to plan, how do you see the role of team leader, and how does it differ to a season when it’s all going right?

PG: That’s a very good question. The way I see it is, I think the most important thing, on my side, is to keep the motivation up inside the team for all the troops. Because at the end of the day, as much frustration as I can build from not being able to bring points back to the guys on a season like we have, they are as disappointed because everybody puts their heart out there—work crazy hours, travel the world—to give us the possibility to race with the best possible equipment that we can have. And at the end of the day, I need to really see more globally—about the 1,500 people that we are, working at the track but also back at the factory—and especially knowing that we’re onto something much bigger for 2026. So it doesn’t take anything away from me trying to put my best in the car every single time I’m in. Do I enjoy it as much? No. But I’m also aware of the project that I’m working for and also what’s coming in the coming years. So I’m not losing sight of the big picture. And that’s why for me, it’s important to be the main factor in motivation for every single individual we have in the team.

Q: Pierre, you talk about motivation. Do you wish the team carried on with the development of this year’s car longer than they did?

PG: If it gives me better results next year, I literally do not care about this season—and it will be all worth it. Because the reality is what we could have fought for this year is still not good enough for us. And these couple of weeks or months can potentially give us a head start on some other teams and bring much better success, which is what we are seeking, ultimately. So, yeah, fully backing the team in what we did. It’s a bit drastic, but sometimes to achieve greatness, you’ve got to make tough choices.

Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) Question for all three, if I may, please. We’ve got a month left with this current era of cars. We’ve had them for four years now. What would be your kind of eulogy to this generation of car? Have they been a fun car to drive versus other eras, or has the suspension been a little bit too stiff to make it fun? What would be your general assessment of these current cars? Thank you.

LS: I’m not going to miss it. No. I mean, I think the cars—they’ve been very stiff these last few years. The idea behind this regulation change was to make racing better. I don’t know if we really achieved that. They’ve gotten heavier. They’ve just been too heavy and too stiff. Even just throughout the last few years, battling injuries and stuff has become more of a thing. So, yeah, I’m probably not the biggest fan of this set of regulations. But we’ll see what next year brings. And, yeah, hopefully—I mean, whoever’s going to be competitive I’m sure is going to love the regulations. That’s how it works in this sport.

CL: I didn’t really enjoy the first year, especially. Obviously, there was quite a bit of bouncing, and that wasn’t the best thing I’ve had in racing. So, the first year wasn’t enjoyable. After that, actually, it got a little bit better on our side. Sure, it’s still stiff. I mean, I’d love to have a lighter car, but, yeah, I actually kind of enjoyed the last three years. The car got better, faster, and it’s still extremely fast in high-speed corners. Probably not as enjoyable as the previous generation of cars, but still—I enjoyed it a lot.

PG: Yeah, very similar comments. I’ll just touch on Lance’s comments. It’s definitely been rougher for us inside the car—especially with all that bouncing and porpoising. Our backs have taken much more of a toll than what people could imagine, and what it looks like from the outside. So I’m pretty happy that we’re kind of going away from that. Driving-wise, we beat a couple of track records on some tracks. So in terms of actual driving and speed we carry through the corner—it’s pretty incredible on some occasions. Pretty amazing feeling inside the cockpit. But I’m sure there are different ways of achieving it. And I’m sure we can do better—on the weight and the way we achieve the performance.

Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Question for Lance. Lance, I think a couple of months ago there was a controversy about an article published by an F1 journalist from Brazil that said that you’d leave the team. Recently, Felipe Drugovich said he heard rumours about that. What do you have to say about this subject?

LS: Fake news.

Q: (Gustavo Faldon – Estado de São Paulo) My question goes out to the three drivers. What’s the thing you guys enjoy the most about the Interlagos track? And what do you think about the track not having a Sprint race next year? Let’s start with you this time, Pierre.

PG: The view from the podium is what I enjoy the most around here. Apart from that, I’m not going to lie—the energy on race day, when we do the parade, is pretty unique. Still hearing people chanting Senna’s name and all this type of thing is very unique to Brazil. I appreciate it a lot. It makes us all drivers feel pretty special around here. Most enjoyable corner? I quite like this track—I mean, they’re all pretty cool. Turn 1 is unique, so I’ll go with Turns 1–2.

CL: I cannot comment about the podium view, unfortunately, but I’m sure it’s great! Probably the coolest thing is the legacy that you can still feel from Ayrton, that has been left. And whenever you come here, you can really feel how much he meant for people all over the world, obviously, but in Brazil it’s to another level. He’s always been my idol, so it’s always very special to witness that here. And the whole track—the flow is amazing. Just the way the corners are designed. I particularly like the kerbs. The kerbs are just very specific to Interlagos and the way you take them. There’s just a feeling about this track and the fact that it’s also historic—it’s just a very, very good feeling driving here.

LS: Like the guys said, the passion from the fans is amazing here. They just love the sport. They love Formula 1. The energy around the whole weekend every year we come—it’s amazing. Good memories coming here—2023, we had a good weekend here. Both cars were—I finished fifth. The car was feeling good all weekend. And just every year I come here, I love the track. I love the rhythm of the track. It’s just kind of one of those old-school tracks where, yeah, like Pierre said, there’s a nice flow to it. Each corner goes into the next one very nicely. And, yeah, it’s a lot of fun to drive. It’s nice coming back.

Q: (Isamara Fernandes – Motorsport.com) Question for the three drivers, please. Guys, who do you think will win the championship this year?

CL: Whoever’s got the most points after Abu Dhabi. I think it’s an open fight, and I usually lose my money betting, so I’m not going to say. But I don’t think you can discard Max. I would prefer to bet after São Paulo and see how this weekend goes. Then we’ll know a bit more with three races to go.

LS: I have no idea. I don’t know. I said two races ago, obviously Oscar had the points advantage, but now they are basically equal on points—or nearly. So, no idea.

PG: I think it’ll be between the McLaren drivers. It’s going to be tough for Max to turn it around. But between Oscar and Lando—I don’t know.

Q: Charles, you’ve won championships in the past. Hunter or hunted? Just looking at the dynamic between the two McLaren guys—what’s easier?

CL: How many points are there between them? One? I’m not sure there’s a hunter or hunted in that case. It’s whoever finishes in front, basically ends up in front in the championship. I don’t think—in a way, I won the championships in the past in the junior categories. I don’t think I ended up being so close in the very last few races. So obviously the tension needs to be extremely high. And it’s all about trying to manage that pressure and perform under that pressure in the best possible way. Only time will tell who manages to do that better. But, again, I still believe that it’s in between the two McLaren drivers.

PG: Not much more to add.

LS: Are you mathematically still in it? I was going to say, definitely not me or Pierre—we’re not going to win it.

CL: Not anymore.

LS: No, finished for all three of us, so there you go. It’s not going to be any of us. Probably one of the McLaren drivers by the looks of it.

Q: (Isabella Ayami – TV Band) Charles, for you. The highest spot for you [Ferrari] here was in 2022 with Sainz. Can you repeat what you did in the Mexican GP and finally get on the podium here?

CL: I hope so. Again, the momentum is with us. We’ve had good last two races, which is a good thing, but we cannot really rely on the past for future good results. It’s all about starting from zero again this weekend, focusing step by step on what we can control, and try and make our processes the most perfect possible. Then we’ll see where we end up. But I have no idea. I don’t know how competitive we’ll be compared to the guys in front. I don’t know if the others will struggle more than expected. There are obviously lots of things that I cannot control and that I don’t really want to waste my energy on, trying to think and anticipate. We’ll just focus on what we have to do. We’ve done our homework back at home in order to be as ready as possible for this weekend. And I hope that it’s finally the weekend where I get on the podium here in Brazil.

Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Charles, you have a huge fan base here in Brazil—Ferrari as well. I’d like to ask you about this particular Grand Prix here at Interlagos. Do you feel any change now that Lewis has arrived in the team? Is it the same for you and the team as a whole, or has the fact that Lewis got to the team changed a bit the reception from the public here in Brazil?

CL: For now, it’s been the same. But, of course, I expect that tomorrow, once the track action starts, to see many, many Brazilian flags in the grandstands—and probably more Ferrari flags, even more Ferrari flags than in the past—mostly thanks to the arrival of Lewis in the team. He has a huge amount of following here in Brazil. So it’s going to be special to see. But the people that used to support me still support me, so it’s great to see. And that always motivates us—to see the amount of support we get everywhere. And, yeah, we’ll try and do the best possible we can for the fans here in Brazil.

PART TWO – Isack HADJAR (Racing Bulls), Gabriel BORTOLETO (Kick Sauber), Alex ALBON (Williams)

Q: Gabriel, can we start with you? What a huge weekend it is – your first home Grand Prix here in Brazil. What are you looking forward to most?

Gabriel BORTOLETTO: Yeah, I'm extremely excited for this weekend. I'm just looking forward to drive, to be honest. It's a track I've not been to so many times in the past. I've driven here once, but four years ago with a GT car. So I don't know the track so much. But yeah, very excited about driving here in front of the Brazilian crowd.

Q: So you drove here four years ago, but when did you first visit Interlagos? What was the first Grand Prix you saw here?

GB: Well, Interlagos itself – there's a go-karting track just literally next door to here. So I started racing when I was six. So basically, when I was six years old was the first time I came to Interlagos. But at a Grand Prix, I actually didn’t come to any before my F3 season. So I think 2023 was my first year in Interlagos watching from the paddock. The other years, I was watching from the go-kart track because you can actually watch if you just stand on the wall there. You can see it. It's not super legal, but...

Q: And have you dared to dream – what would a points finish mean to you this weekend?

GB: That would be great. I mean, for the team, for me, for the Brazilian fans – I imagine it would be very, very good. So hopefully, we can score points.

Q: How hopeful can you be? You got that brilliant tenth place last time out in Mexico from P16 on the grid. Do you think you’ll have the performance to challenge again?

GB: I think so, yeah. It's a Sprint weekend – it's not going to be easy – but I think if we do a good job and put the car in a good window straight away from FP1, we can be competitive.

Q: Your team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, has been singing your praises recently, talking about, among other things, your maturity in year one. In what areas do you feel that you’ve improved as a racing driver this year?

GB: My maturity! I don't know. I mean, I just feel like when you come from F2, you're used to work with a team of, I don't know, 25 people, 30 maximum – I’m just putting a number like this – and then you get to Formula 1, and you have more than a thousand people working on two cars to make it run. It's literally a huge difference. I think this year I've been able to adapt, just to get used to it, go to the factory, meet a lot of them, and try to put everyone together and make it as one. But it's not easy. For me, one of the biggest challenges is to work with such a big team. And as a rookie, sometimes it's not the easiest thing.

Q: Alright. Best of luck this weekend. Thank you, Gabby, for that. Isack, let's come to you now. Your first Grand Prix here in Brazil – also a country where your hero, Alain Prost, won six times, including once here at Interlagos back in 1990. Just what does it mean to you to be racing here at this racetrack?

Isack HADJAR: Yeah, you know, growing up – to be fair, I was more of a Senna fan. Watching his documentary, watching him race here – I remember that race perfectly, where I was, I was eight when Seb won his third world title, in the rain, in a chaotic race. I was like eight. So this race brings back a lot of good memories of my childhood. It's a place I’ve never been before, except from last year, but never driven here. So I'm just so excited to get my first taste around here.

Q: You’ve driven it on the sim, I would imagine. What are you expecting when you hit the track for the first time?

IH: I don't know, actually. I have no idea. That first lap in FP always feels different to what you expect. From there, we build a good weekend together. Obviously, it’s a Sprint weekend. We need to get in action quite quickly, set the tone fast. And yeah, there’s some rain expected as well. From a performance point of view, I think we’re more confident compared to the last two weekends. We found a few interesting things and it’s a layout that should suit our car a bit better.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about those interesting things? It’s been a quieter run for you in terms of points finishes.

IH: We have a tricky kerb-riding situation, let’s say. In Austin and Mexico, we've been struggling a lot. Our car is better on flatter tracks and more medium-, high-speed corners. There’s no Turn 2 and 3 Mexico-type of corners here. It should be a bit easier. I don’t think it’s going to be our best track, but it should help.

Q: Final one from me – let’s talk Constructors’ Championship because there are several teams are within 12 points of where you guys are. What’s the feeling inside Racing Bulls?

IH: The momentum is definitely against us at the moment. But the good thing is we're still sixth. We believe we can turn things around, keep pushing and keep our sixth place.

Q: So it’s about keeping sixth, rather than getting fifth from Williams?

IH: I don’t think we can. I just don’t think we can. Sixth is good.

Q: Okay, best of luck. Thank you. Alex, let’s bring it on to you. How confident is Williams of finishing P5?

Alex ALBON: Maybe a bit more optimistic than Isack. But generally, it’s okay. I think it’s kind of a different period of the year now. We've transitioned towards next year's car quite a lot. We still want to finish fifth, but there's a much bigger focus on next year.

Q: Let’s talk about performance. The last few races haven’t been the easiest. You said after Mexico you were going to analyse the situation. Have you found anything?

AA: Kind of similar to what Isack is saying. There’s a couple of specific tracks – Austin, Mexico – where you can see some issues with the balance of the car. Long story short, we analysed everything. We took everything off the car. The team did a great job to see if there's anything we can find. I think there are a lot of little things we've pieced together. There’s a nice reset going into Brazil. We understand where the issues came from. Now it's about delivering a clean weekend.

Q: Are you going to do anything different from a set-up point of view?

AA: No. I think it's merely just been a couple of tough races. If you look at the whole season, we've had a really strong year. It's more about getting back into that rhythm. Setup of the car will be very similar to how it’s been all year. There's nothing we need to think out of the ordinary to get the performance back. It’s just about getting that rhythm.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports F1) It’s a question for Isak. We learned after Mexico that Red Bull will make a decision on their driver lineups for next year at the season’s end. There’d been some idea it might be at Mexico. Are you perfectly relaxed about that? Had you expected to learn something after Mexico?

IH: I mean, to be honest, it’s something I’m used to. I never signed a contract or had something announced before the end of the season in my whole career. So I always had to keep my head down and keep pushing until the very final lap. For me, it’s nothing new, and that’s how it works with Red Bull.

Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sports Italy) One question for Gabriel and Isack. Sometimes it's hard to judge the rookie season. How do you rate yours, and who is the best rookie for you – without looking at the standings?

GB: It’s too hard to judge the rookies – as you said – because I think we all have different cars. Some guys have better, worse, and it will always be like this. The only way to judge your season is basically looking at your teammate and performances you had. So if I look at myself, I’m very proud of the season I’ve been having. It’s been very positive. We came from a very tough start of the season with the car and everything, and then we brought some good upgrades, put us in the points. Q3 – I think I was there four or five times, something like this. So I’m quite happy, to be honest, with my season. I think it has been pretty decent. And about the best rookie, I mean, I think each of us is going to say ourselves. So I would say me. Isack will say him, and life goes on. It’s not going to change anything, this little championship for us, because we’re not here to fight for a rookie championship.

Q: Gabby, in the interest of modesty – take yourself out of it. Who do you think has been the best rookie excluding yourself?

GB: Well, I think Isack has been very strong this year. But recently, I need to be honest as well – Ollie has done an amazing last three or four races. Mexico for him was unbelievable. So, yeah, if the last three races didn’t happen, I would put Isack. But Ollie as well. So those two.

IH: I have nothing to add – everything he said was correct. I mean, as long as we’re not in the same car, we can’t really tell. I think we’re all doing really good against our teammates. Of course, Ollie and Gabriel have very experienced teammates. If you look at the head-to-head in qualifying, they are doing more than okay. So, yeah, I think it’s a good generation, let’s say.

Q: (Margot Laffite – Canal+) Can I have a quick question for Gabriel? We’re doing a piece on Mattia Binotto, and we want to know from your experience inside the team what kind of leader he is and what stands out the most about the way he works with you?

GB: He’s an incredible leader, I would say. He’s a different guy. He doesn’t like so much attention, I feel. Sometimes we even joke about it. He likes to stay on his own and do his things. But he pushes people so much in the factory. He motivates them. Everyone feels really involved in the project when he’s talking and pushing people forward to develop the car for this season, for next season. He took a lot of responsibilities. He’s the head of the Audi F1 project. So yeah. I really like him. We get along very well. We spend a lot of time together as well, and he’s a guy that teaches me a lot. I always love to hear stories. He’s had such a long career in Formula 1 and worked very closely with Michael Schumacher – who for me is one of the greats. He tells me so many stories about him, and I learn so much from it. So yeah, definitely a great leader, and one of the reasons why I’m in the team I am right now.

Q: (Alex Jacques – F1 TV) Alex, you had some epic laps in the wet here last year, but then it didn’t entirely go to plan at the end. If we get wet conditions again this year, would you alter your approach or would you take the same risks?

AA: Yeah. It was going great until it wasn’t, and I got caught out. It’s an interesting track here. There’s a lot of rivers. Last year was very bumpy. It’ll be interesting to see with the track resurface how much that’s gone away. And the tarmac is a little bit strange. So yeah, I think realistically, I would have done the same, actually. Don’t want to go back a whole year, but we found some issues that contributed to that crash. But I like it. I actually prefer this track in the wet than in the dry. I think it’s got really nice kind of different lines you can do. I think Max has proved that many years here. It’s a nice one to race as well – just the visibility can be a bit tough. But yeah.

Q: (Maria Clara Castro – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Isack. Isack, regardless of the team, we have a new regulation next year, so you have a new machinery to adapt to. Would you say at some level it feels like a rookie year all over again?

IH: I mean, obviously, going to 2026 with the same current cars we have would be an easier challenge – that’s true. But at the same time, I’m well used to this F1 environment and working with a lot of people. So there would be a lot less to take into compared to twelve months ago. But still, it’s going to make it very hard for everyone – even for experienced drivers. But yeah, rookie season is different.

Q: Alex, you’ve driven the 2026 car on the sim. Is there a lot for an experienced driver to learn?

AA: Yeah, there is. You can almost look at it both ways, which is kind of what Isack is saying. I think the experienced drivers will most probably understand the complexity of it a little bit easier – it may become a little more natural to them. At the same time, it is a reset for everyone. So there is a more level playing field going into next year. But I still think experience is going to help. I think these guys will have learned a lot over this last year to get themselves in a better place for next year. I find experience helps you get out of difficult situations a bit easier. That’s generally how it works.

Q: (Chris Medland – Racer) It’s a question for Alex. A little bit ago, when Tom asked you about maybe changing setup direction, you said not really, and that things have been strong earlier in the year and that you’d continue with that direction. But after Mexico, in his debrief, James Vowles said you’re definitely going to be changing setup direction to something that would be more consistent. So what’s the disconnect with that?

AA: Setup direction can be on electronics, and it can be on physical parts. So the physical parts stay the same – the electronics change. So yeah.

Q: (Bruna Rodrigues – Globo TV) I would like to ask a question for Isack and Gabriel. First of all, Isack – I love your jeans. So my question goes to both of you. We know the rookie season is very difficult. From all the challenges you’ve had this year, which one made you prouder to overcome, and why?

IH: Okay. Yeah, it’s quite easy to pick for me. Obviously, the first race was a disaster. So it was good to show myself – to get back up from a quite horrific Sunday to a good run of points and competitiveness after that. So I would say so.

GB: I think for me it was after four or five rounds where we were struggling a bit. And then I just started putting things together, understanding a bit more the car, how to put it on the limit. My quali started to pick up. Then obviously, the Barcelona upgrade in our car made a big difference, and we started fighting for points from there on. So I think that was the moment of the season.

Q: (Samuel Pancher – Metropoles) My question is for Gabby. Gabby, you were born in Osasco – it’s like 30 kilometres away from Interlagos. Earlier today, me and my colleague spoke with some security guards, and when we told them you were born in Osasco, they were proud because they live in Osasco today. So my question for you is: what would you say to some kids from Osasco or from São Paulo – or from any place in Brazil – who dream to one day become a Formula One driver?

GB: I would say, you know, keep following your dreams. I mean, I did it. Coming from there with not a lot of support from sponsors – it was a lot of hard work from my family to make it able to afford the steps going from karting at the beginning and then growing up in the series. It’s a place I’m proud of being from. And yeah, just a lot of hard work in whatever you do – not only Formula 1, you know, because there are so many good things you can become in Brazil. Just put a lot of hard work into things with passion, and you can achieve anything.

Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Gabriel. Congratulations on your first home Grand Prix. I saw you were in a podcast with Max Verstappen, and he said a perfect Portuguese fala. So is Max each race more Brazilian? And how has he helped you in your first season in Formula 1?

GB: Well, I think he has a wife that can teach him a lot – so it's not exactly only me! There are a lot of people from Brazil around him. He helped me a lot. We do a lot of sim together, we play games together. He’s a guy I admire a lot. He’s been working together with me since F3, helping me out there and helping me on all my path to Formula One. He speaks Portuguese very well – so if you’re speaking Portuguese around him, he can understand. He just doesn’t talk it. But yeah, many words – and definitely a guy that I’m proud to be a friend of, and happy that he helped me so much.

Q: (Isabella Ayami – TV Band) What do you like the most about Brazil? I already know Albon Pão de Queijo – cheese bread.

AA: Weirdly good sushi in Brazil. And yeah, I think we took the team out to a steakhouse – always a good choice. The food is always good. I always talk about cities by food – and I think São Paulo is pretty high up there.

IH: Açaí is very, very good.

Q: Gabby, what do you miss about Brazil when you’re not at home?

GB: The churrascaria – the meat places. You know, that – they come to the table with the meat and everything. I’ve had meat every single day since I arrived in Brazil – from Monday. So yeah, I miss it a lot. And açaí – but açaí I can have it all over the world. For example, Oakberry is all over the place now, so you can find it.

Q: (Daniel Balsa – Warm Up) My question is for all three. The weather is always unpredictable in Interlagos. How do you prepare for a weekend like this? Alex, let’s start with you.

AA: I think, start off by expecting that kind of weather. So in terms of preparation for the weekend, you're not just looking at onboards and data from dry weather – you're looking at onboards and data from wet weather. You're looking at previous races if you’ve been here before in the wet – what worked for you and what didn’t. In terms of general philosophy, mindset into this weekend, it’s a very unpredictable weekend. We saw last year the Alpines finishing second and third, completely changing the midfield Constructors’ Championship. You could imagine if it rains at some point in the weekend, anyone can catch us up. So there’s a lot of unpredictability – and you always just have to stay on track. You can normally score a good result if you do that – which I didn’t. So yeah.

Q: And how are the rookies preparing for the potential of wet weather here?

IH: Luckily there’s a lot of footage, lots of onboards you can study. You can spend a lot of time analysing every driver from every lap of every session nowadays – it’s quite a nice tool to have. At the same time, we’re surely going to have both dry and wet sessions this weekend. So, one session at a time. You focus on dry when you know it’s going to be dry and then switch the mindset. It takes a bit of strategy management too – you can commit to tyre compounds for some sessions because you believe it’s going to rain. So it also adds a technical aspect that’s very challenging for us.

GB: You gave a perfect answer. It’s the truth, you know. The way I prepare is also looking at onboard, data and stuff. Nowadays we have very good tools – you can check lap by lap of a race or anything. Tomorrow maybe it’s going to be dry, but then on Saturday it’s going to be wet. So it’s also good for us to experience both situations like this – in case it rains in the race or it’s dry, you have tested both.

Q: (Milena Vogado – Metropoles) I have a question for Gabriel again. Gabriel, you’re just starting here – about to race at home for the first time in Formula One. I wanted to know: is it more pressure or a relief to run at home in this season?

GB: I wouldn’t say more pressure because I take it as one more race of the season. We’ve done so many already. But definitely I’m more anxious for it. I want to drive. I want to feel how it is – Interlagos and everything. But I don’t see it pressure-wise. I don’t need to perform better or worse because I’m in Brazil. It’s the same thing. I’m going to do my job, I’m preparing the same way as I did for any other race – and have fun and go for it. I’m happy that my family is going to be around – a lot of Brazilian fans – and that’s for sure bringing a lot of good energy for me when I’m on track.