Austrian Grand Prix: Post-Race Comments

      Pirelli

      Dario Marrafruschi, director of Pirelli Motorsport: "Today the teams used all three available tire compounds. As expected, the one-stop strategy proved ineffective due to the high level of thermal degradation – everyone opted for a two or three-stop strategy. The two-stop strategy on Hard and Medium tires largely depended on the sets that remained after Friday. The most effective approach turned out to be using Hard tires in the final stints – this was the strategy of the three drivers who made it to the podium. Ferrari once again tried something original, changing tires three times and using Soft tires, which allowed them to demonstrate excellent pace. The first pit stop for the Ferrari drivers and Gasly was conducted a bit earlier to take advantage of the undercut, while the other drivers acted exactly as we expected. Even the announcement of the virtual safety car due to Sainz's car stopping did not change the picture. The fact that the tires did not suffer from graining or blistering at very high asphalt temperatures speaks to the high quality of Pirelli engineers' work."

      Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team

      Toto Wolff, team principal: "From the end of yesterday's qualifying to the finish of today's race, George Russell performed perfectly. He was fast, worked well with the tires, kept his cool, and I am very happy for him. He knows he is capable of great speed, but sometimes it is enough to just drive normally and pilot calmly. When drivers think too much, it’s not good! (laughs) As we say, the best race is the one you drove the fastest. There’s no need to hold back the pace – just don’t kill the rear tires. At the same time, we try to load the front tires more, and we succeeded today. There’s no need to think about tactics, about how far ahead you are of your pursuers – just attack, fully utilizing the car’s capabilities – that’s exactly what George did. And I am very proud of Kimi Antonelli! In the early laps, he was very eager to lay the groundwork for another victory, for which he paid a certain price, but I appreciate his enthusiasm. He just attacks – we need a driver like that who constantly attacks. There’s a saying: 'You can’t get a donkey to gallop, but you can hold back a racehorse’s pace.' And I also feel a huge relief because this time we have everything in order with reliability, thanks to our engine builders. In recent weeks, they have made tremendous efforts to eliminate technical issues, although this issue can never be completely closed, and this work must continue."

      George Russell (1st): "I am incredibly happy to be back on the top step of the podium! It’s been a while (since my previous win at the Australian Grand Prix), so I definitely have something to celebrate tonight! It’s very hot today, and I’m already quite thirsty! To get back on the right track, my team and I put in a lot of effort, as at one point it seemed we were not quite in shape. This weekend, Max Verstappen and Red Bull were very fast, so they also deserve praise. I have to say that I had to attack literally on every lap, and when you’re driving on the limit, the likelihood of making small mistakes increases, plus I knew my rivals were capable of great speed. Of course, Kimi Antonelli, my teammate, is also exceptionally fast this season, so I was checking the timing board every lap. We made our final pit stop quite early, so I knew the last stint would be long, but the team picked the perfect moment for that pit visit. In such tough races, your mental preparation is truly tested, but the last two weekends have been a vital reminder that I am capable of winning. From the start, we were capable of great pace, although this track probably doesn’t suit my driving style the best. Overall, I’m looking forward to the race in Silverstone next week, where I will meet all the British fans – I’m sure it will be a fantastic weekend!"

      Kimi Antonelli (3rd): "In the early laps, I was too nervous, so I didn’t drive my best and made too many mistakes. Even on the next stint, with fresh tires, I lost three or four seconds due to mistakes and brake issues. But then I managed to regroup, so towards the end of the race, the pace was at a very good level. It’s a pity I picked up the pace too late. And of course, congratulations to George! He had a great weekend, and I have work to do, but I’m still trying to minimize mistakes."

      Red Bull Racing

      Max Verstappen (2nd): "It was definitely a very good race for us. The first few laps were quite fun, and then it came down to managing tire conditions. Halfway through the race, the car was working in the optimal range, and then, let’s say, some issues arose with the car that prevented me from maintaining the optimal rhythm. But I still finished second, not far from the winner. I think this is a very positive result for us. From that perspective, I am very satisfied. I hit my knees in the crash yesterday. You know, when you hit your bones against something hard, it’s not pleasant. But today everything was fine, and that’s the most important thing."

      Isaac Hajar (6th): "This is exactly the result we discussed with the team before the race when preparing to start from eighth place. We wanted to stick to an aggressive strategy, so we pitted early. It’s not the fastest strategy, but the most effective one to gain positions, and we agreed on that option. Speaking of race pace, today it was the best since the start of the season. It’s clear that today we had the second-fastest car, so ideally, we should have finished fourth, but it didn’t happen. I’m quite satisfied with the race pace, but still not happy with the car’s behavior. I couldn’t find the optimal setup all weekend, but despite that, we are fast. That’s both good and bad news."

      McLaren Formula 1 Team

      Oscar Piastri (4th): "Definitely, this was the maximum we could achieve today. We lacked pace, so we couldn’t keep up with either Mercedes or Max. But we outpaced both Ferrari cars, so you could say the day turned out quite well, so overall I’m satisfied. It was important that I was able to gain a position at the start (overtaking my teammate), so I got priority for the pit stop, and my car was serviced first. I believe the strategy was chosen correctly: we didn’t pit too early, after which we managed to maintain a steady pace and show a decent result."

      Lando Norris (7th): "Today a lot depended on strategy, but I also didn’t have the best first lap. The start was quite confident, but then difficulties began. A couple of times I positioned the car incorrectly on the track, which caused me to lose positions. I was a bit unlucky, but still, the race turned out well. Oscar managed to show the maximum possible result this weekend, but I did that at the previous round. Achieving effective car performance every weekend is definitely not easy, but we are gradually making progress."

      Scuderia Ferrari

      Lewis Hamilton (5th): "Today none of the tire compounds suited me. The race turned out to be very, very challenging. First of all, it was very hot. Honestly, the start wasn’t very good – I got off the line poorly, but then I started attacking and overtook Charles. In the early laps, I even thought that everything was going quite well. I was holding on to George, but then the rear tire grip suddenly dropped, and that happened with every set. For some reason, the balance was very unstable, and it was very difficult to drive. On Friday, we were six tenths down on the straights, but we need to see what the gap was today. I’m sure it wasn’t too big, but in terms of tire grip on the track, we couldn’t compete with anyone. As I said, the race was challenging, but I’m grateful for the points. The team developed an excellent strategy and executed the pit stops perfectly. The guys did a brilliant job in the pits, and I’m very proud of them. This isn’t the result we were hoping for, but at least we earned points. We have a lot of work ahead, so let’s see when we can update the power unit next. When you’re battling with these guys [Mercedes and Red Bull], it all comes down to energy management. It’s not just about pure power, as it seems there’s enough power on corner exits. It’s all about how the energy is used. We use it all up, while Mercedes just keeps going. We need to figure out why this is happening and how we can improve in this area. But don’t expect quick fixes. Of course, I’m looking forward to the next round. I love Silverstone, but there are a lot of straights, unfortunately. I hope the car behaves better there."

      Charles Leclerc (8th): "Honestly, today everything was quite bad. Yesterday we chose settings similar to those that worked for me last year, but this time they didn’t work. The rear tires constantly lacked grip on the track. The car was sliding all the time and overheating the rear tires. It was very difficult to drive. It’s hard to say why the pecking order changes from weekend to weekend. I think no one fully understands it. At the last round in Barcelona, our