Race - Emilia-Romagna GP 2021 - Team quotes

Haas F1

Uralkali Haas F1 Team completed the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with Mick Schumacher 16th and Nikita Mazepin 17th, held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy, on Sunday.

Both drivers took the Pirelli Cinturato Blue full wet tires for the start of the 63-lap race owing to a downpour during the build-up that left the first sector of the circuit fully soaked. Schumacher gained two spots to hold 16th while Mazepin’s VF-21 escaped unscathed after Williams’ Nicholas Latifi made contact along the backstraight. Schumacher was caught out by the conditions under the ensuing safety car period and spun into the wall along the main straight but was able to pit for repairs and re-joined the race on Green intermediates, one spot behind his team-mate. Mazepin came in on lap 14, following suit by taking on intermediates, and soon the track dried sufficiently for slicks. Schumacher stopped on lap 22 for Red soft tires while Mazepin boxed three laps later.

The race was halted on lap 33 owing to the debris left in the aftermath of a large collision between Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Williams’ George Russell into Tamburello. Both Schumacher and Mazepin took on Yellow medium tires for the rolling restart and retained position through to the checkered flag, with Schumacher 16th and Mazepin 17th, logging Uralkali Haas F1 Team’s first double finish of the 2021 campaign.

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen registered the 11th victory of his Formula 1 career, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Uralkali Haas F1 Team will return to action at the Portuguese Grand Prix, to be held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, from April 30 to May 2.

Nikita Mazepin

“So much happened in this race, from starting on the wets having not really expected it as the sunshine wasn’t long before the start, then a red flag and loads of things basically happening. We just weren’t really fast enough today to fight with others. It was a good learning experience in the bag though and to see the checkered flag was good. I don’t think Nicolas (Latifi) knew I was there when he came back across the track. I gave him all the room I had but I just don’t think he was aware that I was there. I think it was just unfortunate for him. I don’t think anyone had an easy one today, but I guess it was a very exciting race for the fans.”

Mick Schumacher

“It was my first time in a Formula 1 car in the wet conditions – it definitely wasn’t easy. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure what happened at the moment I spun, it went quite quickly. I don’t know if I was too aggressive or if it was a puddle or whatever. It’s something we’ll analyze but I’m quite disappointed in myself. We’d had good position up until then. Overall, I think it was a positive race, we finished 16th and we were good in terms of pace. We saw the checkered flag and that was the goal.”

Günther Steiner

“We got two cars home in what was quite an eventful race with the changing weather conditions. There were a few things thrown our way again but ultimately, we recovered and finished the race with both Nikita (Mazepin) and Mick (Schumacher) at the checkered – which is good. That’s what I always want, that we do the laps, and that the guys learn. I want them to keep improving and especially for Nikita, it was good today that he finished the race after missing out in Bahrain. He now has a complete race under his belt. Mick did well to recover from the earlier part of his race. As much as it’s not the result that makes you happy, what makes you happy is that we made progress. That was our plan, and if we can continue to work like this – with less mistakes and more performance, that’s what we’re here for this year.”

Alpine F1

Alpine F1 Team scored its first championship point of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship after a challenging race, which led to Esteban Ocon finishing tenth and Fernando Alonso eleventh in an incident-filled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Teams were faced with a difficult decision before the start of the race after a sudden downpour of rain an hour before lights out left some parts of the circuit extremely wet. Esteban opted for the full Wet tyres with Fernando on the Intermediates. On the laps to the grid, Fernando ran wide out of Turn 7, clipping the wall, meaning he had to change front wing.

In slippery conditions, both drivers dropped outside of the top ten with Esteban switching to the Intermediates on lap two under the Safety Car.

Things began to stabilise and, as the track started to dry, dry tyres looked the best option; Esteban fitting Mediums on lap 27 and Fernando following suit a lap later.

Esteban switched to the Softs on lap 31, before a red flag brought the race to a stop following a collision between Valtteri Bottas and George Russell on the entry to turn two.

The race resumed with Fernando twelfth and Esteban thirteenth, the Frenchman switching to Mediums during the red flag stoppage, for the sprint to the end. Both drivers immediately gained a few places and duelled for the final points-scoring position.

Esteban was heaping the pressure on Kimi Räikkönen for ninth but could not make the breakthrough on the experienced Finn. Fernando was just behind as he looked to sneak his way into the points. At the flag, Esteban held onto tenth with Fernando narrowly adrift.

Esteban Ocon

“It was a challenging race today in hard conditions. There were lots of opportunities out there, we managed to score a point, a decent result and a good reward for the team’s hard work. There was potentially more on the table. It was a long, physical race and flat out right until the end after the restart. I had some fun fights out there, especially with Fernando. Now, we look forward to the next race weekend.”

Fernando Alonso

“It was tricky today as we had several different conditions, starting the race in the wet and finishing in the dry. I took a lot of learnings after driving in these conditions again. In Formula 1, you don’t get any preparation, and with one and a half days of testing it’s not easy. Overall, I would say it was like four race experiences all in one. I think the car is better this weekend, which is positive but it’s still very tight between a number of cars. We’ll go again in Portugal.”

Marcin Budkowski, Executive Director

“We scored our first point of the season today and we had to work hard for it. Both cars had poor starts in wet conditions and lost several positions on the first lap, which is something we need to understand. In the dry, our pace was pretty decent with both drivers together on the track and coming back towards the points positions. Esteban got stuck behind Räikkönen for the final part of the race and couldn’t make the move, underlining how difficult it is to overtake here. We leave Imola with bittersweet feelings; pleased to have our first point of the season, but it was a race that didn’t go as it could have for us. We move onto the next race hungry for more.”

Aston Martin

Lance Stroll

“That was a lot of fun with some exciting racing. We have scored some important points and I really enjoyed myself today. The weather made things a little bit interesting and we made the most of it. All credit to the crew on the grid for getting my car repaired after the brake problem, too. We also overcame a gear shift issue, which cost us lap time, but we managed to hang on until the end. It was just a very busy afternoon with so much happening, so I am really pleased to have scored six points. The car was nicely balanced this weekend, but we still have some work to do to catch the teams ahead of us. That is where our focus is now as we get ready for Portugal.”

Sebastian Vettel

“Things did not go our way today. Even before the race, we had issues going to the grid and I had to start from the pit lane. That was not too painful because it was a wet start to the race, but the time penalty changed everything, especially because it came 20 minutes into the race. The track conditions were quite difficult in the beginning and it was hard to overtake, but a dry line soon appeared. We gambled on fitting the dry tyres early and, as the track dried more, there was a phase of the race where we were actually quite strong. Then there was the red flag, which was the right decision, and for the restart we chose to fit the soft tyres and gambled on a standing start happening, but they decided on a rolling start. Those soft tyres obviously had higher degradation compared to the medium, which made things more difficult at the end.”

Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal

“After an Imola weekend that was challenging from a number of perspectives, Lance’s hugely impressive drive to seventh place, under pressure all the way through, lifted the spirits of everyone in the team. He had gear shift issues throughout, but managed them very capably, and did very well to hold off a fast-closing Pierre [Gasly] on the final lap. Sebastian had a troubled run that ended in a DNF just one lap from the end, which was disappointing for him and the team, but he got a lot of very useful mileage in the car, which is a positive because he is still playing catch-up to some extent as a result of his lack of running in pre-season testing. Both our cars suffered brake overheating problems on the way to the grid, and we are currently investigating the root cause in order to implement a permanent solution.”

McLaren

Lando Norris

“Obviously very happy to get a podium. A very well-executed race from the team and from myself. I think I drove very well – I made a lot of good decisions – but it wasn’t easy. The beginning of the race was pretty tough. A bit of contact here and there, not a perfect start but I kept my head cool. I kept focused throughout because sometimes you know you’ve got to expect the red flags and the Safety Cars and think that more opportunities can come towards you later in the race. So, I kept that in mind and solidly came back through.

“There were a couple of people crashing and making mistakes ahead of me, which is what we’re here to take advantage of, and then we made a good decision at the end to go onto the Soft tyres and get ahead of Leclerc. We almost held on to P2 but not quite. It was a tough race, but very rewarding for myself and more importantly for the team, so a big thanks to them for bringing new parts, and working so hard on the car back at the factory to make it better every weekend.”

Daniel Ricciardo

“One of those races where you’ve got rain on the laps to grid and you’re not really sure how it’s going to go. I managed to get a position at the start and was then running in fifth for a bit. Just as the track started to dry I grained the front right, so I couldn’t really keep a good pace.

“For the restart, we put on the Soft tyre to make the most of a potential standing start. I tried to keep on top of the Soft until the end of this long stint but, just couldn’t really manage it. I think both front and rear tyres I struggled with.

“So, certainly not an awesome race, but I think to come home sixth is good for the Constructors’ points with Lando in third. Congrats to Lando, he had a great race and it’s awesome to see the car has the pace. My race pace was nothing too special. I’ve just got to keep working on it and improve.”

Andreas Seidl - Team Principal

“An exciting race today and a great show for the fans. A podium for Lando is a great reward for the whole team, and the hard work that’s gone in here at the track and back at the factory this weekend – but also for the effort over the winter to get us to this point from the team in Woking and our colleagues at Mercedes.

“Great call today to restart on the Soft tyre after the red flag. That gave us an edge and allowed Lando to take the place from Charles [Leclerc]. Lando was flying all weekend and managed a lot of tricky situations today in difficult conditions. He and his team managed brilliantly to get this well-deserved podium. Daniel did a great job too. He’s not yet fully confident in the car – which is understandable – but he put in a clean race, made good decisions and scored a lot of points that will be valuable both for himself and for the team.

“After two strong weekends to start the season, we now have our sights set on keeping the momentum going in Portimão.”

Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari picked up 22 points, courtesy of a fourth place for Charles Leclerc and a fifth for Carlos Sainz in the Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna. While the race confirmed that the team is making progress, there’s a hint of disappointment as undoubtedly, a podium finish was within Charles’ grasp today.

Key moment. The key moment of the race came when Valtteri Bottas and George Russell crashed at the first corner on lap 32, leading to the race being suspended. At the time, Charles was second, 25 seconds ahead of Lando Norris in the McLaren. The Monegasque had built up that lead driving very quickly and precisely on a track that was gradually drying out, helped by set up choices made yesterday with the engineers in qualifying to run with more aerodynamic downforce. The restart wiped out Charles’ advantage and he was then overtaken by Norris and, with a few laps remaining, by Hamilton too.

Carlos. Sainz also had a very good race. The Spaniard got away very well from eleventh on the grid, making up several places. He then made a few mistakes in the early stages, but once the track conditions stabilised, Carlos was able to match the pace of the quickest, just like his team-mate, in both wet and dry conditions.

Right direction. Therefore, Scuderia Ferrari can leave Imola knowing that the work carried out on the SF21 has produced a definite step forward compared to last year’s car. Furthermore, when compared to the race in Bahrain, the race pace at Imola matched what had been seen in qualifying, better than the closest rivals in the wet and similar in the dry.

Next round. The Championship will resume in two weeks time when the Portuguese Grand Prix takes place at the Autòdromo Internacional do Algarve di Portimão on 2 May.

Charles Leclerc

“It was an interesting race, although a bit frustrating, because I was in a really good place before the red flag which wiped out the advantage we had built up in the first part of the race. Unfortunately, I struggled after the restart, since I was vulnerable in the straights and that made it difficult to fight or defend from others. In fact we had taken a bit of a gamble with some more downforce, which helped us in the rain, but made it more difficult for us when it was dry in the second part of the race.

Overall, I’m very happy with the performance we had today. There is definitely a lot of motivation. We are fighting for more interesting positions now and this is positive. We have been working well and if we keep it up, I’m sure that we will be fighting for the top places soon.”

Carlos Sainz

“That was a very solid race today. The conditions at the start were very tricky, with very poor visibility, but I went for it and managed to make up quite a lot of positions after the start. This was the second race and my first time in the wet with the car, which was an unknown situation for me, but taking risks and finding the limit paid off, despite losing race time with a couple of mistakes here and there.

My pace was very strong in the wet and also very solid in the dry, so I’m happy with that. I was quite comfortable all along, and starting P11 with a P5 finish is encouraging. I just need to keep my head down and continue working in this direction, because I think it’s the correct one. Collecting solid points today was definitely good for the team and I am very pleased with the double points finish.”

Mattia Binotto - Team Principal

“On a completely different track and in very different conditions to the first race of the season, this result confirms that the work we are doing is going in the right direction. The fact we are unhappy about not getting at least one driver onto the podium is further proof of that. We can definitely say the outcome of these first two races is a positive one.

Not since the second half of 2019, specifically the races in Japan and Mexico that year, have we had both drivers in the points in two consecutive races. We must continue like this and show, race by race, that we know how to improve. Now I can’t wait to go to Portimão for the next Grand Prix!“

Williams F1

— It was a difficult day for the team with both George Russell and Nicholas Latifi failing to finish the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
— The Brit started 12th and the Canadian 14th, both on the intermediate Pirelli tyre following rain shortly before lights out
— In tricky conditions Nicholas’ race finished in the barrier on the straight after turn 13 following contact with Nikita Mazepin
— After pitting for dry tyres on lap 26, George was having a strong race running in the points. However, an incident with Valtteri Bottas resulted in both crashing out on lap 32

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance

It’s extremely disappointing to be leaving Imola with neither car having finished the race. We have had a decent weekend throughout, and in tricky conditions today we made good and timely decisions. Although Nicholas found it a little difficult at the start on the Intermediate tyres, he was unfortunate to touch the Haas and crash out. George was good on the intermediate tyres and did a great job behind the safety car to keep the car in a good state. As we moved to slick tyres we were in a strong position and although there was still a long way to go, George was comfortable and managing his car and tyres well. We had the pace and speed to overtake Bottas, and had we been able to make the move cleanly we looked set for a strong finish.

We can take a lot of positives from this weekend as the car and drivers have performed well and have been backed up by some excellent work in the garage and in Grove. We missed a good opportunity to score points today, but we got ourselves into a good position on merit and with many races remaining in the season, we should be confident of getting another good opportunity soon.

George Russell

I think it was a very unfortunate incident and one that could have been avoided. Valtteri was defending hard, and he is in his right to do so. The track was going left, and he was going straight. In these conditions with one dry line, it only had one outcome. It is frustrating but that is Formula One.

Nicholas Latifi

In the end it was not the result we wanted, so that is frustrating from my side. It was my mistake in tricky conditions, even the laps to the grid were difficult and the spray was the worst I have ever seen it. I had the first spin off from a bit of rear locking and then I re-joined the track. I tried to stay on the left-hand side but naturally the driver line takes you back to the right, so I knew I couldn’t just cut back across. I didn’t see Mazepin when I joined the track but looking at the replay, I have seen we made contact and that sent me into the wall. It was an unfortunate end to the weekend as it was my mistake, so I’m really sorry to the team for that.

Red Bull

MAX VERSTAPPEN

“I am of course very happy with this win for everyone in the Team and Honda. I think the key was of course the start as we had a great launch. I surprised myself as it was always hard to get off the line in the wet last year but we worked hard to try and improve that and it worked. The conditions were challenging out there, especially in the beginning and it was very hard to stay on track but we stayed out of trouble. I wouldn’t call it a dominant performance as Lewis was following me quite well and for him to come back to second after his incident means they have a lot of pace in that car. We won because we made the right calls with tyres at the right time and the Team managed everything well in these conditions. With the tyres degrading, choosing the right moment to go onto slicks wasn’t easy but we got it right. I had a little moment at the re-start trying to warm up the tyres with some throttle but luckily we didn’t spin. We still have to work hard to improve because it’s very close, but for now I’m very happy with the result. I’m looking forward to Portimão because it’s an amazing track and then we go to a track we all know well in Barcelona. We’ll see what we can do but so far, it’s been a good start to the year.”

SERGIO PEREZ

“The conditions out there were really difficult today and I made quite a few mistakes that were very costly. I struggled to retain any temperature in the tyres, so I lost it under the safety car and I got a 10 second penalty. It is of course important that I get used to the car and that I learn these lessons, but I messed up, I’m very disappointed in myself and really sorry to the Team. I think at the re-start the podium was ours and the pace of the car was good today, we should have finished one and two on the podium. Let’s focus on the next race now, we will work really hard as a Team and come back stronger.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal

“It is fantastic for us to get the victory here today, particularly after losing such a close race in Bahrain. Max drove impeccably all afternoon with no mistakes and the Team made some perfectly timed pit stop calls, making this a thoroughly deserved victory and an important one for us. Max was pumped up for the race, with a great start giving him momentum down into Turn 1 where we saw two tough drivers pushing to the limit for track position which is what everyone wants to see. Lewis was still very quick today which could be seen particularly towards the end of the race when they seemed to have very low tyre degradation. I think they maybe had a quicker car than us today but it’s great to get that first victory of the season under our belts. It was a real shame for Sergio after such a brilliant day yesterday and nothing went his way which is frustrating for him, but he’s becoming more and more comfortable with the car and you can guarantee that he will come back strong. Now we need to build on this momentum for the remainder of the season and we are going to have to go some way to keep Mercedes under pressure.”

AlphaTauri

Pierre Gasly

“For sure, it’s been a rollercoaster of a day – we started from P5 but we made a different call with tyres at the start of the race and quickly ended up at the back. Obviously, I was very disappointed, but from there we kept fighting and after the red flag we managed to make our way forward again to cross the finish line in eighth position. Following the race, I’ve moved up into P7 and I’m pretty pleased with that as a finishing position – we managed to recover some crucial points for the team, which is really positive. We showed the potential of the car on Saturday and next time out we just need to put it all together across the whole weekend.”

Yuki Tsunoda

“I think it was a fantastic race for the viewers at home but I’m very disappointed with myself and I just want to say sorry to the team. It’s a real shame that I spun after the red flag, up until that point I think the race was going pretty well and the pace was really good. This was the first time I’ve been in a Formula 1 car in the wet and I learnt you have to be so careful, especially with acceleration. Starting on the intermediate tyre during the rainy conditions made it even more difficult but it was a great opportunity for me to understand more how the compounds work in different conditions. I think points could have been on the table for me here today but it’s all a learning curve and I’ll take this experience with me to the next race.”

Jody Egginton (Technical Director)

“Today’s race was certainly eventful and - although we have scored a few points with Pierre - we have to be honest and say we have made our lives more difficult than they needed to be and have not scored the points that the package was capable of this weekend. Obviously, the entire team is disappointed but together we will review today’s race, in an open and pragmatic way, and address various topics that will allow us to deliver a stronger performance at the next Grand Prix.”

Mercedes

Lewis completes impressive recovery drive to claim P2 in action-packed Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

— Lewis clinched second place in changeable conditions in Imola despite hitting the barrier on lap 31 and falling to ninth position before the race was restarted on lap 34 following a red flag
— Valtteri suffered a DNF after an incident with Williams’ George Russell on lap 33
— Lewis set the fastest lap of the race to claim the bonus point on offer
— Lewis (44 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship by 1 point from Max Verstappen (43 points) with Valtteri (16 points) in P5
— The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (60 points) leads Red Bull (53 points) by 7 points in the Constructors’ Championship

Lewis Hamilton

Considering I was facing the barrier at one stage, then a lap down, yeah, it was a difficult day in that regard. I had some really good pace in the rain and was catching but just a little bit impatient, maybe, with the backmarkers. I’m only human so these mistakes happen. I’m grateful that I was back in the race and could hunt down and get back to second. The car had a rough time today. I started first, should have been first at the finish but these things are sent to test us and we’ve got a great battle on our hands. Game on.

Valtteri Bottas

I’m okay physically. It was a half-decent shunt but obviously could have been a lot worse at that speed. George got close and decided to go for a move. Obviously the track is quite narrow, there is only one dry line and he went for the outside, there was space all the time for two cars but he obviously lost the car and hit me. I haven’t spoken to him so far: I couldn’t hear a thing what he was on about and obviously we will have a different perspective on it. It was a tough race until then, from where I started it wasn’t easy to make ground. But I need to take whatever positives I can from this weekend and move on.

Toto Wolff

Leading the Championship with the fastest lap is one thing but what actually gives it a silver lining or positive connotation today is that we seem to have a really quick race car.

Unfortunately, the crash between George and Valtteri was unnecessary. Valtteri had a difficult first 30 laps and shouldn’t have been there but George should have never launched into this manoeuvre considering that the track was drying up. It meant taking risks and the other car is a Mercedes in front of him and in any drivers’ development as a young driver you must never lose this global perspective. Lots to learn for him I guess.

Apart from that we had all highs and lows from the incident in the first corner which cost us two tenths in aero performance on Lewis’ car. Then we had Lewis hitting the barrier on lap 31. The recovery drive from Lewis after the race restarted was really brilliant, ten out of ten.

Overall, today was very difficult to judge because of the circumstances but we had a very good car today in the wet and in the drying up. We are slowly starting to understand it but according to the data we are still not having a car and power unit that can match the Red Bull Honda.

Andrew Shovlin

On lap 31 it was difficult imagine how things could get any worse. We had Lewis stuck in the gravel with a broken wing and Valtteri out with a massive amount of damage. So, leaving here still in the lead of both championships is quite a relief and I suppose we should be grateful for that.

For Lewis it was very much a race of two halves. The early part was defined by the damage to the front wing after the contact with Max - that improved slightly when the footplate came away completely but we still had a chunk of load and balance missing. As such, we were a bit surprised when Lewis was able to close in on Max towards the end of the intermediate stint. The transition to dry was okay, warm-up was a challenge and I think we look worse than our competitors in this regard but as we didn’t have time to change the wing it was always going to be a struggle to put Max under pressure. That became a bit of a moot point when Lewis slid off passing some traffic and lost a load of time and positions. The suspended race allowed us the chance to repair the car and in the final stint we saw what it was capable of. It was a great recovery by Lewis and an impressive fastest lap.

Valtteri’s day was even more difficult. He was finding the warm-up more of a challenge than Lewis, struggling mainly with rear grip. That was the case on both inter and slick tyres but on the transition to dry it was particularly bad. He got swamped by a few cars and ultimately, that was what started the events that triggered the crash with George and the end of this race. Overall, a frustrating weekend and one where we have plenty of areas that we need to look to for improvement.

Alfa Romeo

It would have been such a good story. If ever there would have been a case of picking up where we had left off, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix would have been it. Our final points of the 2020 season had been in Imola, and for a long time we thought our first points of 2021 would come in the same venue (thankfully a lot earlier in the season than last year).

A chaotic race, started on a wet but drying track with drizzle still falling in places saw Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi race for most of the day in or about the top ten, determined to get our team off the board for our current campaign on a day of opportunity. Making a good start in treacherous conditions, with spray bringing visibility down to a zero, both drivers raced in P13 and P14, keeping it clean in the opening stages where there was so much to lose.

A terrifying shunt between Bottas and Russell brought out a red flag, after which Kimi and Antonio restarted in P8 and P11. The Finn eventually settled in P9, but came under huge pressure by a train made up by Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez in the last 12 laps of the race: he had to call upon all his experience to keep them at bay until the chequered flag. What could have been a possible double-points finish was unfortunately nullified by a technical issue on Antonio’s car when he was running line astern with his team-mate. The resulting pit stop placed him 14th at the chequered flag, robbing us of having two cars deservedly in the fight for the final two places in the points.

And then, hours after the race, came the cold shower we did not expect, with Kimi handed a 30-second penalty that takes away those two points we fought so hard for. The efforts of a weekend gone, we are left to reflect on the performance we were able to deliver. As predicted, the margins in this part of the field are small – today’s result does hurt, but seeing us fight on track like that makes for some tasty encounters expected in the next races…

Today’s decision leaves the team dumbfounded. Having already suffered an original disadvantage, with Kimi losing two places under the Safety Car, we were further hit by a disproportionate penalty, unfitting to the original fault, one we incurred by virtue of not endangering the other competitors by overtaking behind the Safety Car. It was a penalty which the stewards themselves struggled to reconcile themselves with, one within which they themselves saw contradictions. One that makes little sense from a sporting point of view. We, nevertheless, take this on the chin. We will use it to grow, and come back stronger. That is what teams do.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal

“Once again we demonstrated we have a car that can fight for points on a Sunday, even though we are left to rue not bringing home what would have been a very positive result. The conditions weren’t easy and we did a good job as a team to be in the fight. Kimi needed all his experience to keep his rivals behind at the end of the race, while it was obviously very disappointing that a technical problem got Antonio out of a very good position when we were looking at having two cars in the top ten. This issue, and the penalty that took away our two points, aside, today’s result gives us confidence for the next races, although it was another reminder of how small the margins are in the midfield and how we have to keep improving to keep ahead of the nearest rivals.”

Kimi Räikkönen

“It was a good recovery after yesterday and to take points from P16 on the grid would have been a great story. The conditions were very tricky, the track was slippery and it never fully dried up – it was so easy to make a mistake. We made a good start but couldn’t see anything in the spray; we did ok on the inters, they came back at the end of the stint but at that point the track was dry enough for slicks. We struggled a bit more after the red flag, but we were able to use the track layout to our advantage and keep everyone else behind to finish in P9. Unfortunately, we then got this penalty that means we don’t get anything to show for it, but at least we can look positively at our performance. We have been fighting for the points two races in a row, hopefully we can keep improving even more.”

Antonio Giovinazzi

“We were having a fantastic race until our issue and it was a matter of finally being able to show our true race potential. The conditions at the beginning of the race were very difficult, they reminded me of Hockenheim 2019 with very poor visibility. Kimi and I were both running in the points and to finish with both cars in the top ten was definitely on the cards, but unfortunately we had a technical issue with one of the brakes that required a pit stop. I focus on the positives: we have a good car and we can fight for a top ten finish in most races. Hopefully luck will be more on our side in the future and we can get the rewards we deserve.”