2026 British Grand Prix Thursday press conference transcript

PART ONE – Lance STROLL (Aston Martin), Lando NORRIS (McLaren), Gabriel BORTOLETO (Audi)

Q: Lando, let’s start with you. Just describe how it feels to be racing at home as the reigning world champion.
Lando NORRIS: Pretty damn cool. I mean, every year here is cool, honestly, so the championship isn’t the thing that makes it much better or much worse. It’s just always a pleasure, always a joy to drive in front of your home fans, friends, family, the whole lot, and team as well, so I’ve always loved it. I’ve always enjoyed it since 2019, my first time here, but of course now and after last year, winning both the race and, of course, the championship, then I can almost just come here a little bit more relaxed, to not feel like there’s pressure to have to win my first home Grand Prix, but there’s more want from inside to try and win it the second time.
 
Q: Are you putting on anything special for the fans? Is the ‘Landostand’ back?
LN: Yeah, the Landostand, it looks amazing. I can’t wait, honestly, to see it in the car tomorrow. It’s going to hopefully distract everyone, it’s that bright. And I’ve got an extra- tinted visor just for getting through Stowe. It’s a lot bigger, a lot better than it was last season. The grandstand is huge. I went there this morning to already see everyone that was there, with the store, and just a lot more hospitality for people, some music, some DJs, things like that. So, I just want everyone that’s there, everyone who’s here to support me, to have a good time and enjoy it even when we’re not actually on track driving. It’s special, because I still see myself as just a kid that wants to go racing and enjoy driving, but at the same time have the whole unbelievable extra, which is a fan base and supporters and all of this. And when I see all of this come together, and feeling like that normal kid, then it’s just quite unbelievable, honestly, to see the size of it and see how many people are here to support me. It’s something I’ve dreamt of.
 
Q: OK, quick word on performance. After a strong race in Spain, Austria looked a little more hard work for the team. What are your expectations for Silverstone?
LN: Honestly, I have no idea. I’d just rather wait and see how we’re going to do. I don’t think, actually, that Red Bull Ring was that much worse than Spain. I think you just had a few other cars in the mix. We were quicker than the Ferraris on Sunday, slower than the Red Bulls. So things change around us at the minute, but we’re just simply not where we want to be. So I think we’re probably not coming in quite as optimistic as we were this time last year, but we’re still optimistic that we want to aim for a podium and we still want to get two cars high up there and in the points. And of course, personally, that’s something I would like to achieve this weekend too.
 
Q: Alright. Good luck with that, Lando. Thank you very much. Lance, let’s come to you. Not a home race for you, but very definitely one for the team. Just how special is this for Aston Martin?
Lance STROLL: Yeah, always a special race for us as a team. We’re just across the road, so a lot of people from the factory that don’t always get a chance to see the cars, this weekend they’ll come with the family, get a chance to see the cars. And yes, it’s always nice for everybody in Silverstone.
 
Q: OK, now let’s talk about the upgrade. Adrian Newey spoke earlier this week about what’s coming in Hungary. Does it feel for you that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel? What are you expecting in terms of performance when it arrives?
LS: We’ll find out. We’ll find out in Hungary. We have the aero in Hungary and then engine in Zandvoort. So, we’ll know more then. Hopefully we get more in the mix.
 
Q: Have you put any of it through the simulator yet?
LS: Yeah, it’s supposed to go a lot faster. How much faster is always difficult to estimate before it hits the track. I just hope we take a good step forward and it gives us some opportunity to fight every weekend and score some points, if it’s good, or if it’s great, better than that.
 
Q: Well, good luck this weekend. Thank you. Gabi, let’s come to you now. Eleventh place, you’ve owned that for the last few races. How frustrated are you by the recent run?
Gabriel BORTOLETO: I’m not frustrated. I think realistically, in the last races, it’s everything we could achieve. Racing Bulls, they were a little bit ahead of us the whole weekend and then obviously no one had any issues with the car during the race, so we just finished actually where I put the pace of the car. I don’t think we could have done much better than P11. Obviously, three P11s in a row, it’s always so close to the points. I want to score points for the team. I know how important it is, but at the same time, we just need to keep building up the way we are. I think we’ve progressed a lot from the beginning of the season. I think we are having many less issues and now we are being able to put more clean weekends. And I think if we keep going in this direction, we’re going to at some point step into the points and then hopefully we can consistently stay there.
 
Q: Let’s talk about some of that progress. You had some upgrades on the car last weekend at the Red Bull Ring. How different was the car to drive?
GB: It was a decent upgrade, I would say. It was quite a bit better. I don’t know how much in lap time I can estimate on that, but definitely we put the car in a bit more consistent way. I can drive it having less issues, having less unpredictable snaps or things happening. And I think we went in the right direction, definitely. I think it was a good upgrade that worked as we expected.
 
Q: And what about the starts? Are those issues behind you guys now?
GB: I don’t know, to be honest. I think last race was very good in that sense. I managed to overtake one car in the start. It was the only car I overtook the whole year [so far] in the first lap. But at the same time, we need to keep building in that sense. I feel like we were able to do that last weekend and we need to do it again here and next weekend. And then at some point, if we keep doing it every weekend, we can say that we improved the starts. But it cannot be a coincidence of only one weekend. But definitely we are in a happy place now comparing to previous ones.
 
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
 
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports News) Lando, I wonder what you made of the news that Max Verstappen’s management had some talks with McLaren. A few years ago all the talk was maybe you needed to go to Red Bull to advance your career. Does it reflect where McLaren are at now? And what do you think of Max and McLaren as a kind of fit?
LN: To be honest, a lot of drivers want to come to McLaren. I don’t know why you just highlight Max. There are quite a few others that I know that want to come as well. So no, I mean, it’s a cool thing. It’s a good thing that a four-time World Champion wants to come on board and wants to potentially join the team. I don’t know how much of it’s true, but it’s a cool thing. And if there’s an opportunity for me to drive with other people, it’s something I’ve always looked forward to. But it’s not a thing for now. It’s not a serious thing. And I’m also just excited for my future with McLaren. I’m still going to be here for many, many more years, so excited for whoever I get partnered with. But for the time being, me and Oscar are working very well together and we’re excited to work together for more years too. So that’s our focus for now.
 
Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sport Italy) A question for Lando. Lando, I saw you this morning when you arrived among those fans and the energy that they gave you. Is it the energy that can transform the impossible into the possible? Did you think, “Come on, I can replay what I did last year for them”?
LN: I’ll just say yes, for the sake of it. I’ll say yes to give them hope. You don’t need to be a scientist to realise we’re not in the same position as we were last year. So to be confident in repeating such a thing I think is very tough to do. But it’s always your home race where you want to do better than ever. And Silverstone has been actually a pretty good track for us over the last X-amount of years. So certainly I want to say yes, that they give me the energy. They certainly make it more exciting and they certainly make me want to put on the best show I possibly can for them. So, for the sake of a headline you put, I’ll say yes.
 
Q: (Wendy Wen – Tencent) I have a question for Lando. I think that you have built one of the coolest and trendiest personal brands in motorsports, from your website to LN4 merch, and we saw the queues of your pop-up store this morning are crazy. So I want to ask how hands-on are you with all the designs of your brand, and what are the core identities you want to express through them?
LN: Sure. Yeah, I run the whole thing! I do it all: manufacturing, design, social and driving. No, I have a very good team around me to help me do all of these things. It was only, what, three or four years ago, I didn’t really have a brand, let’s say. Didn’t have design, colour, personality, that was almost shareable through clothing, media. Hard to tell any story through anything, whereas now we do. And that’s something I’ve always been very excited for and always looked forward to putting together and slowly seeing it coming together and expanding over the years. From the Landstand last year, I think it’s almost over doubled what it was last year. So, I have a very good team around me that support me in all of these things and also are able to understand this world very well. I’m good at the driving part and really that’s about it. I leave the rest of it to them. But I’m always involved in terms of designs and schemes and storytelling and understanding what really the fans want at the end of the day. I enjoy being part of it. I wouldn’t say I’m the leader of any of these situations, but I enjoy just being involved because it’s my thing. It’s still me at the end of the day. So, you have to be able to give my personality, my colours through a range that people can enjoy and my fans and my supporters can enjoy. And that’s something always to look forward to, for sure.
 
Q: (Roldan Rodríguez – DAZN Spain) A question to Lando. Lando, going back home as a World Champion, has it changed your life a lot since last year?
LN: Every year you spend in Formula 1, things get cooler and better and you have more fans and supporters. And that’s always something I’ve enjoyed, especially here. I said it this morning to someone else, it’s really the place that makes you feel like you belong here. And you kind of feel that, I guess, in other places when you see your fans and support, but it’s hard to go out and see all of this and not feel like you want to be here forever in some ways. And that’s a very special feeling. So since last year, maybe I have some more fans and more supporters and things like that. And apart from that, you get noticed in the streets more and things like that. People seem to care more about your personal life than the actual work that you do, but that’s just the world that we live in. And I don’t want anything to change, honestly. Even if I win one or five or 10, I’m very happy. I like to have my personal life and spend it with my friends and go golfing and travel and spend time with my family and my brother and my sisters, many different places. I like to enjoy my life outside of Formula 1, and I feel like I live a very incredible life. And I’m very lucky that I have the life that I have already, honestly. Whether it’s one, three, five, whatever it’s going to be in the future, I’m happy as it is now.
 
Q: (Leonid Kliuev – GrandePremio.com.br) Question to all three. Of course, the most important thing: the Lego cars are back this Sunday, and the parade will even be broadcast live on socials. Are you excited? And what would your approach be for this obviously important race?
LS: I’m indifferent. I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I’m not going to wake up super early in the morning excited about it. It’s just another one of those drivers’ parades.
LN: Same. I’m pretty excited for it, actually!
LS: I think if they had another 600 horsepower, then it would be interesting. Then we’d be more excited.
LN: You destroyed all the cars last year.
LS: Yeah, but then I think then we’d all be more excited if they had like six, 800 horsepower. GB: It would be all the drivers in the hospital. Who’s driving this weekend, you or Fernando?
LS: We have to make a coin toss.
LN: Oh, OK. It’s only one each?
GB: I think so.
LN: Two each. Everyone’s driving! I don’t know much more. If it’s like Miami, of course, then I think whoever can make it back to the start line will be a winner already. So, I think it’s a cool thing to do. It’s different. It’s nice to, obviously when you’re all together and you can have a little chitchat and see the fans when you’re on the truck. But I think it’s nice to do something different every now and then. So as long as it’s safe and we all behave, which we shall, then it will be a jolly good ride.
GB: I would just want to go for it. Last year was so fun. Yeah, honestly, I think it’s a nice thing to have. We do the truck drivers’ parade most of the races and have it once like this, I think it’s quite a nice thing. Last year, I think everyone had fun and I don’t see why this year we cannot have fun as well. It’s good.
 
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Lando, a question for you about the more regular Formula 1 cars you’ll be getting into after the Lego race. A few of the drivers are quite concerned about energy management and things like that around the lap of Silverstone. This is such an iconic track. Is it still going to be just as iconic with these cars, or will it become much more of a charging track?
LN: We’ll see. I think actually Sunday will be exciting. On the outside, I think it will be great. Certainly there’s going to be less challenges on the track itself compared to what you’ve seen in the past few years. We’ve gone from some of the fastest cars in high speed and things like that last year and a few years ago to certainly this year being a little bit less of a challenge. Copse will certainly not be quite the same challenge it was over the last few years. Maggots, Becketts, maybe not quite the same challenge, but it’ll still be quick. I think it’ll still be good to watch. And I think the most important thing is I think Sunday will still be exciting from a spectator point of view. Inside the car, it might not feel exactly the same and exactly as we want as drivers, pushing through Copse and feeling like you’re on the limit there and on the limits through Maggots and Becketts. You’re still going to have some zones where you’re decelerating for longer periods than what you would like, but that’s just reality of what we have nowadays. And they’ve still tried to make some improvements to make it better even into this weekend, lately. So, it will still be good. It’s still Silverstone. We’re still in Formula 1. So in the end of the day, we can’t complain too much.
 
Q: (James Phillips – MotorsportMonday.com) A question for Lando. Oscar said the MCL40 needs more speed and grip to challenge for wins in the second half of the season. Just curious, are you confident with what McLaren have got in the pipeline that you can achieve this in the second half? And how much do you think the ATR allocation will help you accomplish that goal?
LN: Honestly, I’ve got no idea about the ATR stuff. So don’t even ask me about it. The car itself, I’m just optimistic. I’m optimistic because I know the team I have behind me. I know what McLaren’s capable of. I know what each individual within McLaren’s capable of. So, it’s not that I even need to know what’s on paper, what we might have in the future. I know I have a team around me that can turn things around like we have done, and a team around me that can win World Championships. And that’s all I really need to know in the back of my head. So, I’m confident. I have still an incredible team. But I also know that we have things in the future that will certainly help boost our confidence in terms of podiums and wins. I still certainly think that podiums and wins and more regular results like that will come back to us later on in this season. It’s tough because you still have this period now of where you kind of just want to accelerate through this and get to some hopefully more optimistic places and chances. But it’s all part of a championship, so we still need to get the maximum amount out of every weekend. We’re realistic about where we currently stand, but we’re optimistic about our future, and that’s something I’m certainly excited for.
 
Q: (L.A. Wilshaw – Top Speed) Question really for all three of you, but start with Lando. Yourself and Oscar seem to be getting along a little bit better this season than last season. Is that because there’s less pressure on you both at the moment currently, or are there other reasons? And also the relationship, Gabi, you have a good one with Nico? And Lance, do you have a good one with Fernando?
LS: I do. Whoever has the microphone.
LN: No, I think me and Oscar are exactly the same as last year, so I don’t know what you see differently. No, you disagree? No, I’m sorry, I don’t care what you say! So honestly, it’s just as good as it was last year. Of course, last year, you could probably see it a bit more focused in general from us as drivers because we were fighting more for poles and race wins and things like that. But in terms of how we are off track, I honestly feel like we’re exactly the same. We still really enjoy marketing stuff together and said no one ever, and we still want to just power through that and enjoy everything that we do. So honestly, off track, the stuff you don’t see is obviously what I know, and it’s just as good as it was last year, which I think is a very strong place. It’s how the team wants us to be as teammates. I think the perspective of just focus and kind of being in the zone quite as deep as we were last year at this point is just a little bit different. That changes maybe how you see things, but honestly, we are just as good and that’s how we need to be, especially now with being a little bit behind where we want to be as a team.
 
Q: Gabi, you and Nico?
GB: It’s a great relationship between me and him. I think since last year, obviously we are not yet fighting for any World Title, and obviously I guess this probably changes the environment inside of the team a bit, from my point of view. But definitely outside of the track, I have a great relationship. We hang out outside of the race weekends as well. He has a very great family. Just good relationship.
 
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – The Athletic) A question to Lando, please. Your car looks very different this weekend compared to the last one. You had a special livery here last year that seems to be a bit of a good omen. I just wondered, what are your thoughts on that? And also, does it change anything for you as a driver when the car looks different week to week like that?
LN: Actually, both me and Oscar are pretty fussy with visually what we see as drivers. So actually what we have around the cockpit quite often stays the same. So when you’re inside the car, we don’t actually notice too many changes from the outside. It’s special. We always obviously try and do special things, but it’s special because it’s Bruce’s first car. So it feels more like just an honour that we get to relive this and kind of bring it back to life, and also I think showcase it, because not many people know that the first car Bruce had was the white, green and grey. Obviously, we try to put a bit more of a modern twist on it, but it’s not papaya. So, it’s cool that I’m one of the drivers that gets to kind of relive that and throw it back to the beginning of the McLaren story, which is something very special. And touch wood, generally we have good races when we have liveries on and things like that, and especially for me. So, it’s cool that we’re doing something different as well.
 
Q: (Josh Suttill – The Race) Lando, are there things that you learned last year that you are applying to your driving this year? Do you feel like you’ve taken another step? And just in the context of those Max rumours, do you feel like you could beat anybody on the grid, be it Max or anyone else, in the same car?
LN: I certainly think I’ve improved compared to last year. It’s also just a very different car to drive, and how you have to drive it is quite different. So, you have to adapt to those situations. I also feel like I’m certainly a little bit more of a complete driver. I’m able to adapt more to different situations and driving styles and characteristics that the car needs to be driven in. And I do believe I can… I think we have to just word it carefully. I do believe I can beat any driver. I think what makes Max so incredible is how he is over the course of the season, every single weekend, performing to the level that he does, is what’s impressive. I think a lot of drivers on the grid can go out and get a pole and can put in incredible laps. What makes people great and elite is performing at that level but in every practice, every qualifying, every race. And I think that’s something that Max is able to do probably better than almost everyone. So, yeah, I believe whether it’s him or having a chance to go against Lewis or Fernando, any of the people, the drivers that people know are some of the best, I think it’s a cool opportunity for me. At the same time, I’m excited for whatever may come my way in the future.
 
Q: (Simon Abberley – Nevis Radio) A question for Gabi. This season, obviously Audi is still a relatively new team, even though the team has been about a long time under previous names. Have you noticed much difference since Audi came on board in terms of the back-end development and the work that’s been put in behind the scenes?
GB: Yeah, you can really see a difference, especially the mentality has shifted a lot. I think lots of respect for the team that we had for last year and many other years before that, but the truth, reality, is that we are in a different situation right now. We have Audi backing us up. It’s manufacturing. We are doing our own engine. We have a lot of financial support from them, so we are not struggling in that sense that maybe Sauber struggled in the past. And then the mentality also shifts. We want to achieve big things in the future. We have our goals clear inside of the team and we are working to achieve them. And I can really see the difference between last year to this year, how people are behaving, the way they are working differently. And also, now we have an incredible team also in Neuburg that was basically everyone that we didn’t work last year in Neuburg doing the power units. And what they achieved on doing in a first-year regulation, first time they’re doing a Formula 1 engine, is in my opinion an incredible thing. Still, we know we need to improve on that. We need to do better. We know we are behind, but it’s not easy to do what they did. Hats off to them, and we’re going to keep pushing and working in that way, and we’re going to achieve great things in the future.

PART TWO – Arvid LINDBLAD (Racing Bulls), Lewis HAMILTON (Ferrari), Valtteri BOTTAS (Cadillac)

Q: Lewis, if we could start with you, twenty years strong, so it’s pretty deep.
Lewis HAMILTON: I think it’s my twentieth year, right? Someone told me my twentieth year, so it’s been building for a long, long time, since my first pole position here in 2007. It’s phenomenal when you come here. I heard that we’re going to have the biggest crowd this weekend that we’ve probably ever had. And I mean, it’s such a privilege for us Brits to be here representing the country, also in the height of all this great sporting moment. You’ve got Wimbledon going on, the World Cup as well, with England winning yesterday, it was good as well.
 
Q: Lewis, let’s talk about performance, of course that great victory in Spain a couple of races ago, but then you referred to Austria as a reality check. What was the reality of Austria?
LH: Obviously we had some great performances before. The fact is, as you could see in the race, we lose quite a lot of time. I think it’s like four tenths that we lose in a straight line. It’s hard to recover that through corners. I think we’ve got a great car fundamentally, it’s just we’ve just got to continue to work to maximise what we can and get the best results we can, score as many points as we can until we can close that deficit.
 
Q: And what about this weekend, the faster corners here, more reminiscent of Barcelona than Austria. Are you a little more confident coming into this one?
LH: It’s not that I’m not confident. It’s that the fact is we’ve got long straights. I think this is going to be the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment. All us drivers have been talking on the drivers’ chat, just [about] how poor the power is going to be through this track. We run out of battery power. There’s only a few corners to charge the engine, so the K will be switched off for a large portion of the lap and that’s where we will struggle probably the most. The deficit could be twice as big.
 
Q: Well, good luck this weekend. Thank you. Arvid, let’s come to you. We just heard about the bond between Lewis and Silverstone. It’s your first British Grand Prix. Just how excited are you about the next four days?
Arvid LINDBLAD: Yeah, I’m extremely excited. It’s going to be a very special moment for me. I remember being here in 2013, when I was five, and was sitting in Maggots and Becketts with my dad, and as I was watching the cars go past, when I was really sort of learning about my love for the sport and asking him questions, you know, “Is it possible to be there one day? Could that be me?” And yes, 13 years later, to be coming here as a Formula 1 driver will be incredibly special.
 
Q: Tell us about the helmet design as well for this weekend.
AL: Yes, so I’ve got a special helmet this week. It’s quite different, but yeah, I wanted something that really reflected my journey to this point, almost like a map of it, as such. As I’ve said before, when I was five, six, I believed I could be in Formula 1. So I wanted the images to be almost like me envisioning my journey as my five-year-old self. So I’ve got lots of these little sketches on the back of my helmet of pivotal moments that have helped me get here and the phrases of sort of like “Dream big” and that sort of stuff. So I think it’s really cool and looking forward to get using on track this week.
 
Q: What about the competitiveness of Racing Bulls? Double points finishes in the last three races, so how confident are you in terms of what you can achieve here?
AL: Yeah, very confident. I think the team have done an amazing job to bring upgrades, to bring performance to the car over the past few races. You know, it wasn’t that long ago we were in Miami and it wasn’t easy to get out of Q1, and we’ve showed in the past few weeks how strong the car is. So they’ve done an amazing job. Hopefully that’ll stay the same this week. As Lewis touched on, we need to see what the deployment’s like, what things are like in quali and the race. But so far we’ve been reasonably decent on the straights, so hopefully it should be OK.
 
Q: Valtteri, let’s come to you. Not your home race, but you have stood on the Silverstone podium four times. Just tell us about your memories of this place and what it feels like for you to come here.
Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, the podium here is pretty epic, so I’m very lucky to have been there a few times. And it’s just a fun track and a fun weekend. It feels almost like a festival rather than a Grand Prix. There’s so many people just having a great time, not only supporting the Brits, but I feel like for the whole group there’s good support, so good energy. So yeah, that’s why I always love coming here.
 
Q: What about Cadillac? Austria was a tough one for you guys. Are you confident that you’ve overcome the reasons for the problems you had last weekend?
VB: We’ve made some modifications to the brake cooling here, but anyway, much lower stress for the brakes on this track, so we should be OK here. But of course we’ve got to be prepared for the next hot races, potentially Budapest being troublesome. But it’s been a big issue, obviously not having finished the last two races. But the team is working as hard as we can to solve these issues, and I’m just going to move on.
 
Q: You didn’t get as much running as you wanted last weekend, but the upgrade package you ran there, do you think it will give you lap time here at Silverstone?
VB: It will, for sure. You know, we only did two laps of the race, so we couldn’t really say anything about the race pace. So let’s see here, very different type of track, but yeah, for sure any little upgrade with both the cars so far has been helping. So it should be the same here.
 
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
 
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports) A question for Lewis. I was with the trophy the other day, Lewis, the gold one, your name’s on it nine times. What would it be like to get the tenth with Ferrari? And are the team especially tapping into you this weekend, given your expertise around here, to go about trying to win this race?
LH: My engineers, they have been asking me like, “How did you do it? What did you do? How do you normally run the car?” And so, I hope that I’ve steered them in the right direction. But we only have one practice session tomorrow, so it’s going to be definitely a challenge throughout. And I’m really not thinking about the trophy. I mean, it’s not something I think any of the drivers actually think about. You think about just obviously executing the best you can through the weekend, trying to bring the right energy, absorbing the amazing energy that we have here from all the fans. I think Nigel said it best, that on your home turf you get that extra bit of speed coming from the energy from the fans. So, I’m hoping that propels us and helps us close the gaps for those guys that are ahead.
 
Q: (Kriya Gangiah – SuperSport Africa) Hi Lewis and Arvid. Obviously as a home race, how much of a boost do those fans really give you? And do you see it as a boost or a little bit of extra pressure to perform well this weekend?
AL: I think for me, I don’t know. It’s going to be my first experience. It’s hard to really comment on it now. But as these guys said, the fans here are amazing in Silverstone. I think it is a record highest attendance. And even for me in F2 and F3, it’s always been amazing. You know, when you’re driving on the straights and you see the Union Jack, and even more so you have the grandstands, but the fans have also filled the grass and it’s just full. And I think it’s really amazing to see. It probably will push me on a little bit. So far, for myself, I haven’t really felt any pressure. I’ve been enjoying living my dream, so I don’t think that will change this weekend.
LH: It’s not a pressure thing. It’s like they’re helping push you along. So, it’s just encouraging and it’s unbelievable to experience. You can’t really put into words how you feel when you see the cars, when you see all the flags and you see people supporting you as you travel around the circuit. It is one of those circuits that you do get to also see them in the distance. When you’re going down Stowe straight, for example, going around Turn 7, you kind of see them all lined up and just cheering on the whole way.
 
Q: (Roldan Rodríguez – DAZN Spain) A question to Arvid. You told us that 13 years ago you were in Becketts dreaming of being in Formula 1. Now that you are close to Lewis, have you ever dreamed to achieve what he has done? And how do you feel about that?
AL: Yeah, I think all of us would love to win seven World Championships. It was a long time ago that I was sitting in Maggots and Becketts, so just to be here for myself is very cool. But I’ve always dreamed of wanting to achieve a lot in the sport, so we’ll see what happens. At the end, it’s my rookie year, I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot to improve on. So I’m focused on that for now, but for sure I want to do well, and winning a World Championship is definitely part of the dream.
 
Q: (Leonid Kliuev – GrandePremio.com.br) Thank you. The LEGO cars return on Sunday. Obviously Arvid and Valtteri weren’t driving them in Miami last year but still, for all there: what will be the key to winning in the LEGO cars race – tyres, grip, deployment of bricks?
VB: I’m actually really excited because I missed it in Miami last year when I was watching it and it looked so fun. So I think the key will be, because everyone is capped to 25 kilometres per hour, saving distance is probably the key. I’m excited. So saving distance is my strategy, and using tow.
AL: Yeah, I was also very excited when I heard that we will be driving the LEGO cars. For me, I don’t think that race is going to be about winning. It’s just about having some fun and maximum damage.
LH: I mean, it’s the most dangerous part of the weekend. I let Charles drive last time and it was just hilarious watching everyone crashing into each other. So yeah, I don’t know whether or not I’ll be in the LEGO car this year.
 
Q: (Sam Joseph – The Athletic) A question for Lewis. You’ve been around here so many times, won here so many times. You spoke earlier about the challenges drivers are going to face this weekend with power deployment and the engines. Just how much is that going to change the experience in corners that you’re so used to and that you know so well, and throughout the race as a whole?
LH: Honestly, I think it’s going to be huge. If you look at the speed traces, we start losing deployment going into Copse. So, Copse, normally engine’s screaming as you go into Copse and you’re holding on for dear life as you go through there flat out. This year, the engine will be coasting down most likely. We’ll be downshifting from seventh to eighth whilst full throttle, trying to keep the engine revs higher, and it’ll be a long, long straight from 9 to 10 with no deployment, basically. And then Maggots and Becketts is just not going to feel the same because I think you have to lift and coast or something through there for a period of time. So, it’s just a completely different track. I mean, we’ll see tomorrow. No doubt we’ll still get to enjoy it through certain elements of the track where you’re not power limited, but the best part of the track is those Maggots and Becketts and Copse and Stowe, and in those places the power is just dropping. So, I hope it’s something they can rectify for next year.
 
 
Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) You got a good car this year and you’re clearly much happier, enjoying yourself again. Can you talk us through the elements that have been most important in that turnaround after what was clearly a very difficult last year?
LH: One being a car that I really have helped develop. There’s items on the car, for example front suspension that I’d asked for last year and had it made for the sim and tested it on that. This year, finally got the brakes that I wanted, which was a big push. Engineer changes in my personal team, readjusting some of my team and how they connect with the team, realigning myself with the higher powers within the organisation so that we’re making sure that we’re on the same track and we’re allies rather than foes. And so that’s just now in a much better place, and that’s enabling us now to just move forward in synergy. I think also having those, you know, each weekend was a really difficult weekend last year. So naturally when you’re having that, people tend to listen to you less. “Why are we going to listen to you when you’re getting these results?” So that’s taken a long time to build that trust, and I think that trust is now there and things that I ask for get done. It’s a two-way street, naturally. We’re really pushing each other along and the collaboration is finally there, and I think that’s the most important thing.
 
Q: (Isabelle Barker – The Sun) Lewis, I know one familiar face that everyone is really missing at Silverstone this year is Roscoe. Just wondered, it must be quite emotional coming back to Silverstone for the first time without him. I know he’s a real home comfort, and losing a pet is so hard as well. So how has it felt for you?
LH: Yeah, I mean, Valtteri’s going to miss the turds that he used to put in front of you.
VB: Yeah.
LH: It’s kind of crazy. I mean, for all those that have dogs, I miss them every day. So, I miss both my dogs every day. I still have them on my other front. I have a picture of them. But yeah, it’s kind of crazy because I remember he would always be snoring through the night, waking up in the middle of the night, take him outside to take a poo in front of Valtteri’s thing. He just always went there. Don’t know why.
VB: To me, it was a present.
LH: It was a present, yeah, just leaving you a gift behind. But it was amazing to see the love that he got here when he came. He was very much a part of Silverstone.
 
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Just something about the LEGO thing earlier. Have you been sort of worried about getting an injury or something in that event as to why you might not be doing it? And also, just going into this weekend, it’s the first time in a little while you’ve been at Silverstone where you’re really in the championship hunt. That must give you a good renewed delight to be here and to be racing this weekend.
LH: I mean, there’s not really much to say on the car thing. That’s something I need to take offline. But what was that about, just not being back in the championship hunt? Yeah, I mean, to be back up competing in the front, from where we were last year, it’s a remarkable turnaround for us as a team. I’m very proud of everybody in the team. Just every weekend we’re bringing new parts, we’re constantly evolving. You know, questions I had last year was, “Where’s the innovation?” You know, we should be the leaders. Ferrari is the biggest and the most successful team in this sport. It should be the team that everyone’s following, everyone should be looking at our car and to what we’re doing and think, “We’ve got to do the same”? You’ve seen that this year with the rear wing, for example. What else do we have? Oh yeah, the exhaust element that now all the other teams have. So I think that’s been great, really great to see. We’ve got an amazing group of people working very hard to push us forward and propel us forward, and that’s all I want to see. It’s just small increments of movement forward.
 
Q: (Simon Abberley – Nevis Radio) As always, Lewis. Next question for Lewis. We’ve seen in recent days you had a moment with your brother over in Fiorano driving a three-seater Ferrari. He described it as a proud brother moment watching you do your thing. I’m just wondering if you could share your thoughts on that, and also what was it like driving a V10 Ferrari for the first time?
LH: I mean, it was a very old car, a really old three-seater. Interestingly, last year when I was supposed to do it, I landed in Italy and that’s when I got a call about Roscoe, actually, and I literally went straight back to the airport and flew to LA and you know what happened in the following days. So, I didn’t get to do it. And this time, I invited my brother. I mean, it’s just a really unusual experience as I’ve never had anyone else apart from my engineer in my ear, but to be able to experience that so close to, particularly my brother, who I’ve known since he was born, and with everything he’s gone through and him supporting me all these years, and him to be right behind me and I get to hear him giggling and kind of experience emotion that I have every time I’m in the car was a really profound moment. And he just couldn’t believe it. He’s watched it all these years and he’s tried to imagine what it’s like, and I think it was beyond what he had ever imagined. And that’s only natural. So, I can’t wait to do it again and take him out again.

Q: (Jack Smith – MotorsportMonday.com) Lewis, you naturally want to repay the fans that support you so strongly. You hope that’s here, but of course they, as you’ve said quite publicly for a long time, stuck with you after a difficult year last year. Do you feel that there’s any added significance to this year’s race in terms of that sort of driver-fan relationship that you have?
LH: Not particularly. I think it’s always very special. I mean, it’s being here in red. I think last year was the first year in red, and those that have been with me for a long, long time, as hard as it may have been for some of them to convert from being with Mercedes for so long and move over to Ferrari, I think hopefully we’ll see more red caps this weekend. But I remember watching Michael race here from home growing up. It’s a real pinch-yourself moment when you pull out the garage and you go around the track and you see the crowd here supporting you. It’s not something I still have to pinch myself that I’m here. And then again, I never thought I’d ever get the chance to drive for Ferrari, so it’s even more special.
 
Q: (Shana Lutgert – GPBlog) I have a question for Lewis. After the Austrian Grand Prix, Toto was quite concerned about you spending money on the upgrades in the team and the budget potentially running out. What are your thoughts on that?
LH: I mean, that’s a question for Fred. I don’t mingle with the money element of things.
 
Q: (L.A. Wilshaw – Top Speed) A question for Lewis. Lewis, nobody’s running away with the title just yet. Kimi was getting away a little bit, but you’re reining back in, especially with that win. What do you have to do personally to maybe think about this as a championship-winning year? Will it be a surprise if you do? And is it realistic to consider you as a championship winner this year?
LH: I think other than me going into Mercedes’ garage and undoing the bolts! Look, I mean, Mercedes is a phenomenal team. You’re seeing them perform at such an amazing level, and it’s really beautiful to see when a team’s fully in synergy. And what they’ve brought and what they’ve done this year is mighty, and I think it’s going to take a huge amount for anyone to close them down. You’ve seen now also Red Bull have really taken a step. They made a massive step in the last race. So undoubtedly, I imagine Max is going to be a big contender for it, and he’s got the power also to match the Mercedes. So, I anticipate they’re going to be really strong. I think we as a team, we have to just continue to believe, continue to just stay calm and keep working. We just have to extract everything we can from each weekend, and even, if possible, a little bit more than maybe what performance-wise is possible. And then there are going to be some tracks where it neutralises a bit, like I would imagine, Budapest might be a little bit of a closer battle because it’s not got long straights. We need more of those sorts of circuits, to be honest. But yeah, I think it’s also too early. I mean, Kimi is far ahead. That is still a lot of points ahead, and he pulled some more points ahead in the last race. So that’s why I said it’s a good reality check for us, but it’s not over till it’s over. Every single person is so geed up and pushing as much as they can, so that’s all I can ever ask for.
 
Q: (Josh Suttill – The Race) Question for Arvid. What was the discussion about the team-order situation after Austria? And also, was that kind of the first time you’d seen a huge response on social media to something, and how did you deal with that?
AL: I didn’t see too much on social media, to be honest. I wasn’t really following that sort of stuff. It was something we discussed together after the race, so yeah, all sorted now. Looking forward to the race this week.
 
Q: (Jake Nichol – RacingNews365.com) Question for you please, Lewis. Given that this is a Sprint weekend, how much of a complicating factor is that when it comes to the energy management of this track?
LH: It’s huge. It ultimately puts more emphasis on simulations, and I think tomorrow will be interesting to see. I mean, the previous years when we had DRS, you saw different deployment strategies from different people. I think already in the last race you heard a couple of drivers talk about us having potentially different deployment. I think it was Kimi maybe, so that he nearly drove into the back of Charles or something like that. So, we are constantly working on it, we’re constantly evolving. Everyone’s working really hard to understand it and to make sure we arrive at the best deployment strategy we can have and most efficient. But more often than not, you get out of the session and you realise that there’s areas that we can improve on, so it’s just how quick we can adapt. It’s just all about being as adaptive as you can be. So I’m hopeful that we’ve done the best prep possible for this weekend, both in setup and in our aero package. But I’m sure through the session tomorrow we’ll just have more and see if we can squeeze any more juice out of this maybe.
 
ENDS