Formula 1 News: 2025 Singapore GP Thursday Press Conference

Six Formula 1 drivers in two groups of three met with the assembled media ahead of the 2025 Singapore GP at the Marina Bay Circuit.

10 Key Highlights followed by the full Press Conference

1. Lando Norris’s Confidence for Singapore: Norris expressed strong confidence heading into the Singapore Grand Prix, citing McLaren’s dominant performance at the track in 2024 and his personal enjoyment of the circuit since 2019, despite concerns about potentially worse weather conditions.

2. Max Verstappen as a Genuine Title Contender: Norris acknowledged Verstappen’s resurgence after winning the last two races (Monza and Baku), attributing it to Red Bull’s recent upgrades. He expects tight competition from Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, with Verstappen a consistent threat. Drivers give their best guess at the odds of him winning.

3. McLaren’s Constructors’ Title Edge: Norris highlighted McLaren’s near-certain Constructors’ Championship win, needing just 13 points, crediting their success to having the best car for 95% of the 2025 season and consistent performances from both himself and Oscar Piastri.

4. Esteban Ocon on Haas’s Progress: Ocon noted Haas’s strong race pace at Zandvoort post-summer break but admitted struggles at Monza and Baku. He is optimistic about Singapore’s low-speed corners suiting the car’s strengths in traction and cornering.

5. Romain Grosjean’s Emotional Return: Ocon, Norris, and Russell reflected on Grosjean’s return to an F1 car at Haas’s Mugello family day, five years after his 2020 Bahrain crash. Ocon described it as a joyful, emotional event, with Grosjean showing no loss of skill.

6. George Russell’s Contract Update: Russell provided no concrete updates on his 2026 contract, emphasizing that negotiations are ongoing and must be mutually beneficial. He expects a resolution before the season ends, dismissing concerns about delays.

7. Singapore’s Heat Hazard Measures: Russell and others discussed the FIA’s first-ever heat hazard declaration for Singapore, making cooling vests mandatory. While some find the vests uncomfortable due to tubing placement, Russell noted their necessity in 90% humidity and 60°C cockpits.

8. Charles Leclerc’s Realistic Outlook: Leclerc tempered expectations for Ferrari at Singapore, predicting McLaren’s dominance on high-downforce tracks. He sees Ferrari’s strength in warm conditions but believes a 2025 win is unlikely, with Vegas as a potential outlier.

9. Williams’ Turnaround and Culture Shift: Alex Albon credited Williams’ fifth-place standing to a cultural shift under James Vowles, moving from a defeatist mindset to one of ambition and experimentation. Carlos Sainz’s Baku podium validated their progress.

10. Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring Feat: All drivers admired Verstappen’s GT Cup win at the Nürburgring, with Norris, Ocon, and Russell praising his versatility. Ocon and Albon highlighted how driving other cars (e.g., DTM, drifting) enhances F1 skills, though risks, as seen in Robert Kubica’s rally crash, were noted.

PART ONE – Lando NORRIS (McLaren), Esteban OCON (Haas), George RUSSELL (Mercedes)

Q: Lando, let’s start with you. After all, Singapore was a happy hunting ground for you last year. How confident are you coming into this weekend?
Lando NORRIS: Confident. Because like you said, last year was a very good one here. We were very strong here last year. I had a good race, so always nice. I have always enjoyed it since my first year in 2019. So, at the minute, it looks like a little bit worse weather than what we’ve had over the last few years, but excited. It’s one of my favorite tracks of the season, so happy to get going.

Q: How do you see the pecking order at the moment? Because Max Verstappen’s won the last two races. Do you think that was track-specific to Monza and Baku, or do you think he’s genuinely a challenger at every race now?
LN: Genuinely a challenger. I think if you go back to the beginning of the season, they were challenging the first six, seven races for race wins, challenging us in the Drivers’. And then we brought some upgrades, improved a little bit. Couple weeks ago, they brought some upgrades, and it seems like that’s kind of put them back on the same level as us. So, I think we’re still expecting and we still come into every race with the ambition and with the goal of winning and wanting to dominate as a team and continue the form that we’ve had all season. But nevertheless, you know, it’s a track where Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, certainly over the last few weekends, have been closer. So we expect battles, especially with him.

Q: Can we talk about that season-long form? Just 13 more points this weekend will seal the Constructors’ title for McLaren. When you look back at 2025, what has stood out for you? What’s been the magic sauce for McLaren?
LN: I mean, yeah, the driver’s! Car’s mediocre! But, I mean, without making a joke of it, I think you got the two things. You obviously need the best car. I think we’ve had that for 95% of the races. I think there’s been a few here and there. Like, even Monza is the most recent one where I don’t think we were quick enough. Baku, I would say we probably should have been and were fast enough. We just didn’t do a very good job. Monza, we weren’t quick enough. So, you know, there’s been a couple races where we’ve not had the dessert—like, the perfect weekends. But as a constructor, I think that’s the important thing. We’ve got two good drivers. And I think there are plenty of other teams with two great drivers, but I kind of hate saying it, but not ones who have delivered every weekend as often as what Oscar and myself have done. But it’s also easier for us to deliver because we’re ahead of the field a lot of the time. So in some ways, we have an easier job than some others. But as a constructor, you need two drivers who deliver every weekend, who finish most races. And that’s what we’ve been able to do. Maybe not the last couple, but until that point, we’ve been the best performing duo as drivers. And we’ve clearly had the best car and been the best team.

Q: Quick word on the Drivers’ Championship. You’re now within a race win of Oscar. How do you see the challenge ahead with seven races to go?
LN: I mean, you ask me this question every time, and it’s the same answer.

Q: Can you just remind us?
LN: Yeah. Just play the clip from last time, I guess.
Q: Alright, we will do that. Alright, Lando. Thanks for that. Esteban, let’s come to you. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you in the press conference. Can we just start with your thoughts on the progress with the car since the summer break?
Esteban OCON: I think since the summer break, obviously, we had very good Zandvoort as a team. The quali was definitely not great, but we were able to have very good car pace through the race and come back in very decent positions. After that, I think the tracks were quite difficult for us. There were some areas of the track where we were lacking quite a lot of pace – in Baku and Monza.
But I hope that here we will have more performance out of this car. It’s a track that I really enjoy, especially since they removed that last sector that I didn’t really like too much. Yeah, I’ve learned to like this track more and more, to feel more comfortable with it through the years, and it’s a track that I now really like. And there’s a lot of support around here also, so it’s quite special.

Q: And Haas seem to like it. Hülkenberg had a very strong weekend here last year, with the short 90-degree corners. Do you think it’ll suit this car?
EO: I hope so. I mean, usually, where we lose quite a lot of performance is in the straight lines. There are not many of that around here. We are pretty good in terms of traction, getting out of corners, and low-speed performance is also pretty decent. So again, it’s going to be very close out there. It’s looking like it would be quite tough with the weather, so we need to see which sessions are going to be dry and if the important ones are going to be dry as well. But it’s out there to take the opportunity, and I hope that we can take a good one.

Q: Final one from me. A bit left-field, but can we go to last week, to Mugello? Haas had a family day there. We saw Romain Grosjean back in a Formula 1 car for the first time since his accident. Just you were there — give us your thoughts on the day, your memories?
EO: It was awesome. And, you know, we had most of our employees that were there. It was a big Haas family day. Everyone was there to witness Romain driving an F1 car five years after his accident in Bahrain. And it was a day full of happiness and emotions, really, and I’m glad to have been there to witness it all. Romain didn’t lose anything. He was straight away on pace. He knew everything on the steering wheel and everything, obviously, you know, it’s only been five years, but yeah, definitely a great day. And this team is very special in that sense — there are emotions. Obviously, we are a small team, but it’s really a big family. And even though it was five years ago, the team didn’t forget that Romain was there from the start, and that’s quite special.

Q: George, let’s come to you now. Start with the usual — have you got a contract for next year yet?
George RUSSELL: Surprise. No dates to give you. I told you you’d be the first to know when there’s something to report.

Q: How long have we got to wait?
GR: I think for any driver, when you get to a certain point in your career, things have to be done right. Every time you renew a contract, it’s the most important one of your life and it has to be done with good care. There’s nothing to worry about, and it will get done when it gets done.

Q: Are you a tough negotiator?
GR: How many of these questions? You keep on going! No, I don’t think so. I think it’s just about something that’s fair, mutually beneficial. I think that’s what we all chase. It’s obviously different for certain drivers who may have a bit more power, may have a bit less power. But as I said, no more updates. Nothing to report. I’ll be glad to tell you all once there is.

Q: And the good news is you’re sounding a lot better than when you were in the post-race press conference in Baku. Are you feeling better?
GR: Yeah. Feeling better, to be honest. Baku was a tough one just in terms of how I was feeling. Not 100% right now. I’ve improved substantially. But if I think there’s any other race, I wouldn’t have a single shred of concern. But, of course, Singapore being Singapore and the obvious challenges here, I’m sure it will be fine — but Sunday won’t be a breeze.

Q: Well, a heat hazard has been declared for the first time ever this weekend. Can you just tell us what that means for the drivers?
GR: Yeah. We’ve used the driver cooling vest a few times already this season at the hot races.
But obviously, this is the first time where it’s become mandatory, which I think is good news.
Not everybody finds the top comfortable, but I think some find it more comfortable than others.
And of course, over time, you’ll be able to adjust it to your own preferences. But the concept is good. When you’re racing in 90% humidity and the cockpits are getting on for 60 degrees, it’s a bit of a sauna inside the car. So I think we all welcome it.

Q: And from a performance point of view, you were fourth last year. What are your hopes?
GR: I think the last two years, we’ve been reasonably good. Ferrari are often very strong here. They were on pole two years ago, and last year they were looking really strong until Q3, which sort of ruined their weekend. And of course, we know McLaren at the hot races, high tire degradation circuits, are exceptionally strong. So I expect McLaren and Ferrari to be the two teams out in front.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN Spain) Question for George. Regarding the cooling vest that you were mentioning, I heard some drivers said that it’s uncomfortable while driving. I think you used it in Bahrain this season at least. How is it uncomfortable? Is it because of the movements, or is it just having an extra layer?
GR: I mean, I can’t talk for the other drivers. I think it’s just where the tubes on your back connect to the tubes on your front, and they have to go around your ribs. And when you go through high-speed corners and the g-force, you’re feeling these tubes on the side of your ribs. So I think that was definitely an issue for me at the beginning. They made some changes — it has been improved. But as I said, still, you have these tubes going around your ribs, which is not the perfect place for it. There’s not many high-speed corners here in Singapore and high lateral G-forces, so I don’t think it would be a major issue.

Q: (Vicky Piria – Sky Sports Italy) For all three drivers, if possible, if they could give me a percentage number of chance for Max Verstappen to win the title. Lando, let’s start with you.
LN: I mean, there’s a chance, so… more than zero. I don’t know. It’s probably, like, actual stats. So, I don’t know. Yeah. There’s a chance.
EO: I mean, we all know Max and how dangerous he is when there’s something to grab. So yeah, there’s a good chance that if he’s got a competitive car until the end of the year, he can catch back.

Q: George, are you going to give us a number?
GR: 100%!
EO: Good friend.

Q: (Laurent Dupin – Canal+) Esteban already talked about it, but your point of view, George and Lando, about Romain driving a Formula 1 car five years later — because you were there on the day of his accident.
GR: Yeah. I mean, obviously, for us who were sort of in the race and witnessing it, I still sort of remember it to this moment. Seeing the flames in my rearview mirror — extremely horrific to see.
And I don’t think anybody wants to end their career in that way, so to see him get a chance to go back out — he’s obviously always been in great spirits ever since the incident. Of course, he was in — I can’t remember if it was Abu Dhabi or Bahrain — the following race, but he was there on the sidelines from the following race. You know, his spirits have never dropped. So yeah, nice for him and nice of Haas to give him the opportunity.
LN: Yeah. Good for him. I thought he was doing a test in a Mercedes. No? Was he not? I don’t know. But I guess nice for him and the team. They probably didn’t want it to end the way it did in some ways, or for those kind of things to happen. But he’s been racing since. For him to get back into a Formula 1 car, his dream, and kind of get back probably some good memories that he had was a nice thing for him. So nice to see it.

Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365.com) Question, Lando. Four weeks ago in Monza, you were asked about the title race then. And you said at that stage that your life was being made harder because McLaren was so dominant and that it would be made easier if there were other drivers between yourself and Oscar. Given the performance of Max over the last two Grands Prix — winning both races from pole position — have you actually got more than you bargained for, potentially?
LN: Well, I mean, it’d be easier if I was always finishing first and him third, but that’s not going to be the case. So, you know, it’s difficult to know. I think certainly in Baku, we had the pace to win and we had the car to win and we didn’t. I don’t think we necessarily had the pace to be on pole, but I think we had a chance to fight and had the chance to fight Max. In Monza they were just too quick for us.
So if there’s some races coming up where they’re just too fast — which is very possible — he qualified one tenth behind me here last year, even when we were already dominant, he was only one tenth off. So I expect him to be quick for many of the races this season. We’re going to go to Vegas, another low downforce track where we don’t expect to be as great as we have been in other places. So I think there’s still opportunity. We know there’s opportunity for them. But as long as we’re just focusing on ourselves, and I’ll try and maximize every result I can, whether that’s on Saturday or Sunday.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Lando, question for you. I want to ask you about Max doing his event at the Nürburgring. I don’t know if you watched the race at all, but just the idea of a driver going and doing a completely different event. I know you’ve talked about doing Le Mans in the future. How much does that add to a driver’s greatness — his ability to flip between categories, do you think? And what’s your thinking in terms of future plans in sports cars?
LN: I mean, it’s cool. It’s nice he can go and do what he wants. I think after you win four world championships, you have a bit more right to just go and choose what you want to do. Everyone knows how much Max loves doing all those things. And yeah, it’s nice that he goes to do something else that he enjoys. But you can do what you want. Like, I don’t know how much it adds to your greatness or not, but the fact he can go into any series and be probably the best, I think does show how good he is and how great he is. I’ve said it many times. I think he’s born to be, and will forever be, one of the best ever, if not the best in Formula 1. So I think for anyone to have a chance of going up against him and beating him is pretty slim at times. But no, it’s cool. I respect it. I think it’s a great thing. If I could go and do it more, maybe I would. But I don’t know about my future still. Like, I still see a time when I’ll just want to leave Formula 1 and go do other things — go play golf and have some fun elsewhere. But I respect a lot what Max does, and I respect Max a lot, like I’ve always said. But yeah, I’ve not seen any of it, but I love the Nordschleife, so that is probably another place I would love to go and try at one point.

Q: Can I open this up to you guys as well? Esteban, do you fancy a bit of the Nordschleife? What do you think of what Max did last weekend?
EO: Awesome. Yeah, I think that was really cool. I watched some of it. Obviously, it was a very long race, but I was definitely looking. I’ve done some testing and developing on some cars on the Nordschleife last year because I wanted to learn the track and have a feel for myself. I’ve been racing this track on Gran Turismo for years and years. And to have seen Max going there and winning the race was obviously incredible. No doubt of how good he is. Remarkable to say the least because we have a very busy schedule — he’s playing a world championship potentially. He’s won already four, which helps in his decision on going or not to do other things. But yeah, if I was in his position, I would probably do the same, definitely. But it is not the case.
GR: Yeah, I think it’s incredible, to be honest. Like the two guys said, I think we’re all pretty jealous of it. Because having this freedom, of firstly doing what you love in Formula 1, but then also being able to go out and race other things and just enjoy it at your leisure — I don’t think it’s quite that straightforward for other people doing it. But you have that right when you win four world championships. And we’re all here fighting to win our first. Maybe after four championships under our belts, we’ll be able to choose to do the same. But no, respect it a lot. And definitely, I would love to do it one day.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Question for you, Lando. Obviously, a lot of these questions to you have been about Max being back in the championship fight. Do you think that McLaren will have to prioritise one driver to ensure they get the Drivers’ Championship over the line? And I guess if you’re behind Oscar, are you concerned that could be you?
LN:  I’m very concerned. Yeah. Very worried about it, and scared, frankly. So yeah, I was happy you asked that, actually…. Yeah… No.

Q: (Shuchang Zhuo – Lianhe Zaobao) This is directed to Russell. Last year, they added a couple of DRS zones. This year the FIA has increased the speed limit — like in Zandvoort — can you just share from your experience, do you think that’s going to spice up the race, or do you think, like for Monaco, we need banana peels?
GR: I think the biggest thing for Singapore that’s improved the race is removing the last sector corners. Now, that back straight… I mean, as drivers, you never want to remove corners, but I think before it had 20-something corners, and it was too much. Now it’s a much nicer flow to the circuit, and I think we’re all in agreement that we hope the circuit stays like this and doesn’t return back to its previous state. But yeah, in the past it was always like a one-stop because the pit lane took so long. I think it’s four or five seconds shorter now with this 80-kilometre per hour limit. So maybe it goes more towards a two, but recently a lot of races have been a clear one-stop. So, yeah, I think the rain will probably be the next thing that will spice it up.

Q: (Iwona Holod – Powrotroberta.pl) I have a question for all of you. Speaking about Max’s race in Germany, comparing to Robert Kubica’s case when he took part in rallying a few years ago, and it didn’t go well for him — do you think this kind of ‘hobby’ is okay? Should Formula 1 drivers do it from time to time or not, because of the risk?
GR: I think you have to do what you enjoy in life, and there’s a risk in everything. You know, we can slip on the padel court and break a leg, as an example, or you fall down the stairs in the morning. So I think, obviously, there are certain things that have a greater risk. Obviously, rally is probably a higher risk than racing a GT3 car on a racetrack. But ultimately, we all have to do what we enjoy. This is life. A lot of drivers go skiing as well. You know, you can’t wrap yourself in bubble wrap.
EO: If Max likes to do other types of racing, it’s his right. And if the team lets him do it, he’s going to do it for sure. It was a very different scenario for Robert. And yeah, we are always all thinking, what if that didn’t happen for Robert? Even his comeback in Formula 1 was awesome. I’ve raced against him — George also – in the same team. That was an incredible comeback. But yeah, I’m sure we would have seen him on the top step many more times than what we did.
LN: No, not a worry at all. I mean, any driver can go and do what they want, you know?

Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365) Question for you, George. I know Tom grilled you extensively at the start of your session about your contract, but just to follow up on that a little bit — is there any danger that this will extend beyond the end of this season or it won’t get to that extreme?
GR: No, I don’t think so. It shouldn’t, to be honest. Yeah, things are moving and progressing.
And as I’ve said on numerous occasions before, between races it’s not like we sit at home on the sofa with our feet up and nothing else is going on. You know, I’ve been in Brackley and Brixworth this week, working hard on the sim, looking ahead also to next year. Last week, a couple of sponsor events, training, getting back in shape. So, our schedules are extremely busy. And as I said, there is no necessary danger of that happening. But if it does, it does — but I don’t expect it to.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Again, Esteban. Just picking up on your point there about going to the Nordschleife and doing some car testing there and even playing Gran Turismo. How much is any driving helpful in terms of honing your skills behind the F1 car? I know it probably doesn’t translate very well from Gran Turismo to what you drive today. But how do you find that any driving is useful?
EO: Yeah. I think it is, definitely — especially in long periods where we don’t race, basically from November to — I mean, February now next year. We will drive in January, so it will be very different. But yes, I feel that it’s very useful just to keep your eye in, get more car control. I do a lot of drifting sessions as well during the winter, some go-kart driving or buggy driving. It’s just something I enjoy, but I feel that it is useful at times when you are in certain tricky situations — on the wet or whatever. You lose the car at one point, well, you get your eye in because you’ve done that corner and that situation a million times, basically, in the winter in some other cars. So it’s more the old school guys that were saying how good it was and valuable for them to race in many different categories. I mean, it’s so specific now, F1, that might be a bit less, but you can still get some stuff from other series and learn new things, new skills. As long as you can be in a good car on four wheels on a racetrack, I think it’s always valuable.

PART TWO – Charles LECLERC (Ferrari), Isack HADJAR (Racing Bulls), Alex ALBON (Williams)

Q: Charles, can we start with you? We’re back at a high-downforce track. Does that put a smile on your face? Do you think the car will be more competitive here than it was in Baku last time out?
Charles LECLERC: I don’t think we can expect any miracles. I don’t think we were, I mean, again in Baku, I don’t think we were uncompetitive. We didn’t do a good job in qualifying and we failed to put everything together and to put a lap in Q3, obviously, but I don’t think we expect to be more competitive here. I think it should be similar to Baku. If anything, I feel like McLaren will have even more of an advantage on a track like this, so we might be a bit further away to McLaren. However, compared to our main competitors, which are Mercedes, we should be in a better place if it stays warm, which I think it will.

Q: I think there’s a caveat to this. I remember in Hungary you said in the drivers’ press conference prior to the race that you weren’t confident, and you put the car on pole position.
CL: Well, I hope the same happens. But in Hungary, it’s a session I still struggle to understand. There were swings of seven tenths from Q1 to Q2 to Q3, and nobody really understood that session. To be on pole on such a difficult session was nice, but I don’t expect the conditions to be the same this weekend. It’s unlikely, but I’ll do everything to reproduce that. That would be amazing, but it’s unlikely.
Q: Can we throw it forward? You’re in a tight battle with Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. Of these last seven races, where do you think the car might be strong? You won in Austin last year, Carlos won in Mexico. Will you go to those two races with a bit of confidence?
CL: I think we are in a very different place to last year. However, to resume it in the simplest way, I feel like Mercedes is very strong whenever it’s cold, and we seem to be stronger whenever it’s warm. Looking at the next few races, I hope it’s as warm as it can get, so we have an advantage. I feel like this is what is going to swing the performance one way or another more than any other track characteristic. This is where we stand, and we’ll see how it goes. But this weekend should be warm, and we need to take that as an opportunity for us to close the gap to them.

Q: Thank you very much for that. Isack, can we come to you now? Belated happy birthday. You had a big birthday, I think, on Sunday. Did you get up to anything that you can tell us about?
Isack HADJAR: It was just… I was lucky enough to have… My sister was free and she brought her friends and my high school friends in Japan, so, surprisingly, we were a group of 10 people in Tokyo. I just got lucky that it was around my birthday as well. I got free time, and I just made the most of it, so I had a very good time.

Q: And you’re in the time zone for Singapore, importantly. This is your first Grand Prix here. What do you expect to be the biggest challenges for you?
IH: Obviously everyone’s talking about how hot it is inside the car, so it’s going to be a tough race. But honestly, so far this year I’ve always felt comfortable in the car. Let’s see. I’m quite excited to see how hard it’s going to be.

Q: How have you prepared for the heat? Have you done anything different to other races?
IH: Apart from the sauna, there’s not much you can do. Japan is quite humid, so I’ve spent a week already there, so maybe this is going to help me. But I just have to push through, I guess.

Q: And what about performance? The car is going really well at the minute. Look at your performance at Zandvoort. Look at Liam last time out in Baku. You’ve been on the sim. How hopeful are you coming into this weekend?
IH: Again, it’s going to be a track where… Obviously, the car is working pretty much everywhere. It’s a healthy car. Now it’s slow-speed corners, just like Baku. Honestly, I’d rather be on a track with a bit more high-speed. I think this matches more our car’s characteristics. But the car will work again this weekend, there’s no hazard. I can’t tell you if it’s a podium car, but it’s definitely a car that can aim for Q3.

Q: And talking about slow-speed corners, it was a double points finish for the team in Monaco a few months back.
IH: The car worked well there, but I know the Williams was also very fast. I know Alex was very fast in Monaco, I remember. But we, as a team, did a good job putting it together and just maximising the result. The car will definitely be up there.

Q: Thank you for that, best of luck. Alex, it’s a really interesting battle between Racing Bulls and Williams in the Constructors’ Championship. Isack says you were quick in Monaco. Are you going to be quick here?
Alex ALBON: I’d say it’s not normally a track that we’ve gone well at, but we’ve proven a lot this year that it doesn’t really carry over from previous years. It’ll be interesting to see where we fall. We generally don’t like high-downforce circuits, but we’ve noticed we are quite good on ride, and obviously this track’s quite bumpy. So maybe one weakness is one strength, and we can do a good job here.
Q: Were there any pointers in Baku last time? I know it was a slightly tougher weekend for you, but a great one for your team-mate.
AA: Realistically, over the weekend in Baku, we were strong the whole weekend. It was literally just qualifying. A bit frustrating in hindsight, obviously. Carlos proved how quick the car was, and it was a bit of an uphill battle for me starting at the back after the crash. It is a very different track even though you’d think it’s similar to Baku. The demands, the track temperature and the way the bumps are around this track, it does offer a different need. I’m maybe a bit more pessimistic going into this weekend but I still think we can score points.

Q: And what did Carlos Sainz’s podium in Baku do for the team? You’ve been there throughout the rebuild process. Have you sensed any difference at the factory or at the racetrack here?
AA: Truthfully, the whole attitude this year has shifted. I don’t feel like the podium has necessarily invigorated the team more because I can tell you at Grove everyone is super motivated. The culture and the energy is addictive, and you don’t really feel like there’s much more that the podium gave, more than, if anything, proving a point. It’s almost a bit of a taste, I hope, for the future of the team and for us. It’s a sign of things to come. Maybe it came a little earlier than we thought it would, but it shows that we’re working in the right direction.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Vicky Piria – Sky Sports Italy) Same question I asked the other drivers: if you could give me percentage numbers, chance of Max Verstappen winning the title this year. Who’d like to start? Come on, Charles.
CL: I’ll say 20. The gap is substantial. We’ve been on low-downforce tracks, Monza, Baku. I feel the Red Bull was very strong. I expect McLaren to come back to the pace we’ve seen for most of the season here and at some other future tracks. I see it very unlikely, but we never know. They brought an upgrade in Monza which seems to be working very much, but whether it will work on a high-downforce track, I don’t think enough to beat McLaren.

Q: Isack, please? 
IH: I definitely agree with what he said. 20% as well. I think 20 is a lot; I would say 10. Ten is still a good number, but I don’t know how many points—he’s probably 60 points behind Oscar?

Q: 69.
IH: Oh, yeah, 69.

Q: Alex?
AA: I’ll go with 15. You could have one crash between Lando and Oscar, and it’s all game on. I don’t know what the odds are at the bookies, but I’ll go 15.

Q: (Pablo Lorente – DAZN Spain) Question for Alex. Do you consider Carlos’s podium good news for you because it’s proof the car has the race pace to surprise some races and catch the podium—maybe one day it’s your turn?
AA: I would say it was coming at some point, and I don’t think the race itself proved that we could do it. We’ve had a few P5s already this year. If anything, it’s more just a validation – to Grove and to everyone that we’re on the up. I think we’re the most improved midfield team by far, I would say. It feels like every year we’ve made a big step, and this year is clearly the bigger one of all the four years I’ve been in the team. Maybe it’s naive, but I’ve always been confident in the team and the journey that we’re on. I always knew there was going to be a podium coming soon. We’ll keep trying to make it more consistent and have more opportunity to do it. I always thought it was going to be a thing.
Q: (Tom Slafer – DAZN Spain) Question for Charles. You were mentioning before in which conditions your car is better or Mercedes is better. Seeing the seven races we have left this season, do you think we can see a Ferrari win still in 2025?
CL: I think it’s very unlikely, just because unfortunately McLaren is also very strong when it’s warm. Compared to our main competitors, we might be stronger—so, against Mercedes, I think we have chances to be stronger on those races, and I think we’ll be stronger on those races. However, compared to McLaren, I don’t think we’ll have the upper hand. But never say never. I’m looking forward to seeing where we are this weekend. Maybe another chance might be Vegas, where things are so strange on this track—tire management, etc can be a big thing in the race. Maybe there will be an opportunity as well, but very little opportunity—less than the number I said for Max earlier for the championship! Quite unlikely.

Q: (Zuhrah Beevi – Vavel.com) Alex, question for you: you’ve talked about arriving at Williams—there was doom and gloom before James Vowles took over. Now Williams sits fifth in the standings. What’s been the biggest change in the team culture and approach?
AA: Culture, in terms of belief and confidence. When I first joined the team, there was an element of just being low down. I think they kind of expected “this is the way and this is where we belong.” There’s been a huge shift in terms of open-mindedness, willingness to experiment in general, and this hunger to move and be a top team. That’s very much down to James and the key individuals within the team who’ve moved that [dial]. It’s not an easy thing to do, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed just how different the atmosphere is in the team from day one when I joined to now.

Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365.com) Question for Isack. In the days after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Helmut Marko was quoted as saying that there are two drivers within the Red Bull family that have a guaranteed contract for next year: one is Max, one is yourself. With that being the case, how much pressure does that take off your shoulders going into next year, regardless of your ambitions, that you at least have a drive with one team or the other?
IH: It’s a good position to be in, but at the same time my whole career I’ve been used to having to chase until the very final race—every championship I’ve been in—to try and prove and go up the ranks. It’s a new place to be, but it definitely takes out a bit of pressure. If anything, I always enjoy the pressure. I feel like it’s when I’m delivering at my best level. Let’s see how I handle the last few races, but I’m always going to push very hard and take risks.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Alex, picking up on when you arrived at Williams: it was quite a leap of faith at the time; the perception was back of the grid and running low on cash. With the new ownership and everything that’s happened in the last few years, how much do you look back on that decision as being the right call, and how much has the vision you were sold on been delivered in that time?
AA: In all honesty, I signed with Williams and there were elements of good qualities about the team, but it wasn’t always that obvious that the team was going to end up in the position that has happened and seeing this journey we talk about. The bigger shift has been the last couple of years, where a lot of the big foundational elements of the team have changed. It’s interesting to me, because the step from ’23 to ’24—people must have seen that as a backstep in terms of performance—but actually the ground roots of the team changed the most at that point. That’s been one of the biggest steps of all the years I’ve spent with the team. What you’re seeing this year comes from a lot of the changes we made a couple of years ago. I’m happy where I am. I like that James is very honest about our weaknesses and strengths as a team, and it makes the journey believable. It’s not “next year we’re going to be at the very front.” It’s a calculated, realistic plan he has in mind. So far, it feels like we’re on the road he’s explained, and that makes me feel like I’m in a good place.

Q: Alex, you talk about his plan. Do you think a podium was on the bingo card for 2025, or have you exceeded expectations?
AA: I would never have said at the beginning of 2025 we would score a podium—and almost on pace as well. No. But at the same time, when we did the shakedown in Silverstone in February, it was already clear we made a big step, bigger than I imagined. What’s exciting to me is we’re only, I would consider, 60-70% in our journey—maybe even less than that—and yet we can score a podium at this time. There are so many areas we haven’t untapped that we know we need to improve on. But the job we’re doing with the resources we have, we can already nip at the heels of the top teams, which makes me believe even more that we can do a better job.

Q: (Deepanraj Ganesan – The Straits Times) The race this weekend has been declared a heat hazard. Your reactions to this, and does it change your preparations for the race? What was your initial reaction when you heard about this?
CL: I didn’t change my physical preparation for the weekend. Yes, we are doing… at least on my side, yes, I do things a bit more specific for Singapore, but my goal is to be as fit as possible from the first race to the last race. It’s not like I start training more for Singapore because I’m training as hard as I can over the season. Maybe you do some sauna sessions before Singapore, which helps acclimation with the heat. The only thing that changes with what the FIA announced is we now have the choice to run the cooling vest, which is something we’ll consider and keep in mind throughout free practices in case it’s way too warm in the car. I don’t expect this weekend to be harder than last year, and last year was very warm and very tough, but it was still doable. It’s something I will keep in mind for sure.
IH: Very well explained, Charles. Copy paste.
AA: I think it’s a nice thing that we’ve got a choice at least to use this cooling vest or not. Different teams have different solutions, and within the cooling vest itself there are different ways to make it work. I don’t see it as a bad thing—and I think it’s safe. It’s a good thing; it’s another step forward in terms of making all drivers comfortable. It’s likely I’ll be using it for this weekend. As a team, Williams, we started using it early last year, experimenting, so I think we’ve got a good grasp of how to make it efficient and work for us and make it comfortable. In terms of preparation, it’s not like I’m taking the cooling vest in the sauna with me—still preparing like normal. I work a bit more than maybe other drivers on it just because I feel the heat quite a lot.

Q: (Shuchang Zhuo – Lianhe Zaobao) I want all your thoughts on the fact they increased the pit lane speed limit from 60 to 80 km/h. How does that affect your strategy this weekend?
IH: I never drove with 60 here, so I don’t really care, actually. Maybe it makes the two-stop more affordable, if anything. That’s it. It’s less time in the pits. It’s better for racing, and that’s all really.

Q: Charles, it might be up to, I think, four seconds quicker per pit stop. What does that mean?
CL: I agree 100% with Isack! It will be faster. It will make the two-stop a little bit faster and closer to the one-stop. Whether it will change significantly the strategy, I don’t know. It remains a track where it’s difficult to overtake, so for that reason you don’t want to stop too often. We’ll see how it goes. It also depends on how much the tire is degrading, and for now we don’t know yet.
AA: Same as Charles and Isack. It’s closer—there are more options now—but as Charles said, it’s still hard to overtake here.

Q: (Reilly Sullivan – Maxim Australia) We’re hearing ‘sponsor obligations’ a lot recently in reports about contract renewals. This one’s more for Charles and Alex. Is there too much now? Has there been a noticeable uptick in sponsor obligations, and are drivers pushing back?
CL: Drivers are always pushing back! For sure it increased, and it gets to a point where you have to think at one point it has to affect performance because, at the end of the day, we are athletes. Recovery is important. We’ve got more and more races. We’ve got more things to do at the factory, especially on a year like this. I think that’s the year where we feel it the most because you’ve got the new regulations coming with so many new things. We are requested at the factory a lot more, plus the sponsorship events, which makes it quite tricky to manage it all. It’s a balance to find. We cannot do what we do as a team without the support of the sponsors, and in those cases you’ve got to give back. So it’s a balance to find, but for sure, on a season like this, it’s tougher than other seasons.
AA: Charles answered it really well. Different teams have different obligations, and some sponsors are more demanding than others, depending, up and down the grid. Some teams have different cultures as well towards the approach of performance over the commercial side of the sport. As Charles said, as drivers, we always fight for the free time. Our free time is now more and more valuable to us as drivers as well, so we do always try our best to reduce the days. I think that’s fair to say for everyone.

Q: (Ian Parkes – RacingNews365.com) Charles, coming out of last season and how close Ferrari came to winning the Constructors’ title, it was anticipated that the team would be a major threat this season. Is there anything you can pinpoint as to why that’s not happened, and how much disappointment and frustration do you feel that it hasn’t happened?
CL: We are all disappointed as a team, and especially with Ferrari you are always targeting to be back on top and not to fight for second, third, or fourth place in the Constructors’. That’s not what we want. We are not happy, and we’ve got to do better. That’s very clear for every member of the team. Honestly, if I knew exactly the area where we are lacking, it would be easy work. It’s not as easy as that but what I can say is that Mercedes, Red Bull, and ourselves kind of did the same step from last year to this year, but there’s one team that found something special, and that is McLaren. Now it’s up to us to understand what they’ve done so special in order to close that gap. I think Red Bull probably found part of the solution—we could see that in the last few races. Mercedes and ourselves didn’t yet, and we are working towards that. We know the areas; how we achieve that is another story, and there’s a lot of work to understand and find the solutions. McLaren did a step that nobody else did.

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Alex, we saw Max go to the Nordschleife last weekend and win a GT Cup there. You spent your year away from F1 racing in DTM. How useful was that year in terms of honing your racing skills? It’s something completely different, but did you find anything that actually made you a better F1 driver for it?
AA: There’s a lot to gain from driving different cars—call it a little bit like your ‘vocabulary’. You read a book, you increase your vocabulary; you drive different cars, you increase what we call our ‘toolbox’. You learn different ways to drive quickly and you figure out different techniques, different challenges, different criteria in terms of limitations with the car and how you drive around them. GT cars have electronics—ABS, traction control—and sometimes it feels like you’re driving to the limit of systems rather than the grip of the tire, at least it did for me. Max is someone who just loves what he does and drives everything he can. If you speak to him, he really thinks about these things and tries to improve himself as a driver. It’s very cool to see someone have the kind of passion he does. I found my year in DTM very challenging, but I learned a different way to drive a car. Even now—karting, doing different things, even rallying, ice driving—there are loads of ways you can improve yourself to be more complete.