From Autosport.com
Participating: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Fernando Alonso (Renault).
Kimi’s first press 2008 conference after becoming an F1 world champion at Brazil last year!
Q. Fernando first of all. Back with Renault again. How different is it from the last time you were there? Fernando Alonso: Not very different. The technical group is exactly the same, most of the mechanics as well. Not very different to be honest.
Q. After last year do you think they have lost a little confidence?
FA: Maybe a little bit. Of course after winning two years in
a row when I left in 2006 they were confident and they were believing
in themselves a lot. Now for sure you know no good results last year,
maybe a little bit lacking in confidence now but I think they know that
were are able and they are able to do good things. They have nothing to
prove to anybody, so it is just a matter of time and good work with
everybody to put in a better place again.
Q. How much do you feel it is your job to pull them up and get them motivated again?
FA: I will try to do the best job we can. For sure coming
back to Renault for me is a great challenge and for them too I think
because they are extra motivated this year to have the success we have
had in the past and I am extra motivated as well so we all have the
same goal and the same target.
Q. What was the biggest difference initially in the cars without
engine braking and without engine braking when you first experienced it?
FA: Less than I thought to be honest. The first time I test
was in Jerez and I was expecting more problems than we had. Okay, in
the long run you feel the drop in the tyres and you feel the loss of
traction and the braking stability but nothing too big, similar with
some times we had last year as well, so as I said not a big difficulty.
But it still does change circuit to circuit and at some circuits
there is nearly no difference compared to last year and at some others
it is a little bit more, so I imagine that every circuit will be
different and maybe Monaco and places like this will be a big
difference compared to last year. But we will see.
Q. Has development diminished the difference?
FA: Yes, all the teams are working in that direction to try
and get the mechanical side and the aero side to what we lost in terms
of electronics, so for sure with the set-up and all the other things
around the car we are trying to deal with the loss of the electronics.
Q. And have you changed your driving style to compensate for that as well?
FA: Not really.
Q. Lewis, if I can come to you. First of all tell us about the kayaking yesterday.
Lewis Hamilton: It was cool. We had some fun.
Q. Give us a race report.
LH: Ok, well Heikki (Kovalainen) got off to a bit of a head
start and he looked to be leading the race but he then took the wrong
route. The only reason I was turning was someone was turning next to me
and helped me turn and somehow I came out in the lead. It was good fun.
Q. Was it cold?
LH: Initially it was but then afterwards it was fine.
Q. Competitive?
LH: I am.
Q. How are you getting on with Heikki?
LH: Really well. Really well. He has settled into the team
very well and he seems to be enjoying it. He has been playing tennis
and he has been on the fitness trip recently and we seem to get on
really well.
Q. Having him as a teammate the two of you have actually only got
one year’s experience each. Has that been a problem so far and will it
become a problem in the races do you think?
LH: It’s not been a problem and I don’t think it will be. He
has got a great career under his belt already, lots of experience as
have I. We are both coming into our second year in F1 and we both have
the same hunger for winning and pushing the team forward. I think it is
quite good that we are both aiming in the same direction.
Q. Is it a different preparation this year from last year?
LH: No. I think it is better. Better preparation. Last year I
and my trainer were both rookies and we did the best job we could which
was good but there were areas we could improve on and we have done.
Q. Tell us about the different emotions from a year ago to now.
Was there a certain nervousness last year or eagerness? What is it now?
Is there more pressure now?
LH: I don’t think there is more pressure, I think there is
less pressure than last year. Last year there was a huge build-up and
just a lot of weight hanging on my shoulders really because no-one
really knew if I was going to do well or what. And neither did I
really. It is a slightly different feeling.
I think I know even more now knowing what a season feels like. I am
even hungrier and I feel even more determined and just more excited
about racing. It has been too long a break. It really has seemed to
drag along even though the race is a little bit earlier. It just seems
forever since we raced last.
Q. Same question to you about traction control. The biggest
difference initially in the cars and engine braking. How big was that
difference?
LH: It was not really too much of a problem. As I said when
they tried to introduce it I thought it was a good idea because all the
other categories I have driven in we did not have traction control.
I am not going to say if I prefer one to the other because they are
both quite different to drive but this one is a challenge and everyone
is in the same boat. I think they have done a really good job in
working with all the controls but I am sure we will keep on improving.
Q. And development has minimized that difference has it?
LH: It has definitely. So time wise I think you will see that we will all do similar times to when we had traction control.
Q. And driving style?
LH: The same.
Q. You haven’t changed it.
LH: No.
Q. Kimi, again a year ago it was your first Grand Prix for Ferrari. What’s the difference in feeling this year?
Kimi Raikkonen: For sure it is much easier to come now. It is
different because I know the team, know the people, so … (inaudible)
. Last year went very well for us. Now it should be easier as I know
the team.
Q. But you are favourite for the championship this year already. Does that put pressure on you?
KR: No, but I think we have not even started the championship
yet, so let’s see what happens. We will do the best job we can but for
sure we expect to do well in our team. I think the two main teams seem
to be a bit ahead of the others and four drivers, so anything can
happen.
Q. And of course your teammate is relatively more experienced
than the teammates of Lewis and Fernando but at the same time you are
the most experienced pairing. How does that weigh up? What is the
balance in advantages, disadvantages?
KR: I think we have a good team and a very good atmosphere
and everything worked well last year, so I think it is going to be
similar this year, so I don’t know if we are going to be in a stronger
position than the other teams because we have more experience. I don’t
think it is going to make much difference but like I said we should be
in a good position but it is too early to say really.
Q. And same question about traction control. Was there a big difference in the cars initially?
KR: I think there was a big difference when we tried before
Christmas for the first time with last year’s car. It was a lot more
difficult but then with the new car we improved in the areas where it
was less good and it helped a lot. Now with new tyres you do not feel
the difference on the one lap whether you have traction control or not.
I think when it is a difficult condition, wet or slippery, then it will
be much more tricky but you don’t really notice.
Q. And have you changed your driving style at all to compensate for it?
KR: Not really, no.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q. (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) For Lewis, last year
you always took time out to sign a few autographs, go to the front of
the garage and wave to the crowd. Given that you are much more
well-known now and that there are more demands on your time will you
still do that or will it be more difficult?
LH: I plan to still do it. I did it this morning and I don’t
particularly see why I should change. There has to be a limit otherwise
it will go on forever but you just have to know when to say that’s
enough but I am still planning to do the same.
Q. (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for the
three of you. With the new rules do you think that the start is the
main issue at the moment? We don’t exactly know how cars will react and
you may lose or gain more positions.
KR: … (Inaudible) see at the moment much more chance to
lose some places now. Before it was more or less automatic. You had a
good start or not so good but it was always very close. Now it is up to
you and if you make a mistake you are going to be very slow off the
grid and you can gain but you can also lose. I think when it is wet
conditions it is quite tricky to get a good start.
Q. (MC) Do the track conditions change a great deal, say between
the pit-lane exit and the grid itself, especially the amount of grip
you get? How much of a difference does that make? Do you know when you
arrive on the grid how much grip you are going to get?
KR: It is always a bit different especially (inaudible) …
At some circuits you have better grip on the exit of the pit-lane and
at some it is the opposite. You get some idea when we do the warm-up
but you just try to make a good start.
Q. (Oliver Holt – The Daily Mirror) Lewis, how disappointed are
you that Fernando is not going to be in the team this year, and in what
ways is it going to be different without him?
LH: I don’t feel there’s a huge difference. Heikki’s been
welcomed into the team as Fernando was. Obviously it’s different; when
you have a two-time World Champion, when you come into your first
season and someone you’ve been watching for so many years, you come and
you work against them – work with them – it’s a privilege. From that
point of view, it’s a shame he’s not there but it’s a new challenge for
me and Heikki. Having another guy in the team, you always learn
something new from a different driver, so I’ve got that opportunity.
Q. (John McEvoy – The Daily Mail) Fernando, to turn it the other
way around, how disappointed are you not to have Lewis as a teammate
this year?
FA: Well, more or less the same answer. I have Nelsinho and
for sure with new drivers you learn new things. It was the same last
year. When I changed and I joined McLaren, Lewis was arriving in the
team as well as in Formula One, so always giving fresh ideas and a
fresh way to do things and you always learn from everybody. We are not
together but we are still racing each other in different teams and with
Heikki as well and Nelsinho, with the drivers who have been in Formula
One for a long time, now new drivers are coming. Every year is a new
challenge.
Q. (John McEvoy – The Daily Mail) A few days ago there were
comments by Flavio Briatore – I don’t know whether you saw them,
Fernando – saying that he believed that Lewis didn’t show you the
respect that he should have done, as a double World Champion. What’s
your response to that?
FA: I’ve no response to Flavio’s comment. Flavio will arrive tomorrow, you can ask him.
Q. (John McEvoy – The Daily Mail) Do you agree with him though?
FA: I didn’t see any of these comments.
Q. (John McEvoy – The Daily Mail) Do you believe Lewis did show you the respect he should have done?
FA: I don’t know. I will not answer this question because I
never saw that in the paper, I didn’t speak with Flavio about this and
I don’t know if it’s true or not. It’s just speculation or rumours
about some destructive things before starting the first race so,
nothing.
Q. (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) This is to all of you: It’s
going to be very hot during this weekend and especially race day. How
different will it be compared to long runs in testing if it’s 39
degrees or something?
LH: I think it’s going to be challenging. In most of the
winter testing we did it was quite cool. Coming here, obviously the
climate is quite a bit different, so I think it’s going to make it a
bit harder on the tyres but easier to warm up and perhaps we will see
more graining but I think everyone’s in the same boat. We just have to
try and manage it as good as possible. It’s good preparation in this
weather for next weekend.
KR: Nobody really knows how it’s going to run.
We’ve got a little bit of an idea, it was a little hotter in Bahrain
but it’s a completely different circuit, different tyres, so we will do
the best that we can and tomorrow we have some idea. I think it should
still be OK.
FA: Yeah, we’ll see, we’ll see because normally on
a hot track it’s a little bit different, the long runs, the drop of the
tyres always seems bigger than in the winter and we will see. We have
the same tyres than last year here, but last year was much cooler, so
maybe we don’t know how these tyres will work in this temperature on
this circuit, so we will see tomorrow. It’s the same for everybody.
Q. (Marco Degl’Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando,
today Ron Dennis said that he misses you and considers you a very great
driver. Are you pleased about that?
FA: I really don’t care too much. It seems that Flavio speaks
every week, now Ron as well. It’s all OK but it’s not very important to
me at the moment. I’m very concentrated on this first race. We still
have to do a lot of work on the car if we want to be competitive enough
to fight for races, victories, so I really don’t care what people say.
Q. (Dan Knutson – National Speedsport News) Fernando, as you
said, you have a lot of work to do. For the last three years you’ve had
a car that could win races and championships. What does it do to your
motivation now to have to take this step back?
FA: Yeah, we will see. I think we need to see where we are
because it’s not so clear after the winter tests which are the best
cars out there. It seems that, OK, Ferrari, McLaren and maybe BMW are
very strong, as they were last year but there is Williams, Red Bull,
Renault, Toyota.
At some tests, some of the teams look better; at the next test it’s
the opposite, so I’m really looking forward to Saturday afternoon to
see all the qualifying and see where we are. After that, we will see
what we can do.
For sure the last three years, as you said, I started with maybe a
more competitive car and ready to win races from the first Grand Prix.
It seems that maybe that’s not the case this year but I will not give
up. It’s a very long championship and there’s time to recover. I have
full confidence in our possibilities.
Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado do Sao Paulo) The question is to
all drivers: Even if this season didn’t start yet, everyone is
discussing 2009 when we will probably have a severe limitation on
budgets, probably forty percent of what the teams will spend this year.
Do you agree with the way Formula One is going?
FA: I really don’t know. I’m not very interested in these
rules or these budget cuts or whatever. I think if it’s the best thing
and all the teams agree on this matter it’s because they think it is
the best for our future. That’s all. I think from the driver’s point of
view, as long as we have a car in our hands and we are able to drive
and enjoy our racing, the rest is not very important.
KR: I don’t know anything about the whole thing, so I can’t really comment.
LH: Similar to what Fernando said. I think every
year we face a change in the regulations and if that’s what they feel
is the best way to go then we can do nothing about it, we just have to
deal with it and as Fernando said, as long as we’ve got the car, as
drivers, we don’t mind. We deal with it whatever you throw at us.
Q. (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, do you think
McLaren without Fernando is weaker than last year and it could be an
advantage for Ferrari, or do you think that Lewis, even though he only
has one year, has the experience now to make the car develop?
KR: I don’t know. For sure, I don’t see that Fernando is any
quicker. He probably won’t have as good a car this year as he had last
year. McLaren, I don’t know how good they are, it’s difficult to say
from the winter, so we will see in the first two races.
I think there are a lot of people who know what they are doing, so I
don’t see that there is any limit why they shouldn’t lose something, or
not be able to make the car faster. It’s a big team, it’s one of the
best teams, so I expect them to be strong and giving us a hard time.
Q. (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Germany) There is not a lot
that the driver can do from the time when the last winter test was over
to the day racing starts here. How did you spend those days between and
did you have any holidays?
LH: I left Switzerland and stopped in Hong Kong for two days
and just did a little bit of shopping just to break up the trip – bit
of sight-seeing. Then I went to Brisbane for a day as my trainer is
from Brisbane, so we spent a day with his family. We had a barbecue and
just relaxed and then I went to the Gold Coast. I did some training up
there, it’s really good weather, like it is here, so running along the
beaches, playing tennis and just having fun, and then I came here on
Monday.
KR: I was at home, to see my friends and family, and then came here on Monday, that’s about it.
FA: Same thing. I was at home with family and came here on Monday.
FUCK ISRAEL 