PART ONE – Pierre GASLY (Alpine) Charles LECLERC (Ferrari), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin)
Q: Charles, please, can we start with you and start with a message of congratulations? Congratulations on your engagement. And judging by the reaction of the Formula 1 paddock, it is a very popular development in your life.
Charles LECLERC: Yeah. I’m very, very happy, obviously. It was a special week, full of emotions. It’s obviously a very special moment for anyone to do that step. And, yeah, Alex and I are incredibly happy.
Q: Which driver do you think will be next?
CL: Ha, ha! Easy.
PG: Yeah, Charles gave me his ring already.
CL: Yeah, Pierre. Yeah. I think Pierre. I need to put him under a bit of pressure. We grew up together, so you’re next.
PG: I already put enough pressure!
Q: Alright. Let’s bring it on track this weekend. Just how hopeful are you and Ferrari coming to Interlagos?
CL: Let’s say we come here neutral, just like we have approached the last few races. I think it’s important for us to not get carried away by the positive results we’ve had in Mexico and Austin. We know that it was thanks to perfect execution from the Friday to the Sunday, and that’s extremely difficult to do—probably even more so when conditions are so difficult to predict, like it’s always the case here in Brazil. So, yeah, we’ll just focus on the job just like we’ve done. It paid off in the last two weekends. I really hope it does this weekend, but we have no guarantee, and we know that we don’t have the pace of McLaren or Red Bull. Mercedes can be very strong in some weekends, some others less, but that doesn’t depend on us. So we just have to focus on what we do best, and then we’ll see how it goes.
Q: Charles, can you give us your thoughts on the track? Because it hasn’t been an especially happy hunting ground for you. It’s one of the few circuits on the calendar where you’ve yet to get a podium. Do you enjoy driving here?
CL: I love it. Actually, it’s not been such a poor track for me in terms of performance, so I wouldn’t say the same thing I said in Budapest earlier this year. But for one reason or another, on the Sunday, it never really went our way. But, yeah, again, what happened in the past—I don’t really think about it. And I’m sure that if we do everything perfect, we can be on the podium for the first time. And seeing how crazy of a weekend it can be sometimes—why not even better? So, yeah, we’ll see.
Q: You touched on the pace of Mercedes there. Can we just get your thoughts on the Constructors’ Championship? Ferrari one point ahead of Mercedes in P2. How do you see that battle both this weekend and for the remaining tracks this season?
CL: I think it’s going to be very close. I think where I expect Mercedes to be very, very strong is probably Las Vegas. They were very strong last year, and I’m sure they will be this year. For the other tracks, I think it’s going to be close. So, yeah. We are basically equal on points. There’s also Red Bull in the fight, with Max especially, that picked up quite a bit of pace since the upgrades—I think it was in Monza. So it’s going to be a tough last part of the season. But, again, we have momentum on our side, and I hope it can continue as long as possible.
Q: Pierre, let’s come to you now. Interlagos must bring back some pretty special memories for you.
Pierre GASLY: Yeah, definitely. I think it’s been the most successful track for me since I started in F1. So, yeah, my first podium in 2019, which was very special. And obviously, that double podium last year with Esteban, which came as a very nice surprise. A very particular day—quite chaotic—but we managed to get on top of it.
Q: Which of those two podiums meant the most to you?
PG: The first podium in F1 is always unique because it’s the first time you actually experience this emotion. So, yeah, that was a pretty fun way to end the race—the drag race with Lewis to the line. That was very special. But definitely, last year—two Alpines, two French drivers on the podium, and the way we did it—it was definitely unique and very emotional.
Q: You haven’t had the best of luck, let’s say, in the last few races. Do you think the car is going to be more competitive here at Interlagos?
PG: I don’t think so. But we’re well aware of the situation we are in. Nonetheless, we still give it our best every single weekend. And as Charles touched on earlier, this is the type of track where the weather can come into play. We’ve seen pretty wild races around here. We definitely seem to have taken a step back in terms of performance. We’ve seen cars like Haas, for example, bringing upgrades, even in Austin, when we stopped developing the car months ago—but it’s OK. We know we have another four race weekends where we’ll try, and then after that we’ll be onto a different project.
Q: You’ve stopped developing the car months ago, you’ve just said. Have you been at Enstone recently and just give us your impressions of what you’re seeing for 2026?
PG: I’m very excited. I’m kind of in between two chairs at the minute because obviously this year is extremely hard for everyone in the team, and we are not competitive at all—for reasons we know and decisions we’ve taken tactically. But at the same time, we still have four races to go and hopefully all these decisions can be proven to be definitely worth it in 2026—and that’s what I believe. I’m seeing a lot of good stuff for next year’s car—a lot of work, a lot of motivation. But, yeah, it’s definitely been a long season.
Q: Thank you very much for that. Lance, let’s come to you now. That really strong midpoint of the season—I’m thinking of those seventh places in Hungary, in Zandvoort – nd remind me, where was the other one – Belgium! Anyway, since then the performance has dropped away a little bit. Do you and the team understand where the pace has gone?
Lance STROLL: Yeah. I mean, I think there’s just some tracks where the car comes alive. The last few events, it’s been more challenging for us—we just haven’t been as competitive. No one stands still in this sport. I think other teams have brought upgrades and improved throughout the course of the year. So I think it’s probably a combination of all that.
Q: Can I ask you about something you said recently, which was you’ve never really been that comfortable in this year’s car? Tell us about your driving style. What do you need from a racing car to feel comfortable?
LS: I think there are just some seasons there are cars you have a better harmony, a better chemistry with and it just feels more natural to drive. Some years, there’s cars that don’t suit you quite as well, and it’s just more of a battle. Ultimately though, I think this year we just haven’t been as competitive as we want to be as a team. Like I said, there’s some events where the car’s come alive and we’ve picked up points—P6, P7—when the opportunities have presented themselves. I think we’ve managed to do a good job on some of the weekends where the car has been competitive, but there’s also been a lot of weekends where we just haven’t been as competitive as we want to be as a team. So, yeah, four more races to go, and then next year is a new opportunity for everyone.
Q: Are you hopeful this weekend at Interlagos?
LS: Yeah, we’ll see. Like Pierre said, the weather here is always a factor. You never really know what’s going to happen. If it starts raining, anything is possible. But, yeah, we’ll see. I love coming back here. It’s a great track.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Question for Charles. Congratulations on the engagement, great to see. This season, it’s going to be really tight in that battle for second place. But if you do, as a team, leave Abu Dhabi as runners-up once again, is that good enough for Ferrari? Will you sit down at the end of the season and say, “Yeah, that was a job well done”?
CL: It’s not good enough, no. I think when you drive for such a team, the only thing that is good enough is to win. But it’s also true to say that we are against a very, very strong competition and also teams that have a lot of history in the sport and that are very special in their own way. So, it’s not easy. But I think as Ferrari, when you work for such an incredible brand, it’s not good enough and you’ve got to target winning. Having said all that, considering where we started the season and where we are now, it’s a good season. It’s a very good improvement throughout the season, as it’s been very difficult at the beginning of the year to understand exactly what we had to tackle with this new car. But, yeah, to now be fighting still for second in the Constructors’ should be our target. And for next year, we’ll target higher for sure.
Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Italia) Question for Charles. Continuing the discussion about second place in the Constructors’ standings, from now until the end of the season, what would you choose between a victory or second place with your team, if you had to choose?
CL: I don’t know. I mean, I’ll take both. I think if you win, then it’s obviously more likely that you get second in the Constructors’. So, yeah, it’s a very difficult question to answer. I would love to win. I think it’s really important to at least be winning once in a season where everything has been so tough for everybody. The second place is not what’s going to… we’ll probably be happier as a team after a victory, but the second place needs to be our target. And we need to target both of the two things. So, yeah, I won’t choose between the two.
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports F1) Again, a question for Charles. I hope it’s not too personal, but I just wonder about Alex—and congratulations—and how much of a support is she in your professional life? How engaged is she in your life in Formula 1?
CL: Incredibly engaged. Not technically, of course, but as all of us, I think we are all human and I think we are all supported by the people that are closest to us. Alex is the closest person that I have, with my family obviously. And they live the career just like we do, basically—the ups and the downs—and they support us in the best possible way. And Alex has done that since the very first day I met her. So, yeah, she’s definitely a very important part of my life, obviously, but also of my career and the way you manage the ups and downs.
Q: And Leo, of course.
CL: Yeah, he doesn’t really understand about the ups and downs, but he’s always happy and that’s good enough.
Q: (Alex Jacques – F1 TV) Question for Pierre. You’ve scored all the team’s points this year. When it’s not going entirely to plan, how do you see the role of team leader, and how does it differ to a season when it’s all going right?
PG: That’s a very good question. The way I see it is, I think the most important thing, on my side, is to keep the motivation up inside the team for all the troops. Because at the end of the day, as much frustration as I can build from not being able to bring points back to the guys on a season like we have, they are as disappointed because everybody puts their heart out there—work crazy hours, travel the world—to give us the possibility to race with the best possible equipment that we can have. And at the end of the day, I need to really see more globally—about the 1,500 people that we are, working at the track but also back at the factory—and especially knowing that we’re onto something much bigger for 2026. So it doesn’t take anything away from me trying to put my best in the car every single time I’m in. Do I enjoy it as much? No. But I’m also aware of the project that I’m working for and also what’s coming in the coming years. So I’m not losing sight of the big picture. And that’s why for me, it’s important to be the main factor in motivation for every single individual we have in the team.
Q: Pierre, you talk about motivation. Do you wish the team carried on with the development of this year’s car longer than they did?
PG: If it gives me better results next year, I literally do not care about this season—and it will be all worth it. Because the reality is what we could have fought for this year is still not good enough for us. And these couple of weeks or months can potentially give us a head start on some other teams and bring much better success, which is what we are seeking, ultimately. So, yeah, fully backing the team in what we did. It’s a bit drastic, but sometimes to achieve greatness, you’ve got to make tough choices.
Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) Question for all three, if I may, please. We’ve got a month left with this current era of cars. We’ve had them for four years now. What would be your kind of eulogy to this generation of car? Have they been a fun car to drive versus other eras, or has the suspension been a little bit too stiff to make it fun? What would be your general assessment of these current cars? Thank you.
LS: I’m not going to miss it. No. I mean, I think the cars—they’ve been very stiff these last few years. The idea behind this regulation change was to make racing better. I don’t know if we really achieved that. They’ve gotten heavier. They’ve just been too heavy and too stiff. Even just throughout the last few years, battling injuries and stuff has become more of a thing. So, yeah, I’m probably not the biggest fan of this set of regulations. But we’ll see what next year brings. And, yeah, hopefully—I mean, whoever’s going to be competitive I’m sure is going to love the regulations. That’s how it works in this sport.
CL: I didn’t really enjoy the first year, especially. Obviously, there was quite a bit of bouncing, and that wasn’t the best thing I’ve had in racing. So, the first year wasn’t enjoyable. After that, actually, it got a little bit better on our side. Sure, it’s still stiff. I mean, I’d love to have a lighter car, but, yeah, I actually kind of enjoyed the last three years. The car got better, faster, and it’s still extremely fast in high-speed corners. Probably not as enjoyable as the previous generation of cars, but still—I enjoyed it a lot.
PG: Yeah, very similar comments. I’ll just touch on Lance’s comments. It’s definitely been rougher for us inside the car—especially with all that bouncing and porpoising. Our backs have taken much more of a toll than what people could imagine, and what it looks like from the outside. So I’m pretty happy that we’re kind of going away from that. Driving-wise, we beat a couple of track records on some tracks. So in terms of actual driving and speed we carry through the corner—it’s pretty incredible on some occasions. Pretty amazing feeling inside the cockpit. But I’m sure there are different ways of achieving it. And I’m sure we can do better—on the weight and the way we achieve the performance.
Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Question for Lance. Lance, I think a couple of months ago there was a controversy about an article published by an F1 journalist from Brazil that said that you’d leave the team. Recently, Felipe Drugovich said he heard rumours about that. What do you have to say about this subject?
LS: Fake news.
Q: (Gustavo Faldon – Estado de São Paulo) My question goes out to the three drivers. What’s the thing you guys enjoy the most about the Interlagos track? And what do you think about the track not having a Sprint race next year? Let’s start with you this time, Pierre.
PG: The view from the podium is what I enjoy the most around here. Apart from that, I’m not going to lie—the energy on race day, when we do the parade, is pretty unique. Still hearing people chanting Senna’s name and all this type of thing is very unique to Brazil. I appreciate it a lot. It makes us all drivers feel pretty special around here. Most enjoyable corner? I quite like this track—I mean, they’re all pretty cool. Turn 1 is unique, so I’ll go with Turns 1–2.
CL: I cannot comment about the podium view, unfortunately, but I’m sure it’s great! Probably the coolest thing is the legacy that you can still feel from Ayrton, that has been left. And whenever you come here, you can really feel how much he meant for people all over the world, obviously, but in Brazil it’s to another level. He’s always been my idol, so it’s always very special to witness that here. And the whole track—the flow is amazing. Just the way the corners are designed. I particularly like the kerbs. The kerbs are just very specific to Interlagos and the way you take them. There’s just a feeling about this track and the fact that it’s also historic—it’s just a very, very good feeling driving here.
LS: Like the guys said, the passion from the fans is amazing here. They just love the sport. They love Formula 1. The energy around the whole weekend every year we come—it’s amazing. Good memories coming here—2023, we had a good weekend here. Both cars were—I finished fifth. The car was feeling good all weekend. And just every year I come here, I love the track. I love the rhythm of the track. It’s just kind of one of those old-school tracks where, yeah, like Pierre said, there’s a nice flow to it. Each corner goes into the next one very nicely. And, yeah, it’s a lot of fun to drive. It’s nice coming back.
Q: (Isamara Fernandes – Motorsport.com) Question for the three drivers, please. Guys, who do you think will win the championship this year?
CL: Whoever’s got the most points after Abu Dhabi. I think it’s an open fight, and I usually lose my money betting, so I’m not going to say. But I don’t think you can discard Max. I would prefer to bet after São Paulo and see how this weekend goes. Then we’ll know a bit more with three races to go.
LS: I have no idea. I don’t know. I said two races ago, obviously Oscar had the points advantage, but now they are basically equal on points—or nearly. So, no idea.
PG: I think it’ll be between the McLaren drivers. It’s going to be tough for Max to turn it around. But between Oscar and Lando—I don’t know.
Q: Charles, you’ve won championships in the past. Hunter or hunted? Just looking at the dynamic between the two McLaren guys—what’s easier?
CL: How many points are there between them? One? I’m not sure there’s a hunter or hunted in that case. It’s whoever finishes in front, basically ends up in front in the championship. I don’t think—in a way, I won the championships in the past in the junior categories. I don’t think I ended up being so close in the very last few races. So obviously the tension needs to be extremely high. And it’s all about trying to manage that pressure and perform under that pressure in the best possible way. Only time will tell who manages to do that better. But, again, I still believe that it’s in between the two McLaren drivers.
PG: Not much more to add.
LS: Are you mathematically still in it? I was going to say, definitely not me or Pierre—we’re not going to win it.
CL: Not anymore.
LS: No, finished for all three of us, so there you go. It’s not going to be any of us. Probably one of the McLaren drivers by the looks of it.
Q: (Isabella Ayami – TV Band) Charles, for you. The highest spot for you [Ferrari] here was in 2022 with Sainz. Can you repeat what you did in the Mexican GP and finally get on the podium here?
CL: I hope so. Again, the momentum is with us. We’ve had good last two races, which is a good thing, but we cannot really rely on the past for future good results. It’s all about starting from zero again this weekend, focusing step by step on what we can control, and try and make our processes the most perfect possible. Then we’ll see where we end up. But I have no idea. I don’t know how competitive we’ll be compared to the guys in front. I don’t know if the others will struggle more than expected. There are obviously lots of things that I cannot control and that I don’t really want to waste my energy on, trying to think and anticipate. We’ll just focus on what we have to do. We’ve done our homework back at home in order to be as ready as possible for this weekend. And I hope that it’s finally the weekend where I get on the podium here in Brazil.
Q: (Carlos Costa – Motorsport.com) Charles, you have a huge fan base here in Brazil—Ferrari as well. I’d like to ask you about this particular Grand Prix here at Interlagos. Do you feel any change now that Lewis has arrived in the team? Is it the same for you and the team as a whole, or has the fact that Lewis got to the team changed a bit the reception from the public here in Brazil?
CL: For now, it’s been the same. But, of course, I expect that tomorrow, once the track action starts, to see many, many Brazilian flags in the grandstands—and probably more Ferrari flags, even more Ferrari flags than in the past—mostly thanks to the arrival of Lewis in the team. He has a huge amount of following here in Brazil. So it’s going to be special to see. But the people that used to support me still support me, so it’s great to see. And that always motivates us—to see the amount of support we get everywhere. And, yeah, we’ll try and do the best possible we can for the fans here in Brazil.