DRIVERS
 
1 – Lando NORRIS (McLaren) 
2 – George RUSSELL (Mercedes) 
3 – Kimi ANTONELLI (Mercedes)
 
PARC FERMÉ INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Naomi Schiff)
 
Q: Lando Norris, a huge congratulations after a very tricky qualifying session out there. Your first pole position since Madrid. How was it out there? Just tell us everything about it.
Lando NORRIS: Thanks. Well, it's been a long day. It's been a great qualifying, obviously. To be on pole again here two years in a row, in different conditions to last year, but I'm very happy. It's not easy conditions out there, especially when you know it's going to rain a lot more. It was about getting two laps in at the beginning, not making any mistakes, and that's exactly what we did. So it's been a very good day.
 
Q: Just tell us, obviously, we haven't had a lot of competitive running with this generation of cars in these conditions, so any more learnings from today? And are we expecting more conditions like this tomorrow?
LN: Well, this was my first time driving the car in the wet, so I think I figured it out pretty quickly. I mean, your stuff was your wet into all different tyres. It was very windy as well over the last couple of laps, so it's certainly a good day for learning for me and good to take into tomorrow. I mean, these guys are also very quick, so just happy. Having today, it's about getting on pole. It doesn't really matter how you do it, so very pleased with that.
 
Q: Well done. Also, all of the practice sessions looked great out there, so you look like you're in good form for tomorrow.
LN: Thank you.
 
Q: George, congratulations. We do sense a bit of frustration there. Obviously, we saw you were clearly fighting for that pole position with Lando, but you were told to abort that last lap. Do you think you could have had pole position there?
George RUSSELL: Yes, I mean, obviously, to Lando, but yes, that was definitely the pole lap. Misjudgement on our side. Need to understand what happened. Obviously, the rain was coming and then we should have just finished the lap.
 
Q: The conditions looked like they were working for you. You were really quick out there. Obviously, tomorrow you take a five-place grid penalty, so what do you think is going to be possible tomorrow, George?
GR: Yeah, it depends on the weather. I mean, I felt good out there. It's the first time in a while I've felt confident in the car. I felt more confident in the wet than I do in the dry, so I don't really understand why that was. Felt more like myself in the fight for pole every single lap. But yeah, unfortunately, when it mattered, we didn't execute.
 
Q: Kimi, our new World Champion. I haven't seen you since. A huge congratulations. I wonder, did it feel any different out there as a World Champion qualifying today?
Kimi ANTONELLI: Yeah, I mean, it was very tricky, to be fair. I didn't really know what to expect. Obviously, I never drove here in the wet, so didn't know what was coming. But yeah, I struggled a little bit in the inters, to be fair, and made a big mistake, almost went off in Turn 5, but still ended up P3, so happy with that. And now we'll focus on tomorrow.
 
Q: Well, you're going to be inheriting the front-row start as George has his penalty. We've seen you be quick all weekend long so far. What do you think is going to be possible tomorrow? Will you be challenging Lando for that victory?
KA: Yeah, I mean, first of all, let's see the weather, how it's going to be. But overall, yeah, you know, we'll try to be ready for anything. If it's going to be wet, obviously a lot more knowledge ahead of tomorrow. But yeah, let's see, because the weather has been very unpredictable. But as I said, we'll try to be ready for anything.
 
Q: Okay, well, good luck tomorrow, Kimi. Good to see you, and congrats. 
KA: Thank you. And thank you to all the fans for staying up with us tonight.
 
PRESS CONFERENCE 
 
Q: Lando, very well done. What a session. Just talk us through Q3 first of all, on that lap for pole.
LN: Thank you. Well, tense session, especially knowing the weather was only going to get worse. You could already on that lap see that it was getting... I could see that it was getting a little bit wetter and starting to rain more, so I knew that was probably my only chance, those two laps. It was tense when you want to push so much. You need to kind of learn about the conditions, but you also need to not make a single mistake. It's a lot to try and do and be correct on in such a short amount of time and under such pressure. But actually, I felt pretty confident through the whole of qualifying. Q3 was definitely the trickiest because it was also difficult to see, because of the light, where were the dry bits, the wet bits and puddles, things like that. So, more rewarding for that instance. And yeah, nice to be back on top.
 
Q: Well, Lando, it was such an intense session. How difficult was it to stay on top of everything through Q1, Q2 and Q3?
LN: Very. I mean, especially when you're changing tyres and in Q2, obviously going from the Wet to the Inters and adapting, and then into Q3, knowing how to turn everything on in the quickest time possible and obviously not make a mistake. So, it's hard to, I guess it's hard to explain. It's just very, very tricky conditions and it's so easy to lock up a front tyre or do something that you feel like you want to push so much more, but you just can't. And it was also my first time driving this car in the wet, so I was also trying to learn things on the go and understand how the tyres worked through the session, how they got up to temperature and those kinds of things. So, it was also a good learning experience for this season, even though it's so late in the year. Otherwise, it was just a good lap, just putting it together when I needed to, and that's always the most important.
 
Q: And give us a word on Interlagos. This is the third pole in a row you've taken here. What is it about you and this place?
LN: Well, we’re lucky it's wet, because if it was dry, I wouldn't be sitting here. In the dry, we definitely didn't have the pace. So yeah, I was questioning how we were going to be in the wet, and also because I've not driven the car in the wet, I didn't know how it was going to perform. Already in Q1, I seemed very quick from the off and had a lot of confidence in the car, so that's a good sign. But I mean, I try and get pole everywhere. It's just they've come together well here, and I do like the track. I do feel like I have a good understanding of what I want to achieve, and we've looked better this weekend for sure. I think we still had some small issues, and we've not been up to the pace of the Mercedes, but otherwise the wet kind of gave me an opportunity and I made the most of it.
 
Q: Tell us a little bit more about the upgrades and the effect they're having. Where is the car better?
LN: Just little bits. It doesn't feel, honestly, that different. I think as we kind of just got out in the car through the weekend, honestly, I feel like we've dropped off a little bit in pace. FP1 was quite an easy session and I felt like, "Oh, we're quite quick." Through the weekend, it's almost got a little bit harder and the others seem to have got more out of the car. But the upgrades have worked. They've brought performance. If we didn't have them, we'd be slower. So, I think I have to say a big thanks to the team because they're still working very hard on trying to give me this opportunity to go quicker and put the car on pole, and I'm very happy that I managed to do it for them today.
 
Q: Well, Lando, let's throw it forward to the race tomorrow. Given everything you've just said, are you hoping for a wet race?
LN: Yes, I'm hoping for a wet race. There's a good likelihood it'll be wet. I mean, there's a bit of rain, I think, tomorrow at times, and it'll still be damp through the day, so we could just have an exciting race with a little bit of everything, honestly. But I was certainly more confident in the wet and inters than I was in the dry. I think in the dry we just didn't have the pace compared to these guys, so I'll certainly be happier if I wake up and see rain in the morning.
 
Q: George, let's come to you next. A great session for you, but you did seem frustrated at the flag. Just talk us through what happened in Q3.
GR: Yeah, I think it was just a bit of miscommunication. I need to speak with the team because we believed we'd get another lap before the rain came in. So, I was on a really strong lap and I was asked to back off because I caught up with Albon, and then obviously the rain came. So yeah, it was very disappointing. Need to understand how it happened and why we got that wrong. But I felt very strong the whole session. Similar to Lando, I had more confidence in the wet than I had in the dry. But yeah, definitely felt pole was there for the taking.
 
Q: I mean, George, you were the man out there in the conditions. Were you tempted to overrule the instruction from your race engineer?
GR: They've got the weather forecast in front of them and I don't. And, you know, this is where you need that trust and you're relying on one another. Obviously, it was the wrong decision, and it was a decision that I think as soon as it was made, I think we knew it was the wrong one because already they could actually feel the rain pouring harder. So, we need to understand, you know, we're relying on a lot of systems, and we can't point the finger at somebody. We need to understand why we made that decision and whether our systems were telling us what we needed to know, because you're relying on the radar. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating for me, and it's not my engineer's fault. He's relaying information. He's ultimately the one who passes the message on, but he's got 12 people talking to him, giving him that information to relay on. So, we just need to understand why we made that decision. 
 
Q: Well, George, let's look at the positives: the performance of the car so far this weekend and what you think you can do tomorrow. You have the grid drop, but do you think this is still a race that you can challenge for the win?
GR: I think so. You know, I felt really confident in the rain. I think my pace, along with Lando's, was by far the best out there. I'm not sure who the drivers are going to be between Kimi and myself. We don't have the normal suspects there, so that may make it slightly easier. But in the rain here, it's always a challenge. I hope it is wet tomorrow. I feel I've got a greater chance if it's wet. But, you know, Lando and I had a race here two years ago when we were one and two, and unfortunate timing of the VSC, and we were off the podium.
 
Q: Kimi, if we could come to you now. How tricky was it out there for you? How much confidence did you have behind the wheel?
KA: I felt okay on the Ex-Wets. Then in Q2, obviously, I just did the out-lap on inters, so I didn't really know what to expect going into Q3. But it was tricky. It was tricky because I was trying different lines during the lap and trying to understand where the best grip was. But obviously, on that second lap, the rain started to get quite intense, especially in the second half, so it was a bit more difficult to gain lap time. But yeah, it was a shame because the lap had a big moment into Turn 5 where I almost spun. Also at Turn 9, I lost a lot on exit. Just was trying some different lines, so it didn't really quite work out for me. But let's see if tomorrow is going to be wet. Definitely, I will have a lot more knowledge about the car and about the conditions.
 
Q: Well, it's your first time in the wet here at Interlagos. Which are the trickiest parts of the track when the conditions are like this?
KA: Yeah, it was the first time, so I was trying to understand the grip, which was not high at all. However, also with the different tarmac in different places, it was not easy to get the line right. But of course, I feel like I got a lot more knowledge in the wet about this track as well, and let's see tomorrow. But definitely, I'll try to be ready.
 
Q: With George's penalty, you're going to be starting on the front row tomorrow. What are you going to do to beat the man in the middle? Do you think you've got the pace in the car?
KA: Yeah, I think we do. Hopefully, we can get off the line well, and let's see if it's going to be wet or dry. In the dry, I felt very good over a single lap and on the long run, especially yesterday in FP2. So yeah, let's see. I'm looking forward to it.
 
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
 
Q: (Bruna Parreira – Globo TV) I know Kimi already spoke a little about it, but I want to do my question for the three of you. How is it trying to stay alive in these difficult conditions? Also, how do you feel deep down in your heart about having to wait so long to get back to the track in conditions like this? Anxiety, any tension because of just how challenging the lap was in these conditions? 
LN: I mean, it's easy to think of a lot of different things, especially at the beginning when we did the first part and then stopped for a long time, and we're still in Q1. It was still like the middle of Q1, so it's easy to kind of relax a little bit too much and lose a little bit of the mindset of getting in the car. But I think also, over the years, you kind of learn how to jump from these situations better and how you get better going from a situation where you're just relaxed and having fun with your engineers to Q1, and you have to put together a good lap and not make a mistake. You know, so it's never the easiest, and it seems to always happen a lot here and at certain tracks through the season, which is part of it. And it's a fun experience. It's stressful for sure, and it's not an easy track to put everything together. You have a lot of corners where you're accelerating with a lot of load, like Turn 3 and Turn 13, which is not easy, especially in the wetter conditions. You don't go flat almost until out of Turn 13. So, yeah, it's just not easy, but it's always a good challenge around here, and it's always good fun to drive this circuit. But these conditions, no matter what, are always tricky, especially because I think in Q1, or some of the wettest conditions, I think I've ever driven in before. So, a lot of it's about trying to just stay calm and relaxed and just to try and have good confidence that you're going to do a good job.
GR: Yeah, I mean, especially Q1 was extremely challenging. You know, the visibility was zero down the straight into Turn 4. I was wheel-spinning in fifth gear, you know, over 200 kilometres an hour, aquaplaning. So, when you're aquaplaning on the straight and you can't see in front of you, it's... I'm not even sure what the word is to describe it. You know, it does seem a bit crazy, I guess that's what we have to deal with. I love driving in the rain. I love driving in the rain here, but at some point, if that was a race, there was no way we should be driving in that because the chances of seeing a really, really horrific incident are very, very high.
 
Q: George, how did you keep yourself busy during the break in Q1?
GR: Played some chess. That was about it, really. Spoke with the mechanics, and I was pretty convinced it was not going to restart. But I think, yeah, nice that we did.
 
Q: Thank you. And Kimi, please?
KA: Yeah, I mean, it was the wettest conditions I've ever driven in, so it was not the nicest of experiences. And again, was just trying to understand how this track is in the wet. But yeah, it was quite tricky at times, and definitely, you know, Q1 was still too wet to drive for sure. It was not easy out there, but yeah, it was still fun.
 
Q: And the break in Q1, Kimi?
KA: I started to watch some... There's the World Championship in La Conca, so I was watching some races from karting. Yeah, just seeing how they were doing. That's it.
 
Q: (David Schneider – Shiga Sports) Question for Kimi and George. Today, pole was not possible, but tomorrow something much more important can be secured. Considering where Ferrari stands, how important is it to secure the Constructors' Championship tomorrow?
KA: Well, I think for today pole was very possible. I mean, you know, George was going for it. I did a lot of mistakes, but I think, yeah, tomorrow we're in a very good position to clinch the Constructors'. Obviously, Ferrari, I think they're both taking penalties, so we just need to finish the race ahead of both of them, and then we can finish the job for the team.
GR: Yeah, I mean, obviously, it'll be the first time for the team in four years. It's going to mean a huge amount because, you know, we have been through a lot over those years. It's been extremely tough times. But I think something I admire a lot from Toto's leadership is the people we have today are the same people who were there during the glory years, and they're the same people who went through the difficulties during 2022 to 2025. Nobody was hired and fired. The trust and belief stayed with the core group of people, and, you know, now we've come through. And, you know, obviously, Kimi won the championship. We are going to win the championship, whether it's this weekend or next. And, you know, credit to everybody in the team, but yeah, huge credit to Toto for that loyalty and belief in the people, even when times were tough.
 
Q: (Scott Hunt – Press Association) Lando, does claiming pole when conditions are like that almost bring more satisfaction, almost like a bit of an acid test of a driver, I suppose? And for George, we heard Toto on the radio saying, "George, you're P2", which seemingly you should be happy about that. What did you make of that message? It seemed to almost add to the frustration for you in that specific moment.
LN: I mean, pole in any situation is very nice, for sure. At the minute, it's a good thing for the team. At the same time, conditions like this are not always about who has the best car and who has the most grip, so it's all about the driver. But there are conditions where you feel like you can make a little bit more of a difference at times, for sure. And I feel like I'm against good guys who also have the capabilities of going for pole, and today we managed to do it because I put two good laps together and I had a good gap, and we managed things well. So yeah, I certainly don't think we're favourites at all, and I still don't think we have the outright pace compared to the top few teams. But we're certainly getting there, and I think it's just a good thing for me to know that when I have that opportunity, I can make the most of it. Like today, when I had the three opportunities in the middle of the season to be on pole or to win races, we did every time. So I feel like it's still been a good season to look back on and go, "Did I make the most of those opportunities?" Yep. But also, like I said, for the team, it's reassuring for them. It's a confidence booster for all of them to kind of end the season knowing we've caught up a lot since the beginning of the season. A big deficit, we caught up. We still have plenty of work to do, but when there are moments when there is that little opportunity to get pole, we have the car to be there. We just need to be there a bit more consistently.
GR: Yeah, I mean, obviously, from the team side, we've got one goal this weekend, which is to win the championship, and that's very much the goal of everyone within the team. For me personally, given the circumstances of last week, it would have meant a lot to me to take pole today. I missed it last week by nine milliseconds, but that was a real surprise. Today, I really felt every lap I was doing, I was top of the leaderboard most laps I completed. So yeah, I'm really, really disappointed with how that panned out. But in the scheme of things, it didn't change a huge amount. On a five-place penalty tomorrow, P6, now on P7, still a great chance to move forward.
 
Q: Specifically, though, that message from Toto?
GR: Yeah, as I said, when you're a driver, you're the one who feels it the most. And, you know, going back to his leadership skills, we have to remember, you know, we collectively made a misjudgement today, and there's members of my team who are going to be feeling as bad as I am currently. So, you know, it's important to remember that, and we need to just keep the morale high. It was a very solid performance, and I guess we take the positive from that. But yeah, there's no point for pole, but it would have just been a nice little one to add to the tally.
 
Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) A question for all three this time. Obviously, we don't see much of the Extreme Wet tyre running, and then we have the kind of transition point during Q2 onto the inters. Can you just sort of run me through, I guess, that transition point? Were there any adaptations that you had to make while you were driving, or was it just simply chasing the grip? Can you kind of take me behind the cockpit on that, please? 
KA: Yeah, I mean, I don't have a lot of experience with this, so maybe... No, but I don't know. The Ex-Wet felt okay. It felt actually quite good. Obviously, the transition came quite early because the Extreme Wet was overheating quite a lot. So yeah, the Inter felt better. You know, obviously, we did try it in Sepang and Singapore, and it felt like this entire out there. I'll have to still make a bit more experience on that.
 
Q: Gabriel Alberto – Band) Question to Lando. Lando, we had practice in the dry and qualifying in the wet. Which do you think offers the best opportunity to win tomorrow?
LN: For me, probably the wet. I think it's obviously more difficult to follow and to race in the rain, to overtake. We also just seemed more competitive, so it's more of an opportunity, I think. In the dry, you know, Kimi has been very quick all weekend in every session, and they've always seemed... We're not talking a lot around a circuit like this. It's a short track, but one or two tenths ahead. Maybe if you can do a magical lap, you could have been there, but also in the long run, his long run was very, very strong. So I think I'll have more confidence if it's wet in the morning.
 
ENDS