PIASTRI Oscar (aus), McLaren F1 Team MCL38, LECLERC Charles (mco), Scuderia Ferrari SF-24 e SAINZ Carlos (spa), Scuderia Ferrari SF-24, portrayed during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix 2024, 8th stage of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, from May 23 to 26, 2024, at the Monaco Circuit, in Monaco – Photo Eric Alonso / DPPI
With pole position Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), second place Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and third place Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).
Q: Charles, it’s the third time you start on pole position here in Monaco. The qualifying laps were impressive. How was the experience out there?
Charles LECLERC: It was enjoyable. The feeling after a qualifying lap is always extraordinary here. I am very happy with my lap. The excitement is overwhelming and it’s great. However, I am aware that qualifying is not everything. Although it gives us an advantage for Sunday’s race, we need to put everything together. In the past, we have not been able to do that. But as a team, we are stronger now and I am confident we can achieve great things tomorrow. Winning is the ultimate goal.
Q: So, what do you need to ensure that this time is a successful day? In the past, things didn’t go your way. What is the key to changing that?
CL: I need a good start. If I can have a good start and Carlos can follow me into Turn 1, we can be in a 1-2 position and manage the race as a team. That would be the ideal situation. But, regardless of what happens, our focus is to bring the victory home.
Q: Congratulations and thank you. Charles, you are on pole position for tomorrow’s race.
CL: Perfect. Thank you very much. Thank you. Merci à tous, vraiment.
P: Oscar, you were very close to securing pole position here in Monaco. The team’s momentum seems to be getting stronger. You are improving with each race. What was missing today to achieve pole position?
Oscar PIASTRI: That’s a good question. I think if you combine the second half of my first lap in Q3 and the first half of my second lap, it would have been enough. But I made some mistakes towards the end. Credits to Charles, he has been incredibly fast throughout the weekend. At times, it seemed impossible to catch him. So, it’s good to be starting on the front row. It was a good weekend in terms of building momentum, and what better way to do that than with these colors?
P: What is your strategy for tomorrow to challenge the local hero? Is it all about the start or will strategy also play a role? Overtaking is difficult here, so what is your plan?
OP: It’s a bit of both. A good start always helps. If I can take the lead, I can easily control the race. So, that’s the first goal. If not, then we will rely on strategy. Overtaking in Monaco is not easy, so we will do our best starting from a good position and hoping for a successful day tomorrow.
P: Carlos, Ferrari secured P1 and P3, with you in third place. Despite that, everything is possible from there. The car looked very good today. How much risk did you have to take to achieve this result?
Carlos SAINZ: Overall, it was an improvement for me. I was struggling with confidence and feeling with the car throughout the weekend. So, taking a step forward and finishing in third place was a breakthrough. Of course, I would have liked to fight for pole position, but Charles has been doing an exceptional job. The car has been amazing this weekend, and he managed to extract the most out of it. I’m happy for him.
P: How does the car behave in long races? Qualifying is important, but there is still a race to be done. Can you challenge at least one McLaren?
CS: For sure. Yesterday, I showed good pace in the long races. For some reason, I struggled in the short races this weekend, but the long races were much better. We will need to analyze why this happened, but I am confident that our pace in the long races will be good tomorrow. It’s just a matter of track position, and unfortunately, we lost that with our qualifying position. But anything can happen in Monaco, and we will do our best. The priority, however, is for Charles to win tomorrow.
P: Charles, congratulations on an incredible lap. This is your third pole position here in Monaco. How special is it to achieve this in front of your home crowd?
CL: It’s as good as the first one. The emotions and tension before getting into the car in Monaco cannot be compared to any other race on the calendar. So when you finish the lap and hear that you are on pole position, it’s always a very special feeling. However, in the past, the emotions lasted longer because I couldn’t secure the win in the end, which is what matters most. Now, I am focused on preparing myself and doing everything possible to win. It was a rollercoaster weekend. There was an issue with my engine after FP3, and we had to do a last-minute engine change, which was quite challenging. Fortunately, it did not affect my weekend.
P: Let’s talk about the race in a moment, but during the session, you mentioned an issue with the pedals. Can you clarify what that was?
CL: Yes, I felt something strange, but after that, the feeling was good.
P: How did the session progress for you? Was it as you expected?
CL: No, it didn’t go as planned. In Q1, I had a tricky moment with a sponsor sticker on my lap, which slowed us down. We had to go to the pits and remove the sponsor stripe from the front wing. So, that was a bit challenging because in Monaco qualifying, you just want to be on track and do normal laps. I was hoping there wouldn’t be any yellow or red flags after that. Luckily, everything worked out. In Q2, we struggled with the car’s balance, and I couldn’t find the right feeling. But in Q3, we made some modifications, especially with the front wing and my driving, and found the rhythm again. I was happier in Q3, but for some reason, I felt even better in FP2 and FP3.
P: Is this the best Ferrari you’ve ever driven in Monaco?
CL: I think in 2022, I had a lap that could have been even better, but unfortunately, there was a red flag for Checo, and I couldn’t finish the lap. That lap would have been significantly better, and I believe the car was in an even better place at that time. But overall, I am extremely happy with the lap and the car. It has been a very good weekend so far. However, we should not get carried away just by the pole position.
P: How are you approaching tomorrow’s race?
CL: We approach all races the same way. We keep in mind that track position is crucial in Monaco, and we will try to maximize our race to secure the win. It may sound obvious, but we treat it like any other race, and that’s what we will do.
P: How difficult is it to hold onto the pole position in the race to Sainte-Devote?
CL: Well, I haven’t seen many cases of people losing their positions at Turn 1, so I think it’s a very short race. But never say never. Our focus will be on the start, and we’ll see what happens.
P: Oscar, let’s talk about you now. You did a great job. You split the Ferraris here in Monaco. How satisfied are you with your performance?
OP: Overall, I’m very happy with it. We had some difficulties throughout the weekend, and we weren’t sure where we stood. After FP3, we had some work to do, but the car felt really good in qualifying. If I could redo a few corners on my last lap in Q3, it would have been even better. But when you’re on the limit, mistakes can happen. But overall, I’m happy. The car had good pace, and it was a relatively smooth qualifying session for Monaco. I hit the wall hard in Q2, which was a bit scary. Other than that, it went well, and I’m pleased to be starting on the front row and hope to maintain that position.
P: Can you identify where you lost time compared to Charles? The difference was only a few tenths.
OP: I think Turn 5 and the chicane after the tunnel, Turn 10, were not my best corners. The rest of the lap was pretty solid, but I struggled a bit in those two corners. I’m not sure if it would have been enough for pole position, but it’s pointless to dwell on what could have been. Like Max Verstappen said a few weeks ago, it’s not productive to think about “what if”. So overall, I’m happy with my performance.
P: This is your second consecutive P2 on different tracks. Does this mean you and McLaren can be competitive anywhere?
OP: Yes, I believe so. We came into this weekend with confidence that we could fight for pole position and the win. Maybe we weren’t as convinced going into qualifying, but I felt good. I was dialed in during qualifying, and I think both Imola and Monaco require a lot of commitment. You need to be fully committed at both tracks, and although they are different, they have some similarities. So, I think we can be quick everywhere.
P: Carlos, let’s talk about your session. It was a bit tough for you throughout the weekend. You weren’t as confident as usual in Monaco. How much risk did you have to take to achieve this result?
CS: It was a bit tough for me from the start of the weekend. I didn’t feel as comfortable as I usually do in Monaco. I was lacking confidence, and it affected my performance. However, I managed to improve in qualifying and felt a bit better. It was a bit too late to close the gap, but I am still happy for the team. Charles was exceptional, and the car was amazing. My focus now is to support Charles and help him win the race tomorrow.
P: What were the issues you faced with the car?
CS: It was mainly a lack of confidence. As Oscar mentioned, commitment is crucial in Monaco, and when you have moments where you are almost touching the wall, it takes away your confidence. I had many of those moments during practice, and it affected my overall confidence. I had to be cautious and leave a margin in case the rear of the car stepped out. It wasn’t ideal, but we managed to salvage the weekend.
P: Do you think you have a chance to overtake at least one McLaren in tomorrow’s race? How does the car perform in long races?
CS: Yes, definitely. I showed a good pace in the long races yesterday. Interestingly, I struggled more in the short races this weekend, but the long races were much better. We will need to analyze why this happened, but I am confident that our pace in the long races will be good tomorrow. It’s a matter of track position, and unfortunately, our position in the standings did not give us the best starting position. But anything can happen in Monaco, and we will do our best. However, the priority is for Charles to win tomorrow.
P: Charles, congratulations on an amazing lap. This is your third pole position in Monaco. How special is it to achieve this in front of your home crowd?
CL: It’s as good as the first one. The emotions and tension before getting into the car in Monaco cannot be compared to any other race on the calendar. So, when you finish the lap and hear that you are in pole position, it’s always a very special feeling. However, my focus now is on the race and not just getting carried away by the pole position. Winning is what matters most, and that’s what I’m aiming for.
P: How was the session for you? Were you able to stay calm in the car despite the pressure?
CL: Once I’m in the car, I feel great. The pressure and tension build up more in the two hours between FP3 and qualifying. That’s when you start to feel the weight of anticipation and the need to anticipate the track conditions. But as soon as I put on my helmet and get in the car, I’m completely fine. I don’t feel anything anymore.
© 2024
Portugal wins Euro final in thrilling penalty shootout
Last Sunday, the Portuguese national football team won the Euro final in an exciting penalty shootout. The match, which took place at Wembley Stadium in London, was marked by a lot of tension and twists.
During the 90 minutes of regulation time, the teams of Portugal and England showed a balanced and competitive football. Both teams had opportunities to score, but the defenses stood out and the score remained 0-0 until the final whistle.
With the draw persisting in extra time, the title decision went to penalties. The Portuguese players showed a lot of skill and converted all their kicks, while the English team missed one penalty. As a result, Portugal became the champion of the Eurocup for the second consecutive year.
The highlight of the match was the Portuguese goalkeeper, who made spectacular saves during the game and stopped a penalty in the decisive shootout. His performance was crucial for the victory of the Portuguese team.
The Eurocup victory is a source of pride for Portugal and all the fans. The team showed determination and grit throughout the championship, overcoming adversities and achieving significant results.
Now, the Portuguese players return to their clubs to continue their careers. The expectation is that the confidence and enthusiasm gained in the Eurocup will translate into good performances in national and international competitions.
Congratulations to the Portuguese national team for winning the Eurocup! May this title serve as inspiration for future generations of players and for the development of football in Portugal.
