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Formula 1
F1: German GP Post Race Transcript
Post race transcript from Hockenheim, site of Sunday's German Grand Prix...
Race winner Fernando Alonso and fellow podium finishers Felipe Massa (Left) and Sebastian Vettel (Right) pose for pictures after the German GP. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
The following press conference transcript from Hockenheim, site of Sunday's German Grand Prix, has been provided by the FIA...
TOP FINISHERS:
1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
TV UNILATERALS
Q: Fernando, as the team told you at the end you have indeed been very quick this weekend. Frustration though for much of the race and you said on the team radio at one stage 'this is ridiculous' but in the end it ended very well for you.
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I think it was a good weekend overall. We did improve the car a lot and immediately from Friday we felt very competitive. The car behaved very well and all the set-up adjustments worked really well here in Hockenheim. We know that some circuits will be better, some circuits will be worse. In the race as well we were competitive. We performed really well. Some parts of the race we were fighting very close for first position and it was a little bit dangerous but in the end I think it was a little bit more space between all the cars and we finished the laps with no more risky manoeuvres.
Q: It certainly wasn't a risky maneuver when you managed to get past Felipe. It looked rather easy from where we were watching.
FA: Well, I think I don't know what happened, but at the exit of turn six I saw Felipe a little bit slow and tried to overtake. You have to take every opportunity you have as it is a very difficult circuit to overtake and you only have one chance into turn six. I was never close enough to do an attempt, so at that point I overtook the other car and then it was 15 or 20 laps to the end. Some more cars to lap. That was some risk at some times as it is a very narrow circuit, especially the last sector, so it was not an easy race but very interesting.
Q: We heard in Australia this year you saying to the team 'look I am faster than Felipe, let me pass him'. At any stage were you saying that this afternoon?
FA: Well, I think sometimes you are quick, sometime you are slow depending on what stage the tyres are. Sometimes you have a little bit of graining and sometimes you have some other problems. In some parts of the race maybe I was quicker than him. Some other parts of the race Felipe was very quick and pulling away from Sebastian and me, so it is very difficult to judge but it is a very strong result for the team. Top three in qualifying and top two in the race and the best thing as well is that the car keeps improving. It is not a result down to the weather conditions or to anything like that. It is a good performance from the team and hopefully next week in Hungary we can do a good weekend as well and score some strong points for the team.
Q: Felipe, a year to the day since your accident in Hungary. A win would have been the perfect way to mark that anniversary. Did you feel you deserved a win this afternoon?
Felipe Massa: Well, I think so. The start was just fantastic and also the pace on the soft tyres was really great. Then I was struggling a little bit on the hard, but anyway it was a very good race for us.
Q: You were told by Rob Smedley, your race engineer, that Fernando was the faster car than yourself. A couple of laps later, turn six at the hairpin, talk us through what happened?
FM: Well, I don't think I need to say anything about that.
Q: Fernando managed to get past you. Did you make a mistake? Was it under braking?
FM: He passed me.
Q: Then Rob Smedley said 'Good lad, sorry'.
FM: Yeah.
Q: Did you feel that you weren't allowed to win that race?
FM: No, the only thing I feel is that we are working for the team and we are doing a very good job for the team and that is the most important thing.
TOP FINISHERS:
1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
TV UNILATERALS
Q: Fernando, as the team told you at the end you have indeed been very quick this weekend. Frustration though for much of the race and you said on the team radio at one stage 'this is ridiculous' but in the end it ended very well for you.
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I think it was a good weekend overall. We did improve the car a lot and immediately from Friday we felt very competitive. The car behaved very well and all the set-up adjustments worked really well here in Hockenheim. We know that some circuits will be better, some circuits will be worse. In the race as well we were competitive. We performed really well. Some parts of the race we were fighting very close for first position and it was a little bit dangerous but in the end I think it was a little bit more space between all the cars and we finished the laps with no more risky manoeuvres.
Q: It certainly wasn't a risky maneuver when you managed to get past Felipe. It looked rather easy from where we were watching.
FA: Well, I think I don't know what happened, but at the exit of turn six I saw Felipe a little bit slow and tried to overtake. You have to take every opportunity you have as it is a very difficult circuit to overtake and you only have one chance into turn six. I was never close enough to do an attempt, so at that point I overtook the other car and then it was 15 or 20 laps to the end. Some more cars to lap. That was some risk at some times as it is a very narrow circuit, especially the last sector, so it was not an easy race but very interesting.
Q: We heard in Australia this year you saying to the team 'look I am faster than Felipe, let me pass him'. At any stage were you saying that this afternoon?
FA: Well, I think sometimes you are quick, sometime you are slow depending on what stage the tyres are. Sometimes you have a little bit of graining and sometimes you have some other problems. In some parts of the race maybe I was quicker than him. Some other parts of the race Felipe was very quick and pulling away from Sebastian and me, so it is very difficult to judge but it is a very strong result for the team. Top three in qualifying and top two in the race and the best thing as well is that the car keeps improving. It is not a result down to the weather conditions or to anything like that. It is a good performance from the team and hopefully next week in Hungary we can do a good weekend as well and score some strong points for the team.
Q: Felipe, a year to the day since your accident in Hungary. A win would have been the perfect way to mark that anniversary. Did you feel you deserved a win this afternoon?
Felipe Massa: Well, I think so. The start was just fantastic and also the pace on the soft tyres was really great. Then I was struggling a little bit on the hard, but anyway it was a very good race for us.
Q: You were told by Rob Smedley, your race engineer, that Fernando was the faster car than yourself. A couple of laps later, turn six at the hairpin, talk us through what happened?
FM: Well, I don't think I need to say anything about that.
Q: Fernando managed to get past you. Did you make a mistake? Was it under braking?
FM: He passed me.
Q: Then Rob Smedley said 'Good lad, sorry'.
FM: Yeah.
Q: Did you feel that you weren't allowed to win that race?
FM: No, the only thing I feel is that we are working for the team and we are doing a very good job for the team and that is the most important thing.
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