Monaco Grand Prix: Top three press conference transcript

Featuring race winner Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), P2 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and P3 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing) with track interviews conducted by David Coulthard.  

Antonelli delivered a Monaco masterclass to claim victory after leading every lap from pole position. The Mercedes teenager controlled both starts, including the restart after the red flag, and stretched his championship advantage with a fifth consecutive Formula 1 win.

His performance around the streets of Monte Carlo was described as one of the finest drives of the season, and one of the most memorable at the Principality.

Hamilton finished second for Ferrari after a strong race in which he remained Antonelli's closest challenger. Afterwards, the seven time World Champion praised the 19-year-old, admitting he felt "so, so grateful" to witness Antonelli's rise and saying it was "amazing" to see the young driver enjoying such a special moment.

Hadjar completed the podium in third for Red Bull, capping an outstanding weekend. The rookie kept himself in contention throughout the race and secured the biggest result of his Formula 1 career behind the dominant Antonelli and the resurgent Hamilton. 

Q: Isack Hadjar, congratulations, your second podium in Formula 1 and, of course, here in Monte Carlo. That was not an easy race for you, I can see it on your face. Take us through the journey.

Isack Hadjar: Yeah, I mean, we got off to a clean start and were managing the race, and then within the first 10, 15 laps I started having massive drivability issues. And around here… If there’s one track you don’t want that, it’s here. So yeah, it was incredibly challenging, having to cover 60 laps like that. And even towards the end, I was still lacking power on the restart.

  Q: And then having this red flag, the uncertainty as to whether it’s going to be grid starts following or not, getting your head back into that. So a very tough weekend and a tough afternoon, I guess, to finally get that podium?

IH: Yeah, I mean, honestly on my restart I felt like I had a good start and then suddenly I had a hole and I lost two places. But I knew the cars ahead had penalties, but I had limited power and I never had to send it that much in my life through the corners to stay within five seconds of Pierre. But yeah, it’s an outstanding weekend considering how it started in FP1, I had no confidence to get back up, but we did it. So yeah, I’m happy.

  Q: Lewis Hamilton, you have now just had your eighth podium result here in Monaco. That equals the late, great Ayrton Senna. No one more than you two guys have had more podiums. You’ve been on it all weekend. Tell us about that journey.

Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, well, I mean, I have to start by congratulating Kimi and to the Mercedes team, my whole family. They’ve done it again. They’ve created an amazing car and Kimi’s doing an incredible job, just delivering weekend in, weekend out. So, it’s great to see and I’m really happy for them. On our side, I think we’ve been progressing over the past months and can’t quite keep up with them just yet. And it’s probably going to take a lot of work for us to get to their level. But to get another second place is such a great feeling, especially in Monaco, under the trickiest conditions. It was the hardest conditions out there and we’ve had such a great turnout today as well. So, I’ll definitely take it.

  Q: Just briefly on that, when you mentioned the difficult conditions, what particularly of all of the Grands Prix you’ve done here was giving you the biggest challenge?

LH: I think for me, it’s really the car. The car is good, but we need more downforce ultimately. And I think just with the tyres, with the different scenarios we had out there, I ran out of tyres quite early in the first stint and then I was on that long second stint. And these tyres aren’t particularly great just over a long stint, so holding on to that was going to be tough. And then once we had to slow down on the Safety Car, you lose all temperature and you saw with other drivers out there that it was really hard to stay on track. So I think just with all the different things that have been thrown at us, it was massively challenging. But really, really grateful for the day, happy, grateful to the team. Grazie to everyone back at the factory and all the guys here who worked so hard to get this result. They truly deserve this and more, and I’ve just got to keep working harder to try and see if I can finally take that next step for them too.

  Q: Yeah. Well, I know you know your way to the podium, so enjoy.

LH: Thank you.

  Q: Kimi Antonelli, this is your fifth straight victory, but I think in the context of right now, in Monte Carlo, you have been flawless all weekend. Congratulations.

Kimi Antonelli: Thank you so much. It’s been an incredible weekend, incredible race. It was one of those days where we had so incredible pace and it was just coming all so natural. And the car was feeling incredible and it just was giving me the confidence to push. So it was a very enjoyable day.

  Q: The last time an Italian won this Grand Prix, you weren’t even born. It was Jarno Trulli 22 years ago. You’re not just representing your family, your team, you’re representing a nation.

KA: Yeah, I mean, the job’s not finished. It’s still a long season and we’ve got to keep pushing, keep raising the bar. And the goal is to keep performing like this. The team is doing an incredible job. They’ve given us an incredible car and I’ve got so much support from the team as well, from my family. So yeah, it’s a really good moment so far.  

Q: I was watching you when you were out of the car during the red flag. Nothing seems to faze you. I think when they announced a grid start, I would have thought, “I’ve got to do it all again,” but you were just soaking it up.

KA: Yeah, I mean, to be fair, I wasn’t super keen on restarting as well, because I didn’t really want to restart. But then once the notification came out, I just gathered my emotions, my thoughts, and I started to focus again, looked at some data and so on, and just tried to refocus on restarting and then trying to get the tyres in the right temperature. And then once I got away, I knew I was going to make it into P1 into the first corner, and then from that point on I just enjoyed the last few laps.  

Q: Well, I think we can call this Grand Prix weekend perfection. Congratulations. Go and enjoy spraying the champagne.

KA: Thank you so much. Thank you, everyone, for supporting us this weekend.  

Q: Kimi, huge congratulations to you. Let’s start by talking about emotions, if we could. Just how sweet does this one feel?

KA: Yeah, I’m very happy. It was a really strong weekend and the team did an incredible job, first of all with the rear wing that we brought, but as well with the turnaround that we had between Friday and Saturday. The car just changed massively and obviously gave me a lot more confidence to push around this track. And yeah, I’ve just really been able to enjoy.  

Q: Tell us more about the race then. Were you surprised by your level of dominance in the Grand Prix itself?

KA: Yeah, I was surprised by the pace, but today I just felt really one with the car and I was just able to set a good rhythm with high intensity and the car was responding really well. So yeah, definitely I was surprised, but it was just one of those days where everything clicks.  

Q: How frustrating was the red flag for you? What were you thinking at that moment? Where was your focus?

KA: Big time I was frustrated, because Lewis was starting next to me this time and knowing how good they start, I was like, well, I cannot say, I’m going to say a bad word, but I was like, “Oh man.” But luckily, the start went OK. Also, he had a lot of wheel spin, so that also made my life a little bit easier into Turn 1. But yeah, it was not easy to refocus after the red flag.  

Q: It seems you nailed both starts today. Do you feel the issues you had earlier on in the season are now behind you?

KA: Well, definitely Canada was a big step forward on that side. There’s still work to do. I think the first start today was the better one. The second start was still not amazing, but definitely a good step forward.  

Q: Final one for me. You now lead the championship by 66 points, ahead of Lewis now. How much confidence does that gap give you?

KA: Yeah, for sure it’s a great moment and that’s why I’ve got to keep maximising every opportunity, every race, every session. And going to try to be as consistent as possible. Of course, every weekend is a new challenge. It’s new different tracks, so it requires different needs, but definitely we’re just going to try on my side and we’re just going to try to keep pushing, keep raising the bar and just trying to execute everything I can in the best way possible.  

Q: Lewis, let’s come to you then. A record-equalling eighth podium for you here in Monaco. Just how pleased are you with your race today?

LH: Well, very grateful to be up here with these guys and these youngsters. Someone just told me outside that both their ages combined, I’m older than both of them two together. KA: Oh, really?

LH: Are you 21?

KA: I’m 19.

LH: You’re 19? Jeez. But the thing is I don’t feel it, which is kind of crazy. So yeah,

KA: You’re in great shape.

LH: No, I feel good. Thank you, man. Appreciate it. No, it feels amazing to be up here and such a privilege to still be here, to be driving for Ferrari, to still be one of the 22 drivers in this sport and in front of all these people. It’s such an incredible experience and something that I genuinely love, so I’m grateful to have moved forwards because we started third, and to get to second is awesome. To have two seconds, especially I think with a good race in Montreal and everyone was kind of like, "Yeah, but he’s quick there." I feel like I’m in a period where I’m having to remind people of who I am, and I think my fans last year were telling me to remind me of who I am, and now I’m having to show up each weekend and try to do that. I think it’s great to see that it’s like a rejuvenated love in the team, and I think their belief also in me and the decision in hiring me and everything. So, I’m very happy.  

Q: Kimi says he was nervous about having you alongside him at the restart. Tell us what you were thinking at that time.

LH: I was thinking about winning. I was thinking about getting him at the beginning. No, that was an opportunity, but unfortunately, we both basically got pretty much the same starts. I think I gained on him just a little bit and I was almost to his rear wheel, but not enough to pop me in the lead, unfortunately. And then as we got going, I just got to see him pull away. The performance they have is next level. It was a good experience because it gives me a much better idea of where I need to have the team lean and improve, not only from what I’m feeling but what I’m seeing as well. And yeah, there’s lots of things that we need to be adding to this car.  

Q: In what areas, Lewis? Can you give us any pointers?

LH: Just general performance. Downforce-wise, clearly they’re above us. Obviously on power, here the power is not such an issue. It’s just downforce. You could see just on traction those guys were night and day different to us. But hopefully we’ve got some performance coming, and I know the guys are working really hard back at the factory, so I hope that they’re happy with this result.  

Q: After two consecutive P2s, do you feel that first win in red is close?

LH: I mean, it couldn’t be closer, but it’s still 66 points. I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that. I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred. Fred has been awesome in supporting me. I think last year was really tough for both of us and [I’ve been] begging him for certain changes, and he pulled through and he did those, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them. I think it’s still very early days in the season, so we just have to keep chasing. It’s actually easier to chase than it is to defend, I would say, in life. And so, whilst these guys are very quick and they’re an amazing team, we’re going to keep pushing, keep chasing, and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.  

Q: Isack, just a few thoughts from you, if we could. You really had to fight for this podium, didn’t you? Very well done. Just how satisfying does it make the fact that you got on the podium with all the struggles you had?

IH: I mean, for many reasons it’s a satisfying result because obviously I started the weekend in the worst way possible. It’s a track you want to build confidence throughout every lap. You want to be on track and I felt like I didn’t really have a Friday. If anything, I lost all my confidence in FP2 because I just didn’t have any feeling with my car. And in FP3, I made a step and by pushing through and being competitive, I gave myself an opportunity for today’s race and it paid off. But yeah, I wish it was going to be an easier race, but I faced so many issues in the car that I really thought it was going to be a weekend outside the points at some point.  

Q: Tell us about the issues and at what stage in the race were you having to deal with them?

IH: I think very early, from I would say Lap 12, something like that, I started having driveability issues and it was just undriveable. In Monaco, especially here, it’s not like you can allow yourself to skip using first gear, second gear, and this is where the problem was. It was very hard to drive. I was down on power at some point. Also on the final restart, on that start, still need to figure out our problems, but I kept pushing and we’re here. I’m happy.  

Q: Final one. Where do you see Red Bull in the pecking order now? Do you feel as a team, Max was starting on the front row, you were close to him in qualifying, even with all the issues, do you feel you’ve taken a step as a team?

IH: I mean, since Miami clearly we did. Canada, we were also very much competitive. We gave a good fight to the Ferraris. Yeah, I think we’re on par with these guys. Today not really, but clearly I’m looking forward to the rest and bringing the fights to these guys. That’s our target.  

  Q: (Fred Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Isack. How do you compare this podium to the first one in Zandvoort?

IH: Yeah, I think my podium in Zandvoort is definitely just completely different. It was done on track. I had to really fight for it with the VCARB to qualify fourth and then be in that position. Obviously, I got lucky with what happened with Lando, I remember, but still I did a perfect race. And this weekend I faced a completely different scenario with my confidence being down in the car. It’s a track you need all the confidence in the world to deliver and I managed to, yesterday, dig very deep and kind of switch off and go for it. And that’s what allowed me to be starting in that position and ending up where I am. So I think they are both special, but the first one is always the best.  

Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Kimi. Congratulations on your win. It’s possible to notice a great change of your performance from last year after a difficult European season but getting great results at the end of the year, such as P2 in Interlagos. Now five wins in a row. How do you explain this big upgrade in your results, please?

KA: Yeah, I mean, obviously I matured a lot. I feel like last year was a massive learning, in the good, especially in the bad moments. And despite how bad the bad moments were, I think being able to come away and to reset and actually being able to be back at that good performance was really important for me. That made me grow and also mindset changed a lot compared to last year. And yeah, just not worrying about what happened last year and just trying to focus and stay as present as possible.  

Q: (Phil Duncan – Press Association) Just one for you, Lewis. Obviously just on Kimi, actually. He obviously had huge shoes to fill when he replaced you at Mercedes and obviously now, at 19, he’s won Monaco, he’s won five in a row. Just how good is he? How good can he be? And just one on you, you’ve had a high-profile supporter here this weekend. How inspiring has that been for you?

LH: I mean, it’s all good, I think, for any of us competitors to talk about each other, isn’t it? I don’t know how much more I can say that I haven’t already said in the past. He’s doing a phenomenal job. He’s got an amazing team around him with Bono, with Toto and the whole team. And I’m really happy to see them doing what they do best. And then for him in this moment to be delivering on the level that he’s delivering at, it’s awesome to see. It just encourages me to want to level up and I think encourages everybody wanting to level up. And he’s only 19, so just imagine what the future holds for him. But I’m going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year. And as I said, just really, it’s a real privilege to witness it, be on the podium with two of the youngest guys here. Very much kind of remind me of me when I was back in 2007.

  Q: And the second part of the question, Lewis. Just some high-profile support for you this weekend.

LH: Oh yeah, no, it’s amazing to have her come this weekend and have the support, but with my friends, incredible turnout just overall with people. And yeah, I don’t really know what else to say. It’s amazing to have good people around you and good people supporting you, and she does that for me every day.

  Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Lewis, another one for you. You got a pit lane speeding penalty during the race. A lot of the drivers speaking in the pen were quite surprised by that and felt it was unfair. Were you surprised to be hit by that? What happened there?

LH: Yeah, I wasn’t speeding. I think it’s just the way the pit lane is. I’ve done this pit lane for years. It’s not like I came in and didn’t press the button or something like that. Pit lane limiter is on immediately. And I think it’s just the line that you take, which is the same line we’ve all taken for years, where you come in, you kind of cut part of the white line. Head down, went out. And I was shocked to hear that I was speeding because I wasn’t actually above the speed. It’s all about, I think, the distance and something that we really need to look into because I heard lots of people got that today and they probably weren’t really speeding. And having to do a stop-and-go, sort of stop and wait for five, 10 seconds, whatever people got, it destroys you on a track so short as well, your chances. So I’m thankful that it didn’t impede me too much.  

Q: (Rodrigo França – Car Magazine Brazil) Question to Lewis. Lewis, with eight podiums here, he still has six wins. So, do you think you can get this record, six wins?

LH: I’ve been here a long time and still haven’t got to his level on that, but I’m going to be here for a while, so I’ll keep chasing it. And just to be in his presence, in the sense of the eight podiums, for example, is very cool. I still remember being young and watching Ayrton, and still today he’s my favourite driver. So, it’s really cool.