Round 8 Post Sprint Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 2: Hello and welcome to the Press Conference of the top three finishers for the FIA Formula 2 Championship Sprint Race in Silverstone. In third place we have Gabriele Bortoleto from Invicta Racing. In second, we have Zane Maloney from Rodin Motorsport and taking his first win in Formula 2 is Andrea Kimi Antonelli from PREMA Racing. Kimi your first victory in Formula 2, it must feel good to stand out there on the top step?

Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Yeah definitely, it was needed. We didn’t have an ideal start to the season, but we have been improving a lot. I have to say on my side, in the last couple of weekends I haven’t done the greatest of jobs. But now I am really happy to get my first win today. It was a difficult race overall, really difficult conditions. We managed everything pretty well and I am really happy to bring home my first win.

FIA Formula 2: It was hardly a simple Sprint Race today, lots of interruptions and restarts, do you feel like you were tested in lots of different ways today?

Antonelli: Yeah we had a lot of restarts, so I was trying to change every time, just trying to surprise my opponent. As you said it was pretty difficult. The race got interrupted because we had heavy rain. In the end we managed everything pretty well.

FIA Formula 2: It’s your first win but it has also been a tough part of the season for the team as a whole, are you hoping this result can really kick start your season?

Antonelli: Yeah I think from the Red Bull Ring we made a big step forward. Especially with the race pace, it looked pretty good there. Definitely we are making improvements. I am happy to have won today, it’s also important for the team to keep moving forward and improving.

FIA Formula 2: Well done, Zane your first podium since the Sprint Race in Imola. How was that race from your perspective?

Zane Maloney: It was tough, with the changing conditions initially we thought it could have gone to slicks at the end of the race. Then of course the rain came down. When you are driving and overheating the wets and the rain comes, then it becomes a lot more tricky. It was a tough race, difficult to see at some points. I can’t imagine for the guys at the back of the field, but Kimi did a great job. Form my side it was just about trying to keep the tyres alive and bring it home in second.

FIA Formula 2: We had different spells of heavy rain to no rain, how hard is it to find the limit when it is changing so often like that?

Maloney: It is difficult. When it is full wet or changing conditions, drying out the tyre is never the same it is always feeling different every corner, every lap. You are really having to play with the bias and do lots of different things. Trying to cool them down as well whilst trying to catch Kimi. I didn’t do a great job in the middle part of the race. I think I overheated the rears a bit too much and of course Kimi did a great job so from my side the race was sort of over once I started to drop away. If it is wet tomorrow, I have an idea of what we need to do. We will speak to the team and hopefully come back tomorrow stronger.

FIA Formula 2: The big points are paid out tomorrow but with so many drivers in the mix this season for the Championship and so many different winners, does it feel like the Sprint Race carries a bit more extra weight?

Maloney: For sure, but any race matters. This year it is so tough to be qualifying at the front every single weekend. We have been at the back of the field the last few. Luckily we were in the top 10 this weekend and could really have a good Sprint Race and get a few points. We will try again tomorrow to do something. Every race matters in the Championship, we need to be consistent and that’s the plan moving forward.

FIA Formula 2: Best of luck, Gabriele what a finish between yourself and Kush Maini, just talk us through that final fight.

Gabriele Bortoleto: It was a nice fight. I had been trying to overtake him the entire race, he was pushing me out basically every time I was already on the inside or the outside, trying to take my front wing out. I would say it was a beautiful overtake around the outside of the chicane there. When he realises, because I didn’t think he expected it, he tried to push me out like he always did and I overtook him. He just needs to accept this.

FIA Formula 2: It was a race long fight for you, how much are you balancing risk and reward in a battle like that?

Bortoleto: During this entire season I have been much more fair with him than he was with me actually. I have always been avoiding crashes, even if it was my fault in Barcelona, immediately I apologised to him. I had some issues with my brakes and both my mirrors weren’t intact. At least when I did a mistake, I went to him and said sorry. In this situation, we thought we had agreed in everything between the team and between us. Obviously we are going to have a discussion now. I haven’t gone back to the team yet but hopefully we can understand everything and put things into place so we can flight cleanly like I do with all the other drivers and they do with me as well. I don’t know why teammates need to be dirty to each other.

FIA Formula 2: It’s under investigation that final lap between the two of you but as it stands it is another trophy, so back-to-back podiums with the win in Austria. You start P6 tomorrow do you think you can make the top 3 again tomorrow?

Bortoleto: I really don’t know, it depends on the conditions. I’ve never raced here with the Formula 2 car so I don’t know how big the DRS effect is. If it is in the dry I think it is not going to be easy to overtake unless you have a good tyre advantage. We are going to try to do the maximum that we can. If it is wet we will try to do a race like today, make some moves and have the pace. We are going to work tonight to make the car even better to try and finish on the podium.

FIA Formula 2: Congratulations to everyone, well done today.