Singapore GP - Post-race press conference - Pt.2

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Timo Glock (Toyota), Fernando Alonso (Renault)

Questions from the floor:

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe)
Fernando, the hard times that you've had these last few weeks, did they give you extra motivation for this race and this weekend?

Fernando Alonso:
Not really. I think we arrive very motivated to every race, so it was no different this time. Obviously now that we have this podium, I would like to dedicate it to Flavio, who watched the race at home, for sure. Part of the success this season is due to him, to the great job that the team did. I think the whole team deserved this podium because it has a been difficult for everybody, for the mechanics, the engineers, stressful weeks for them and now everything is clear, everything is behind us and we look forward with this initial podium.

Q: (Sudhir Chandran - Chequered Flag)
Lewis, when my mother was in hospital some years ago, I spoke to the doctor and he said that you get just three chances to revive. This is 61 laps here, demanding clinical precision and you still come out strong, so whom do you give the credit to: your father for keeping a stoic face but then smiling at the end of it? To Nicole (Scherzinger) for being very subdued this year but smiling big time at the end? Or to the team for sweating it out and saying 'hey man, we did this?'

Lewis Hamilton:
I always think it's a job done by a lot of people. We wouldn't have had the pace here if it wasn't for the guys back at the factory who don't always get the acknowledgement but they're always there for me. But they are the guys that are working non-stop, really trying to get these components out, making sure that we compete for wins. But for me, the one person for me is God. He's the one who has given me the opportunity to be here, he's the one that keeps me healthy, has blessed me with a great family and great people around me. I think that answers it.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Lewis, is third place in the Constructors' Championship your goal at the moment?

LH:
Definitely, definitely. I think the team would be very happy with that. It doesn't really have too much importance exactly where I finish in the championship. If you're not first, then it doesn't matter where you are really. First is where you want to be, but for the team, after the hard work they've put in, they've had a couple of tough years but they've done a great job this year and they deserve to first make a step forward and hopefully at least get third, that would be great for them.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe)
Fernando, how do you rate this third place? Is it the maximum opportunity that you took? Or do you think you can get on the podium again before the end of the year?

FA:
Obviously you never know, but I think here was the best chance for us to get a podium. Knowing that there are some very demanding circuits to come in terms of aerodynamics like Suzuka and we would not have improvements on the car and there are some other teams that keep producing new pieces, so we know that every race is going to be more and more difficult for us. So I think we were quite confident here in Singapore and we take this podium back home to all the guys back at the factory and from now on we will obviously try, starting from Suzuka next weekend but I think it will be more difficult, for sure, than it has been here.

Q: (Michael Schmidt - Auto Motor und Sport)
Lewis, according to people who listen to television, you had some conversation with your team in the early stages of the race about KERS. Did you have to switch it off?

LH:
No, no. It was working the whole time, as far as I was concerned, but they came across on the radio saying that there was possibly a problem with it, but I wasn't seeing that. I just had to make some switch changes. I believe I had to disengage it and re-engage it or something like that, restart it, reboot it. Like I don't have enough things to think about in the car, pressing all these buttons, but it was good fun!

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Lewis, looking at the championship today, Jenson (Button) got the most out of it, even if he started in the worst position. Do you think that at this point it's almost finished for him? I mean, he has 17 points over Rubens with three races to go.

LH:
I don't know where he finished today, but if he's done a good job, that's good for him and his team. But let's not forget, I was leading by 17 points with two races to go and I lost it. It's very, very, very tough, right up until the last moment, so I just suggest that they all keep pushing and we will see over the next few races but he's done a fantastic job up until now, so I wish him all the best.

Q: (Don Kennedy - Hawke's Bay Today)
Fernando, given that you seem to be the key to the drivers' market for 2010, does this podium help you make the decision as to which team you might drive for next year, including it could possibly be Ferrari?

FA:
No, this podium doesn't change anything. I took the decision already, so soon we will know.

Q: (Don Kennedy - Hawke's Bay Today)
Are you going to tell us?

FA:
If you pay a good amount.

LH:
I'll give you a tenner, ten euros.

FA:
Not enough. At least twenty!

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L'Equipe)
Timo, you said you now have the car you had at the beginning of the season. Do you think you could win a race before the end of the year?

Timo Glock:
It's difficult to say. Singapore is a completely different race track. As I said, a driver can make a difference here. I think that as the teams are really, really close together, it becomes more and more difficult for us to win a race, but I would say that I will fight as long as possible and I will never give up. There will be a time when we have the chance to win a race and it will come and if we work as we have this weekend and really concentrate with little steps, little improvements on the car, then I think something is possible. When conditions are changing, maybe a wet race or whatever, there is another chance again, but at the moment I think we have to be realistic. The top two teams are still a step ahead of us, so it will be difficult.