F1 Belgian Grand Prix - what the drivers said to the media

"It wasn't a random call one day. We've been talking for the last few months and it wasn't always 'top five this race or you're done' but what we can do as a collective to make this work. There was a lot of dialogue but also I knew it was a point of concern because the results I was getting wasn't up to the level we all thought. We talked for months about how to rectify the issues."

"I know Stefano [Domenicali, F1 president] and I think it was a very unlucky choice of words. It’s statements like that which I guess woman or girls are probably confronted with when they are growing up chasing their dreams. The father might just have read statements like that and suggest they focus on other things. Maybe they do focus on other things and forget about F1.

"I don’t see why we can’t have a woman on the grid. I encourage every girl to speak up and prove Stefano in this regard wrong. This type of stereotypical thinking needs to end."

"I honestly still don't know what the future holds for Oscar. It's just business. Mark is doing his job for Oscar. I don't take any of that personally. I will be supporting a fellow Aussie."

"A lot of hugs and there's a lot of people want me to do well at McLaren. There's no better feeling than success in this sport so I know if I apply myself, we can find a way to do it"

"I think, like picking myself up, is something that I feel I am capable of doing. This is a big moment in time for my career but you're always going through challenges. You always have to pick yourself up. No one has a perfect career so I've learnt to deal with it.

"That fire, that belief is still in me."

"Yes and no. I was told on Sunday or Saturday of Hungary and then to be honest I didn’t follow any news in the break. It felt like a good strategy to not follow the news. I thought it was a good choice not to follow any F1 news. I had a couple of phone calls, friends filled me in and what was going on but I don’t know what the current situation is.

"I’m very saddened to hear what is going to happen to Daniel. It’s a very difficult situation to be in. I still think he’s one of the best and has a lot to offer."

"Not really. Maybe it’s just me but I find it difficult… I always tend to look forward to the next thing rather than looking back. I received an overwhelming response and support after the announcement in Hungary.

"I find it hard it to reflect on all these years in such a short time, so maybe it will hit me later out. I just enjoyed the break. After carrying this [announcement] around with me, it was quite liberating to get it out, and I could just enjoy the break. But it didn’t feel like a different summer break. It wasn’t like ‘oh it’s the last summer break’."

"If it made sense, then yes. It's the only racing that I am interested in but as I said if the stars don't align and it doesn't make the perfect sense, then I am willing to."

"I still love this sport. I still love it and I still want to do it in the right place. If I am here, I want to be here for a purpose so I don't know what that means for the future but if that's the right opportunity, then I want to be there."

"It's not the result we wanted in terms of when I joined the team - this wasn't desired. We just didn't get it right. We put in a lot of effort and tried to get through it, understand the car etc. There was just too many weekends that were a bit of a struggle. That's how it came about. 

"It's not the nicest feeling but I can hold my head high in trying to make it work. You have to accept you tried and it didn't work out. It's just one of those things. I am proud of how we tried to make it happen."

pic.twitter.com/aLmgMXkcaS

— Grand Prix de France F1 (@GPFranceF1) August 25, 2022

"The business is growing. I think it’s down to the great work that Liberty is doing with the sport. The access etc. Netflix has had a big effect but social media as well. A lot more eyeballs are on it. Kids love cars and it is the coolest sport. It was only a matter of time until it got to this stage."

"We looked at it and we’ll grow from that as a team. In 2020 and 2021 we’ve been working very unified as a team and that has helped us get to where we are as a team today. And that is exactly what we are trying to do today to get better."

I miss u Tonio. pic.twitter.com/tKT5bwC9dc

— PIERRE GASLY (@PierreGASLY) August 25, 2022

"It's true. Otmar didn't know anything but I informed Rossi, president Luca de Meo, my mechanics, my engineers, they were informed before any announcement. Otmar wasn't involved in the negotiations so he was surprised by it."

"I think there’s still plenty to achieve here, personally. Maybe not many records as such but a lot of ground to make with the team. I still love being in the sport and the work that we’re doing in the sport and the conversations we are having with Stefano. It’s exciting times and the future is bright." 

"You ask too many details! I have no problems to say everything started when Sebastian announced his retirement. They were happy with him but in the end, he decided to stop and they started calling some drivers. I was one of those and I was still available. We started talking that weekend. On Monday morning, we signed and announced quite quickly before any leaks."

"I know him quite well because he was Grosjean's engineer during our time. I know him very well and he knows me. It's going to be pretty smooth. Looking forward to that."

"It is a very special track for me. Every driver’s first win is special and mine was here. I got it here in very strange conditions with what happened on Saturday with Anthoine [Hubert]. But it’s a track I enjoy driving and hopefully a good weekend to come." 

"A podium would be a dream for us - who knows when it will come."

"For sure, there's some risks on every decision you make in F1. No one has a crystal ball to guess the future but at the same time, in F1, or any sport, you win or you don't. It doesn't matter if you're fourth, ninth or 13th. We're here to be on top, that top spot and I felt like within the possibilites I had, I think this one was the right one."

"To be honest, it was better than I expected in terms of the speed. We've been able to get up to speed, reducing the gap to Valtteri. There are some things I have to improve."

"My one learning there would be contractual, I don't think we could have done something differently to make him more competitive, We tried all that. I think we've had to end the relationship early, we've had to write a big cheque," he said on the High Performance Podcast.