I think it was a frustrating race for everyone who qualified between seventh and 10th on the hypersofts. It was such a poor tire in the race. We did 10 laps and they completely went, while the ultrasofts did, I don’t know how many laps, 40? So, it’s almost better not to qualify in the top-10. Maybe we need to think about that a little bit because I felt like I pushed really hard in qualifying and in the race every single lap. I did the best I could but, in the end, I had no chance of being in the top-10. I’m sorry if I blocked anyone, it was not my intention. I believe I did my best. I was fighting with Sergey (Sirotkin), who was doing a little bit of go-kart racing out there. I couldn’t really slow down. Pierre (Gasly) was on my gearbox and Sergey was on my front wing. I passed him, then as soon as I passed him, I let Lewis (Hamilton) by.

Haas F1 Team has finished inside the top-10 in seven straight races. That’s a span covering a variety of tracks and conditions. What does that kind of consistency say about this race team? “The team is performing very well. It’s improving a lot year after year and race after race. We’ve got a great car everywhere. We can look forward positively to the end of the season.” That consistency has allowed Haas F1 Team to truly fight for best-of-the-rest honors in Formula One. It’s a battle with Renault, and there’s a healthy margin back to the other teams. Considering this is only Haas F1 Team’s third year, is this kind of performance surpassing even your own expectations? “Yes. I was thinking we could try to go for fifth in the constructors’ championship, but fighting for fourth and having a good chance to go for it is better than I was expecting. I’m very happy with that.” Have recent events emboldened the team to where no stone will be left unturned as Haas F1 Team vies for fourth in the constructors’ standings? “That’s for sure. We’re fighting against the best in the world, so we need to get things right.” After a difficult start to the year, you’ve come on strong of late with seven straight finishes in the top-10. Is there anything in particular that has allowed for this surge in performance? “I’ve worked on myself to understand why things were not going right before. The car is giving me a better feeling, as well. I’m enjoying my time, and I’m hoping there will be more and it keeps going.” The team had some trepidation heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix, as the tight track didn’t play to the strengths of the VF-18, at least on paper. When the Hungarian Grand Prix was over, Haas F1 Team had another double-points finish. There was originally some trepidation about the Singapore Grand Prix because of its tight layout. Does that trepidation still exist? “It always exists. You try to prepare as much as you can, but you don’t always know what to expect. We do all our preparation, we focus on our own work, we do our best, and we aim for points come Sunday night.” What did you find that made your car perform better on a slower, tighter track? “Generally, the updates we’ve brought to the car have been working very well.” With the experience of Hungary and the collective experiences from this summer, what are your expectations for Singapore? “I will do my best and do my best for the team. Hopefully, it will be a really good race for us with some strong points.” What are the challenges of the Marina Bay Street Circuit and how do you overcome them? “One of the big challenges is the heat and humidity, which is very, very difficult in Singapore. Another challenge is the race, as it’s usually about two hours long, and it’s a street circuit, so it’s very difficult.”

How has the technical partnership with Ferrari been and how has it evolved as Haas F1 Team went from designing a car to building it first racecar to building the current-generation car? “Ferrari’s been a really good help for us. From day one we didn’t have to bother about things like the power unit, or suspension or gearbox – a lot of parts that would’ve taken us a long time to build and to get right. So, that has been incredible. Being able to use them every year, and use the new generation every year, it just means that the car is getting better and better.” How crucial was Dallara and Ferrari in allowing Haas F1 Team to be competitive in not only its first year, but its second year when another new car needed to be built, and this year with an evolution of the 2017 car thanks to rules stability? “It’s the same thing with Dallara. They’ve been a great partner of the team and a great help to get everything working. It was a challenge for them as well. They didn’t know the exact demands of Formula One initially, but we grew up together.” A 1:19.525 lap set by Juan Pablo Montoya during practice for the 2004 Italian Grand Prix is widely regarded as the fastest Formula One lap of all time, as his average speed was 262.242 kph (162.950 mph). Will that time be eclipsed this year at Monza and a new benchmark for speed set? (Note: It rained during last year’s qualifying session, thwarting any attempt at a new track record.) “I don’t know. It will be interesting. It would be nice to try and beat that record, as it’s an old one. It would be nice to get that one. Saying that, the curbs were a bit different, and the chicane was fast at the time. We’ll see.” Where are the overtaking opportunities at Monza? “The good thing with Monza is there’s lots of overtaking opportunities. There’s turn one, three, eight and then the Parabolica. It’s more or less every single braking event.” Is overtaking at Monza a bit like a drag race where it’s about who can get on the power the fastest and most effectively? “Yes, pretty much. It’s about top speed and getting out of the corner, and the low speed is quite good as well, with the dirty air of the car in front of you.” Monza is a track with a lot of history and home to some of Formula One’s most passionate fans. Can you describe the atmosphere there? “The atmosphere is crazy in Monza. The Tifosi, the fans – they’re just great. The track is in the middle of a park. It’s like nowhere else. There are so many people coming and watching, cheering for the drivers and, of course, for Ferrari. The atmosphere is electric. I love it.” Have you had the opportunity to walk around the old portions of Monza, specifically the oval? If so,

“That was about what we expected today. We knew the Force Indias had the same pace, if not a bit quicker, so it was difficult to stay with them. They were quick on a straight line. I’m pretty happy with how the race went, and I’m happy Kevin was there as well. We did the best we could. Two cars in the points – in seventh and eighth – that’s really good for the constructors’ championship. It was a lot of points for us and zero for some others, so that’s a positive from this race.”