Q: Andy, can we start with you? A strong start to the weekend with Fernando in P1 in first practice. Without wanting to get carried away, can you just tell us why the car appears to be working better here than it has done at the last couple of races?
Andy Cowell: I think this circuit characteristic suits our car a little bit better. We struggle on the higher speed tracks - Baku, as an example - a long, fast Sector 3, high downforce, car pushed down. You've got to lift the car so you don't wear the skid out. But then around Sector 1 and 2, you've got a car that's sat higher up. Here, I guess it's a little bit like Baku but without Sector 3.
Q: What does this mean for the rest of the weekend?
AC: I guess what it means is we've had a mixed FP1. You want both your cars tightly packed somewhere up near the front, so there's work we need to do to investigate the set-up on Lance's car. We're doing a very detailed comparison, back-to-back. Our tyre choice was a little bit different to everybody else. We were the only ones running mediums at the start. And as you know, Tom, you should never place a bet after FP1 results. There are no points on a Friday.
Q: Given everything you've just said, can we throw it forward? Which race tracks do you think will suit the car between now and the end of the season?
AC: I'll let you know after each event.
Q: Is the car that unpredictable?
AC: No. There's just many competing systems, as these guys know. Many, many competing systems. And we've all come here, the track's been resurfaced, both drivers commenting that it's smoother. There's great traction. And so you react to that. And at a night race, FP1's not the most representative session, so you just have to adapt as you go along. It's the same at all the coming races. We've got an inkling as to which circuits, but I'm not going to pass that on to you.
Q: Let's take it one race at a time then. What are your goals for the rest of the season? You're P7 in the Constructors'. What do you want to see from the team?
AC: What we want is every single race, we go along and we set the car up as best we can with the hardware that we've got. We follow the track. We have a beautiful qualifying session, great first lap, an awesome strategy, and we pick up the most points from every race. We would love to finish ahead of James and Williams, but congratulations to James on the podium at the last race - well done. It makes our dream of finishing fifth tougher, but that's still what we're fighting for.
Q: Can I bring you onto the subject of Fernando Alonso now? He said something very interesting recently when asked about his longer-term future in Formula 1. He said he had more chance of retiring if things go well in 2026 than if they go badly. Are you aligned with him on that?
AC: I think that's linked to - we all want to finish on a high. He'd like to finish his driving career winning races, doing well in races. So I think that's what that's linked to. He's a huge part of the team. Really useful to have him on board, and Lance this year and into next year, providing guidance on what's important for the '26 car, work in the DIL sim and car configuration work and so on. But yeah, I think it comes back to that. Last race for Fernando, top step of the podium - that's what we all dream of.
Q: Final one from me. There are a lot of rumours swirling around in the paddock about the future of Christian Horner. Ayao Komatsu said yesterday that he had approached Haas. Has he approached Aston Martin?
AC: I guess this popped up yesterday in our media session. I had a chat with Lawrence this morning to find out what he knows. It looks as though Christian's ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment, so you can pass the question along. I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role in the future.
Q: Steve, let's come to you now. A very warm welcome to the FIA press conference. Can we just start where we finished? Has Christian Horner approached Alpine?
Steve Nielsen: As far as I know, no. But Flavio and Christian are old friends, that's no secret. What they've talked about, I don't know. But everything I see and everything I know, there's no truth in Christian coming to Alpine - but that doesn't mean it won't happen. This is Formula 1 after all.
Q: You've been back at Alpine, back at Enstone, for just over a month. Describe what you found. How's it going?
SN: It's like going back to an old school. Have you ever done that? You go back to an old school and bits of it are really familiar but a bit smaller than you remember. Bits of it are new. It's been great to go back. They've made me feel very welcome. Some old familiar faces, lots of new faces, which is also good. But whilst I've been in the sport for this time I haven't been at a team for eight years. So there's a big part of me getting up to speed and picking up on what's changed inside a racing team in the last eight years - and there's an awful lot. Things like budget cap didn't exist the last time I was part of a team. Now it does. And it's really bizarre for me because I was on the other side of that at F1 in the early discussions, and then that was taken forward, implemented, and enforced by the FIA. So to now be on the receiving end of it is a whole new experience for me. A lot to learn on my side as well.
Q: Is the Enstone spirit still alive and kicking?
SN: Absolutely. It is. Of course it it. It's a great place. There's some fine talent there. What we put on the track at the moment doesn't reflect the skills we have there and the facilities we have there, and it's our job to turn that around.
Q: Can you clarify what the job is as well? You're MD. What does that mean on a day-to-day basis?
SN: Flavio is the leader. I run Enstone and everything that comes with that. That's how we go forward, and we're clear internally about what those responsibilities are and how that's carved up. That's how we're doing it.
Q: Final one from me - drivers. Franco has gone better in the last few races. I think he's out-qualified Pierre in three of the last four. Give us your assessment of his progress and when we can expect a decision on your second driver for next year.
SN: I think it's difficult for any of the new drivers coming in. We've seen ebb and flow in lots of them that have come from F2 - five came from F2 last year, which is good. Franco had a difficult start. I think we've seen that equalise and calm down a little bit. He's now had the measure of Pierre in the last two or three races. So he's on a par with him, which is good. We don't know where that slope will end - whether it's going to continue. We hope it does. And then we'll make our decision on Franco and whoever else is in the frame when we have to. But we're a few races away from that yet.
Q: James, thank you for waiting. Let's continue Andy's theme - has Christian Horner approached Williams?
James Vowles: No.
Q: Can we just clarify what happened to Alex's car in FP1?
JV: Everything looked okay up until Turn 10 of that lap where we boxed him, and then all of a sudden the rear brake temperatures ramped up to a level you really don't want them - which is plus 1,000. So it looks like part of the rear circuit, probably around - hard to know exactly - but something in the rear circuit anyway, hardware-wise, basically clamped on a little bit of braking force. And even though it came in slowly, by that point it was too late.
Q: Can we talk about the podium last time out now? Alex said in here yesterday that the podium proved a point and it was a taster of what's to come. Can you give us your take on what the podium means to you and the team?
JV: I'm incredibly proud of Williams because it's a team that has such a fighting passion and spirit inside it, but it was just surviving for so many years. Even when I turned up, it was still in that survival mode. Everyone has diligently, and with almost no obstacle put in the way, changed in the way we need to become competitive again. The reward wasn't just seeing the mechanics and Carlos and Alex who was right by my side for the podium. The reward was taking the trophy, putting it back in reception in the factory, and I went down every hour or so to see 50 or so people there. Emotional - tears, crying, laughter, happiness - it meant the world to them. And it meant the world to me to see that. It's a boost that drives a team really far forward. It's belief, it's not my words anymore that are required. They can see it, breathe it, live it at the same time.
Q: Carlos has had his frustrations this year. Did the podium come at a good time for him?
JV: I think any podium comes at a good time, but definitely it was a point in the season where - I think to a certain extent it's hard to put down exactly in words what has happened this year because it's no one thing. It's never been a repeat of exactly the same. He has performance. He can out-qualify Alex, but it never came together in the race. I think for him it was a really good moment and an opportunity to show why we put our trust and faith in him - and vice versa.
Q: Do you expect him to kick on from here? Will we see a stronger Carlos somehow?
JV: I'm confident we will. But this is a mental game after all. They're all pretty muscly, don't get me wrong, but it is a mental game. You really do take a positive momentum spin from it, and I'm confident you'll see Carlos step up.
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