QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) A question for James. You answered Tom’s question about Kimi, and you mentioned the driver situation for beyond this season, but specifically on the speculation that he could be in the car at some point this year. Has there been any conversation about that? Is there any possibility of Logan being replaced before the end of this season?
JV: Let’s put it this way. I haven’t spoken to Kimi since Abu Dhabi last year. Hopefully that puts it in context. I know nothing about what’s going on at Mercedes’ tests right now. We are looking, as everyone else is, for where we want to be on driver line-up for next year and we have our own young driver programme. In the case of Kimi, I can’t really adjudicate on the level he’s at. In case of him coming into the car this year, I’ve always said from the beginning, it’s a meritocracy. Logan has to earn his seat. And at the moment, he has some tough targets where he has to get much closer to Alex. But there is nothing on the radar at the moment for replacing him.
Q: (Sahil Kapoor – NBC) A question for all four of you. Can I please get your reaction to Mario Andretti going to Washington this week where 12 members of Congress wrote a letter accusing FOM and by extension some of the teams of anti-competitive behaviour? One member even used the phrase cartel-like behaviour. What’s your reaction and is this helping his cause of getting Andretti on the grid?
ZB: I saw it. I didn’t follow it that closely. I think we’ve all been on planes getting here while it’s happened. I think Formula 1 and the FIA have both taken their positions and they don’t seem to be changing. So I think we’ll just have to wait and see. And as I think all the teams have said, we don’t have a vote in that matter.
JV: I’m not overly familiar with the US judicial system. What I can state is there was a due course and process completed by the FIA and FOM. And as Zak says, we don’t have a say in any of that. So any more than that, I can simply read, like everyone else, online.
MK: Yeah, exactly as James and Zak were saying, we’re really passengers in this. We read also from the news and the internet, in between the Newey stories, so I cannot really add anything more.
LM: Same here. You know, what matters is that there is a strong process in place with the FIA, with F1. We trust them. They have all the elements to make the right call. And therefore, we are simply carefully looking at what they are deciding.
Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) A question for all four of you. Firstly, could you all just assess what sort of impact you think losing someone of Adrian’s stature would have on a team? And secondly, for Zach specifically, you mentioned dominoes and resumes flying about. Can you just expand on that, what you mean? Are you being approached by people at Red Bull for jobs, et cetera?
ZB: Yeah, we’ve seen an increase in CVs coming our way from the team. And I think Adrian is the most successful designer of all time. So in addition to the technical that he brings to the racing team, people want to work for people like Adrian Newey and work alongside him. So I think they will be missing what he brings to the team from a pure technical point of view. And then I think the leadership and the excitement people get from working with him will be missed.
JV: I mean, almost word for word what I was going to say. He’s an incredible character that has huge accolades behind him in the sport, well known for being the best designer really in his field. And that will have an impact, there’s no doubt about it. How much he was involved in Red Bull or not, I couldn’t say. We’re not buried within there. But what I can say is it will have an impact. Of course it will, someone of his character and his strength.
MK: Yeah, again, same. If someone of that skills and experience and qualities is leaving a team, it has an impact. On the other hand, there will be others. There are always opportunities as well for other people. It’s a team sport these days. It’s very, very large teams that work together. To say much more, you have to be in the team, really, because each team is also a little bit differently structured, differently working, so to really say what impact it will have, it would be a pure guess.
Q: Mike, have you seen an increase in the number of CVs from Red Bull employees, as McLaren has?
MK: No.
Q: Laurent, please?
LM: We have to be very careful with the CVs coming from Red Bull, otherwise Zak is getting upset. So we haven’t seen the increase of CVs coming. But no, seriously, of course it’s going to make a difference in any team if a person of the calibre of Adrian is leaving. It’s changing, of course, the internal dynamics. It’s going to change. Also, as you said, you know, also from a leadership perspective, it’s a new balance, I’m sure, to be found. And it will be the same for any team in that situation.
Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday) Something you are involved in, gentlemen, the points for positions. At the moment it pays 1 to 10. There’s been discussions recently about 1 to 12 and possibly also bringing the difference between 1st, 2nd and 3rd little closer. I’d like your views on whether you think it’s a positive move and whether you think there should be fiddling going on with the points for next year or just leave it as it is?
LM: Look, we think it’s a good idea to increase the points distribution, mainly because there is no back markers anymore. We have 10 very strong teams. This year is a good example. We have a fantastic fight also in the second part of the grid, 10 cars fighting within one tenth, two tenths. And, you know, our pole position is P11 currently. Our win is P11. If nothing happened at the front, and the reliability of the guys at the front has been… extraordinary. So we think it’s a fantastic fight. We want to explain it to the fans. We want to explain it to our partners and we think that points will help to give value to that P11, which today for us is a victory. So for sure we are supportive of an extension of the point system. Then know whether you go to P12, to P14, to whatever, we can discuss, but I think where the level of competitiveness of the teams is so high nowadays that the fight in the midfield, the fight at the back will also deserve some points.
MK: Yeah, I agree. I think the system needs to be looked at. We have a new fan base also. We are not anymore the purists that we were for these many years. So I think it is really time to have a look at this. Personally, I think there always needs to be something to fight for, wherever you are. A bit like Laurent mentioned, we should obviously not be too much influenced by how it is this year, because next year can be different than the year after. But I think it was a good consensus in the F1 Commission to say we want to make an adjustment, but we should not rush it, because we don’t want to change it again later. So I think it’s important that we have a good thought about it, and then we discuss some different proposals next time.
JV: Same thing. I think changing the points is sensible. Exactly that. There was just questions over where do we go? Is it P12, P14, P16? All cars, fundamentally. In terms of tuning it at the front, I think my conclusion from that is Verstappen won by winning the most races. It doesn’t matter what you do. It would have still led to him winning championships. That’s just a strength that they’ve come up with, the car and him, together as a package. But I think there’s some sensible… It was a very good conversation at the F1 Commission around this where the room was pretty much united in let’s do something that’s good for the sport. However, let’s take our time to get it right and do it once.
ZB: Nothing to build, other than supportive and agree with everything the guys said. I think increasing that will just create more excitement throughout the whole field. So we’re supportive of more teams getting more points.
Q: How far back would you go is that?
ZB: I think certainly 12. I think there could be an argument made for all. That would obviously be quite an overhaul. But I think as soon as points come into play, it makes every pass that much more important. Sometimes cars will pull in, save some stuff on their car, wear and tear, because they’re out of the points. That would eliminate that. If a quicker car gets shuffled to the back, every pass counts. So I think there’s an argument you could make for the entire grid. Certainly no less than 12. But I think as James mentioned, we need to change it once and that’s what we agreed at the FIA Commission, let’s do a review and I think all the teams were in the same spot, that expanding the points is a good thing to do.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Zak, a question for you. I know you said you’re happy with the make-up of the McLaren technical department at the moment, but there’s no denying that Adrian Newey would be additive to anywhere he walked into. Is there interest in McLaren in bringing Adrian Newey to the team?
ZB: Well, I think you’re right. I mean, as everyone said, with a resume and a track record like Adrian Newey, Adrian’s going to add value to any racing team. But we’re very happy with the trajectory that we’re on. Never say never. But I’m very happy with the team, the technical leadership, the way Andrea is running the racing team. And we’ve got a plan and we’re going to keep head down. And of course, always look for opportunities to make additive additions to the racing team.
Q: (Dan Lawrence – Motorsport Monday) This is a question for all. F1 Academy is here this weekend and there’s a growing spotlight on the female drivers, but it’s still a male-dominated sport. I just wondered whether you had any unsung female heroes in your team that you wanted to shed some spotlight on now.
JV: Yeah, we had an internal talent review just a few days ago. So we have Megan, who was an apprentice that has grown her way up into a successful role and ranked, I mean she’s going to find out now through a press conference, but top tier, fundamentally. I have Chloe on the race team who looks after (inaudible) and other elements of things. And unfortunately, if you look on TV, you’ll see inside our garage, I think probably at the upper end anyway of content in that regard. And I’m fortunate to be surrounded by an environment where effectively it’s growing, which is what it should be doing at the moment. It’s an open environment where we’re open-minded on its meritocracy, but bring the best people in you can, and irrespective of where that comes from and who they are. F1 Academy is a different item altogether. What was encouraging is, again, if I take the F1 Commission, we had a really good conversation about how do we seriously take this to a point where we are bringing women up into Formula 1? Because there’s a pathway, and it’s awfully difficult at the moment. And I think out of the four hours we were together, we put 20, 30 minutes to that, even though it’s dealing with a series we don’t directly work with. So I think the fact that that’s going to that level and we’re talking about it is just how serious the world is taking it now and in a very good way.
ZB: Yeah, a lot, starting with my leadership team. Laura, our CFO. I couldn’t run the business without Laura, and she’s been with us for quite some time. She knows a lot about the racing team, so really helps all of us make the right strategic investment decisions. Chloe Todd, my Chief-of-Staff, also on leadership team. I pretty much couldn’t do my job without her doing most of it for me. And Louise McEwen, who’s our CMO, I think we’re recognised as one of the best marketers in motorsports and fan engagement and all of that sits under Lou. We’ve just brought in Stephanie Carlin, who’s running our Young Driver program and helping Andrea with business operations, and the list goes on. So quite proud to work alongside all of them, and we couldn’t get our job done without them and many more, and I’m very happy the F1 Academy is just continuing to bring attention to our sport that’s going to create opportunities.
LM: Yeah, I agree with Zach. You know, I think the F1 Academy is a fantastic tool, not only for bringing a woman to Formula 1, but also because through the F1 Academy, you for sure increase the level of embracement of women in general to our sport. And that reflects not only to the applications for becoming drivers, but also to get women in general more involved into our sport at all level, at all type of jobs, as Zach just mentioned.
MK: Yeah, same. Obviously, we have all the teams supporting F1 Academy. We have the liveries and that clearly also, I think, shows a level of commitment. But then also, I think, without naming names now, going through the organisation, I think we see change in general. We see more and more girls and women at all levels, be it in operations, manufacture, engineering, at the race team. And I think if we zoom or if we go with the camera through the pit lane, we see more and more women being part of the race team, which is a good thing.
Q: (Jenna Fryer – Associated Press) For any of you, but definitely, Zak. Three races in the US now. Vegas was a big spectacle. When we first came to Miami in year one, Miami was a big spectacle. I know all three of the US races have their own very individual identity, but what does Miami now have to do to remain the special spectacle it was, considering how much effort Las Vegas and what a show Las Vegas was?
ZB: I think they just need to keep doing what they’re doing. Tom Garfinkel and Tyler are doing an awesome job. I think in between COTA, Austin, Miami, Vegas, Netflix, the soon-to-be Brad Pitt movie, which of course will be global, I think all those elements are helping build our sport very quickly in North America. Of course, a new television contract. If you look at the way Tom and Tyler responded after year one, the improvements they’ve made were substantial and very good. They continue to do that. So I don’t see them sitting still. I think Miami is an awesome market that people like to travel to. So I think each one of these Grands Prix have their own personality. I think that’s one of the things that’s exciting about Formula 1. So I think they’re not sitting still. They’re constantly developing like we are our race cars. And I think it’s an awesome event and going to go from strength to strength.
JV: Yeah, same thing. I met up with Tom today. If you compare where we are today, three years in, from where we were at the beginning, it’s an enormous change. This was a car park. fundamentally that they converted into a top tier Formula 1 track. More so, I sort of rate things by how the atmosphere is on the grid. If you stand on the grid here and the race weekend, It’s got similar repercussions to where you are at Silverstone or otherwise. You have a fan base that is completely in support of us as a series. And that simply wasn’t the case three years ago. And that’s through hard work and diligence by Tom and his team here. Again, to Zak’s point, when you go to Vegas to here to COTA, all three are completely different. There’s no real similarities between all of them. And that’s the great thing about it. Fundamentally, they’re different spectacles. But I think for all of us here, Miami is now for partners, for evenings, for effectively bringing in outside interest into the sport, top tier, if not the best out there.
Q: (Sahil Kapoor – NBC) Hames, could I please get you to elaborate a bit on Logan and the targets you’ve set for him, if there’s anything you can share? And I believe you said earlier that what he was doing last year is not fit for purpose. Have you seen a step up from him this year?
JV: Hopefully I didn’t say exactly those words, that would be very harsh of me. But what I was saying last year was at the end of the year, he came close to Alex, which is what I wanted him to do, but that progression had to continue. He had to be at the point where he’s not sitting a tenth behind him, but rather challenging him and out-qualifying him and out-racing him, fundamentally. We’re still on that journey. What Logan has as a challenge, fundamentally, in front of him is enormous. We can’t underrate where Alex is as a driver. He was, I think, underrated before and he’s a brilliant, brilliant driver in his own entity. In terms of Logan, what I’ve been asking for him is, despite the pressures of the world, the pressures we’ve created, the pressures I’ve created, the pressure all of you have created, you need to pull that all and put it behind you and make sure you’re now out there fighting and out-qualifying Alex, pushing the team forward as a result of things. And those targets effectively are encompassed in a number of other more formal ways of putting it. Without doubt, this is a tough field. There’s no doubt about it. But as I said all the way through, it’s meritocracy, earn your place. Now, he’s got more work to do, but he’s also one of the top 20 Formula 1 drivers in the world on the grid. And there’s a reason for that. And here in Miami at his home Grand Prix, I’m putting him on my shoulders and supporting him because that’s what we should be doing at this point. He’s in the car. He’ll remain in the car. And my job here is supporting him.