Team Talk: Sunday in São Paulo

“I think it was a very difficult race, with mixed conditions between wet and dry. It was very close, so I think we managed to put together a good finish, fighting with the other cars.

“I made a good start and managed to pass him (Bortoleto) straight away. I was then fighting with him and Carlos, but unfortunately, we had a very slow pit stop. I think it’s the same issue we experienced in Mexico, so it’s definitely something we need to work on. We need to make sure we fix our tools and get everything right, so hopefully we can have a much stronger end to the season.”

Valtteri Bottas, DNS

“It’s sad that we were unable to start the race today. Before the lap to the grid, we tried to change the tyre but couldn’t get the right rear wheel nut off. We’re not sure what caused it but we will learn from it and hopefully not face a similar issue again. At least yesterday we were able to demonstrate some decent pace at times. We’ll regroup ahead of the final races and focus on ending the season on a positive note.”

Marcin Budkowski, Team Principal

“It was a challenging day, starting with a cross-threaded wheel nut on Valtteri’s car on the laps to the grid, which unfortunately forced us to retire the car before the start. It is a frustrating end to a triple-header and I want to thank Valtteri and the garage crew for their relentless efforts. We’ll investigate the issue to ensure we don’t suffer a repeat.

“On Checo’s side, he drove well, managing the changeable conditions, and the team made good strategy calls to beat a few of our competitors and finish P18 despite a slow pit stop. The rain ultimately wasn’t disruptive enough to shake up the field, but it was a solid performance from Checo, maintaining pace with our nearest competitors. After a short break, we head back to the US next for our final home race of the season in Las Vegas, which will be a special weekend for the team.”