WEBVTT - Max Verstappen Talks F1, Fans and Legacy

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. So Max, let's start

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<v Speaker 1>by talking a little bit about this season so far.

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<v Speaker 1>What's your state of mind going into Italy about your racing?

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<v Speaker 2>Very relaxed, to be honest. I mean, yeah, we we

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<v Speaker 2>had I think, pretty pretty pretty decent starts. Yeah, we've

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<v Speaker 2>been you know, I think, just constantly improving a bit

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<v Speaker 2>from from you know, last year. But of course also

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<v Speaker 2>the competition, you know, they have been also improving, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think everyone is getting a bit closer here and there.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's good. I mean everyone is of course trying

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<v Speaker 2>to push as hot as they can, and that's the

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<v Speaker 2>same for us.

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<v Speaker 3>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>It's interesting to think about, you know, moving to Italy

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<v Speaker 1>and then on too Monico. After Miami, we sort of

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<v Speaker 1>see the fullness and I'm speaking to you from Doha,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the fullness of this global circuit. Do you

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<v Speaker 1>think the mix is where it needs to be geographically

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<v Speaker 1>or or do you think the calendar needs to be tweaked.

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<v Speaker 2>I think what we're doing in the US at the moment,

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<v Speaker 2>I think is great. You know, having the three races

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<v Speaker 2>there in different places I think works really well. I think, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>from my side, the only thing I think what can

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<v Speaker 2>improve a bit on the calendar is just the general

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<v Speaker 2>like traveling. We're still traveling a little bit too much

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<v Speaker 2>left and right. I think it would be it would

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<v Speaker 2>make a bit more sense, you know, to to maybe

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<v Speaker 2>start like we did in in Asia, maybe have a

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<v Speaker 2>few back to backs and then do YEurope and from

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<v Speaker 2>yere you move on to the US or whatever. You know.

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<v Speaker 2>So there are few, I think, still a few things

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<v Speaker 2>that we can do better. Also when you look at

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<v Speaker 2>from sustainability. But at the same time, of course I

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<v Speaker 2>understand that you know, having two three races in the

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<v Speaker 2>same country or in the same continent maybe sells less tickets.

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<v Speaker 2>But then at the end of the day, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>what are you trying to sell? Is it tickets or

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<v Speaker 2>actually sell the sustainability story. You know, that's what we

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<v Speaker 2>have to look at.

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<v Speaker 3>Well.

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<v Speaker 1>And obviously the global audience as well, that's that's tuning

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<v Speaker 1>in to, you know, watch from from home or bars

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever. So so to that point in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>building the fan base, you know, obviously the US, as

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<v Speaker 1>you mentioned, it's getting much more popular.

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<v Speaker 3>Drive to Survive We've heard that story a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>What else does f one need to do what individual

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<v Speaker 1>teams need to do to ensure that the sport keeps

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<v Speaker 1>growing globally.

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<v Speaker 2>Keeping it real I think, yeah, I mean it's it's

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<v Speaker 2>a difficult one, you know, because it depends how you

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<v Speaker 2>want to attract fans like you can attract it of

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<v Speaker 2>course a very different ways, right, you know, from the

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<v Speaker 2>entertainment side or actually the performance side of things. And

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<v Speaker 2>of course you know the sport has been growing a

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<v Speaker 2>lot lately, probably from you know, more the entertainment side,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, you also need to question like what

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<v Speaker 2>you actually want because I think it's also very important

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<v Speaker 2>to keep you know, the real die hard fans, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>really engaged. But you know, these kind of things at

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<v Speaker 2>the end of the day, like you know, I'm the

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<v Speaker 2>racing driver. I'm very focused on my performance and you

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<v Speaker 2>know that's already taking a lot of my time, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>trying to just be on top of my game, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>being you know, in touch with with my team what

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<v Speaker 2>we can try and improve. And you know, to be honest,

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<v Speaker 2>what that those kinds of things are not really going

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<v Speaker 2>through my mind a lot. You know, how how should

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<v Speaker 2>I grow the sport? I mean that's not up to me.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not, you know, also the shareholder of the sport.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'm just here to try and win, win

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<v Speaker 2>the races.

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<v Speaker 3>That's a fair point.

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<v Speaker 1>And obviously the commercial success does, as you rightly point out,

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<v Speaker 1>rely very much on success on the track. No one

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<v Speaker 1>has no one would question your success on the track.

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<v Speaker 1>It's worth pointing out that that obviously, you know, there's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be a big change with with Adrian Newey leaving.

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<v Speaker 1>What's your confidence level I should say about that side

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<v Speaker 1>of the equation moving forward, ensuring that you can stay

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<v Speaker 1>competitive on the track.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean it's of course, you know, it's been

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<v Speaker 2>you know, quite you know, a change, I guess, but

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<v Speaker 2>also a shame that you know, Adrian will be leaving,

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<v Speaker 2>because I think it will be always nice for him,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, to be part of what we are doing.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, he's been incredibly important for us, especially from

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<v Speaker 2>the start of Red Bull Racing, I would say, And yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean at one point, you know, you have a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of good people in the team, a really strong

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<v Speaker 2>technical department that I trust in as well, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>for the future, so naturally the confidence is very high

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<v Speaker 2>and very excited for for the coming years as well.

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<v Speaker 2>But yeah, would it have been nice for Adrian to

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<v Speaker 2>be around as well and see that for sure. But

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<v Speaker 2>at the end of the day, you know, when people

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<v Speaker 2>want to maybe seek new challenges or whatever, you can't

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<v Speaker 2>stop that.

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<v Speaker 1>And so when you think about you know, obviously you

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<v Speaker 1>take care of business on the track, that's clear. How

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<v Speaker 1>much do you think about your business the business of

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<v Speaker 1>Max off the track? You know you have some key

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<v Speaker 1>endorsements with EA, with Heineken. How do you choose those

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<v Speaker 1>partners and what is that process like?

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<v Speaker 2>Luckily, you know, I you know, I have a really

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<v Speaker 2>strong group of people you know around me that I

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<v Speaker 2>think know me pretty well, you know, so I think

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<v Speaker 2>at the end of the day, the sponsorships and endorsement deals,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, they need to fit me and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we need to be able to you know, work very

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<v Speaker 2>well together, which I think with the with the deals

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<v Speaker 2>that we have in place at the moment, they work

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<v Speaker 2>really well for me. And then also I'm probably a

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<v Speaker 2>bit more natural in the way that you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>can express myself, so that definite me, Yeah, it works

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<v Speaker 2>very well because you also, you know, we do a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of racing, We do a lot of similar to

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<v Speaker 2>work back at the factory, we have a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>marketing days and then plus your private deals as well.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, there are a lot of days that are

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<v Speaker 2>gone in a year because it's also important, of course

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<v Speaker 2>to to rest up and actually you spend time with

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<v Speaker 2>family and friends because you know, I fun, of course

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<v Speaker 2>is great, but that's not what I'm going to be

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<v Speaker 2>doing the rest of my life. So it's important to

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<v Speaker 2>you know, find your free time as well and enjoy

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<v Speaker 2>life as well a little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>And so that that begs the question that a bit,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, as you think about and I don't imagine

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<v Speaker 1>it will be soon, but you know, life after the sport,

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<v Speaker 1>how do you build your your business portfolio? How do

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<v Speaker 1>you think about you know, the business of max moving forward?

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<v Speaker 1>What do you see yourself doing down the line?

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<v Speaker 2>I probably, you know myself, I will always race a bit,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, a bit less than form one. It's

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<v Speaker 2>very intense, you know, I have a lot of plans,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, outside of that. You know, I do a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of the simulated stuff like virtual racing, and I

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<v Speaker 2>want to try and find a way of you know,

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<v Speaker 2>drivers who don't have the money to start in go

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<v Speaker 2>cutting or other kind of categories, you know, to make

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<v Speaker 2>it into real racing. I want to try and create

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity for them through the virtual world, the same

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<v Speaker 2>racing world, you know, to also have a shot at

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<v Speaker 2>it in real life. So this is something that I'm planning.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't want to rush it. I want to do

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<v Speaker 2>it well. But that's something that I definitely, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm very interested in. And everything else outside of that,

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<v Speaker 2>I think, you know, it just depends a bit more,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, how much free time you have as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, there's plenty going on in the background. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of people around me, you know, people that

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<v Speaker 2>I trust, you know, they take care of that.

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<v Speaker 3>Well.

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<v Speaker 1>Speak of plenty going on in the background there. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been a lot of off track noise, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>on the team drivers moving around. How do you stay

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<v Speaker 1>focused amid all that and how does that affect your

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<v Speaker 1>decision making?

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<v Speaker 2>I think I'm quite a relaxed person, you know, So

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<v Speaker 2>when I go home, I honestly don't really think about

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<v Speaker 2>Formula one too much. Other kind of things around, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>other teams or whatever, that doesn't interest me at all,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, what is happening there. I'm just very focused

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<v Speaker 2>on what I have to do within the team and

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<v Speaker 2>outside of that, you know, I really want to try

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<v Speaker 2>and switch off as much as I can. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just I'm pretty relaxed. Of course, a lot of things,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, from the start of the season happened, but

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<v Speaker 2>and the other you know, on the other hand, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>just here for the results, you know. I try to

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<v Speaker 2>focus for you know, on the performance side of things,

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<v Speaker 2>and then just try to do the best I can.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it was interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>I was in Miami and you know, witnessed that very

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<v Speaker 1>I dare say, sweet moment between you and Lando, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>when he when he won that race.

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<v Speaker 3>What does that mean for the sport?

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously you've been dominating and yet I would imagine and

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<v Speaker 1>you understand that, you know, good competition is ultimately what

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<v Speaker 1>is going to drive fans.

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<v Speaker 3>So how do you square that in your mind?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, they first of all, you know, they beat us

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<v Speaker 2>very and squares so then yeah, I'm good friends with Lando,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, so I was very happy for him to

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<v Speaker 2>win his first race. Is always I think a very

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<v Speaker 2>special moment when you win your first race, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>So yeah, just genuinely happy. Of course the fans like

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<v Speaker 2>to see it as well. From my side, of course,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, personally I wasn't happy with with how the

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<v Speaker 2>weekend went, but we still came out of there with

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<v Speaker 2>the most points of everyone, which even when a weekend

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<v Speaker 2>didn't go away, you know, you can still I guess

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<v Speaker 2>in a way be satisfied with that. But as a team,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, we always try to do better, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>why we're here in Italy now to try and do

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<v Speaker 2>better than what we did in Miami.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I want to go back very quickly, but

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<v Speaker 1>before we wrapped it to something you said at the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning about you know, the calendar and you know some

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<v Speaker 1>of the tweaks that maybe need to be made. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like, you know, both with your team and

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<v Speaker 1>the other teams and Formula one FIA, do you feel

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<v Speaker 1>like they listen to you as the top driver and

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<v Speaker 1>other drivers in terms of your wants and needs, in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of really your part in growing the sport.

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<v Speaker 2>I think they are always very open to have a

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<v Speaker 2>chat or listen, you know, so that has never been

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<v Speaker 2>a problem. Of course they might sometimes think the same,

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<v Speaker 2>but then sometimes it's just you know, it's not possible

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<v Speaker 2>to change it on a short term because of you know,

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<v Speaker 2>deals that have been made about certain dates as well

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<v Speaker 2>in the calendar, you know, but I think it is

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<v Speaker 2>always very open for a chat, so for me from

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<v Speaker 2>that side, it's never been been a problem. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm also always very happy to talk about stuff that

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<v Speaker 2>can be improved in the sport that I love of course,