Please welcome your top three finishers for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The winner from pole, Will Hoskins, driving for the Franklin Formula One Team. In second, reigning Champion Nathaniel Powers driving for the Downton Formula One Team. And in third, Enrique Ruiz, also from the Franklin Formula One Team. Q: Congratulations, utterly dominant performance! You didn't have any threat at all during the entire race. How did you do it?
Will Hoskins: Thanks very much. I think this weekend, it’s just been the perfect combination of man and machine. Honestly, I’m just in such a good place at the moment, and this was just a culmination of that. I have to thank the team again, because I obviously couldn't do this without them. Q: Your team have done extremely well to get right up at the front for the second season running. What do you have to say to the team? WH: Oh yeah, absolutely. I was just thinking about how amazingly well they have done to improve the car. I don’t know how they continue to give us developments so tirelessly and effectively. It’s a huge credit to the intelligence within the team. Q: Why did you continue to set fastest laps even when you had a gap of well over 10 seconds? Surely this approach could backfire, you could make a costly mistake? WH: (laughs) Well, it wasn't necessarily intentional, and the team did come on the radio a few times to remind me of that as well, but as I said earlier, when the car is this much fun to drive, it generally just comes naturally. I probably could have pushed the car more, but you never know when will be the next time that you can drive such a perfect race. Q: Welcome back to the press conference room champ! You've just got your first podium for Downton, and their best ever result. How do you feel? Nathaniel Powers: Firstly, I was here yesterday for Qualifying remember. (laughs) I'm... well, lost for words. Absolutely ecstatic. It's fair to say we never expected this kind of result this year, and despite the third place in qualifying yesterday we'd all agreed we'd be happy with a top five finish. To be on the podium again is incredible, the team are over-joyed, and for it to be their best ever result as well, I'm just so happy for them. They've done a fantastic job to give me car I can fight towards the front with. Q: When you were in third, how good was the feeling seeing Karl Beckenbauer pull into the pit lane to give you the second place on the podium? NP: I was completely torn to be honest. Delighted that it moved me into second place and a better position, but gutted for Karl. We get on really well so it's hard to see him lose such a good position with so few laps remaining, but I suppose that's how this thing works. Sometimes luck falls your way, sometimes it doesn't. Q: The team have worked very hard to give you the car you desire. Can you get a win in the next few races? NP: As I've just mentioned they've done fantastically to give me a car capable of fighting towards the front, but I think a win is still too far away. I don't want to put the team down but even this podium came as a surprise to us all. Both Franklin and Liverpool have incredible cars and are still ahead of us in terms of pace, and other teams are level with us too, so we'd need a lot of luck and the right circumstances to take a win. Q: You drove extremely well today, getting your car up near the top, there are reports your team have developed extensively to get up to the front. Can you confirm this? Enrique Ruiz: Well, for sure, the car was fantastic today, which Will was able to prove with a great win. For me, it wasn't quite as good, but the car has definitely improved and it looks like we’re definitely in the fight for the front. Q: It was a good race from you, but you finished eighteen seconds behind your team mate. Are you concerned that you are getting beaten quite comprehensively so far? ER: For me, I’m still getting used to the car a little bit. It’s quite a big step from working in the simulator. For sure, Will is a great driver, so it will never be easy to beat him, but I hope to be able to finish in front more as the season goes on. Q: Are you confident that you can maintain the pace up at the front? This season is a bit different from last for you, with such a good car underneath you, there must be pressure from Franklin to perform? ER: Absolutely. The team need to score well in each race, so one great result isn't enough any more, it’s all about consistency. I think the only race I have under-performed is perhaps Malaysia, when it wasn't really my fault. So the team seems to be happy for now, and I will do what I can to keep scoring big points. Q: And Will, back to you. I apologise in advance, but how much of your impressive performances have been down to the car rather than yourself? Jamie has openly admitted the driver isn't much more than a component, and that as such they can be changed without affecting the team’s chances. You were beaten comprehensively by Nathaniel last year, yet now you lead the championship. Does that mean the car is simply a lot better than the rest? WH: Wow… What a question... Erm... NP: (laughs) What he's trying to say is yes. WH: (smiles) Sod off Nathaniel. I have to say that in Jamie’s defence, I think a talented driver will win, if the car is able, and the chance arises. The car obviously makes a difference, as Nathaniel would be able to attest to this season. What I will say, is that, as I've said in the past, I had quite a lot of bad luck last year compared to my team mate, which lead to me losing out on a lot of points. I’m not saying that I would have won last year, had the luck been more equal, but it would have been far closer. I think this season, the car feels more suited to me and I have also improved as well, so to say that the car is substantially better is a bit much.
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