Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying Press Conference Full transcript from the top three press conference after qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, Round 5 of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship, at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Featuring pole winner Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), second placed Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and third-placed Sebastian Vettel(Ferrari) Track Interviews conducted by Jenson Button Q: Valtteri, that was a fantastic qualifying effort, outstanding. And to beat this guy around here. I know how difficult that is. The car is obviously feeling pretty awesome underneath you? Valtteri Bottas: Yeah, by the time of Quali 3 it was just really getting better and better. Really enjoyed that and enjoyed the adrenaline rush we get from those laps. I’m very pleased. Practice 3 was difficult obviously with the spin, but I just forgot that and moved on. Q: But it wasn’t just that, it was a massive margin. And now that makes it three in a row. That must give you a massive boost for the race tomorrow and for the rest of the season? VB: It does, yeah. It’s started well, the season, and the way I’d hoped for. I feel better and better in the car, so I look forward to tomorrow. Q: Lewis, watching that it looked like you really needed to get the lap in the first run in Q3. The second run, I don’t know if it was the temperature or what, but you needed to get it done then, and it seemed like the last sector was a bit loose? Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, I mean, firstly Valtteri did a fantastic job, he’s been quick all weekend. I think on my side I just didn’t put the laps together. The last couple of laps in Q3 particularly just weren’t strong. I had to go out early, because I had come in too early and I had a low battery pack and so I had to go out first, ahead of everyone and ultimately it just wasn’t a good enough job. Q: But the thing here, starting P2, you get that massive tow down the straight, so looking forward to a great race tomorrow? LH: Yeah, I’ll be giving it everything. We’ve always got great weather here. It’s great for the team to have this one-two. We’ll try to convert that into a one-two and if I can reverse it I’ll be happy. Q: Sebastian, I think that’s probably as good as you could have expected. Looking at the last sector that seems to be a massive deficit for you guys here. Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, it seems to be more than an Achilles’ heel at the moment. I just spoke to Valtteri and they were both very happy with the car, especially last sector. For us it was a bit more tricky. I think we got everything out of the car in the first run. In the second run I had to try something different and it didn’t work, but yeah, happy but not happy, if you know what I mean. Q: I totally know what you mean. But it’s weird in the last sector, because it looks like the car is planted. It looks like the rear end is planted and you just have understeer. But maybe that’s an aerodynamic deficit, so you balance the car like that. Is that the case? SV: The car doesn’t feel bad, but obviously we are not quick enough. In terms of balance we got it more or less right. I had a bit more understeer; what you saw is right. Probably more than they have but I think overall in those sort of corners, you know yourself, you just need the grip and I think we might be down on that. Press Conference Q: Valtteri, congratulations, it was a stunning lap from you there in Q3. The only man to break into the 1 minute 15s all afternoon, just talk us through that final segment of qualifying in particular. VB: Yeah, thanks, it was really enjoyable and to get a nice lap like that is a nice feeling and a nice adrenaline rush. What makes it enjoyable is when the car is behaving, when the car is doing what you want it to do and what you ask it to do. I think as a team we have done an incredible job with the upgrades we brought here and with the set-up direction we’ve taken. But I was really building up to the qualifying after a difficult Practice 3 with the spin and each run I always knew ‘OK, here I can improve’ and so on and I managed to put it together for Q3. Q: How good was that lap in Q3 and are you surprised by the gap to Lewis? VB: For sure the gap is big. I never would expect that but I don’t know how Lewis’ lap was but this time I got everything pretty well right in the lap. Q: Mika Häkkinen has the Finnish record of six consecutive pole positions, just something for you to think about? VB: I’m not really a big fan of numbers. Obviously I respect Mika a lot, but at this point of the season there’s no point counting numbers, the point is focusing on the moment. Q: Congratulations. Well, Lewis, coming to you, Valtteri made the point ‘how was Lewis’ lap’, well how was Lewis’ lap? LH: It was OK; it could have been better for sure. Valtteri did a fantastic job particularly once he got to Q3. It was a bit of a tacky Q3 for me, which is kind of rare for me, but it happens. Otherwise, I’m just really happy and proud of the team for the upgrades we were able to bring this weekend to eke the gap to the Ferraris. It is an amazing track to drive, especially as we come from Barcelona testing, it’s transformed so much since then, so really proud of everyone. Q: Surprising gap between you and Valtteri. What do you put that down to? It looked like a very aggressive lap from you that first lap in Q3. LH: They just weren’t very good laps. Simple as that, and Valtteri was just quicker today and rightly deserved the pole. Q: Sebastian, coming on to you, looks like it was quite a tough afternoon for you – but it’s been a hard weekend for Ferrari, as well, relative to the performance of the Mercedes. Just talk us through the handling of your car. SV: Well, it’s been a busy weekend, obviously. Happy to be in P3. I think it gives us a good chance for tomorrow and we look forward to the race. I think we brought some new bits, a new engine, everything seems to work but clearly we are not yet where we want to be but I think in terms of team effort, everybody was doing their utmost. We tried a lot of stuff yesterday, and again today. Different directions. I think we ended up getting the best out of the car for today, which, as I say, wasn’t enough and we’re certainly not satisfied – but I’m very happy with the approach, with the chance that we took, in terms of trying something daring, something I think ultimately will pay off. Not yet – not today at least! But hopefully it helps us in terms of pace tomorrow. Hopefully sets of the right direction for the next couple of weeks. Q: Happy with the approach of the team – but were you surprised by the gap to Mercedes? SV: I think yes. Of course. Coming here we did not expect… but also we seemed to lose a quite big amount of time in the last sector. I think it’s quite clear we seem to be faster down the straights, so probably carrying a little bit less wing than them, but then obviously in the last sector there are no straights and yeah, struggling a little bit to bring it together, so it’s not a very long sector but they’re quite some corners, and mostly lower speed, and that’s where we seem to be losing the most time. So, definitely some homework.<doc-sep>When will Mercedes’ hot streak end? Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton have recorded a one-two finish in each of the four races we’ve had so far this season, and the fifth happens to be on a track that − you guessed it − they recorded a one-two finish on last year. Here’s our guide on how to catch his weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, including channels and UK times for practice races, qualifying and, of course, the main event. Bottas and Hamilton have two wins apiece coming into this weekend, and are already in danger of opening up a very healthy lead over their rivals. Sebastian Vettel is the best of the rest, just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, whose luck surely has to change soon. Unfortunately for the Ferrari duo, Mercedes dominated both qualifying and the practice sessions. Bottas, who was quickest in two of the three practice sessions, has secured pole position. Hamilton starts in second, with Vettel in third and Verstappen in fourth. Read more: Best VPN Spanish Grand Prix Schedule: What time is the F1 on TV this weekend? The fifth stop on the 2019 Formula One world tour is Barcelona, with the main action taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You’ll be pleased to hear that there are no early morning starts this weekend. Here’s this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix race schedule (all times BST): Friday May 10 9:45am − Spanish GP Practice One build-up 10am − Spanish GP Practice One 1:45pm − Spanish GP Practice Two build-up 2pm − Spanish GP Practice Two Saturday May 11 10:45am − Spanish GP Practice Three build-up 11am − Spanish GP Practice Three 1pm − Spanish GP Qualifying build-up 2pm − Spanish GP Qualifying 4:45pm − The F1 Show Sunday May 12 12:30am − Spanish GP Pit Lane 1:30pm − Spanish GP On the Grid 2:10pm − THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX 4:30pm − Spanish GP Paddock 5:15pm − Full race replay Read more: Best free VPN Spanish Grand Prix: TV channel and live stream details Sky now has exclusive rights to F1 in the UK, but you’ll be able to catch the highlights via Channel 4. If you’re a Sky subscriber, you can tune in – in 4K, no less – on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports F1 and Sky One. You can also tune in using the Sky Go mobile app, at no additional charge. Here are some quick-links to help you: If you’re not a Sky customer, but desperately don’t want to miss this season’s opener, you can watch the action by picking up a NOW TV Sports Pass, which will set you back either £8.99 (for a Day Pass) or £14.99 (for a Week Pass). The Week Pass is obviously the best value for F1 fanatics, especially if you’re completely free on both Saturday and Sunday morning. To catch Channel 4’s highlights from 7pm on Sunday, you’ll need to head to the normal broadcast channel or the All 4 website linked below for an on-demand service: Alternatively, you can watch the action using the All 4 mobile app: Share your Spanish Grand Prix race predictions with us on Twitter @TrustedReviews.<doc-sep>Sunday’s race saw Lewis Hamilton secure his fourth career Spanish Grand Prix victory, while the Briton also became the first man to take a hat trick of wins in Barcelona since Michael Schumacher, who won four times between 2000 and 2004. Here are some of the best statistics from the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix. With Bottas following his team mate to a second-place finish, Mercedes now make it five consecutive one-two finishes. That is tied with similar runs in 2014, 2015 and 2016, but has never been done at the start of the season. Ferrari have been fastest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in pre-season testing for the last two seasons, but haven’t scored a podium finish in the race since 2017. Verstappen’s podium finish means he has not finished lower than he has started since last season’s Hungarian Grand Prix, 14 races ago. The Dutchman's impressive third is also only Honda’s second podium finish since their return to F1 as an engine supplier in 2015. Carlos Sainz’s eighth-place finish means the McLaren driver has scored points in every one of his home Grands Prix, not finishing lower than ninth in his five Spanish starts.<doc-sep>
The F1 2019 schedule reaches its fifth race of the season Sunday, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. As will be the case for much of the 2019 season, ESPN2 will be the TV channel that will broadcast this weekend's Formula 1 race, with a start time of 9:05 a.m. ET on Sunday. The Spanish Grand Prix also can be live streamed via the ESPN app. The Spanish Grand Prix will run at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, an iconic 16-turn, 4.655-kilometer course that has hosted F1 races since 1991. Sunday's race is scheduled for 66 laps and a total distance of 307.104 kilometers. MORE FORMULA 1: Full 2019 Grand Prix schedule For many reasons, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will be considered the favorite for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Hamilton has won this race the last two years, and he has won it a total of three times in his career. Only Michael Schumacher (six) has more career Spanish Grand Prix wins in F1. Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, of course, have dominated the beginning of the 2019 F1 season, winning each of the opening four races (two each). Further, the Mercedes team has recorded one-two finishes in each of the opening four races of the season for the first time ever. If Mercedes records a one-two finish in Barcelona, it will equal the team's best such streak in F1; it also did so five times between Malaysia and Monaco in 2014 and between U.S. 2015 and Australia 2016. No team has enjoyed a longer such run. As for Ferrari, the team trying to keep up with Mercedes in the standings, no manufacturer has more wins (12), pole positions (13), fastest laps (14), podiums (38) and has led for more kilometers (4,151) at the Spanish Grand Prix than the Italian team. The Spanish Grand Prix is where Ferrari's Sebastien Vettel has raced the most without ever starting on the pole. His teammate Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, is looking to become the third-youngest driver to win an F1 race (21 years, six months and 26 days) after Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Vettel. Below is all you need to know regarding how to watch the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth race of the F1 schedule, including the TV channel, live stream info and start time for Sunday's race. F1 2019 Spanish Grand Prix start time, how to watch Date : Sunday, May 12 : Sunday, May 12 Time : 9:05 a.m. ET : 9:05 a.m. ET TV channel : ESPN2 : ESPN2 Live stream: ESPN app F1 TV schedule, live stream for Spanish Grand Prix As it has in years past, in the United States, ESPN will broadcast Sky Sports' presentation of 2019 F1 races. Below is the TV and live streaming schedule for Spanish Grand Prix qualifying and race presentations on ESPN platforms Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday, May 10 Event Start time TV channel Live stream Practice 1 4:55 a.m. ET ESPN2 ESPN app Practice 2 8:55 a.m. ET ESPNU ESPN app Saturday, May 11 Event Start time TV channel Live stream Practice 3 5:55 a.m. ET ESPN2 ESPN app Qualifying 8:55 a.m. ET ESPNEWS ESPN app Sunday, May 12 Event Start time TV channel Live stream Pre-race show 8:30 a.m. ET ESPN2 ESPN app Race 9:05 a.m. ET ESPN2 ESPN app Spanish Grand Prix qualifying results, starting lineup F1 qualifying for the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 11 at 8:55 a.m. ET and will be broadcasted live on ESPN2 with a live stream available on the ESPN app. The F1 qualifying results and starting grid for the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix will be posted upon completion of Saturday's qualifying. Pos. Driver Car/team 1. Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 3. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 4. Max Verstappen Honda/Red Bull 5. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 6. Pierre Gasly Honda/Red Bull 7. Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 8. Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 9. Daniil Kvyat Honda/Scuderia 10. Daniel Ricciardo Renault 11. Lando Norris McLaren Renault 12. Alexander Albon Honda/Scuderia 13. Carlos Sainz McLaren Renault 14. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari/Alfa 15. Sergio Perez Mercedes/Racing Point 16. Nico Hulkenberg Renault 17. Lance Stroll Mercedes/Racing Point 18. Antonio Gioninazzi Ferrari/Alfa 19. George Russell Williams Mercedes 20. Robert Kubica Williams Mercedes Spanish Grand Prix facts, notes F1 Opta facts: Hamilton has won the last two editions of the Spanish Grand Prix.