Toyoharu Tanabe
Technical Director, Honda F1
First of all, we are really relieved that Romain Grosjean got out from that terrible accident with only minor injuries. We have not seen a crash like that for many years, but it proved how safe the current Formula 1 cars are and that is down to the hard work of the FIA. It was great to see both drivers on the podium. As for Scuderia AlphaTauri, Pierre was the only driver to go for a one-stop strategy and he drove an intelligent tire management race to make it work and finish sixth. Daniil finished just outside the points, his race compromised by a penalty. Now, we have the benefit of staying in the same place to prepare, although we will race on a new layout of the Sakhir track. We plan to keep today's momentum going for next weekend and for the final round in Abu Dhabi a week later.
Max Verstappen
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda
Start 3rd, Finish: 2nd
“It was of course a big shock to see the flames at the start of the race and you know it is bad when there is fire like that. We were all relieved that Romain was able to get out of the car himself and I hope he recovers quickly. It's not nice to see those things happen but the safety is incredible with the suits and the halo really saved his life today by pushing the guard rail up over his head. In the race, I tried everything I could to stay with Lewis and there wasn't much left to give but overall I think second is where we belong today with the pace of the car. A double podium is a great result for the Team and well done to Alex as I am pleased for him. The car seems to be working well here so we'll see how next weekend goes on the different layout but hopefully, we can find a bit more pace and get everything that's possible.”
Alex Albon
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda
Start: 4th, Finish: 3rd
“Of course there's a bit of luck involved today and Sergio drove a good race but we were there to capitalize and that's exactly what we did so I'm really happy. Considering the car damage we had on Friday, the guys did an amazing job to get everything ready for Saturday and it's nice to repay them in this way. Like everyone in the paddock I was also very relieved to see Romain walk away from the car after the accident, it was shocking to watch back and the safety team did an amazing job today.”
Pierre Gasly
Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda
Start: 8th, Finish: 6th
“The main thing about today is to see Romain walking away from that horrific crash at the start of the race. Performance-wise, I'm really pleased with our job. We took a risky strategy - it was a gamble - but it paid off in the end. It was one of the toughest races and a lot of hard work inside the cockpit today, it was all about managing and pushing as hard as I could, without hurting the tires too much and keep them alive for as many laps as possible. We managed to get one of our best results of the year, so I'm really happy to make it back in the points and make the best out of this Sunday.”
Daniil Kvyat
Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda
Start: 10th, Finish: 11th
“To finish P11 is super frustrating. On the opening lap, I was a bit angry at first with Romain for his move, but then I was just worried about him because I saw the flames and how bad the crash was - I was just hoping he was OK and fortunately it wasn't as bad as it looked. Then on the race restart, I had an incident with Stroll. I was fully on the inside of him and even if I think saw him he chose to turn in like I wasn't there. I put my whole car on the inside of the curb and there wasn't much more I could have done. So, I don't share the same view as the Stewards regarding my penalty.”