Q: Question for Fernando. OK, it's always 25 points but to win here, it's Monza, it's a Ferrari place and after last Sunday it looks like fate owes you one as you couldn't build your lead and you lost points, you couldn't match Schumacher on 24 races scoring, so what a sensation this would be winning here.
FA: Well, I think Monza is a special win, because for any Ferrari driver it's a lot of support that you feel from the tifosi from today until Sunday and you want to give something back to them and the best thing is obviously a race win, but from a championship point of view it doesn't change too much. Even if you're not fighting for the championship, winning in Monza will be special anyway, because the podium celebration with all the people on the main straight etc is nice for anyone, not only fighting for the championship. So we will try to do a good race and see how many points we can make and have clear in our minds what is the priority this weekend.
Q: Lewis. Just in general terms from your personal perspective, what would be the attraction, the positives in joining a team like Mercedes?
LH: I have no idea. I've not really thought about it.
Q: OK, could I turn it around to you Nico? From your perspective, what would be the attraction for Lewis to join a team like Mercedes?
NR: I can say from my perspective. My perspective is that Mercedes and Ferrari are on one level in terms of the history in F1 and the standing. It's very, very special to drive for the Silver Arrow, and especially to win with a Silver Arrow.
Q: Lewis, does that resonate with you?
LH: (laughs)
Q: So, looking at it in general terms: McLaren have won the last two races and Mercedes have only won one race in the past three years, does that put it into perspective for you as to where your priorities might lie?
LH: I don't think I'm really looking for anything to be put into perspective. I drive for McLaren, we've won the last two races, we've got another great weekend, hopefully, ahead of us and that's what we've got to focus on.
Q: Jerome, in what way has Romain Grosjean helped you prepare if indeed he has done so?
Jd'A: Honestly, we haven't had much contact with Romain since then. We generally do have a good relationship at the track and normally at the track. We don't keep in touch so much otherwise. So that hasn't changed between Spa and here. I think it's been only two or three days and the real hard work was with the engineers. I've been provided with a lot of information from both drivers from the engineers and then that's it. If something happens during the weekend, I have a very good relationship with Romain. We've worked together in lower classes, so for sure he's going to be there, and the same with Kimi. If I have something I want to ask then I will and I'm sure I will get an answer. This was not the time to speak with them, between the two races.
Q: Felipe, do you think you will be able to beat Fernando again before the end of the season?
FM: Yes
Q: Here in Monza?
FM: Well, I'm trying everywhere.
Q: So how important is qualifying for you on Saturday?
FM: Very important. I think qualifying is definitely important for us, just to have an easier race. I think maybe qualifying was not so great for me this year but I always had good direction, good pace in the races, not counting the first few races but afterwards, yes. I think qualifying is very very important so we focus on that and try to have an easier direction in the race, especially from the beginning to the end.
Q: Lewis, you said you want to stay concentrated on this race, but in your eyes, when do you want to decide to have a clearer idea of next year?
LH: I don't have a deadline – obviously before next season I think would be useful. I'm in a great position, and I just need to focus on preparations for these races. We've got a long way to go before the end of the season and Jenson and I have showed in the previous race that there's great potential in the car and in the team, so that's really what I need to try and focus on most.
Q: Lewis, in the last few races we've seen strong performances from McLaren amid some pretty chaotic weather: hot, cold, wet, dry and so on. We're now hitting the really really hot stretch of the season, from here on in. Are you concerned that with the tires there might be a dip in form as we're getting back into the hotter climes or have you guys cracked the rubber at last?
LH: I don't know if we've cracked it, but we definitely have been improving quite a lot. Jenson proved, at the last race... he did a one stop, one of the few people to do a one stop race so there's something going well with the car. Here will be very tough, I think, but everyone's in the same boat but we are definitely working very very hard to make sure that we're on top of things when it comes to these hot circuits, because tire degradation is going to be key, I think, particularly in some of these hotter climates. But we went pretty well in Hungary so it wasn't a disaster there but it could have been better so we need to improve on that.
Q: Fernando, your car was completely rebuilt after the crash. Are you worried about that or are you confident that you will have a Ferrari in perfect shape?
FA: No, not worried. Obviously we make some changes and we went back to some parts of the car that we've been using three or four races ago and then for Monza, specially, there is a very unique aero package here so the car is a little bit different to any other track. Even with the Spa car it had changed. It was planned to change nearly completely for this race, so I don't think it's making a big difference.
Q: Fernando, when the championship is so close and the cars are so close, do you really think it could be possible to win the championship with no more victories, only podiums?
FA: Who knows? I think that depends on your opponents and also what they do. If they keep sharing victories, it's possible to win without any more wins but at the moment, we see McLaren very strong in Germany, nearly won the race there, won the race in Hungary, won the race in Spa so they can win three or four consecutive races and your gap disappears. As we said, already from the last six or seven Grands Prix, we need to focus on which one is second in the championship at the moment which, today, is Vettel so this weekend we try to finish in front of Vettel, like at the other weekends we try to finish in front of Webber.
Q: Lewis, on the Twitter subject, I know everyone is playing it down, but Jenson said after the race that he was disappointed that you had tweeted the details of the wings and everything else. Have you spoken to Jenson, have you cleared the air with him about it? It seemed to us that Jenson was seeing more in that tweet than maybe you did.
LH: I haven't spoken to him, don't plan to, moved on from it. Obviously it wasn't the best thing to do and it won't happen again, so move forward and focus on this race.