F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Hamilton & Verstappen face-to-face again on media day

‘We made some mistakes’ - Red Bull defend Verstappen’s team orders refusal

"It's a big statement what was made by the media but again they remain rumours. It's not great to read these things. It's great that the team has cleared the air."

I'm fed up with all the bullshit.

I haven't done anything wrong. People misunderstood.

"I want to put myself into a position that is right for me. Whether that's reserve or driving - that is to be finalised." 

"It's been pretty much what I have been doing most part of this year. I felt like saying that because I want to prove everyone wrong who doesn't believe in me. I have proven that in junior categories so I don't see why I can't in F1."

I won't go into detail. It's between myself and the team.

It's disappointing that, without knowing the facts, you write the wrong things. You contribute to the wrong things on social media.

The team knows how I work. I've always been good to the team.

It was about something that happened earlier in the season. I explained in Mexico. The team understood.

We went to Brazil, I thought we would race. 

We had a miscommunication on Saturday. Nobody said anything to me about a swap.

Only on the last lap they said something. They should have known my response.

After, everything was solved.

In hindsight we should have had that conversation earlier.

I've never been a bad teammate. I am helpful. The team knows that. I always put the team at the front.

We have to be more open and communicate.

After last week, I looked very bad in the media. But they didn't have the clear picture. The things I've read are pretty disgusting. They attacked my family - my sister, mum, girlfriend, dad. That goes too far when you don't have the facts. Unacceptable.

People in this paddock, to be honest. Not only fans. What they write about me is ridiculous.

"I think stability is paying off. We have been showing we are improving. We need to do another step but we are working on that. I am sure we will achieve that." 

"It's disappointing in some ways because I feel I have been doing a good job up until this point. I have to respect that. I am focused on the future now. 

"We've had our ups and down for sure. The trend has always been pointing upwards - that is what is important. I don't think if you can even count last year. Across the year, we've managed to do it and I've managed to extract the maximum from each situation.

"I want to stick around. I will see all the options I have and see what will bring me a bright future."

"There are always around F1 and especially Ferrari. There are always voices around us. We need to focus on our performance on track. People tend to forget how big of a step we've done from last year to this year. I am sure we will do it altogether to hopefully finish on a high. Apart from that, there's nothing more to say. I don't think we should give too much more attention to that."

"I can only agree with what has been said by Max and Daniel. He's been incredible. He's achieved so much in the sport. As a person, he's been incredible. I remember already in F2, doing the simulator work, it's really tiring and I thought Seb didn't know I was in the sim, and I got a letter from him thanking me.

"I learnt a lot from him. We had our tense moments on track but the respect has always been there off it. He's always been super caring."

I'm looking forward to seeing the battle. The team has never finished first and second. Achieving that would be amazing.

If the opportunity is there to help, we will do that.

He achieved all of it. He still has friends at Red Bull. He's had a career that a lot of people could only dream of.

I've had heated battles with him.

I will remember for the rest of my life - last year at Silverstone, I came back from hospital. He was waiting for me: 'Are you ok, Max?'

As a person I can speak so highly of him. Cares about the sport, also cares us about us drivers.

I think back to 2013 when he won every race in the second half of the season. Relentless. He wanted to destroy the competition. You saw the raw competitor.

Not yet. Progress? Yes. But still nothing [confirmed].

George's head is bigger!

Winning is something you believe. But until you do it, you don't know.

We have won in junior categories. But doing it in F1...

George reminded me of my emotions of a first win. You relate to it.

"I am very proud of the achievement. It's something I've worked my whole life towards. You dream of that moment. The stars seemed to align. To come away with maximum points, it was a pretty special one."

"There was quite a lot of us on that flight! Carlos, myself, Charles, Kevin, Fernando, Esteban, Lewis - you all missed out! There was so many emotions on Sunday night, speaking to all of you guys afterwards. Everyone was in a rush to get to the airport. I slept for quite a long time. Celebrations have been put on hold until this Sunday."

Ricciardo, Russell, Schumacher, Verstappen and Leclerc will be speaking!

"Well it will be more than a day. I hope it will be longer than a day! Like I said, I said nothing earlier. I have plenty of ideas. It's that not having that commitment or race calendar that kicks off in February. I am looking forward to them disappear. I am looking forward to be surprised, learn about myself, spend more time with my kids, family. It will be a different challenge and pace.

"Give more room to things I didn't have time for because I was doing this."

I still love what I'm doing. I still love evaluating at the end of every year - taking the good bits forward. How can you evolve? Be healthier?

Latifi: "It's a tough one. Less differences between the cars. That's part of F1 and having that scope for creativity. For sure, I would have loved to have experienced of being more in a fight. Even just points more often."

Vettel: "More transparency because the world is opening up. F1 should follow it and lead. More credibility. I'd make the cars a lot lighter." 

I don't think so. At the beginning, maybe. My love for the sport is the same. My commitment has shown that.

It has been a different year which none of us expected. It brought us lessons which he hadn't experienced. It has made us stronger.

"I don't plan to stay there too long or I will be really fat!"

"I look forward to the idea of nothing. I've done this for so long and it's been central to my life. It will be difficult to say I will not miss it. How much and if I look at something else, we will see. I've always like rallying but it's so different to what we do at classic circuit racing. We will see."