F1/モータースポーツ深堀サイト:山口正己責任編集

（原文と訳を交互に掲載しています）

Q:Lewis, we could hear on the radio why Nico has supersoft and you have soft tyres. My question is: isn’t it also responsibility of the drivers to take the decision what tyre they can use? Once we have less than 20 laps to the end and the supersoft would be the most reasonable choice?

LH: This is the case where you have to rely on your engineers because they have better understanding. They would have seen all the other drivers run on the supersoft from the beginning and they would have seen the drivers run on the soft. I had no facts to quantify a judgement. I was not in a position to make a judgement there. When I came in I’m hoping the team will give me the best tyre. I’m expecting them to give me the best tyre. So, I had the soft, Nico didn’t have a soft, so I don’t believe he had a soft left, as far as I’m aware. So that would be why. That was the only choice he had. My tyre goes longer. But the performance was still good, it was just the warm-up was the issue. I guess they were concerned that the ultrasoft doesn’t last that long. We didn’t do a long run on the supersoft either so we didn’t know if that would go far. So,no,your answer,it is not the case.

ルイス・ハミルトン（以下、ハミルトン）：このケースの場合、エンジニアを頼りにしてるよ。彼らがより理解してるからね。最初は他のドライバーがすべてスーパーソフトで走っていて、その後、ソフトで走ってたね。僕にはこの判断が十分なものかはわからなかった。判断する立場にはいないからね。チームがベストなタイヤを与えてくれることを願ってたよ。僕はソフトを持っていて、ニコ（･ロズベルグ）は持っていなかった。僕の知る限りだけど、彼には唯一の選択だった。僕のタイヤの方が長持ちするということだよ。でも、パフォーマンスはまだ良かったし、ウォームアップの時が問題だった。僕が思うに、チームはウルトラソフトは長持ちしないと考えたんだろう。僕たちは、スーパーソフトでのロングランはおこなっていなかったし、もし走り続けたらどうなるかはわからなかった。このケースでは、あなたの質問には、Noと答えるよ。

Q: Did you have supersofts?

LH: I had supersofts, yeah.

ハミルトン：持ってたよ。

Q:Question to Lewis. Where was bigger and better the rivalry? In 2007 with Fernando or this year? And what do you think, could Ron Dennis handle this problem now with your team-mate better?

LH: It’s different. When I was racing with Fernando we both had pretty much the same opportunity in the sense that our cars were both reliable, we had no problems so we were battling more so on the track.This is just as intense but it’s a little bit different. Nico today racing hard but we’re in different… the picture’s a lot different. He’s in the lead with four engines and I’m fighting for the lead with one engine. So we’re in different positions in that respect. So I would say it’s a little more intense from my side as every point counts more than ever.

ハミルトン：それは、違うよ。フェルナンドとレースをしてた時は、僕ら2人は全く同じ条件だった。クルマは2台とも信頼性があったし、問題もなかったから、僕たちはトラックでもっとバトルをしてたよ。その時とは少し違うんだ。ニコは今日、ハードにレースをしたけど、僕たちは違う……、状況は大違いなんだ。彼は4機のエンジンでリードしてるけど、僕は1機のエンジンで闘ってる。この観点で僕たちの立場は異なってるんだ。僕の立場からいうと、もう少し強烈にやって、これまでよりも、毎回ポイントを稼がないといけないよ。

Q:Lewis, how disappointing is it to hear so many of the crowd booing when you’ve just had your first win in Austria?

LH: Of course it’s not great and especially with how much I love it here. It’s one of the most beautiful countries I’ve been to. Every time I come here, the scenery…I have a motorbike here this weekend and I’ve been driving through the valley and just seeing how beautiful and natural it is here. And so to have that kind of feeling for a country and then have that response when you have a win, for sure it’s not the greatest but I forgive them. Sometimes that’s just the way it is and I don’t judge them for that. They have the right to have an opinion. Not quite sure why they have done it but it doesn’t really make any difference to me.I won the race,I think fair and square.

ハミルトン：もちろん、素晴らしいことではないよ。特に、僕はここが好きだからね。僕が訪れたことのある中でもっと美しい国のひとつだし。ここの光景に来る時は毎回ね。今週末、バイクを持ってきたんだ。渓谷（けいこく）の中を走ると、とても美しいし、ここには自然がある。この国にある種の思いを持っていて、勝った時の反応は素晴らしいものではなかったけど、僕は彼らを許すよ。時にはこんなこともあるよ。僕はこのことで彼らを判断しないよ。彼らは意見をもつ権利があるしね。彼らがなぜそうしたかはわからないけど、僕にとっては何の違いもないんだ。僕はレースに勝った。フェアに正々堂々とね。

Q:Lewis,you stayed out much longer than Nico in the first stint, presumably to do a
one-stop race. Have you been surprised to be pulled in for a second stop and what do you think about it,seeing Ferrari and Red Bull obviously being able to do a one-stop race?

LH: Yeah, for me the plan to be on a one-stop and I hit my one-stop target and then I was on that second tyre and when I was asked to pit it felt fine. I knew Nico was on – I think – eleven or twelve lap older tyres than me so they said that he would have to stop again but I didn’t think I would have to and I was very… I had a split decision as well as to whether I was going to come in or not. They asked me to come in and I followed their direction but obviously they showed that the tyre could have gone the distance. I don’t know whether – at the pace that we were going – that they would have lasted as long as their’s – who knows – but in hindsight I would have probably tried to stay out but if I had stayed out maybe Nico would have stayed out so it would have been a similar situation.

ハミルトン：僕もワンストップをプランしてたし、意図してたよ。2番めのタイヤで走ってる時、ピットに素晴らしい感触だと伝えたよ。ニコが僕より11か12ラップ古いタイヤで走ってることを知ってたから、チームは彼がもう一度止まらなければならないと言ってたしね。僕は止まることはないと思ってたよ。ピットに入ろうが入るまいが、別の決断をするとね。チームはピットに入るか聞いてきたから、僕はチームの指示に従ったよ。でも、タイヤは最後までもったことは、フェラーリやレッドブルが見せてくれた。僕がそのままのペースでいったらどうなったかはわからない。彼らと同じように最後まで行けたかもしれない。でも、後付だけど、僕がそのまま走り続けたら、ニコも走り続けただろうから、同じような状況だよね。

Q:Lewis, do you expect the rivalry between you and Nico to become even more intense, the closer the racing between the two of you becomes and the closer you get to the end of the season?

LH: I could anticipate it will stay the same as it is now. We are battling. Today obviously was slightly unfortunate with the safety car otherwise I would have been in the lead and I think I had more pace today, so it would have been easier. But well absolutely, we’re racing to win and we’re fighting for the championship and we will see. I’m not the furthest away now, so at least I’m within a good distance from him points-wise. I don’t know how many points I am behind, so that’s definitely better than what I came with and I’ll take that.

ハミルトン：今と同じままだと思うよ。僕らは闘ってる。僕がリードしてたにもかかわらず、今日はセーフティ･カーが入って、少し残念だったね。今日はもっとペースをもってたし、楽勝だっただろう。でも、間違いなく、僕たちは勝つためにレースをして、チャンピオンシップのために闘ってるんだ。今や、僕は離されていないし、少なくともニコといい得点差でいる。僕が何ポイント離されてるか知らないけど、間違いなく近づいたし、捕まえるよ！

【翻訳：Masataka Hoshi】