Where do you draw the line between respect for other drivers and achieving results?

“Sometimes you have to be aggressive, sometimes not. You have to adapt to the situation, so over time you make mistakes; everybody makes mistakes, otherwise it’s better to put a robot in the car. It’s good to make mistakes as well, because you learn from it. And in racing especially, when you’re on the limit, on the edge, it’s easy to make a mistake.”

Are you honest when you speak to the media?

“I’m probably too honest and too straightforward. I’m not a robot outside the car, and I’m happy about that; it’s just the way I was brought up. Sometimes it can work against you, but I see the positives of it.”

How deep is your rivalry with Charles Leclerc?

“It’s no different to anyone else. I’ve known him longer than other people, and I’ve raced him for a longer time. He’s a great driver, a big talent, and for him it’s a big opportunity to be in Ferrari, and I expect to fight him still for a very long time, because we are still very young. It’s good for the sport as well to have the young guys coming up and hopefully taking over, because it’s getting a bit boring seeing Lewis win; we have to try and change that with all the young guys!”

Do you get the sense of being at the end of an era? That you and Charles Leclerc are at the right point in history, and that Lewis Hamilton’s reign could end quite soon?

“I mean, Lewis is getting older; he’s [approaching] 35 now, so [his reign] will stop at one point. But it’s just going to depend on the team, to be honest. It’s not going to depend on Lewis. Because if Mercedes keeps building really dominant cars, then for sure he’s going to win. So we have to just make sure as a team that we can beat them. In Formula 1, you’re very dependent on your car.”

There are rumours that you could replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, and that Sebastian Vettel could rejoin Red Bull in the future. Would you like to drive with Sebastian, or are you tempted by Mercedes?

“I’m really happy where I am at the moment, and I really want to win with Red Bull. They brought me into Formula 1, so there was this kind of loyalty to them. I think we’re over that phase, but still I’m really happy where I am. I really enjoy working with them; it’s a great group of people. I feel at home, which is also really important for a driver, that you feel appreciated. Everybody is really motivated so, for me, I don’t want to change.”