Felipe Nasr answers our questions
MotorsInside takes advantage of its presence in the Monza paddock to meet those knocking on the doors of F1. Felipe Nasr is one of them, and he welcomed us in the paddock of his GP2 team, Carlin, to discuss his season and his hopes for the future, particularly in F1.
Let’s talk about this weekend. During yesterday’s (Friday’s) qualifying, you finished 12th, your worst qualification of the year despite having the best average since the beginning of the year. What happened?
« Yes, it’s the first time this year that we haven’t qualified in the top 10. It was a problematic session. There was too much traffic and I couldn’t set the time I wanted. But I have to deal with it. So I will have to start 11th, and I think I still have a chance to finish in the points today. »
What are your hopes for this afternoon’s race? Is the goal to be as close as possible to Stefano Coletti, the championship leader?
« I am not thinking about others today. I need to get into the points, which will allow me to have a good race on Sunday as well. »
You arrive at Monza in second position in the championship, just five points behind Stefano Coletti. But in the top 5 of the championship, you are the only one who hasn’t won this year. So for now, how do you judge your season: disappointed or satisfied?
« I was very close to winning a few times already this year. So I’m going to try to get it this year. At the moment, we think about the championship at every race we go to. So if I have the opportunity to get a victory, I will seize it. »
Pirelli chose to offer GP2 tires similar to those in F1 to promote learning their management by drivers. Do you think this might have hindered you during the season when you sometimes missed a few laps to win?
« It depends on each driver and the position you are in during the race. Sometimes, I have conserved my tires a little better than the others. But at this point in the season, everyone has started to understand the tires. So it will be harder to make a difference with that. »
In the off-season, you changed teams, moving from DAMS to Carlin, a team with which you won your British F3 title in 2011. What main differences do you notice between the two teams?
« It was a good choice to come here. That’s for sure. Since I know the team very well from F3, I’m back in the same environment, and it works really well. We’re fighting for the championship again. So I hope we’ll be able to win in the end. »
In the lower categories, there’s a tradition of having a learning year before winning the title the following season. Given your position in the championship, can we assume you dream of doing the same thing this season, right?
In the training categories, you need to learn and that’s what I’m doing. The good thing is that in every category I’ve entered, I’ve won the championship. So I’m going to try to do the same here. I think everything is very tight. We still have this weekend and two more behind. Anything can happen, but this is what I wanted: to be in the position to fight for the championship.
Beyond GP2, your name is coming up insistently for a spot at Toro Rosso as soon as next season to replace Daniel Ricciardo. How are your discussions going?
There are always discussions. But I’m not really thinking about it for now. Obviously, I want to go to Formula 1 next year. But I have people working around me to take care of these kinds of things. This allows me to focus on my GP2 season, which is the most important.
Would you see yourself doing another season in GP2 or would you be ready to do like Davide Valsecchi, the 2012 champion, who is the third driver at Lotus but doesn’t have a racing program this year?
« It’s always better to be racing. If you are in a position to become a third driver, you need to look at the opportunities you have for testing. But I would prefer to have a competitive program. »
Since last year, you have participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona, where you finished third. Are you interested in endurance racing for the future?
« It’s something I really enjoyed. It’s different from what I’m used to doing but I really liked the atmosphere there. I really appreciated this experience. I’ve been doing it for two years and if I have the opportunity to do it again next year, I would do it without hesitation. Daytona is at the start of the year. So if it’s not related to GP2 or F1, I don’t see why I couldn’t do it again because it’s a lot of fun. »
From our special correspondent in Monza
