You secured the eighth place in Istanbul and scored four important points for the team…
VP: First of all, it is very important that we both finished the race. When you realize that, you gather a lot of data and information about the tires and other technical aspects. It was also a good feeling to both be correctly ranked and bring good points to the team. On the other hand, I am disappointed with the incident with Michael (Schumacher) which cost me time and points.
You are currently seventh in the drivers’ championship, tied with Nick. Is this internal competition beneficial?
VP: That’s good. Both of us are fighting for points, which can only benefit the team because it helps us elevate our level. It’s very important to bring in as many points as possible for the team and fight for the constructors’ championship. Mercedes is coming back strong and taking points. So we need to stay focused and work even harder to stay ahead of them. Now, we’ll focus on the next race, and both of us will give our maximum to score as many points as possible.
You did the tests before the season on the Circuit de Catalunya. Do you like racing here?
VP: I have come to this circuit many times and raced here a lot, in F3000 and GP2, with a few podiums as a result. I have also raced here in Formula 1, particularly during the tests at the beginning of the year. The weather conditions at that time (during winter testing) were quite cold, so the preparation this time will be a bit different. The weekend promises to be interesting because everyone knows the track well. It will be a tight battle and the lap time gaps will be slim.
Four races have already been contested this season. What result can LRGP achieve in Barcelona and over the entire season?
VP: F1 is never the same, it changes constantly. Things evolve every day with teams manufacturing new parts and constantly working on new aspects. In Turkey, Red Bull was the fastest, but the previous race was won by McLaren, and we have already achieved the third fastest time in two races. So things are never established. It’s impossible to predict what will happen throughout the season because anything is possible. We will bring new developments each weekend to try to improve the car. We will take the races one at a time and stay focused.
*According to a statement*
