One-on-one with Sam Bird

Sam, let’s start by mentioning yesterday’s GP2 qualifying where you finished second. You knew it would be a difficult session with the rain expected to arrive in the middle of the session. So you had to set the best possible time as early as possible.

« Yes, it was a difficult session for everyone. When the weather changes like that, you have to be at your best from the start, being able to get the maximum out of your tires immediately. We were able to do that. I’m a bit disappointed not to finish on pole position but the front row is still very good. With a good start, we can clearly hope to fight for the victory this afternoon. »

After two seasons in Formula Renault 3.5, you are making your return to GP2. What are the main differences between the two categories?

« Yes, I did a season in GP2 before spending two years in the World Series. In fact, the biggest difference you see right away is that here, in GP2, you are really in the category aimed at reaching F1. All eyes are on you. You are in front of the people you want to impress for the rest of your career. So there is this little extra pressure to succeed. So if you can handle this pressure, then everything is fine. That’s the main difference. After that, of course, the cars are different. Here you have the Pirelli tires used in F1. Everything is designed to allow you to move from a GP2 to an F1. »

What are your goals for the rest of the season? Even if you are third in the championship arriving at Silverstone, you are already far behind Stefano Coletti and Felipe Nasr, who have been collecting victories and podiums since the beginning of the season. Is the title still achievable for you?

« Yes, absolutely. The championship is still very open, there are still seven race weekends left, which is a lot. We are not even halfway through the championship. The two in front of me will have a bad result, a bad weekend at some point. This happens to everyone in GP2. It has always been like that and it will always be like that. You can’t have a perfect season, finishing every race in the top four. When they have that bad weekend, I need to be able to capitalize on it. I will do everything I can to finish ahead of them as much as I can. »

Since the beginning of the season, you have already won two races, including the prestigious main race in Monaco. Did you expect such results so quickly considering the team’s presence was only made official late in the off-season?

« I expected us to struggle a bit more than we did, but I’ve always had confidence in the team that we would be able to succeed. However, we were competitive right from the start of the season, which is great. Even in Malaysia, where the result wasn’t extraordinary. We were the fastest during the first race, I should have been on the podium during that race without my drive-through. The performance was clearly there from the beginning, but we have also improved the car a lot. There is still a lot of work to be the best, but we are getting there gradually. »

In parallel with your commitment in GP2, you are the third driver for Mercedes in F1. You seem to be the collateral victim of the Tyregate, which prohibits Mercedes from participating in the young drivers’ tests scheduled at Silverstone next month. What is your feeling about this decision?

« As a team, we did what we had to do. It was a difficult situation for us, but we managed to avoid a punishment that was too severe, which was fair in our eyes. So from the team’s perspective, it’s okay. »

Due to the increasingly close relationships between Mercedes and Sahara Force India, is it conceivable that you will conduct these young driver tests with this team?

« At the moment, we plan to focus on simulator work, that kind of thing. I am not aware of any discussion to put me in another car. That’s what I know right now. »

Could you explain the different tasks you perform within Mercedes? Do you do a lot of work on the team’s simulator? How is your integration within the team?

« I am at the heart of development all the time. I am very involved in how we structure our development. For the different components of the car, we will have a development idea. There is then a progression line where the work in the simulator is quite far along this progression line before this new part is physically produced and then integrated into the race car. Where I come into play is to see on the simulator if the numbers they might have seen on the computer are confirmed once we integrate the modification into the simulator. »

You’ve been part of Mercedes for some time now. What differences have you noticed this year with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton compared to last year with Michael Schumacher?

« There has mainly been an evolution, with many people who have arrived. We now have Paddy Lowe, with Aldo Costa, Bob Bell. I have worked with Nick Fry, Ross Brawn. They are among the best engineers I have worked with during my career. There has therefore been an evolution of new top-tier people who have joined the team, to develop the direction in which we work and the way we work. This allows for a gradual evolution towards becoming a world champion team again. »

What are your future prospects? Do you have any avenues to reach F1 while you see many of your former GP2 rivals now in F1?

« It’s hard to say, it’s really hard to say. Nowadays, getting into Formula One is something extremely difficult. I already have one foot in F1 as a reserve driver, which is fantastic. It’s kind of a dream come true to be able to work with an F1 team. The next step in this dream would be to race in F1 and become a Grand Prix winner. But that’s not the case right now. What I need to do now is focus on my work in GP2, try to win as many races as possible. Starting with this afternoon’s race. That’s as far as I can look right now. »

From our special correspondent in Silverstone