F1Weekly podcast # 659
This is a double podcast covering the British and German Grand Prix including Motorsports Mondial and, we have Tech Talk with Tim.
Our bonus this week on the F1Weekly front page is an interview with Pastor Maldonado recently confirmed for 2015 with the Lotus F1 Team.
Are you looking forward to Budapest?
The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the best of the season. We are very close to Budapest and I like the city very much. There is a big community of fans at the race weekend and the people are very friendly. On track, it can be very challenging. The weather is usually very hot there and it is very demanding from a physical point of view. It is one of the races that I enjoy best because of these demands and I really like the challenge that it presents.
What are your thoughts on the Hungaroring?
It is a very demanding circuit for drivers as it is often very hot and there are limited overtaking opportunities. It has quite a slow speed layout, so we’ll be able to see how much improvement we’ve made on this type of configuration. Qualifying is so important at this track because of the small number of overtaking opportunities, but I’ve qualified well there in the past so hopefully I can deliver a strong performance that will give the team a boost as we head into the summer break. I have won there in other categories so the track has good memories for me. The fans create a great atmosphere and it’s always good to race at a track where there is a strong feeling like this.
The team recently confirmed you for 2015?
I joined Lotus F1 Team on a multi-year deal, but there is always talk and gossip in Formula 1 about drivers and teams. We both know we haven’t had the first season either of us wanted in terms of results so this was a clear statement that we’re both committed to working together and getting results in the future. From my perspective, I’m fully behind Lotus F1 Team and I know we’ll achieve great things together.
How would you assess your German Grand Prix?
Though we didn’t score any points it was a good race as we had a reliable car and our lap times weren’t bad relative to our opposition. Qualifying was frustrating, as we didn’t get all we wanted out of the car so it’s always difficult when you start so far back on the grid. We had the suspension changes to get used to, so it was good to run the race distance and get a lot of data to help us for the next races. It was quite an eventful race; I’m happy that we made it to the end without any incidents to report.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Some time with my family of course! They are very important to me so that’s why I spend as much time as I can with them, even over Grands Prix weekends. I think the summer break is more important for the team and all the crew who do so many long hours over the course of the season. For me as a driver, I get pretty well looked after and I don’t have to work late nights on the car. There’s a lot of travel in the second half of the year so we all need to be refreshed and ready to go.
[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/mp3.f1weekly.com/podcasts/07-23-14f1weekly659.mp3]