26/02/2010
NEWS STORY
Davide, you have secured the win and the Series title today. This must feel incredible...
Davide Valsecchi: Yes, it is fantastic. The race was very important today. When I came to the track five or six days ago, all I could talk about was to find some way to win the championship this weekend. I didn't want to be the driver who loses the championship at the last race. So I knew it was in my best interest to win the Series one round before the end of the season. Today was incredible for me. As usual, I did not make a good start. It was ok, but not great. Some drivers like Filippi and Villa did a better job. At the beginning of the race I was struggling with the pace behind them. However, at the end of the race, my car got better and better so I just had to go for the win... I was also a bit lucky because at some point I tried to overtake Filippi and I went too wide. It was a bit too risky... So I didn't race perfectly today, but my car was incredibly fast and I should have passed Filippi earlier. Still, it was incredible to win the race. This is a very emotional time for me...
From Round 1 you became the man to beat. How did you cope with the pressure?
DV: Yeah. It's really new to me. I had never been in that position before in my career. It's the first time that I am so competitive and in a position to win the championship. So for this weekend, I put too much pressure on myself I think because I came here one week earlier to train in the heat and be well-prepared. That was a bit crazy! Anyway, my best moment in this weekend was during qualifying. It's not my strongest point and I was a bit worried to underperform. My car was one of the quickest and we made it to P2, really close to the pole position. From there on, I realised that it could happen and I had everything in place to be champion today. I want to thank my team because my car was incredibly fast. Usually, it's not easy to keep the pace at the end of the race. Our pitstop was two or three laps later than Villa and therefore, at the end, my tyres were fresher than his. And the other thing, during qualifying, with my second set of tyres, we had to wait before getting back onto the track and we made just one fast lap with them. So my second set of tyres was almost new for this race. So after the pitstop, I had an advantage on them.
What will this title change for you, especially in the main Series?
DV: Ah... We will have to check what happens during the first tests. I feel much stronger now and I'm much more confident. I'm always thinking positively. I'm only worried about the start. Every time, I'm over thinking it. In the main Series, we will have to see how the car is. In the Asia Series, from the first days in Abu Dhabi when we tested before Round 1, we were one of the quickest. In main Series, we will have to see where we are compared to the other teams. We will try to do a good job during the tests. I just know that there are a lot of good drivers... We have some of the quickest drivers in the world. So, it will be difficult. But, we will try to do our best.
With the title secured, are you still going to keep pushing until the end of the season?
DV: You know, our next round will be with Formula One. So, it's always very important to do well in front of these guys and win. Today, when I was P3, my team told me: "Davide you have already won the championship and it's a good position". I told them on the radio during the first stint that I had troubles with keeping the pace. But when we realised that I was getting more competitive and it was more complicated for the others, I tried to get another win and I took some risks. So, if I have the opportunity to win again next time, I will go for it.
How are you going to celebrate now?
DV: I don't know... [Laughs] I will not party anyway [Laughs]. I am still very focused on doing a good job in the main series and keep the pace. It will not be easy and we are prepared for some tough times as well. But if I keep my momentum, it should be ok.
Well, congratulations again...
DV: Thank you very much.