Interview with Davide Valsecchi08/09/2009
Barwa Addax Team driver Davide Valsecchi grew up near one of Italy’s most famous race tracks and explains to Bridgestone e-reporter finalist Mieke Vercammen the specific characteristics of the circuit. After a disappointing beginning to the season, the Italian has switched from Durango to the Barwa Addax Team, to replace ING Renault F1 Team driver Romain Grosjean.
Q: Having scored your first GP2 win in Monza last year, what are your expectations for this year? How has the change to the Barwa Addax Team been?
A: Of course I hope to be good and want to win again, but it’s hard. It wasn’t easy last year due to the wet conditions, although the pole position I obtained after the first race did help me a lot. The Barwa Addax Team is very professional and competitive. It has got great engineers, but on the track the difference isn’t that big, because a good driver should be fast in every car.
Q: What is your favourite part of the track?
A: I’ve raced on the Monza track about ten times and I love it in general. In the past, when there was an ‘open day’ on the track, I also took some friends with me and then drove there with my normal road car, which was a lot of fun. There is still one part of the circuit I like the most: Ascari. It’s one of the corners that has always been there and it’s fantastic.
Q: Bridgestone will be using the medium compound again in Monza. How are you finding the tyres this year?
A: Actually in general, at most of the circuits [but not Monza] the Bridgestone tyres this year are all one step softer to ensure more fun for the drivers and a good show for the spectators. In the GP2 Asia Series the difference could be felt remarkably well, in Europe there is slightly less of a difference but we still have to manage the tyres well. Monza is a very fast track, it’s easy to cool down the tyres on the long straights.
Q: Last year it rained a lot during the Grand Prix weekend, how does this affect the tyres? Which weather conditions do you prefer?
A: The tyres don’t suffer much from the higher track temperatures and also when it rains, which happens pretty often in Italy in September. They work perfectly, so that’s both fine for me. Only when it has rained and the track starts drying, does it become more difficult to make the right tyre choice.
Q: Are all your friends and family coming over to Monza?
A: Yes, they’re all coming, but sadly I have to disappoint a lot of them, as I only have four guest passes I can hand out. On the other hand, I have to make sure I stay focused and not let them distract me.
