Watching Fangio go head to head with Clark around Kyalami. Sharing a spaghetti bolognese with Enzo, Ayrton and Bernie. Thrashing a 1000-bhp Williams around New York’s Central Park. Okay, so they may never happen, but that doesn’t stop you dreaming.
The man doing the dreaming? Nico Rosberg, the driver who scored Mercedes’ best 2011 result to date with fifth place at the recent Chinese Grand Prix. The above is just a taster of the German ace’s combined Formula One fantasies…
Q: You must choose a city for a new Formula One street circuit - which city, anywhere in the world, do you choose, and why?
Nico Rosberg: New York City. That would be absolutely and ultimately cool. The start corner at Central Park South and Fifth Avenue, the paddock in Central Park - and the pond would make a nice pool for a workout!
Q: If you could choose one former world champion as your team mate, who would you choose and why?
NR: Michael Schumacher, of course. Probably also Mika Hakkinen. He was a great talent and racing him would be cool.
Q: Formula One innovations of the past - ground effect, active suspension, turbocharging, six wheels, the list goes on. If you could bring back one past innovation, what would it be and why?
NR: The big tyres and less downforce. The cars now have such low grip and such high downforce in relation. Today you have to drive these tyres so carefully, have to brake so carefully into the corners - that’s not the way I really like it. It takes quite a bit of enjoyment away. It’s no longer full attack and braking hard - you’re more of a racing surgeon these days!
Q: What innovations would you like to see in the future?
NR: I would like to see electric Formula One cars - with big power.
Q: You can only drive at one circuit for the rest of your life - which circuit, past or present from anywhere in the world, do you choose?
NR: It would be Malaysia. What a cool track. Surprised? I am speaking about the track and not the climate. True, the climate is really demanding with that high humidity, but the track makes up for all that sweating.
Q: Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Tyrrell and March are just some of the teams that have departed the sport. Which former team would you most liked to have raced with and why?
NR: Lotus is back, isn’t it, so we are speaking of former teams that are not here anymore. Then I would take Tyrrell - another iconic team of the past.
Q: You have to design a new F1 circuit, combining all your favourite corners from other tracks around the world. Which three corners are top of your list and why?
NR: I would pick Turns Eight and Nine from Malaysia; from Monaco the top casino corner where you go left at the top of the hill; then Eau Rouge from Spa; and then the triple left in Turkey. Oh, that makes four corners, but gee that would be quite some track!
Q: You can travel back in time and compete in any decade of Formula One racing, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Which decade would you choose and why?
NR: Now. Or if the safety standards back then were as they are today, then I would go back to the early eighties - but with their actual standards it would simply be too dangerous.
Q: What current Formula One regulation would you most like to change and why?
NR: Nothing really.
Q: If you could pick two Formula One greats of the past (from different eras) to watch race against each other, whom would you pick?
NR: Fangio against Jim Clark. That would be awesome.
Q: Just 19 of the world’s motor racing circuits feature on the current F1 calendar. You can add one more. Which circuit do you pick and why?
NR: Kyalami. I think that would be great.
Q: You are having a dinner party and can invite four people from the world of motorsport, past or present. Who do you invite?
NR: Enzo Ferrari, Bernie - wow, that would already make a pretty good table - Ayrton Senna and Fangio.
Q: You are given the chance to drive any legendary Formula One car of the past (excluding those made by your own team). Which car would you choose?
NR: I would probably want to drive that car that Alain Prost won the championship with. It was one of the most sophisticated cars. Hey, wait a minute - maybe not. Maybe the 1000-horsepower cars of 1985 with the big tyres - the one that my dad drove at Williams.
Q: Rooftop swimming pool, bowling alley, revolving sushi bar - just some of the features most F1 motorhomes don’t possess. If you could add one thing to your team’s motorhome, what would it be?
NR: Music! As you can hear we don’t play any, so some cool music, lounge, atmosphere.
Q: Imagine you have just won the world title. Where would you go for your celebratory meal and what would you choose from the menu?
NR: It would be in Monaco as that’s where I live and where my friends are. And from the menu I would choose spaghetti bolognese, with lots of parmesan cheese.
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment