20/10/2011
With regular updates from Bernie, Eric is convinced that India will not disappoint after its instatement on the F1 calendar
Disappointment in Korea – how would you summarise the weekend?
I had mixed feelings coming away from Korea. If I look at the weekend as a whole, we showed good pace but did not capitalise on it. It was disappointing for Bruno not to qualify higher than he did and the result was a tough race. Vitaly had a healthy grid position and was looking good until his mistake cost him on lap 15. If he had carried on as he did during the first stint of the race – when he was on soft tyres – then we could have expected him to finish at least eighth or maybe seventh. Unfortunately it was not to be, but we’ll now look ahead to an exciting venue – the Indian Grand Prix.
Next stop India – what was your reaction when you first heard the country was going to host a Formula 1 race?
With an Indian Formula 1 team and an Indian driver – in Karun Chandhok – in the sport, a race was always the next logical step. It is a big country; a promising, powerful nation that is at the forefront of a lot of global activity. India is also a country that loves its sport. It is definitely a good thing to have a Formula 1 race in a new, emerging world economy, and for this sport to consider itself global it is important to bring the show to new territories. Taking F1 to India is a positive step for both the sport and the country. I’m thoroughly looking forward to taking the team racing there.
What have you heard about the Buddh International Circuit itself?
We, the team principals, have been updated regularly about the facilities by Bernie himself. It is always difficult to judge by pictures alone, but it appears to be a very promising facility with a strong, suitable infrastructure and I’m sure we will have a great event there. I, for one, am excited about it as it will be deviating from the F1 norm, and I’ve little doubt it will be a great experience all round. Let’s hope we can take a good result from the weekend too.
Three races remain – how hard is it for the team to keep its focus on this season only?
There will be increasing temptation to start looking to next season, and to contemplate what exciting times might lie ahead. However, we have to maintain focus and look at the here and now; We won’t allow ourselves an ounce of complacency from the team going into these final three races. We must ensure we have a good car to take with us to India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil; our pace has been satisfactory recently, we have some performance now but we must translate this performance into points. We will be disciplined in achieving that.
Credit: Lotus Renault GP (www.lotusrenaultgp.com)
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